Best David Sirota Podcasts (2024)

1
The Corporate Corruption Behind Hurricane Helene 30:24

4d ago30:24

30:24

Millions in the Southeastern United States recently endured one cataclysm after another. First, Hurricane Helene left chaos and destruction across a trail of states. Then, in Georgia, a catastrophic chemical plant fire released plumes of toxic chlorine gas, forcing thousands to evacuate or shelter in place. Both disasters share a troubling backstor…

1
The Plutocratic Threat to Democracy w/ David Sirota 39:52

25d ago39:52

39:52

Kamala Harris and many other Democrats often warn that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. This is true enough, but it raises the question of how a ridiculous reality-TV star got in a position to be so dangerous. The excellent new podcast Master Plan shows that democracy has been under siege in the United States for decades due to a concerted ef…

1
Episode 191: David Sirota 1:38:48

25d ago1:38:48

1:38:48

David Sirota rejoins the show to discuss his new podcast, Master Plan, uncovering decades of government corruption.By Krystal

1
TFFB #89: KATE HOORAY OSMOND 1:24:07

17h ago1:24:07

1:24:07

Our interview with artist Kate Hooray Osmond! Check out her work over at her website & instagram: https://www.katehoorayosmond.com/ https://www.instagram.com/katehoorayosmond/?hl=en-gb Check out our conversation here or on listen to the podcast on SPOTIFY, YOUTUBE or APPLE MUSIC! We now have a patreon page if you'd like to support the platform! Tie…

1
Shock And Awe At The Supreme Court 51:11

1d ago51:11

51:11

As President George W. Bush declares “Mission Accomplished” in the Iraq War, his administration wages a different war with swing-state senators defying his judicial nominees. Operatives like Leonard Leo and Brett Kavanaugh seize the moment to try to dramatically shift the balance of the Supreme Court. But when Bush goes off script and nominates a t…

1
Expanding Wars With a Lame Duck President w/ Matt Duss 39:43

3d ago39:43

39:43

The Israeli incursion into Lebanon has rapidly shifted from a bombing campaign into a ground invasion, one that the Pentagon now says might last for some time. This current escalation of the Middle Eastern conflict, which has also seen Iran and Israel trade blows, reflects the wider failure of Joe Biden’s bear-hug foreign policy. To discuss the con…

1
Episode 194: The Vanguard 1:51:11

3d ago1:51:11

1:51:11

We talk to The Vanguard about the state of the presidential race, with the election just a month away.By Krystal

1
TFFB #88: ANNA SIROTA 1:53:15

8d ago1:53:15

1:53:15

Our interview with fine art photographer Anna Sirota! Check out her work over at her website & instagram: https://www.annasirota.com/ https://www.instagram.com/annasirotaphoto/ Check out our conversation here or on listen to the podcast on SPOTIFY, YOUTUBE or APPLE MUSIC! We now have a patreon page if you'd like to support the platform! Tiers start…

1
Rise of the Machine 56:37

8d ago56:37

56:37

After a series of setbacks in the push to legalize corruption, the master planners know they must take over the U.S. Supreme Court and halt the trend of Republican-appointed justices siding with campaign finance reformers. So in the early 2000s, they deploy their new judicial machine in an epic battle to try to permanently change the courts from th…

1
Episode 193: Sohrab Ahmari 1:31:04

10d ago1:31:04

1:31:04

We talk to journalist Sohrab Ahmari about what's missing from the Trump 2024 campaign.By Krystal

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Is Harris’ Big Tent About To Burst? 41:48

12d ago41:48

41:48

Vice President Kamala Harris has built a broad coalition that stretches from climate activists to a former oil company CEO, all of them aligned against former President Donald Trump. But if Harris wins in November and Trump’s out of the picture, what happens to this band of strange bedfellows, who frequently find themselves split on core issues lik…

1
The Maverick 1:00:51

16d ago1:00:51

1:00:51

When five U.S. senators get caught pressuring a regulator on behalf of a financial magnate, they become known as the “Keating Five.” The public is predictably outraged. But what no one expects is that one of those senators will learn from his mistakes and become the staunchest campaign finance reformer in decades. Get Master Plan episodes early and…

1
Israel’s Expanding War Against Lebanon w/ Trita Parsi 25:36

18d ago25:36

25:36

Joe Biden’s foreign policy team was hoping for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas before his term was over, perhaps as early as the end of September. This always seemed wishful thinking but now is almost impossible as Israel not only continues to fight in Gaza but has expanded its conflict with Palestinian forces in neighboring Lebanon. The expa…

1
Episode 192: Adam Johnson 1:30:28

17d ago1:30:28

1:30:28

Citations Needed's Adam Johnson is our guest this week, discussing JD Vance’s “blood libel media campaign” against Haitian immigrants and his strategy of doubling down.By Krystal

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The Secret Plot To Buy American Democracy 50:21

20d ago50:21

50:21

In 1971, Lewis Powell, a tobacco industry lawyer and future Supreme Court justice, penned a memo calling on conservatives and business interests to make the nation’s legal system far more friendly to corporate power. A few years later, a lawyer named Michael Horowitz penned a follow-up memo calling for conservatives to indoctrinate generations of l…

1
Corporations Are People, My Friend 50:42

24d ago50:42

50:42

You might remember Mitt Romney’s infamous line: “Corporations are people, my friend.” But where did this idea come from? In this episode: how the Ford Administration and the Powell Memo movement turned to the Supreme Court to establish the precedent that legalized corruption: money is speech, and corporations are entitled to First Amendment rights.…

1
Will The Real Kamala Harris Please Stand Up? (Part 2) 40:37

28d ago40:37

40:37

When Kamala Harris first ran for president in 2019, she promised to deliver Medicare for All to the people — but that changed. Early in her campaign, she frequently referred to a 2017 bill she co-sponsored with Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have effectively abolished private health insurance. But when political winds didn’t look good, Harris chang…

1
The Secret Task Force 48:42

1M ago48:42

48:42

How did corporate executives and politicians turn Lewis Powell’s memo from a blueprint into a master plan — and begin executing it? In this episode, we uncover proof of a secret “Powell Memo Task Force,” as well as clandestine meetings involving America’s most powerful businessmen, a future president, and an ambitious young media consultant. The re…

1
Episode 190: Jordan Chariton 1:49:12

1M ago1:49:12

1:49:12

Reporter Jordan Chariton joins the pod to discuss his new book on the Flint water crisis, We The Poisoned: Exposing the Flint Water Crisis Cover Up.By Krystal

1
How Kamala Harris Can Use the Debate to Win Big 36:20

1M ago36:20

36:20

After the convention and on the cusp of a debate, the presidential election is a near dead heat. The polls show Kamala Harris has a slight edge, but it is well within the margin of error. This is a massive improvement over the performance of Joe Biden, who was on a path to a major defeat but it is by no means a guarantee of victory. To take up the …

1
Will The Real Kamala Harris Please Stand Up? (Part 1) 35:01

1M ago35:01

35:01

In television commercials, at speeches, and on the campaign trail, Vice President Kamala Harris frequently boasts that she stood up to big banks as California's attorney general. But her sloganeering obscures a sometimes-ugly record. Today on Lever Time, Arjun Singh looks back at Harris' early years as a district attorney and then state attorney ge…

1
The Powell Memo 53:45

1M ago53:45

53:45

A seemingly moderate corporate lawyer grows alarmed by anti-corruption reformers’ policy wins and writes a manifesto detailing how corporations and oligarchs can dominate American politics. Months later, he’s confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court by senators unaware that his manifesto is going viral among the business elite. View related materials he…

1
Episode 189: Joshua Reed Eakle 1:34:09

1M ago1:34:09

1:34:09

Joshua Reed Eakle of Project Liberal joins us to debate classical liberalism versus social democracy.By Krystal

1
Master Plan - The Other Watergate (Preview) 6:15

1M ago6:15

6:15

This week, we’re sharing a preview of episode two of Master Plan, our new investigative podcast series, which recently hit the top ten on Apple Podcasts. In this episode, "The Other Watergate," a Nixon plot to circumvent new campaign finance rules backfires, leading investigators to discover how America’s biggest companies were involved in the ille…

1
The Other Watergate 44:43

1M ago44:43

44:43

There’s a lost tale behind Watergate: corporate bagmen, suitcases of illegal cash, and Nixon circumventing the very campaign finance rules he’d just signed into law. Amid the blowback, Nixon leaves a ticking time bomb in the heart of Washington. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusiv…

1
Milk Money 33:42

1M ago33:42

33:42

Ever wonder how America became so corrupt? It didn’t have to be this way. Our series begins in 1971, a time when hot pants were hot, bell bottoms were swinging, and campaign cash flowed like… milk. Get Master Plan episodes early and ad-free by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content and support this show. Visit masterpla…

1
Episode 188: Jesse Ventura 1:03:20

2M ago1:03:20

1:03:20

Former Governor of Minnesota and pro wrestler Jesse Ventura unleashes on Trump and defends Tim Walz from the current GOP smear campaigns.By Krystal

1
Fear And Corporate Loathing At The DNC 44:36

2M ago44:36

44:36

The Lever’s David Sirota reports on his adventures at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, sharing his on-the-ground reporting on Democrats’ fear of another Trump presidency and their rhetoric loathing the corporate takeover of politics. Sirota spotlights the tension between the convention’s populist framing and its corporate sponsors foo…

1
Episode 187: Ettingermentum 1:05:12

2M ago1:05:12

1:05:12

We talked to your favorite Twitter account @ettingermentum to make some very strong predictions about who’s going to win it all in November.By Krystal

1
Are We Allowed To Ask What President Harris Would Do? 47:49

2M ago47:49

47:49

Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascent to presumptive Democratic nominee has upended the presidential contest and energized Democratic voters — but what’s the policy behind the vibes? On Friday, Harris unveiled a series of economic policies, including a proposed federal ban on grocery price gouging and plans to lower prescription drug and housing cos…

1
Episode 186: Omar Baddar 1:33:32

2M ago1:33:32

1:33:32

Journalist Omar Baddar joins Kyle for a conversation on potential war between Israel and Iran/ Hezbollah. Is it inevitable? Will the US join on the side of Israel?By Krystal

1
The American Roots Of The World’s Right-Wing Nationalism 40:46

2M ago40:46

40:46

For more than a decade, global politics have been rocked by the rise of right-wing nationalist governments. Similar to Donald Trump’s rise in the United States, countries like India, Hungary, Brazil, and Italy have seen the emergence of far-right governments who’ve channeled popular anger into support for nativist and anti-immigrant platforms. It t…

1
Is Tim Walz the Real Deal? 42:48

2M ago42:48

42:48

On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, a move that drew praise from a wide swath of the party, from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Sen. Joe Manchin. Though Walz was relatively unknown until recently, his stock within Democratic politics skyrocketed in the last few weeks. As governor, Walz pa…

1
Trailer — Legalizing Corruption 2:13

2M ago2:13

2:13

A secret plot. A public theft. A democracy corrupted. Discover the truth. The first two episodes of Master Plan, a new podcast from The Lever, will be available on August 27 wherever you get your podcasts. Listen early and ad-free at masterplanpodcast.comBy The Lever

1
Episode 185: Jill Stein 1:41:24

2M ago1:41:24

1:41:24

Presidential candidate Jill Stein rejoins the pod to talk about what justice for Palestine would look like after a ceasefire, the state of the 2024 presidential race, and more.By Krystal

1
When Will The Climate Killers See Their Day In Court? 35:15

2M ago35:15

35:15

Floods, heat waves, wildfires and other climate extremes are becoming a way of life for millions around the world — and tragically a way of death. After a historic, record-breaking flood in France killed her mother, a daughter wants to hold oil companies criminally responsible for her death, joining seven other plaintiffs in a lawsuit. Today on Lev…

1
Episode 184: Cenk Uygur 1:45:49

2M ago1:45:49

1:45:49

Cenk Uygur joins us to discuss Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.By Krystal

1
Can Harris Fight – And Win? 46:02

3M ago46:02

46:02

As Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the presumptive Democratic nominee, her party is facing an uphill battle to defeat Donald Trump and his attempt to frame his corporate agenda as populism. In a wide-ranging interview on The Brian Lehrer Show on New York’s largest public radio station, David Sirota discusses his recent essay in The Lever about…

1
Episode 183: Chase Oliver 58:09

3M ago58:09

58:09

We talk to Libertarian Party presidential candidate Chase Oliver about his campaign and the state of the 2024 presidential election.By Krystal

1
Episode 182: Jeremy Scahill 1:48:14

3M ago1:48:14

1:48:14

Jeremy joins us to discuss Drop Site News, his and Ryan Grim's new independent media outlet.By Krystal

1
Will Democrats Decide To Lose The Election? 1:15:44

3M ago1:15:44

1:15:44

With Trump last night becoming the GOP nominee and now having his largest polling lead — and with Biden reportedly on the verge of dropping out — David Sirota, Arjun Singh, and The Atlantic’s Tyler Austin Harper review what is one of the wildest moments in American political history. The biggest question of all: Will the Democrats decide to lose th…

1
How DNC Delegates Could Oust Biden 31:17

3M ago31:17

31:17

Should he stay or should he go? President Joe Biden’s decision to remain in the presidential race has consequences for hundreds of millions of people — and it has at least one Democratic National Committee member and convention delegate inquiring whether the party can force him off the ticket. But if Biden’s out, corporate lobbyists who’ve embedded…

1
Why Biden Continues Supporting Israel’s Onslaught in Gaza 25:14

3M ago25:14

25:14

On June 28, I delivered a speech at the central branch of the Regina Public Library on the history of American support for Israel. The speech almost didn’t happen. The library briefly cancelled it because they claimed the group promoting it was encouraging discrimination against Jews. Fortunately, a city councillor intervened to sponsor the talk. F…

1
Who Broke The Economy? 45:46

3M ago45:46

45:46

Today on Lever Time, we unpack how corporations built and then broke the supply chain — and more importantly, how they took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to price gouge everybody else. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it felt like we ran out of everything: toilet paper, hand sanitizer, microchips, exercise bikes, and more. High demand and supply …

1
The Democrat Banished For Warning Us About Biden 1:05:32

3M ago1:05:32

1:05:32

How is it that the Democrats’ main bulwark between America and a Trump regime is an impaired president whose White House reportedly tried to hide his decline? On this episode of Lever Time, we talk to the Democratic operative who first tried to sound the alarm to avert this disaster — and who then faced a “quiet throat-slitting” by party bosses. We…

1
The Real Problem With Joe Biden’s Bad Debate 47:50

3M ago47:50

47:50

Joe Biden’s performance on the first presidential debate, held on Thursday in Atlanta, has been widely criticized. Much of the criticism has focused on Biden’s style: his horse voice, frequent halting digressions and verbal flubs. But the substance of Biden’s comments, as Moira Donegan pointed out in her Guardian column, was equally troubling. In t…

1
Episode 181: Jen Perelman 1:26:40

3M ago1:26:40

1:26:40

Jen Perelman joins the show to talk about her campaign against Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida’s 25th District.By Krystal

1
Why Hasn’t Biden Stepped Down? 53:28

3M ago53:28

53:28

Last night’s debacle of a presidential debate raised a huge question: Why did Democratic Party powerbrokers prevent a serious, contested presidential primary against Joe Biden? It’s a question that our podcast Lever Time dared to explore a while ago when it was a taboo topic. At the time, we were criticized for even discussing it — even though this…

1
Joe Biden’s Muddled Middle East Policy 56:12

4M ago56:12

56:12

Joe Biden has often been described as among the most pro-Israel politicians in America, a characterization which has a large element of truth but misses some important nuances. As David Klion argues in a deeply researched essay for The Nation, Biden’s support for Israel has long been accompanied by rhetorical gestures indicating opposition to aspec…