This mini-episode is part of our Inside The Story series, where we highlight some of The Lever ’s original reporting and speak with the journalists who wrote the story. Frank Cappello speaks with Rebecca Burns who details her new story published by The Lever : BlackRock, the world’s largest investment company, has become a top target of the right’s crusade against so-called “woke capitalism” because of its rhetoric around climate change and sustainable investing. But when it comes to climate act...
Dec 16, 2022•13 min
This mini-episode is part of our Lever News series, where we highlight some of The Lever ’s original reporting and speak with the journalists who wrote the story. Frank Cappello speaks with Andrew Perez who details his new story published by The Lever. Flush with money after receiving the largest-known political advocacy donation in U.S. history, conservative activist Leonard Leo and his associates are spending millions of dollars to influence some of the Supreme Court’s most consequential recen...
Dec 15, 2022•14 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: In light of the recent breakthrough in nuclear fusion technology, David Sirota sits down with UK plasma physicist Dr. Arthur Turrell to learn about this “holy grail” of scientific research. Could nuclear fusion be deployed to combat the climate crisis, and how long would it take to do so (8:37)? If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber. If yo...
Dec 14, 2022•34 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by New York Times global economics correspondent Peter S. Goodman to explore why President Biden and the Democrats chose to side with railroad barons by forcing rail workers to accept a contract they had already rejected. They also dig into why the rail workers’ demand for additional paid sick days became such a sticking point in negotiations, and what a potential rail strike could mean for the U.S. economy (6:24). Then, The Lever ’s J...
Dec 07, 2022•54 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: Andrew Perez sits down with Lindsay Owens , executive director of the progressive think tank Groundwork Collaborative, to talk about why the upcoming fight in Congress over the debt ceiling is so pivotal. Owens explains how inflation will play a role in the negotiations, and discusses whether or not President Joe Biden will allow the conflict to be used as an excuse to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits (7:32). Then, David Sirota is joined by comedy l...
Nov 30, 2022•1 hr 10 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota discusses one of the country’s first-ever dark money disclosure laws passed during the recent midterms — Arizona Proposition 211 — and speaks with former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard , who has spent the better part of the last decade fighting to get the law passed (4:37). Then, David is joined by Jordan Uhl , who has been covering last week’s Ticketmaster debacle in which thousands of Taylor Swift fans learned the hard way what happens...
Nov 23, 2022•1 hr 44 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time : Progressive candidates win big! First, Producer Frank chats with The Lever ’s Jordan Uhl about his takeaways from attending a recent Congressional Progressive Caucus event welcoming eleven new members of the House Democrats’ progressive wing (6:49). Then, David Sirota discusses the recent implosion of the cryptocurrency market following the collapse of the FTX exchange and resignation of its CEO . David is joined by journalist and crypto policy expert Jacob...
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 11 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: It’s the day after the midterm elections! David Sirota and The Lever’s entire reporting staff break down all the key takeaways , including the big progressive wins, the stunning MAGA losses, the victories for abortion rights, the surprising exit poll data, and the important ballot measures that passed (4:57). Then, David is joined by Krystal Ball , co-host of Breaking Points, for a big-picture conversation about the election results. David and Krystal discus...
Nov 10, 2022•1 hr 11 min
On this bonus episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is on the campaign trail tracking key Pennsylvania races in the lead-up to next week’s midterms. First, David interviews Summer Lee , the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district. David speaks with Summer about the flood of money that has been spent against her, first in the Democratic primary and now in the general election (:47). Then, David sits down with Josh Shapiro , the Democratic nominee for governor of Pennsylv...
Nov 03, 2022•43 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold , who also serves as the chair of the Democratic Secretaries of State Association. David and Jena discuss the slate of election-denying Republican candidates who are running to oversee their state’s elections, and why the results of this year’s secretaries of state races are so vital (7:46). Then, David and Andrew Perez sit down with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to talk about his new boo...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 6 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by MSNBC host Chris Hayes for a deep-dive discussion on this year’s midterm elections, the responsibility of the media in covering unprecedented threats to democracy, and what it’s like being the lead anchor of one of the country’s largest cable news networks (6:27). Then, David sits down with journalist and author Anand Giridharadas to talk about his new book, The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Demo...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 25 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by The Lever ’s reporters Julia Rock and Rebecca Burns to discuss recent news, including a climate protest that made international headlines for dousing a Van Gogh painting in tomato soup (4:38), and a sketchy financial bait-and-switch by Microchip giant Intel (9:00). Julia and Rebecca also break down their massive stories on Republican Senate candidate Ted Budd, who during his terms as a Congressman has helped his donors bypass predat...
Oct 19, 2022•1 hr 11 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: On this week’s episode of Lever Time Premium: Joel Warner speaks with attorney and drug policy expert Shaleen Title about Joe Biden’s recent announcement on marijuana decriminalization and reform. Joel and Shaleen break down every aspect of Biden’s plan, as well as the corporate interests hoping to turn a profit from marijuana legalization (6:03). Then, David Sirota interviews Gary Chambers , a progressive Democrat running for a U.S. Senate seat in Louisiana...
Oct 12, 2022•58 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David is joined by comedian Dave Anthony and screenwriter Josh Olson , hosts of the Lever’s new “educational” podcast, The Audit . David, Dave, and Josh break down the news of the week, including shocking revelations about Herschel Walker and Dr. Oz, new GOP Facebook ads attempting to monetize their cruelty towards migrants , and the new slate of high-profile Supreme Court cases this session (3:58). Then, David is joined by media theorist Douglas Rushkoff to...
Oct 05, 2022•1 hr 8 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by Andrew Perez and Jacobin staff writer Luke Savage to analyze a moment of open corruption during a House committee meeting (1:57), discuss how Joe Manchin’s dirty pipeline bill is getting “ greenwashed ” (12:46), and score an inside look at Savage’s new book, The Dead Center , about the failures of modern Liberalism (23:03). Then, David and Julia Rock press Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) on his support for Manchin’s permitting reform deal ...
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr 5 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David is joined by New York Times’ global economics correspondent Peter S. Goodman and Labor Notes reporter Jonah Furman to break down the looming railroad workers strike , which could potentially bring the U.S. economy to a screeching halt (7:03). Then, David interviews Charlie Crist , the Democratic nominee running for governor of Florida against Ron DeSantis. David and Charlie discuss DeSantis’ recent horrible political stunt , plus what it would take to ...
Sep 21, 2022•1 hr
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by The Lever ’s Andrew Perez and ProPublica ’s Andy Kroll , who break down their follow-up reporting on Barre Seid, the secretive Chicago billionaire responsible for the single largest political advocacy donation in U.S. history (3:25). Then, David sits down with political sportswriter Dave Zirin to discuss his new documentary about the history of the NFL’s political influence on American culture (24:16). If you'd like access to Lever ...
Sep 14, 2022•1 hr 3 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time Premium: David Sirota discusses Joe Biden’s recent comments on what he considers the biggest threat to American democracy (2:35); Julia Rock breaks down her reporting on the dark side of Biden’s student debt policy, including how his Justice Department is fighting debtors in bankruptcy court (9:38); and Matthew Cunningham-Cook updates us on how a corporate Democrat’s big bet on pumping workers’ retirement funds into private equity is now paying off in his Rho...
Sep 07, 2022•53 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by The Lever ’s Andrew Perez and Matthew Cunningham-Cook to discuss Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan and dissect the internet’s obsession with ‘Dark Brandon' (3:15). Then, David sits down with author, filmmaker, and co-founder of the Debt Collective, Astra Taylor , and Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Utah, Marshall Steinbaum , for an in-depth analysis of Biden’s student debt relief plan (37:55). If you'd like ...
Aug 31, 2022•1 hr 19 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota breaks down The Lever ’s blockbuster story detailing the largest political donation in U.S. history — $1.6 billion — and how that money found its way into the hands of Leonard Leo, the man responsible for packing the Supreme Court with right-wing extremists. David is joined by The Lever ’s Andrew Perez , who uncovered the donation, as well as ProPublica ’s Andy Kroll and Justin Elliott , who co-wrote the resulting story with Andrew (3:34). Then,...
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 11 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota and Andrew Perez discuss Andrew’s recent investigative reporting on the Washington Post ’s fact checker, which led WaPo to issue a correction (2:10). Then, Julia Rock interviews technology procurement expert Hassan Khan about the recently passed CHIPS Act and what it means for domestic semiconductor manufacturing and the tech giants who will benefit from it (17:25). Finally, David sits down with Stacey Walker , the first African-American elected...
Aug 17, 2022•1 hr 12 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time Premium: The Lever ’s staff discuss the Democratic party’s favorite constituents: the Private Equity industry (3:16). Then, Julia Rock and Producer Frank sit down with journalist Alex Pareene to explore the history of centrist Democrats’ “ Never-Ending War on the Woke ” (24:13). Finally, Matthew Cunningham-Cook and Julia Rock interview economist Jason Furman , who was one of the top economic advisers for President Obama and one of the biggest proponents of Th...
Aug 10, 2022•1 hr 14 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David speaks with New York Times columnist David Wallace-Wells about the strengths and weaknesses of Democrats’ surprise climate deal (10:20). He then talks to Josh Shapiro , the Democratic nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, who’s running against a right-wing extremist in arguably the most important race of 2022 (42:15). Finally, David sits down with actor and activist Susan Sarandon to discuss how she became liberals’ favorite scapegoat to blame for the ...
Aug 03, 2022•1 hr 40 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time Premium: In the midst of a global heatwave, David discusses Biden’s pattern of inaction (2:20). Next, David speaks with journalist Laura Krantz about her new narrative podcast series, Wild Thing: Going Nuclear , which explores the history and potential future of nuclear energy (14:00). Then, David interviews human rights attorney Steven Donziger , the man who successfully sued Chevron for polluting the Ecuadorian rainforest, and as a result was placed under h...
Jul 27, 2022•1 hr 7 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David speaks with historian Harvey Kaye and journalist Robert Kuttner about how Joe Biden will need to “go big” with his policy proposals in order to salvage his presidency and stave off rising fascism in the United States, in the same way as FDR (9:10). Next, David sits down with Lucas Kunce , who’s running in a Democratic primary for Senate in Missouri, and whose working class politics are the driving force behind his campaign (29:53). Then, The Lever inte...
Jul 13, 2022•1 hr 32 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David speaks with Democratic strategist Mark Longabaugh about what a potential Biden 2024 presidential run could mean for the future of the Democratic Party (7:46). Then, he’s joined by the hosts of 5-4 Pod for an in-depth conversation about how the Supreme Court methodically legalized corruption, culminating in the recent decision in FEC v. Ted Cruz For Senate (32:24). Finally, David chats with president of Planned Parenthood, Alexis McGill Johnson , to dis...
Jul 06, 2022•1 hr 26 min
After this past week’s barrage of devastating Supreme Court decisions, we’re doing a SCOTUS deep-dive. First, David is joined by The Lever ’s Andrew Perez to discuss his recent piece about the conservative dark money network that has been bankrolling judicial nominees for the past twenty years. Then, David speaks with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Colorado State Senator Julie Gonzales about what the Dobbs ruling means for millions of women in the country, and what authority cities an...
Jun 29, 2022•1 hr 21 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David speaks with Alex Lawson , the executive director of Social Security Works , to discuss Lindsey Graham’s recent comments on entitlement reform and whether the Biden administration will capitulate to Republicans (5:07). He’s then joined by Andrew Perez , whose recent Lever story explored a free medical clinic filling critical health care gaps in Sen. Manchin’s home state of West Virginia, after the corporate Democrat blocked Medicare expansion (27:40). F...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr 6 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David exposes the major problem with the January 6 hearings and how they may result in a better outcome for Republicans than Democrats (2:42). Then he’s joined by economics professor Joshua William Mason and The Lever ’s Julia Rock to discuss Julia’s recent piece about how the Federal Reserve is planning to curb inflation… by lowering workers’ wages (16:10). After that, due to the cataclysmic failures of the two-party system, David discusses the reality of t...
Jun 15, 2022•1 hr 25 min
On this week’s episode of Lever Time : David is joined by author and professor Roger Stahl to discuss the “military-entertainment complex” as it relates to the recent success of Top Gun: Maverick (3:10) . Then The Lever ’s Matthew Cunningham-Cook stops by to talk through his recent piece about how the Biden administration is hiking the price of Medicare premiums and funneling the money to private insurers (35:58). Finally, in light of the national trend of corporate interests flooding Democratic...
Jun 08, 2022•1 hr 27 min
