PUP’s Steve Sladkowski returns to the show for a Canadian-heavy episode. We talk about Toronto’s mayor-elect Olivia Chow and what needs to be done to revamp the city. Steve helps us understand the parallels between the Canadian political world’s hostility to progressivism and the same animus toward progressives we see here in the states. | We also get into how Canadian media is wrestling with big tech’s control over their industry and how, because we’ve become reliant on social media platforms f...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 10 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Please be sure to check out our YouTube channel where we’re posting episode clips and shorts, all made possible through your subscriptions: https://www.youtube.com/@TheInsurgents/We kick off this episode with a discussion on cocaine being found at the White House and from there get into how the US should overhaul its drug policy.In observance of the 4th…...
Jul 05, 2023•3 min
Matt Binder returns after 3 years for a fun and wide-ranging conversation. We discuss the recording of Trump acknowledging he had classified documents before asking for Diet Cokes, the looming Airbnb collapse, and the looming Supreme Court decision on Biden’s student debt forgiveness case. Before Matt joins us we take our picks in the Zuckerberg/Musk “fight” that probably won’t ever happen, let’s be honest.You can follow Matt here: https://twitter.com/MattBinder | To become a subscriber (paid in...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 15 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com John Iadarola, host of The Damage Report on The Young Turks, joins us for a fun conversation about RFK Jr.’s strange workout videos. We explore the possibilities that he just happened to only post videos from the end of his workout, that they’re deep faked, or simply that his muscular look is in aesthetic only. From there, we weigh in on calls for the D…...
Jun 27, 2023•3 min
David Sirota of The Lever joins us for another fun conversation about a few stories that reflect deep cracks in our system. First we discuss The Lever’s story on how a municipality in Delaware could soon grant corporations the right to vote. We then get into how your bank is likely ripping you off through lower interest rates on your deposits relative to what they earn from the Fed on your deposit. Then we close with Obama’s recent comments on how wealth concentration lead to cynicism.Before Dav...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 27 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Manny Fidel is back to discuss the PGA Tour’s merger with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. The tour and golfers alike initially denounced LIV upon launch over the Saudi’s human rights violations but now, when there’s money on the table for the tour, those concerns are nowhere to be found. We discuss the Saudi’s investments in sports, including Ronaldo and Mes…...
Jun 20, 2023•6 min
Dan Boguslaw of The Intercept joins us to recap Trump’s second indictment and whether its as big of a deal as some pundits are making it seem. We also discuss military contractors and weapons manufacturers rainbow-washing their corporate image this month through participation in Pride events. And we update you all on Cornel West’s switch to the Green Party, clearing up ballot access issues we discussed last week. You can follow Dan here: https://twitter.com/DRBoguslaw To become a subscriber (pai...
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com There are a couple dozen or so Supreme Court cases that will be announced in the next few weeks and Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer at Slate, joins us to go through some of the big ones. Cases include topics like affirmative action in college admissions, LGBTQIA+ discrimination, independent state legislatures and more. Mark also helps us better underst…...
Jun 12, 2023•4 min
Ben Terris, author of “The Big Break: The Gamblers, Party Animals, and True Believers Trying to Win in Washington While America Loses Its Mind,” joins Jordan for a fun chat about the characters, stories and insights in his new book. The conversation ranges from an oil tycoon’s granddaughter funding progressive politics to a right wing lobbyist faking it until he makes it. We also talk about disgraced face of CPAC Matt Schlapp’s role in DC and how Sean McElwee’s gambling habit, in part, got him p...
Jun 09, 2023•1 hr 2 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Ken Klippenstein is back and joins us this time to break down the theatrics and spectacle of the debt ceiling negotiations. Despite politicians bemoaning the colossal amount of debt, the military budget remained unscathed and, in fact, even grew. Food stamps and other social safety net programs, however, took a cut. We also take a look at the presidenti…...
Jun 06, 2023•6 min
Kylie Cheung, writer at Jezebel and NBA twitter extraordinaire, joins us for a fun conversation about Ron DeSantis’ first week running for president. The extremely unlikable Florida politician has already made waves with his cringey behavior but what’s worse is his attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community and abortion rights. We look at the right’s war on abortion rights and how its fared in other red states. We also make our picks for the NBA Finals, discuss “Heat Culture” and why we love a bunch of s...
Jun 02, 2023•53 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Brett Erlich of The Young Turks joins us to dissect the right-wing outrage campaign over very tepid acknowledgements that the LGBTQIA+ community exists. From the freak-out over Target offering Pride themed clothes, to Chick-fil-A hiring a diversity officer, to Milk-Bone slapping a pride flag on a tub of dog treats, new fronts in the culture war are bein…...
May 31, 2023•6 min
Gaby Del Valle and Felipe De La Hoz of Border/Lines join us to discuss the latest news on the immigration front. With the expiration of Title 42, many Conservatives are trying to now gin up fears over a “surge” of immigrants at the southern border. Felipe and Gaby explain what Title 42 is, why it’s not so much gone as it is replaced and the moves the Biden administration have made recently to respond to processing challenges for asylum seekers at the border.You can subscribe to Border/Lines here...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 3 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Ben Smith, co-founder of Semafor and former editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News, joins Jordan to discuss his new book Traffic: Genius, Rivalry and Delusion In The Billion-Dollar Race To Go Viral. The two discuss how the rivalry between Jonah Peretti, BuzzFeed’s co-founder and CEO, and Nick Denton, founder of Gawker, shaped the digital news landscape, how p…...
May 25, 2023•4 min
Annie Wu Henry, digital strategist for progressive campaigns, joins us to break down the election results in Pennsylvania, highlighted by Sara Innamorato’s primary win for Alleghany County Executive. We also discuss Helen Gym’s great campaign for Philadelphia mayor and the challenges she faced from within the Democratic establishment and GOP megadonors working to stop her. Annie explains how progressive candidates in other purple states can learn from these races.We also discuss Wired magazine’s...
May 20, 2023•51 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Senator Dianne Feinstein returned to the Senate this week and gave some incredible quotes to Slate about how she never actually was gone. Impressive! We discuss the ongoing push for her resignation, Rob’s new king, Elon Musk’s interview with CNBC in which he claimed there was no evidence a Nazi mass shooter with Nazi tattoos was actually an extremist, a…...
May 18, 2023•6 min
After Rob takes our brand new AI co-host for a spin while Jordan is away in Japan, to mixed results, Alex Peter joins the show to talk about the Jordan Neely case, defunding the police, how his experiences as a public defender in NYC informed his views on criminal justice and prison abolition, and much more. Follow Alex on twitter here and on Tik Tok here. Check out Mutual Aid Hub here to get involved in your community. To become a subscriber (paid intern!) to the Insurgents and gain access to a...
May 12, 2023•51 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com In this episode, recorded before Jordan’s extravagant and unsanctioned Japan vacation, he and our friend Jack Crosbie of Discourse Blog have a conversation about ChatGPT and the future of AI automation, Twitter’s Elon Musk era, the Barstool to Tucker Carlson pipeline and more. There’s also some unfortunate comments about Canadians and Australians that t…...
May 09, 2023•8 min
Olga Lexell joins us to talk about the WGA strike, what writers are calling for, how the shifting landscape toward streaming in the entertainment industry has allowed giant companies to further exploit writers for their work and more.At the top, we discuss the tragic death of Jordan Neely, who was killed on the New York subway by a bystander. After his death was caught on film, conservatives justified his death as part of their crusade against people experiencing homelessness. We discuss our bru...
May 05, 2023•54 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Molly Jong-Fast, host of Fast Politics , joins us to recount her trip to DC for White House Correspondents Dinner weekend. She shares some hot goss from the swamp and we get into the criticisms of the event itself and the risks that arise from close proximity between the media and political establishment. We also discuss how, despite self-congratulatory …...
May 02, 2023•9 min
Jessica Burbank, host of the new show Funny Money , joins us to break down the debt ceiling debate in Congress. The right is using this as an opportunity to, yet again, try to cut social safety net programs, but of course they have no issue raising the debt ceiling when a Republican is in the White House.We open the show with Rob’s realization that Canadians are not allowed to comment on US politics then follow it up with the news of Jordan’s engagement. To become a subscriber (paid intern!) to ...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 8 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Kat Abughazaleh of Media Matters joins us to discuss Tucker Carlson’s sudden firing. We discuss the impact he had on his viewers, the white nationalist acts of violence he inspired, including mass shootings by perpetrators who mirrored his rhetoric in their manifestos, and more. We speculate (responsibly) about what caused his ouster and who will replac…...
Apr 25, 2023•7 min
Andrew Lawrence of Media Matters joins us to discuss Fox News settling with Dominion at the last minute in its defamation case over the network airing election lies and smearing the voting machine company in the process. The $787 million settlement is the largest defamation settlement in US history, and while the right-wing television network narrowly avoided its top talent taking the stand, we explore how Fox isn’t out of the woods just yet.We also open with some NHL playoffs talk, so if you’re...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 6 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Sam Biddle, technology reporter at The Intercept, joins us to discuss his new story about the Georgia National Guard using location tracking to recruit high school children. We get into the pitfalls and dangers of using an inaccurate method to try to identify and follow young people for purposes of military recruiting, how its an extension of other pred…...
Apr 19, 2023•7 min
LucidFoxx returns to the show this week to discuss Sen. Dianne Feinstein refusing to resign despite being absent for months, missing over 50 votes and holding up the judicial confirmation process. Her supporters and Dem loyalists insist she should be able to resign “on her time” but as this debate plays out, the right is, yet again, using the court system to further chip away at abortion rights.We also discuss the classified documents leak on Discord, “crime” in San Francisco, “anti-woke beer” a...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 13 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Chris Geidner, writer of LawDork , joins us to discuss ProPublica’s huge story revealing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has secretly accepted luxury trips from a prominent conservative billionaire for nearly 20 years. We explore the ethical implications and potential avenues for accountability. Even more bizarre, the donor (Harlan Crow) is a colle…...
Apr 11, 2023•10 min
Abraham Josephine “Josie” Riesman, author of the New York Times bestseller “ Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America ” joins us today for a great discussion on how kayfabe, the art of presenting staged acts as authentic, has evolved and spread beyond the world of wrestling and into our politics. Josie explains the concept of neokayfabe and how the WWE has slyly blurred the lines between performance and reality in ways that have crept in broader society. We also learn about the long...
Apr 07, 2023•1 hr 2 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Alex Pearlman, Pearlmania500 on TikTok , joins us to discuss the “RESTRICT Act,” the bipartisan piece of legislation that purportedly will ban TikTok but ultimately has much broader implications. We get into the threats it poses to individual privacy and free speech rights, how the rhetoric around TikTok is ultimately ju…...
Apr 04, 2023•10 min
Ken Klippenstein (still under a lifetime ban from the podcast) joins us today to react to Donald Trump’s felony indictment over his hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. We take a look at some of the funniest reactions from folks on both the left and right, discuss whether Trump will actually be convicted, what this means for Trump’s likely top opponent in the GOP primary Ron DeSantis, and much more.You can follow Ken here: https://twitter.com/kenklippensteinTo become a subscriber (paid intern!...
Mar 31, 2023•58 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Ari Drennen, LGBTQ Program Director at Media Matters for America, joins us to discuss the latest in the anti-trans panic. This time, right-wing talking heads using the Nashville shooting on Monday to further their crusade against trans people and, despite transparently hollow calls in the past to not “politicize” mass shootings, doing exactly that this …...
Mar 29, 2023•10 min
