Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Original Air Date: 5/27/2022 Today we take a look at the disruptions to society that can unfold in times of economic distress such as high inflation, price gouging, wage stagnation and income inequality as well as some policy ideas for turning things around. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Will America's Capitalists Pull Us Into War & Fascism? Featuring Richard Wolff - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-18-22 Ch. 2: You Are Being Lied to About Inflation - Robert Reich - Air Date 2-28-22 Ch. 3: Prices Soar as Corporate Profiteers & Speculators Drive Inflation; It Hurts the Developing World - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-13-22 Ch. 4: Prof. Richard Wolff Do Workers Have It Too Good Nowadays - The Zero Hour w RJ Eskow - Air Date 5-14-22 Ch. 5: Omar Ocampo of Inequality.org on corporate billionaire greed Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 5-11-22 Ch. 6: David Dayen on the Baby Formula Shortage & Monopolies in the Age of Corporate Power - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-17-22 Ch. 7: Omar Ocampo of Inequality.org on corporate billionaire greed Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 5-11-22 Ch. 8: How Biden’s budget proposal takes on corporate power (with Niko Lusiani) - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 5-10-22 Ch. 9: Elon Musk’s Billionaire Games - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah - Air Date 5-7-22 Ch. 10: Prof. Richard Wolff Do Workers Have It Too Good Nowadays Part 2 - The Zero Hour w RJ Eskow - Air Date 5-14-22 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Introducing How Mikey Madison Brought Anora To Life | PLUS Forces of Fashion Is Here! from The Run-Through with Vogue.Follow the show: The Run-Through with Vogue British Vogue’s film and culture editor Radhika Seth talks with Anora breakout star Mikey Madison about winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes, coming into her style, and learning how to twerk for a movie role. Plus, Chloe and Chioma discuss the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Winner, the return of the Victoria’s Secret runway show, and Armani’s New York City debut.  DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

Air Date 10/15/2024 Just as COVID tended to expose the preexisting fractures and inequalities in our society causing undue harm, supercharged by disinformation, so do natural disasters. And the impact of disinformation and conspiracy has only grown in recent years. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Election Denials, Asheville, Israel & Inequality. - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 10-25-24 KP 2: Meteorologist Guy Walton on Hurricane Milton's threat to Florida - The Bradcast - Air Date 10-8-24 KP 3: Six Factory Workers Feared Dead In Tenn. After Being Swept Away During Hurricane Helene - Democracy Now! - Air Date 10-3-24 KP 4: Derek Seidman on Insurance and Climate, Insha Rahman on Immigration Conversation - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-4-24 KP 5: Trump's politicized lies about Helene recovery calls to mind his abysmal record handling disasters - Alex Wagner Tonight - Air Date 10-4-24 KP 6: 'Enraging' Republicans ‘suddenly’ see disinformation problem amid hurricane crisis - All In w/ Chris Hayes - Air Date 10-9-24 KP 7: Hurricane Milton Menaces Florida; Fact Report after Helene with NC blogger Tom Sullivan - The BradCast - Air Date 10-7-24 (54:00) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how to work with distrust in government DEEPER DIVES (58:58) SECTION A - NATURAL DISASTERS A1: Meteorologist Guy Walton on Hurricane Milton's threat to Florida Part 2 - The Bradcast - Air Date 10-8-24 A2: Complete Neglect Thousands Not Evacuated from Florida Jails & Prisons Ahead of Hurricane Milton - Democracy Now! - Air Date 10-10-24 (1:09:28) SECTION B - INTERSECTIONAL ISSUES (1:31:26) SECTION C - POLITICS (1:45:45) SECTION D: TRUMP AND DISINFORMATION SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Watercolor-style illustration of people of all abilities on a Main St. with houses and trees, and smaller groups of people sitting together. Credit: “ai generated inclusion community” by Franz26, Pixabay | License: Pixabay   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 10-14-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - A member voicemail about autopilot cars  - Some call backs, including JD Vance being unsurprisingly weird with his dog - The frustrating shift in the Kamala Harris campaign - Biden's continuous blundering of Israel's war on Gaza - The historical precedent for Harris to depart from Biden on Israel war policy ASAP REFERENCES: Finally, The New York Times Is Getting Real About Trump's Mental...Status An Entirely Necessary Investigation Into JD Vance's Relationship With His Dog, Atlas Professional Dog Walkers Aren’t Sure JD Vance Has Ever Walked—or Even Met—His Dog Before Kamala’s Comedown Kamala Harris Is Taking a Big Risk by Playing It Safe Joe Biden Chose This Catastrophic Path Every Step of the Way Netanyahu Doesn't Care About His Friendship With Biden Biden Gives Shocking Answer on Potential Israeli Election Interference Biden May Be the President Who Kills the Two-State Solution Biden’s Gaza policy is a liability for Kamala Harris. She must break with Biden now Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 10/11/2024 Humans insatiable need for increasing amounts of energy and our tendency to want to at least have the option to wipe entire populations off the map has led to a renewed age of risks related to nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear waste, and nuclear fallout. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Can clean energy handle the AI boom? - Vox - Air Date 10-1-24 KP 2: Why Nuclear Energy Is On The Verge Of A Renaissance - CNBC - Air Date 6-7-22 KP 3: Is Nuclear Energy the solution? - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 5-10-19 KP 4: Three Mile Island Is Reopening. Some Climate Scientists are Thrilled. - CNN One Thing - Air Date 9-25-24 KP 5: Warnings of Nuclear Catastrophe as Power Plants in Russia and Ukraine at Risk Amid Escalating War - Democracy Now! - Air Date 8-29-24 KP 6: Are we facing a new nuclear arms race? - This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler - Air Date 9-17-24 (47:23) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the nature of humans and energy use DEEPER DIVES (54:59) SECTION A - ENERGY (1:31:22) SECTION B - CLIMATE (1:56:40) SECTION C - RISK SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: A photo of two, active nuclear power plant towers on the bank of a river at sunset. Credit: “nuclear power plant, Rhine, flow” by distelAPPArath, Pixabay | License: Pixabay   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Presenting an episode of 'To See Each Other,' a show that complicates the narrative about small town Americans in our most misunderstood, and often abandoned, communities. This season, host George Goehl travels to Lincoln County, Wisconsin to follow a small town battle for the last remaining public nursing home in the community. It’s a heart-pounding roller coaster of a fight - in a swing state that could determine the election. Over the course of the show, a universal truth emerges: That in every complicated set of politics, when we refuse to give up on each other, we can build a better future. You can listen to more episodes of To See Each Other at https://link.chtbl.com/toseeeachother?sid=bestoftheleft

Air Date 10/8/2024 Immigration dominates our politics in the worst way because one side benefits from lying about it and the other can't get their messaging together to create an effective rebuttal. Opposing immigration and stoking blatantly racist arguments doesn't just make the right bad or unsavory, it also makes them wrong on literally all of the facts. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Trump & Vance are Reviving Dangerous Racist Myths To Win 2024 Election - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-16-24 KP 2: Fascism Expert Jason Stanley on Project 2025, Great Replacement Theory, Attacks on Immigrants & Gaza - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-15-24 KP 3: The Daily Blast Trumps Angry, Unhinged New Rant About Fox News Offers Hidden Warning Part 1 - Deep State Radio - Air Date 9-30-24 KP 4: Did Donald TRUMP Make Germany RACIST Again - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-27-24 KP 5: The Daily Blast Trumps Angry, Unhinged New Rant About Fox News Offers Hidden Warning Part 2 - Deep State Radio - Air Date 9-30-24 KP 6: Trump's rhetoric on immigrants gets even darker - The ReidOut - Air Date 9-27-24 KP 7: Paola Ramos Explains the Rise of the Latino Far Right and Growing Anti-Immigrant Sentiments - LeBatardShow - Air Date 9-26-24 (55:21) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On what Democrats need to do on immigration messaging Articles: The Democrats’ Shameful, Foolish Surrender on Immigration Kamala Harris Needs to Meet the Moment and Reframe Our Poisonous Immigration Debate DEEPER DIVES (1:01:12) SECTION A - DISINFORMATION (1:14:11) SECTION B - WHITE SUPREMACY (1:37:38) SECTION C - LATINO ANTI-IMMIGRATION VIEWS SHOW IMAGE CREDIT Description: A stenciled image on a metal trailer structure shows the words “I stand with immigrants” in the shape of a rectangle. Credit: “Stand with immigrants” by Quinn Dombrowski, Flickr  | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Added lower metal space and increased contrast.

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 10-7-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Today Show's take on viral phenom Moo Deng - The GOP's obsession with killing animals - How the media made a mess of Rashida Tlaib's comments and missed the key point - How some Nazi language is infiltrating left wing spaces & what to do about it - How to solve antisemitism REFERENCES: Meet Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo taking the internet by storm How the GOP Became the Party of Pet Slaughter Anatomy of a Smear Campaign Against Rashida Tlaib Fact-check: Tlaib did not say Nessel charged pro-Palestinian protesters because she’s Jewish Normalizing Nazi Rhetoric Won’t Further the Goal of Palestinian Liberation A Leftist Analysis of Antisemitism Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 10/4/2024 When women's value is seen only in relation to their ability to bear and raise children, you get policies that strip them of the right to choose whether that is something they actually want for themselves - the lived consequences are devastating. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: ‘Authoritarian’: Vance’s weird war on women echoes history's biggest fascists - The ReidOut - Air Date 8-15-24 KP 2: Where Did MAGA's 'Post-Birth' Abortion Claim Come From? - NowThis Impact - Air Date 9-12-24 KP 3: Woman Shares 'Trauma' of Abortion Bans During Senate Hearing - NowThis Impact - Air Date 9-24-24 KP 4: Donald wants to CONTROL WOMEN not PROTECT them. The truth behind his FALSE PROMISE. - Danielle Moodie - Air Date 9-25-24 KP 5: Georgia's Deadly Abortion Ban: The Tragic Deaths of Two Black Women, Candi Miller & Amber Thurman - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-18-24 KP 6: Texas Republicans ARE KILLING WOMEN!!! - Brittany Page - Air Date 9-26-24 KP 7: Everyone Loves Someone Who's Had an Abortion - The Defenders - Air Date 12-30-23 (48:52) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the further demands for reproductive justice Articles:  We Need Better Than a Return to the Roe Status Quo National Abortion Rights Groups Have the Wrong Priorities for Our Movement Abortion Access Right Now Fund DEEPER DIVES (56:49) SECTION A: THE CASUALTIES (1:32:58) SECTION B: RELIGION (2:00:00) SECTION C: THE PUNISHMENT IS THE POINT (2:26:03) SECTION D: BLACK WOMEN (2:42:41) SECTION E: THE PUSHBACK SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: A protestor holds a hand-painted sign that says “Justices Lie. Women Die!” with a drawing of a coat hanger. Credit: “220503_RoeVWade_Rally_Pittsburgh-100103” by Mark Dixon, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0

Air Date 10/1/2024 There's still no end in sight to Israel's war on its neighbors and the US continues its toothless efforts to de-escalate while maintaining seemingly unconditional support in spite of standing laws that should prevent our sale of weapons to any country committing war crimes - which Israel certainly it. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Israel Terrorizes Hezbollah With Exploding Pagers - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 9-20-24 KP 2: Hell Is Breaking Loose in Lebanon Israel Rejects Ceasefire Proposal as U.N. Chief Calls for Peace Part 2 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-26-24 KP 3: U.S. Gov't Agencies Found Israel Was Blocking Gaza Aid. Blinken Ignored Them to Keep Weapons Flowing - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-26-24 KP 4: 'Whitewashing genocide' How Democrats & the media kept Gaza out of the DNC - The Real News Network - Air Date 8-31-24 KP 5: Palestine In Israeli School Books w Author Nurit Peled-Elhanan - Book Cafe Podcast - Air Date 2-22-24 KP 6: How U.S. College Administrators Are Dreaming Up Ways to Squash Gaza Protests - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-5-24 KP 7: Arrest Netanyahu: NYC activists call for mass march during Netanyahu's UN address - The Real News Network (55:08) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the ease of misunderstanding when discussing Israel Article: A Leftist Analysis of Antisemitism - Jacobin DEEPER DIVES (1:01:15) SECTION A: STATE TERRORISM (1:27:44) SECTION B: GLOBAL COMPLICITY (2:00:10) SECTION C: PROTESTS AND INDOCTRINATION (2:14:13) SECTION D: RESISTANCE SHOW IMAGE CREDIT Description: A black and white photo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu making a speech with the flags of Israel and the United States behind him. Credit: “Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III participates in a joint press briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, April 12, 2021” by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders / U.S. Secretary of Defense, Wikimedia Commons  | License: Public Domain

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 9-29-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Why Cards Against Humanity is fighting Elon Musk - How car-related deaths have soared in the US - How partial automation tech in cars is making driving more dangerous - Why truck bloat(or C.O.U.S.s, if you prefer)is deadly - Surveillance CARpitalism that will blow your mind - The electric school bus fleets sweeping the nation - The fratzonic sound of the electric Dodge Charger REFERENCES: "Cards Against Humanity Sues Elon Musk’s SpaceX “With Great Vengeance and Furious Anger” For Trespassing" "Cards Against Humanity Sues Elon Musk for 15 million dollars"  The Stubborn Problem of Cars Killing People Tesla and Volvo drivers using partial automation tech were studied. Here are the results The US finally takes aim at truck bloat It’s Official: Cars Are the Worst Product Category We Have Ever Reviewed for Privacy Electric school buses are the future we deserve Here’s what the new Dodge Charger Daytona’s fake engine sounds like   Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 9/27/2024 Let's just say that it's not a coincidence that right-wing authoritarians are on the rise at the same time as people around the world are having a harder time than ever figuring out what's true. That said, society is beginning to fight back. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-project-2025-will-lay-groundwork-for-second-term KP 2: NBC's Jacob Ward: How Technology Shapes Our Thinking and Decisions Part 1 - Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA) - Air Date 1-31-22 KP 3: Streaming is Changing Politics...Is That A Good Thing? - Wisecrack - Air Date 9-20-24 KP 4: YouTube and the Death of Media Literacy - Zoe Bee - Air Date 9-2-24 KP 5: A Citizen's Guide to Disinformation - TechTank - Air Date 9-3-24 KP 6: Enshittification Part 3: Saving The Internet - On the Media - Air Date 5-19-23 (45:53) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On bad media diets and brain worms Article: Welcome to the Era of ‘Deep Doubt’ DEEPER DIVES (54:23) SECTION A: SOCIAL MISINFORMATION (1:23:18) SECTION B: LIVE BY THE ALGORITHM (1:55:54) SECTION C: SOLUTIONS MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Graphic of two profiles back to back, one red, one blue. A white question mark is in the middle. Credit: “face-question mark-disoriented” by geralt| License: Pixabay   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 9/24/2024 The positive dad vibes of Tim Walz came onto the national scene in the middle of an ongoing crisis of masculinity that stretches from the youngest generations to the oldest. Both positive and negative aspects of masculinity tie in with the general election, basically divided right down the partisan line, and the next generation of voters (not to mention humans) are often feeling stuck between the two with insufficient guidance from the men in their lives. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Tim Walz is The Perfect Model of Masculinity Which Contrasts Weird, Blowhard JD Vance - Hysteria - Air Date 8-15-24 KP 2: Are Men Okay – SOME MORE NEWS - Air Date 5-22-24 KP 3: Dating Amid Gender Differences in Politics - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 7-30-24 KP 4: “BoyMom” Author Looks at Raising Sons in an Age of “Impossible Masculinity” - Amanpour and Company - Air Date 7-9-24 KP 5: We Love Some BDE Part 2 - Big Dad Energy - Dear Old Dads - Air Date 8-23-24 KP 6: Rethinking Boyhood What Moms Should Know (with Guest Ruth Whippman) - What Fresh Hell Podcast - Air Date 6-17-24 KP 7: That's My Gus Walz - Dear Old Dads - Air Date 8-30-24 KP 8: “BoyMom” Author Looks at Raising Sons in an Age of “Impossible Masculinity” Part 2 - Amanpour and Company - Air Date 7-9-24 (54:39) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the 3 top takeaways on and for boys and men Article: CONSIDER THE BOOR DEEPER DIVES (1:00:56) SECTION A: TIM WALZ (1:17:49) SECTION B: JD VANCE BRANDED MASCULINITY (1:41:18) SECTION C: THE FALL OUT OF STOICISM (1:46:43) SECTION D: DATING LIFE (2:07:48) SECTION E: SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT SHOW IMAGE CREDIT Description: Image of a man in a flannel shirt in free fall against a gray cloud background. Credit: “man-fall” by Pexels | License: Pixabay   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 9-23-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Musk's latest - J.D. Vance's war on truth and brown people - The super villains who spread lies - Sane Washing Trump - Correcting the Left - Right-wing lies as a matter of course REFERENCES: Musk Claims ‘Joke’ About Assassinating Harris Was Funnier in Person J.D. Vance’s War on American Life Starts in Springfield JD Vance Thinks He Can Sell His Nationalism With Cat Memes J.D. Vance’s Admission Shouldn’t Shock You—They’ve Done This for Years How the Media Sanitizes Trump’s Insanity Trump Has Not Been ‘Sane-Washed’ The Sound of One MAGA Attacking (Retracted) “He’s one of us”: Trump defends political violence against the press, while the press remains silent Man arrested at Trump rally in Pa. wanted to hang a protest banner, police say How Right-Wingers Manufacture Scandal   Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Original Air Date: 3/21/2023 Today, we take a look at how GOP-controlled states are subverting democracy with a form of "competitive autocracy" and some of the horrifying legislation these states then pass after they are no longer subject to the opinions of the general public. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Autocratic Nightmare of State Republicans (David Pepper Interview) - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 2-5-22 Ch. 2: Republicans Are Staging A Legislative Coup - More Perfect Union - Air Date 1-5-22 Ch. 3: Laboratories of Autocracy – David Pepper – It’s the States, Stupid! - The Al Franken Podcast - Air Date 10-29-22  Ch. 4: The Fight for Fair Maps - The Takeaway - Air Date 7-18-22 Ch. 5: Failing (Red)States - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 3-4-23 Ch. 6: Ending my sm sabbatical since Houston is once again under attack by the party of "small government" - princewilliamhtx - Air Date 3-15-23 Ch. 7: Wherever you live in America, here’s why you should care about Governor Abbott’s removal of school board members in Houston. - isiahrmartin - Air Date 3-16-23 Ch. 8: “Plantation Politics”: How White Mississippi Lawmakers Want to Seize Power in Majority-Black Jackson - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-9-23 Ch. 9: These Republicans are Trying to LITERALLY Send Your Kids Back To The Mines - The Young Turks - Air Date 2-11-23 Ch. 10: How Moore v. Harper Could Reshape Democracy - The Takeaway - Air Date 12-8-22 Ch. 11: Sarah Huckabee Sanders Rolls Back Child Labor Protections in Arkansas - The Young Turks - Air Date 3-10-23 Ch. 12: Missouri law barring police from enforcing federal gun laws creates confusion - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 2-26-23 Ch. 13: Tennessee legislator shocks with lynching suggestion - Alex Wagner Tonight - Air Date 3-3-23 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 15: Final comments on how to fix the states MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Air Date: 9-19-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the fallout from the debate, Trump's lies, and how his incoherence is being sanitized - The inadequacy of workplace protections, even in unionized shops - how worker stress and consumer misery are actually features, not bugs - the hope of Philosopher Obama and Trump's Power of Positivity®  - people's need to feel like they're getting their money's worth at the expense of all else REFERENCES: UPS Drivers Won “Historic Heat Protections.” They Say the Company Hasn’t Lived Up to That Promise In Fast Food, Worker Stress Is the Business Model Why Airlines Want to Make You Suffer Barack Obama Is the Last American Transcendentalist The True Source of Trump’s Delusions: The Gospel of Positive Thinking   Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 9/17/2024 It's not just the threat of the electoral college handing the presidency to the loser of the popular vote, nor the specter of a repeat of a January 6th-like event hanging over the election - there's also copious lies and disinformation including a new and improved nazi-to-Republican-talking-point-pipeline, and fresh new intimidation and voter suppression tactic experiments underway in the laboratories of democracy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Ignore your lying eyes: Republicans attempt to overwrite living memory to rewrite history - Alex Wagner Tonight - Air Date 8-14-24 KP 2: Trump Admits He Lost 2020 Election?!? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-5-24 KP 3: How Pro-Trump Election Officials Could Refuse To Certify The 2024 Election - Democracy Docket - Air Date 8-15-24 KP 4: What Does “Election Interference” Even Mean Anymore? - The Political Scene Podcast - Air Date 9-4-24 KP 5: Subvert the Election, But Make It Legal - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts - Air Dat 9-7-24 KP 6: ‘Intimidation’: MAGA Texas AG orders raids on homes of Latino Democrats - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 8-29-24 KP 7: Republicans caught in BOMBSHELL lie - Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 9-9-24 KP 8: This is also ominous foreboding for what these people will do in office - Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 9-13-24 (49:26) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On what puts democracies at risk DEEPER DIVES (1:01:09) SECTION A: INTIMIDATION (1:15:27) SECTION B: INTERFERENCE (1:54:14) SECTION C: LIES (2:08:49) SECTION D: ELECTION INTEGRITY SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of a woman holding a sign above her head that says “Voting Rights are Human Rights”. She is wearing a bucket hat that says “Good Trouble.” Credit: “210828 - voting rights-6” by Johnny Silvercloud | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped     Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 9/13/2024 We've been living through the modern equivalent of the oil boom, back when poking a hole in the ground would make one of the world's most valuable substances, upon which entire economies would be built. But in our case, it's not oil, it's data. Now we are at a pivotal moment as the old unchallenged master of data, Google, has been found guilty of illegal anti-competitive behavior at the same time as generative AI companies are in a new desperate rush to stake claims on every last piece of data they can find. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The New Colonialism of Big Tech - Andrewism - Air Date 9-3-24 KP 2: Tech's Big Money Campaign is Getting Pushback with Margaret O'Mara and Brody Mullins - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 8-26-24 KP 3: Nathan Calvin on California AI bill SB 1047 and it's potential to shape US AI policy - 80,000 Hours Podcast - Air Date 8-29-24 KP 4: This Moment in AI How We Got Here and Where Were Going - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 8-12-24 KP 5: Newsoms AI dilemma To sign or not to sign - POLITICO Tech - Air Date 9-6-24 KP 6: At Last Big Tech's Free Ride May Be Over - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 9-4-24 KP 7: Where AI Isn't a Four Letter Word China Builds Robots to Aid Workers - The Socialist Program - Air Date 9-4-24 KP 8: Tech's Big Money Campaign is Getting Pushback with Margaret O'Mara and Brody Mullins Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 8-26-24 (1:00:18) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On a possible future for humanity DEEPER DIVES (1:07:35) SECTION A: THE THREAT (1:20:31) SECTION B: BIG TECH LOBBYING (1:39:26) SECTION C: REGULATION (1:56:17) SECTION D: THINKING THROUGH SOLUTIONS SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of a giant wall-sized screen displaying data numbers and a hand touching a finger to it. Credit: “ai analyzing data” via mimpori01, Pixabay | Pixabay License   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 9/10/2024 It's said that we live in a melting pot here in the United States. Perhaps it's more of a salad bar, who knows? In any case, there are a lot of people coming from a lot of different backgrounds, cultures, histories, and geographies all about to vote in a few weeks. Today, we try to understand, at least roughly, how people’s backgrounds influence their vote. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: A conversation about how demographic changes could impact the 2024 election - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 9-3-24 KP 2: The Gender Gap Is Widening In The 2024 Election - What A Day - Air Date 9-4-24 KP 3: Why So Many Young Men Are Leaving Democrats for Republicans in 2024 - WSJ State of the Stat - Air Date 8-19-24 KP 4: What Will Black Male Voters Do In 2024? - AJ+ - Air Date 7-7-24 KP 5: Ian Haney López, "Dog Whistle Politics: Coded Racism and Inequality for All" - Brown University - Air Date 8-23-17 KP 6: How Michigan explains American politics - Vox - Air Date 1-11-24 (50:47) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the nature of demographic cohorts and the movement of the Democratic Party DEEPER DIVES (57:01) SECTION A: THE MIXED BAG (1:28:15) SECTION B: LATINO AND BLACK VOTERS (2:03:35) SECTION C: WHITE AND RURAL VOTERS SHOW IMAGE Description: A composite image showing red and blue silhouettes of men and women yelling at each other, two with megaphones. A faded diptych of V.P. Harris and D. Trump are in the background. Credit: Composite Design: A. Hoffman. Photo 1: “Kamala Harris” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, faded Photo 2: “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, faded     Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)   Air Date: 9-8-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - labor unions fighting for time off when it's too hot - cooling tech - electric trains - and the corporations running our national parks into the ground  REFERENCES: Greek Unions Want Paid Time Off When It’s Too Hot to Work To keep workers going in the heat, companies try fledgling cooling tech Please Do Not Make Fun of My Neck Fan Is the US finally getting all-aboard with electric trains? Yosemite National Park Is a Mess Aramark Stock Hits All-Time High Amid Triple-Digit Profit Growth OpenAI won’t watermark ChatGPT text because its users could get caught The Case for Public Rail Ownership   Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!