Juniper of Western Kabuki joins us to discuss Vivek Ramaswamy’s “change of heart” on TikTok after meeting with Jake Paul. We explore the broader GOP’s rhetoric on China and especially Mexico, with increasingly militaristic threats being waged by 2024 hopefuls. We also get into MSN’s grim AI-generated obituary for a former NBA player, Brandon Hunter, and what a future of “AI art” would actually look like. You can follow Juniper here: https://twitter.com/junlper/ | Our most recent premium episode ...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Parker Molloy, media critic and author of The Present Age , joins Jordan to discuss Aaron Rodgers’ injury, the most hairbrained “tributes” on 9/11, the Washington Post’s bizarre opposition research piece about a House candidate who streamed on Chaturbate, how the media can be more responsible in 2024 and much more. This was a fun one.You can subscribe to…...
Sep 13, 2023•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Isaiah Martin, the potential “next Gen Z member of Congress” launched his campaign this week to both fanfare and criticism. Adam Johnson, co-host of Citations Needed joined us to break down the launch, the hollowness in “generational politics” and more.We also get into the looming government shutdown and how, yet again, social safety net programs are on the chopping block. We also talk about Bill Maher calling for the writers strike to end and his comments that writers’ demands are “kooky.”You c...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Jared Holt returns to the show to break down the cases and sentences for the leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers for their roles in orchestrating, planning and leading the events at the Capitol on January 6.We also get into Tucker Carlson’s “exclusive” interview with a guy who claims he smoked crack and had sex with Barack Obama. Shocking!...
Sep 06, 2023•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Braxton Brewington of The Debt Collective joins Jordan for a conversation about how the Biden administration has tried and is continuing to try to cancel some student loan debt. Braxton and The Debt Collective, along with other student borrower advocates, have shown there are other ways—completely within Biden’s authority—the administration can still cancel student loan debt. We explore some of those avenues and discuss a new tool The Debt Collective has created that might help some borrowers ha...
Sep 01, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Dave Anthony, host of “The Dollop” and “The Audit” joins us to discuss the Democrats’ 2024 messaging that the economy is great and people who might disagree because of their own material conditions are just wrong. We touch on how student loan payments resuming next month will impact the economy and people’s quality of life, risking fueling cynicism and …...
Aug 30, 2023•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Julian, Jake and Travis of QAnon Anonymous join us to recap the GOP debate, Trump’s interview with Tucker Carlson (and Trump’s thoughts on Jeffrey Epstein), the Alien and Avatar franchises and so much more. This was a fun one!Subscribe to the QAnon Anonymous podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/qanonanonymous To become a subscriber (paid intern!) to the Insurgents and gain access to an additional episode every week, you can subscribe here: https://www.insurgentspod.com/subscribe This is a publi...
Aug 26, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com The right has conditioned its base to assume the absolute worse, most nefarious intent in response to even the most moderate societal improvements. We explore how that social conditioning has changed the way people see public transit and the “15 minute cities” conspiracy. We also revisit Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” in the wake of it hi…...
Aug 23, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dharna Noor, climate reporter for The Guardian, joins us for our 200th episode. We discuss the wildfires in Maui, the ludicrous conspiracies about their origin, big oil rebutting attempts by local leaders over the past few years to reign in their emissions, and more.We also spend some time talking about Hurricane Hilary, which is expected to make landfall in Southern California this weekend. Calling it a rare occurrence is an understatement. It’s once-in-a-century, with the last one making landf...
Aug 19, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com By now you’ve probably heard Oliver Anthony’s totally organic viral sensation song Rich Men North of Richmond. Maybe you’re even already sick of the discourse around it. Perhaps you might have even found yourself liking or enjoying it because of the way it ostensibly is about the rich exploiting the working class, or the feeling of hopelessness and alie…...
Aug 16, 2023•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jordan’s still on the move — but took time to very generously agree to give up his podcast revenue share — so today Rob is speaking to Luke O’Neil, author of Welcome to Hell World and the new collection of short fiction A Creature Wanting Form (which you can purchase by clicking the link there.) There’s some sports chat, we talk about the conflicting emotions involved in being Weezer Guys, but mainly we spent most of the time relitigating the 2015 Democratic Primary. Not enough people are doing ...
Aug 12, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Jordan is on the move with the rest of the paid interns, and since it didn’t feel right to have a 200th episode without him, here’s episode 199.5 with Sam Knight of the District Sentinel. Is the economy really thriving, and the rest of us are wrong for feeling like it isn’t? Is Trump going to run in 2024 from prison like a bloated orange reactionary ver…...
Aug 09, 2023•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Taylor Lorenz joins us again to talk about her upcoming book “Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet.” We explore how the creator economy has ballooned but still lacks basic worker protections afforded to some of their creative counterparts. We spend some time talking about the various worker strikes and the need for unions in other creative industries.We also, of course, discuss the cop slide video. You can preorder her book here: https://bookshop.org/p...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Ron DeSantis claims to be rebooting his campaign after a series of fits and starts that have plagued his campaign. We get into whether or not his campaign is offering anything different and of course discuss the fancam video that featured the Nazi “Black Sun” symbol.We also take a look at RFK Jr.’s fanbase and how it, strangely!!!, is full of conservati…...
Aug 01, 2023•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Friend of the show Dwight, formerly of Eat the Rich, joins Jordan to recap the Congressional hearings on UFOs and aliens. We talk about Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge’s contributions to the UFO and alien revelations and revisit the classic Art Bell “Area 51 call.”From there, we discuss both Dianne Feinstein’s and Mitch McConnell’s declining health, which were publicly on display this week.And it wouldn’t be a Dwight episode without climate catastrophe. Water temperatures off the coast of Florida are re...
Jul 27, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Technology reported Edward Ongweso Jr. joins Jordan for a great discussion on Ed’s new piece in The Nation about Silicon Valley’s quest to create an AI god and control humanity. We explore the key figures pushing this concept, their motives, whether it’s even possible and whether the singularity is near.Before that, we talk about Twitter’s rebrand to “X…...
Jul 25, 2023•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alexander Edward of Minion Death Cult joins us to talk about the looming UPS strike, the right’s obsession with human trafficking and performing their values through going to see a movie, Hunter Biden’s nudes being displayed during a Congressional hearing and much more.You can follow Alex here: https://twitter.com/flieldyYou can check out Minion Death Cult here: https://miniondeathcult.com/ To become a subscriber (paid intern!) to the Insurgents and gain access to an additional episode every wee...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com Craig Reynolds, host of The Downbeat podcast and drummer in Stray From The Path, joins Jordan to discuss the writers’ strike, actors’ strike and how Spotify rips off musicians. We examine the parallels all entertainers are facing in the streaming era and how increasingly difficult it is to make a living in the arts. We also talk about the death-by-1000-…...
Jul 19, 2023•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jordan is out of town for some minor “training” so it’s another Rob solo episode! And what a great opportunity to bring on one of Canada’s foremost journalists and controversial shit-talkers, Nora Loreto. We had a fantastic conversation about the far right movement in this country, what the incredibly dorky Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is doing to try and harness this constituency, the media frenzy about Chinese interference in our democracy, Canada’s outsized role in the Russia/Uk...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.com We kick off this episode by announcing a very exciting opportunity for our beloved paid interns. From there, we discuss Meta’s new Twitter rival “Threads,” why it’s a real stinker and the need for anti-trust. We also get into MSNBC’s recently reupped piece on how the far right is using fitness for recruitment and how the real problem is a societal one, …...
Jul 11, 2023•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 
