Lever Time

The Lever
  • 4.8 (470)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Lever Time
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From LeverNews.com — Lever Time is the flagship podcast from the investigative news outlet The Lever. Hosted by 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, and expert analysis from the sharpest minds in media and politics.

  1. 4D AGO

    Do Democrats Have A Game Plan?

    Chris Deluzio, a young Democratic representative from western Pennsylvania, just penned an unorthodox op-ed in The New York Times urging Democrats to embrace Trump’s contentious tariffs. Could he be on to something? Deluzio, who outperformed his party in a working-class swing district last November, says Democrats’ failure to address the economic concerns of everyday Americans is the reason they lost the 2024 election — and why they’re still struggling under Trump.  Today on Lever Time, Senior Podcast Producer Arjun Singh sits down with Deluzio and reporter Amos Barshad to explore the history of the Democratic Party prioritizing unregulated free markets over the American worker — and how that’s now left them unable to conceive a winning economic agenda.

    27 min

  2. FEB 28

    The Planet is Heating Up Whether You Care or Not

    Are extreme weather events becoming normalized? Over the past few months, devastating wildfires have scorched Los Angeles, and Hurricane Helene left a trail of carnage across the Southeast. The science is clear: The planet is heating up, and it’s because of us.  But then why does it feel like nobody is taking the problem seriously? Despite the growing threat, climate change still struggles to capture people’s attention. Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with a group of environmental writers and journalists to hear their experiences covering climate and what mainstream discourse around climate change is missing.

    54 min

  3. FEB 19

    Is It Still Safe To Fly?

    A Delta flight flipping over while landing in Toronto. A missing commuter plane in Alaska. A medical transport jet crash in Philadelphia. A catastrophic midair collision over Washington, D.C. Plane accidents seem to be happening at a greater frequency than ever before. But is that actually the case? And what, if anything, do these disasters tell us about the state of aviation safety? Today on Lever Time, Senior podcast producer Arjun Singh sits down with Bill McGee, senior fellow for aviation at the American Economic Liberties Project and one of the country’s foremost experts on the airline industry, to discuss the recent crashes and the state of airline safety regulations. The backbone of aviation safety in the United States of America is The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an organization that oversees aerospace safety and efficiency and is being targeted by President Donald Trump’s federal layoffs. But McGee says the FAA has been understaffed for years and has long been called “The Tombstone Agency” around Washington due to the organization’s tendency to only respond with a full investigation when a tragedy occurs. To read an unedited transcript of the episode, click here.

    24 min

  4. FEB 14

    RFK’s Beef With Big Food

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was just confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, overseeing the nation’s food and health standards. He’s drawn controversy for opposing many positions of the medical establishment — except when it comes to junk food. Kennedy has repeatedly said ultraprocessed foods are harmful to public health, a position shared widely among medical professionals and nutritionists.  Food companies reportedly tried to thwart Kennedy’s confirmation, in part because they’ve known for decades just how unhealthy and addictive their products can be. Today on Lever Time, senior podcast producer Arjun Singh unpacks the food industry’s colossal influence over the American food system — and how they’re using the same playbook as Big Tobacco. To learn more about Andrew Gallegos' nonprofit Cultivating Community head here.

    37 min

  5. FEB 12

    Trump’s Tariff War Explained

    President Donald Trump is implementing sweeping tariffs to ostensibly tighten border security and crack down on the fentanyl trade. The moves include a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, blanket 10 percent tariffs on Chinese imports, and potentially steep tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods. These actions could have monumental consequences for the global economy.  Today on Lever Time, senior podcast producer Arjun Singh sits down with economist Brad Setser to discuss the history of tariffs, the complexity of the United States' trade relationships with Canada, Mexico, and China, and how the effects of these tariffs could potentially make the illegal drug trade worse. Setser was a senior adviser to the U.S. Trade Representative and writes about China’s export economy in his newsletter Follow the Money.

    32 min

  6. FEB 6

    Elon Musk’s Hostile Takeover

    Elon Musk has bought his way into the Trump administration and is now busy muscling his way into every federal agency. But the unelected billionaire who’s been forcibly installing his allies while purging career civil servants throughout the federal government just faced his first roadblock when a judge prevented him from accessing the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, a move that would have given him an unprecedented amount of leverage over trillions of public dollars. Today on Lever Time, senior podcast producer Arjun Singh sits down with journalist Nathan Tankus to discuss the depth of Musk’s control and how the tycoon’s recent actions could imperil the nation. Tankus is the author of the newsletter Notes on a Crisis and one of lead reporters covering Musk’s takeover.

    26 min

  7. JAN 31

    American Chaos Is Trump’s Plan

    Donald Trump has been president for less than two weeks, and the government is already in chaos. Amidst a flurry of executive orders, Trump suspended all federal spending earlier this week. The move sent panic throughout the federal government and upended critical services like Medicare and school funding. Is there an ideology behind the chaos? Or was the chaos the point? And what should the country make of it?  Today on Lever Time, senior podcast producer Arjun Singh recaps how Trump’s orders reverberated throughout the country — and explores what could come next.

    19 min
  8. The Supreme Court Case That Got Us Here

    JAN 24

    The Supreme Court Case That Got Us Here

    Fifteen years ago this week, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling that fundamentally changed American politics —  In a 5-4 judgment in Citizens United v FEC, the court struck down restrictions on corporate spending in elections and paved the way for the mountains of dark money in our politics today. But there’s more. In The Lever’s recent series Master Plan, David Sirota and a team of journalists dove deep into the litigious roots of the Citizens United case, starting with the nearly-forgotten story of a small-town Indiana lawyer, as well as the vast political consequences of the high court’s landmark decision. Today on Lever Time, we’re sharing that episode with listeners to mark the anniversary of the ruling.

    1h 1m
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  • A secret plot. A public theft. A democracy corrupted. Discover the truth on Master Plan, winner of the 2024 Signal Awards for News & Politics and Best Writing. Hosted by David Sirota, former speechwriter for Bernie Sanders and Oscar-nominated co-writer of Don’t Look Up, Master Plan uncovers a deliberate scheme to legalize corruption in the U.S., enabling the wealthy to buy policies that serve them at the public’s expense. How did our democracy become a kleptocracy? The Lever has 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 ’70s 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. www.masterplanpodcast.com

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4.8
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470 Ratings

About

From LeverNews.com — Lever Time is the flagship podcast from the investigative news outlet The Lever. Hosted by 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, and expert analysis from the sharpest minds in media and politics.

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