The Lever

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Channel • 3 Shows

History

History

Updated 1d ago
News Commentary

News Commentary

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Comedy

Comedy

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5D AGO

The Court Disarmed Trump’s Tariff Weapon. Who Will Pay?

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump’s tariffs were illegal, striking a blow to his favorite geopolitical strategy. The decision could make it far harder for any president to wield tariffs as a weapon, but how will the ruling affect your wallet? Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with trade expert Lori Wallach, director of the Rethink Trade program at the American Economic Liberties Project. Lori and David unpack the weaponization of trade policy, the messy reality of tariff refunds, and who will pay — or get paid — following the court’s decision. Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join. Tired of the doom scroll? Click here to subscribe to Lever Daily, a free once-a-day email that delivers the most important and underreported news in less than five minutes. To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5d ago

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56 min
FEB 19

He Sent One Email. Then Federal Agents Came To His Door.

In October, a Philadelphia man emailed an attorney for the Department of Homeland Security, criticizing a government policy. Hours later, federal agents and local police were banging on his door to interrogate him without a warrant. It feels like something out of a movie, but it's real. Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with ACLU attorney Steve Loney to ask some big questions: How are federal agencies obtaining your private data without a warrant? How are tech giants like Google enabling them? And what should you do if this happens to you? For a full transcript of the episode, click here. Click here to read more about this story in The Washington Post. Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join. To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 19

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33 min
SEASON 2 TRAILER

Season 2 Trailer: The Kingmakers

A new season of Master Plan debuts on March 16. For early access to new episodes and exclusive bonus content, click here to upgrade to a paid subscription to The Lever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S2 Trailer

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2 min
08/27/2024

Milk Money

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 ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

08/27/2024

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37 min
FEB 12

When Disaster, Inc. Comes To Town

In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, setting off a chemical disaster. Politicians and lawyers promised justice, and the railroad company swiftly settled for a historic $600 million. Three years later, many victims haven’t seen a dime. Where did all that money go? Today on Lever Time, producer Natalie Bettendorf is joined by Lever reporter Katya Schwenk, who scoured court documents and traveled to East Palestine to uncover the toxic secrets behind one of the largest disaster settlements in history. Click here to read Katya's in-depth investigation. Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join. To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 12

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38 min
FEB 5

What Tech Wants: God In The Machine

While one tech CEO warns that artificial intelligence could “destroy all life on Earth,” other industry giants have declared war on rules that could limit AI’s power. Their battlefield? The 2026 midterm elections. In Part Three of What Tech Wants, Lever Time’s investigation into why Silicon Valley is buying our democracy, producer Ariella Markowitz explores Big Tech’s latest obsession — artificial intelligence — and its crusade against anyone who stands in its way. Click here for a transcript of the episode. To listen to the first two episodes of this series, click here. Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join. To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 5

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46 min
08/27/2024

The Other Watergate

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 ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

08/27/2024

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47 min
12/11/2025

It’s Not An AI Bubble. It’s A Black Hole.

2025 has been a tremendous year for the artificial intelligence industry. Stock prices for AI companies skyrocketed, soaring beyond expectations and propping up an otherwise stagnant U.S. economy. But everywhere, there’s talk of an AI bubble — one even bigger and more threatening than the 2008 housing bubble or the dot-com bubble of the early 2000s. What makes this bubble so different? When is it likely to pop? And if it does, what does that mean for the rest of us? In this episode of Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with Ed Zitron and Sruthi Pinnamaneni, journalists covering the AI frenzy, to recap the year of the AI Bubble — and predict what will happen next. To read Ed Zitron's blog, Where's Your Ed At, click here. Click here to check out Sruthi Pinnamaneni's two part series on AI data centers. Got three minutes? Please take our end-of-year survey! Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join. To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12/11/2025

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54 min
09/03/2024

The Powell Memo

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 here. Get ad-free Master Plan episodes by becoming a paid subscriber. Enjoy bonus episodes, exclusive content, and support this show. Visit masterplanpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

09/03/2024

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56 min
JAN 29

What Tech Wants: Crypto Reign Of Terror (with Jacob Silverman and Molly White)

In 2024, the cryptocurrency industry spent more than $130 million to influence elections nationwide. Their campaign donations and lobbying efforts turned the tables for their risky boom-and-bust business, which is now poised to overtake our entire financial system. In Part Two of What Tech Wants, Lever Time’s investigation into why Silicon Valley is buying our democracy, producer Ariella Markowitz reveals how crypto companies aligned with President Donald Trump to advance their agenda. To listen to Part One of our series, click here. Click here to subscribe to Molly White’s newsletter Citation Needed. Click here to read Jacob Silverman’s book, Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley. Click here for a full transcript of the episode. Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join. To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 29

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33 min

SEASON TWO COMING MARCH 16. SUBSCRIBE NOW. Master Plan, the award-winning investigative podcast series from The Lever, reveals the hidden forces behind today’s biggest problems — and how small groups of powerful people engineered those problems to serve their own interests. We are exposing their schemes. Narrated by David Sirota, an award-winning investigative journalist and Oscar nominee for his work on the film Don’t Look Up. Master Plan has received the 2025 National Press Club Award for Audio Journalism, the New York Festivals Radio Award for Best Investigative Journalism Podcast, multiple Signal Awards for Best News & Politics Podcast and Best Writing. It was an Ambies finalist for Best Politics podcast and was named a Webby Awards Honoree. Season 1: Legalizing Corruption. How did our democracy become a kleptocracy? The Lever unearthed never-before-reported documents revealing this 50-year plot as a coordinated effort by wealthy individuals and political ideologues. Across 11 episodes, the series traces this historic thread from the Watergate scandal in the 1970s to the Citizens United decision, current Supreme Court outrages, and the 2024 election. It’s a story of infamous figures like President Richard Nixon, Senator Mitch McConnell, and Fox News founder Roger Ailes—plus operatives and oligarchs you’ve never heard of. For early access to future episodes and exclusive bonus content, click here to upgrade to a paid subscription to The Lever. www.masterplanpodcast.com

4.9 (607)

HISTORY
From LeverNews.com — Lever Time is the flagship podcast from the investigative news outlet The Lever. Hosted by the award-winning journalist, Oscar-nominated writer, and Bernie Sanders' 2020 speechwriter David Sirota, Lever Time features exclusive reporting from The Lever’s newsroom, high-profile guest interviews, expert analysis, ideas and opinions from the sharpest minds in media and politics.

4.8 (540)

NEWS COMMENTARY

The Lever is a nonpartisan, reader-supported investigative news outlet that holds accountable the people and corporations manipulating the levers of power. NOTE: If you are a current paid subscriber to The Lever (via LeverNews.com), you already have access to premium podcast content.

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The Lever

Get exclusive episodes, early access, and more

Top Shows

The Court Disarmed Trump’s Tariff Weapon. Who Will Pay?

He Sent One Email. Then Federal Agents Came To His Door.

Season 2 Trailer: The Kingmakers

Milk Money

When Disaster, Inc. Comes To Town

What Tech Wants: God In The Machine

The Other Watergate

It’s Not An AI Bubble. It’s A Black Hole.

The Powell Memo

What Tech Wants: Crypto Reign Of Terror (with Jacob Silverman and Molly White)

Get exclusive episodes, early access, and more

Who Let Elon Musk Pollute South Memphis?

Rutger Bregman On Democrats, Purity Politics, And Moral Ambition

(Premium) Master Plan Book - Q&A Event Replay

Lenore Skenazy On Why The Kids Aren’t All Right

How Donald Trump Is Using Tech Companies To Fight His Trade War

BONUS: The Perils of Prosecuting Watergate

BONUS: The Federalist Society’s “Pipeline For Power”

BONUS: Evan Osnos Reveals What Billionaires Are Doing With Your Money

BONUS: How The Boomer Generation Failed Us (With Robert Reich)

BONUS: How Democrats Lost The Courts

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