The Nicole Sandler Show

Mondays are always difficult, especially after an epic weekend.. But here we are. There's lots of news to discuss-- the latest on TFG's trial, possibly entering the homestretch, Alito must recuse (or be impeached.... and Clarence Thomas too!), the ICC is calling for the arrest of Hamas' leaders plus Netanyahu and Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. And lots more. And since it's Monday, Jonathan Larsen joins in from The Fucking News with even more!

Today is Thursday, so we have our weekly get-together with Howie Klein of DownWithTyranny.com and the Blue America PAC. Last week, you may recall, Howie brought along a guest --Jersey City Mayor and already declared-candidate for NJ Governor in 2025 Steven Fulop. The conversation concerned the race to replace corrupt Sen Bob Menendez from NJ. Fulop had reversed his endorsement of Tammy Murphy (wife of NJ's current governor who's being term limited out of office) in favor of Congressman Andy Kim. Hmm, Murphy dropped out of the race just a couple of days later.... Today, among other stories, I'll ask Howie about his experience with the former senator/would-be spoiler (via No Labels), and why his VP candidacy with Al Gore at the top of the ticket was the first time Howie didn't vote for the Democrats in a presidential election.

Another week that feels like a decade gone by since our last Friday get-together. There’s no shortage of news to discuss today as Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel.net and I try to recount what all happened. Of course, it was this week that President Joe Biden stepped away from his re-election campaign and passed the torch to VP Kamala Harris. With that change came a renewed sense of hope. I witnessed that first-hand on a massive Zoom call last night, which will continue Sunday evening as Women for Harris all come together. For details visit answerthecall2024.com. Today, Marcy and I went a bit over our usual hour. But can you blame us?

The blurb I posted on the live video stream today read I watched two speeches from Washington DC yesterday. One that shouldn't have happened, and one that should (though the way we got there is troublesome). One brought out the best of America; the other, the worst. We'll discuss both of them today and more news of the day. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), I didn't comment on the quite offensive missive from Netanyahu because I spent that time railing against a regular listener who made a ridiculous comment in the chat telling me (somewhat paraphrasing) that I'm often balanced but too often say that Israel can do no wrong. I responded that he obviously doesn't listen closely, and went off on him. One thing that sets me off like little else is ascribing words or feelings to me that I never said and don't feel. Here's what I wrote on social media after watching that travesty of a speech that SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN GIVEN from the US Capitol or on US soil Watching the war criminal Netanyahu speechify in the US Capitol, and it's making me sick. Those words are difficult to write because I am Jewish, believe that Israel has a right to exist and defend itself. However.... Bibi- you had advance knowledge of 10-7 attacks yet the attacks still happened. Innocent ppl slaughtered with no help for HOURS. What's with the propaganda you're spewing? This is offensiveBibi celebrating the IDF- not for protecting Israelis on 10/7 (THEY DIDN'T) but for horrific slaughter of (mostly) innocent Palestinians in Gaza. I'm Jewish & support Israel's right to exist, defend itself. This isn't defense, it's doing what you claim to abhorThis speech is inappropriate in the US Capitol. The response of too many of these MoC are as offensive as is this speech. And I also reject Rashida Tlaib's blatant ugliness. Neither side is being represented fairly. It's all sickeningThat being said, I shared President Biden's speech -- but instead of playing back the video and audio, I read the text. Hearing it made me sad because, which Joe Biden has never been a strong orator, it's clear listening to him that he made the right move in pulling out of the race. He just doesn't have the strength for this campaign. He is, after all, 81.  But the words he delivered were magnificent and deserve to be heard. I also went off on MSNBC and Elise Jordan's "focus group" segment in which she led the people with the question "Who is to blame for Joe Biden being in office in his condition?  What condition is that Elise? MSNBC? And people wonder how we got here? JFC, it's journalistic malpractice.

My first existential question is whether we, as a nation, are too broken. Our politics are broken. Our 'news' media is broken. Our ability to talk with one another is broken. Believe it or not, I'm not as depressed as I was yesterday (or the past few weeks), but that changes too... Journalist, columnist, author, podcaster, musician, dog lover, White House correspondent and Trump provocateur Brian Karem returns to talk about all of it on today's show...

I took a rare day off yesterday as I was in no shape to do a show. Emotions are running too high due to a combination of things beyond my control. I should probably take off another day or four, but there's too much at stake to sit on the sidelines. But I also realized that by not doing a show, I'm internalizing all that I'm feeling. So I figured today would be a good day to give us all a place to vent. I will and you can too... And we'll watch and listen to Kamala Harris's first rally speech since Joe Biden decided not to run.

I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. Thank Dog it's Friday so we can stick a fork in this week. But another one is coming right behind this one with plenty more shit to be stirred. At least have this hour each week to get together with Marcy Wheeler, independent journalist at emptywheel.net, to dissect the events of the week. To day this was a busy one is a huge understatement. It was a smorgasbord on insanity that included an attempted Trump assassination, Judge Aileen Cannon tossing the entire Stolen Documents case including the indictment, the Republican convention in Milwaukee, Trump naming JD Vance as his running mate, Joe Biden hit with COVID while the Democrats keep shooting themselves (and our future) in the foot. And more...

Political Scientist, Election Strategist and author of the must-read book, Hit 'Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at their Own Game, Rachel Bitecofer returns to the show today to tell Democrats how to win. All we need to do is listen to her and do what she suggests! Take notes.. We got this! Tomorrow, Lisa Graves returns to the show to tell us about the new project she's working on, Project 2025 Administration. 

The Republicans always go back to the teleprompter. They claim that Joe Biden can't speak without one, but won't admit that they use them too. And when they fail? They got nothing. Seriously. The first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee was replete with Teleprompter troubles. We'll share a few laughs at their expense,. And because the media rarely shows a Joe Biden rally or speech, we will! President Biden is set to speak to an NAACP conference in Las Vegas while we're on the air, so we'll carry the feed (finally found one that had decent sound, though it took a few tries). Also, I promised a link to the new expose that Lisa Graves' organization True North Research has been working on. It's called Project 2025 Administration. She'll be here Thursday to tell us all about it, but in the meantime, you can read some of it for yourself!

The shitshow that is the 2024 presidential election season is rolling right off a cliff. I had planned on playing President Biden's speech delivered Friday at a high-energy back on track rally in Detroit. And then Saturday happened. I'm trying very hard to stay positive, to veer away from conspiracy theories and to present only facts. But the right wing propaganda machine is in full swing, and as greasy and oily as possible. Jonathan Larsen is here today from thefuckingnews.substack.com to help me wade through the muck...

It's Friday, time for our weekly get-together with Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel.net for a discussion of the week's news and ongoing media malpractice. Today, we discuss President Biden's solo press conference last night at the end of the NATO 75th anniversary summit, and the mainstream media's apparent missive to hand the election over to the fascists unless we can stop the circular firing squad and doomsayers.

The Democratic circular firing squad continues and TFG keeps proving HE'S the one with mental issues we should be truly concerned about. I talk about Opposite World all the time. We're stuck there.Today we're joined by Heather "Digby" Parton - one of the smartest and most sensible people I know who you should be reading regularly at digbysblog.net and salon.com I had planned on carrying President Biden's press conference today. It was scheduled to start at 5:30 ET, right in the middle of our show. But then they pushed it back an hour. Ugh.... We'll still watch, and discuss that tomorrow with Marcy Wheeler of Emptywheel.net.

We saw huge election wins for liberals over the far right in France and the UK in the last week. We can and should do it here as well, but we have to pay attention to what they did in Europe and learn from their actions. Today, we'll reach across the pond to an old friend of the show. Dave Johnson moved to England last year, and joins us today to talk about being an ex-pat, life in England, our political conundrum and how they beat back fascism over there. And I explain how we win... truly, I hope you'll listen.

We've been inundated with journalistic malpractice as much of the corporate media has led the charge to destroy President Biden's candidacy. I've certainly criticized the NY Times, Wall St Journal, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC and more than a few *pundits* who are attempting to lead the masses down a disastrous road. Today, I'm going to salute some who are being responsible, like the Philadephia Inquirer who published an editorial calling on D'ump to leave the race, and Inquirer National Columnist WILL BUNCH - today's guest - who writes in his latest column, "I will support whatever approach appears to be the best way forward for keeping Trump out of the White House again, full stop. In fact, as a newspaper columnist, I promise I mostly am not going to write about the Democrats’ drama going forward, because the Republican threats to our democracy are so much more important. To be sure, I’m headed to Chicago in August for the Dems’ convention, and I’ll opine if there’s a major change at the top. But I’ll regret it if I waste one word on any other subject that’s not stopping dictatorship."

We're now into the second week of the corporate media and self-important donors working to derail our democracy. Today it's you and me speaking truth, debunking the lies, pushing back against the idiocy that threatens to destroy us. And yes, the Project 2025 threat is real. We have covered Project 2025 quite a bit on this program and will continue to do so. In the meantime, you can access these episodes: and this one, specifically on fascism How Project 2025 Will Ruin Your Life with Andra Watkins on the Nicole Sandler Show – 5-21-24Project 2025 Takedown with Tiffany Torres Williams on the Nicole Sandler Show 4-17-24 We Must Stop the MAGAt March Toward A Fascist USA on the Nicole Sandler Show – 5-22-24

Another week comes to a close so it's time for our weekly discussion with Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel.net about what happened. It was this week that SCOTUS ended what's left of our democracy, basically giving Trump everything he asked for and more in terms of "absolute immunity," Oh, and in case you hadn't heard, Joe Biden is old....

Tomorrow is the day we set aside to celebrate America's independence from the monarchy. Thanks to the Extreme Court's ruling announced yesterday, it might be our last one.I could think of no better guest for this wake than my old friend - comedian, actor, broadcaster John Fugelsang.It's been too long since we've spoken. But I've always marveled at his inherent ability to make us laugh in the face of things the are simply not funny. He's got a high bar to clear today, but I have no doubt that he will. Reminder, I'll be here tomorrow with a 4th of July music show.  It will not be on YouTube and will not go out as a podcast on my usual feed due to copyright issues. It will stream on my stream though, and I'll post a recording of it at nicolesandler.com.  Happy Independence Day... while we have it.

Lisa Graves has graciously agreed to join us again today to help us wade through this ultimate travesty of justice by the high court that is no longer "supreme". Extreme is more fitting.Lisa Graves has unimpeachable legal bona-fides. Among other positions during her career, she served under two US Attorneys General -- Janet Reno during the Clinton administration and John Ashcroft during the W Bush regime. She was chief counsel for nominations under Chair Patrick Leahy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, so was charged with vetting Supreme Court nominees.  I'm always grateful when Lisa brings her expertise here to help us try to figure out wtf is going on. And sadly, that's the only way I can describe what's going on now in the wake of the Extreme Court's gutting of the Chevron deference and conferring "absolute immunity" -- a concept that hadn't existed before yesterday's decision.  

The six Extreme Court injustices completed their task from the Federalist Society to kill our democracy. And no, that's not hyperbole. The month of July begins with such a travesty to close out the court's session.I spent most of the first half-hour reading from Justice Sonia Sotomayor's and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's dissents.  PLEASE read the whole thing for yourself. Or just read the two dissenting opinions which run from page 68 to 118.  Then we check in with Jonathan Larsen of The Fucking News to further examine this unprecedented assault on democracy and the crowning of King D'ump.

It's time for our weekly get-together info download with Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel.net. And it's another week ending with out disbelief over what's happening in our corner of the world.... After last night's debate and this morning's group of SCOTUS rulings, I can't help but envy Marcy's living in Ireland. Today, we try to make sense of all that happened this week. Again, buckle in. It's a rough road ahead.