The Lever

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Channel • 3 Shows

Comedy

Comedy

Updated weekly
History

History

Weekly series
News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated twice weekly

02/11/2022

The Battle To End Dark Money (w/ Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse)

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who also serves as the chair of the Democratic Secretaries of State Association. David and Jena discuss the slate of election-denying Republican candidates who are running to oversee their state’s elections, and why the results of this year’s secretaries of state races are so vital (7:46). Then, David and Andrew Perez sit down with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to talk about his new book, The Scheme: How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to Capture the Supreme Court, and what’s next in the battle to end dark money — like the $1.6 billion secret donation we exposed — in politics (30:10). If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber. If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar A rough transcript of this episode is available here.

02/11/2022

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1h 2m
29/06/2022

The Man Who Bought The Supreme Court

After this past week’s barrage of devastating Supreme Court decisions, we’re doing a SCOTUS deep-dive. First, David is joined by The Lever’s Andrew Perez to discuss his recent piece about the conservative dark money network that has been bankrolling judicial nominees for the past twenty years. Then, David speaks with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Colorado State Senator Julie Gonzales about what the Dobbs ruling means for millions of women in the country, and what authority cities and states have to protect abortion access. Finally, David interviews award-winning journalist Amy Westervelt about the upcoming Supreme Court case West Virginia v. EPA, in which a group of Republican Attorneys General are suing the EPA over its ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. If you’d like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber. If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. We really appreciate your support :) levernews.com/tipjar A rough transcript of this episode is available here.

29/06/2022

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1h 18m
12/06/2023

Liberals, Leftists, And Pragers, Oh My

On this week’s episode of The Audit, comedian, writer, and political commentator Katie Halper joins hosts Dave and Josh to react to PragerU’s videos on race, liberalism, and affirmative action. PragerU wants to teach you about the American Left. To gauge the results, the team discusses the organization’s political explainers — covering what they get right and wrong, and pondering who is the last best hope for Earth. The group also discusses how conservatives view the liberal media industry, and the trio level their own criticisms against mainstream corporate pundits. PragerU videos we discussed this week: Left or Liberal?Can You Trust the Press?Katie currently hosts The Katie Halper Show and Useful Idiots. If you’d like to support this show, head over to www.levernews.com/audit/ and leave a tip for Dave and Josh. To get access to Lever Premium Podcasts, and all the other benefits of a paid subscription, click here. A transcript of this episode is available here.

12/06/2023

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1h 34m
22/02/2023

How The Lever Forced Buttigieg To Do His Job

On this week’s episode of Lever Time: Producer Frank sits down with journalists Julia Rock, Rebecca Burns, and Matthew Cunningham-Cook for an in-depth conversation about The Lever’s groundbreaking reporting on the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The group explores how an environmental disaster like this can occur, including examining the influence of the railroad and chemical lobbies, as well as detailing the regulatory capture of three separate presidential administrations. The group also details how The Lever’s reporting gained national coverage, triggered a public pressure campaign, and helped lead to a response from Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (1:50). If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber. If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar A rough transcript of this episode is available here.

22/02/2023

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46 min
26/07/2024

Can Harris Fight – And Win?

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 how Democrats must do a better job making clear the party is serious about fighting for America’s working class.

26/07/2024

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46 min
25/10/2024

Why The Working Class Could Deliver A Trump Victory

For decades, major labor unions like the Teamsters have endorsed the Democratic ticket in presidential elections — but not this year. In a surprise move, the Teamsters declined to endorse either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris. The development — and Trump’s surprising levels of support from blue-collar and union voters — suggests something’s changing in the world of working-class politics. Today on Lever Time, senior podcast producer Arjun Singh unpacks the cultural and economic trends that have turned working-class voters away from the Democratic Party and explores how the Republican Party is now working to win them over.

25/10/2024

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40 min
11/11/2024 • LEVER PREMIUM ONLY

LEVER TIME PREMIUM: Why Pennsylvanians Handed Trump The Presidency

In a special Lever Time post-election bonus episode, David Sirota and podcast producer Jared Jacang Maher interview Democratic officials on the ground in Pennsylvania about how the party lost its edge with working class voters. State Senator Katie Muth and former state auditor Eugene DePasquale argue that structural deficiencies within the state Democratic Party and poor messaging from the Harris campaign led to losses in the state. NOTE: This episode version is for paid Apple Podcast subscribers. If you’re already a paid subscriber through LeverNews.com, please access it through your Premium account or email podcasts@levernews.com for assistance.

11/11/2024

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40 min
15/05/2023

About Those Evil Communists…

On this week’s episode of The Audit, Dave and Josh delve into a topic at the root of much of PragerU’s curriculum: The apparent evils of socialism! To discuss the persistent misrepresentations and misunderstandings surrounding communism and socialism, they are joined by guest Professor Richard Wolff, a Marxist economist and co-founder of the nonprofit Democracy at Work. Wolff highlights the influence of Marxist ideas on various Christian socialist movements throughout history, and the conversation covers issues like the economics of colonialism, systemic racism, toxic masculinity, and China. Overall, this episode emphasizes the importance of nuanced discussions, critical thinking, and understanding the complexities of different ideologies to foster a more informed and constructive dialogue. PragerU videos discussed this week: Is Communism Moral?Socialism Makes People SelfishAddicted to Free If you’d like to support this show, head over to www.levernews.com/audit/ and leave a tip for Dave and Josh. To get access to Lever Premium Podcasts, and all the other benefits of a paid subscription, click here. A transcript of this episode is available here.

15/05/2023

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2h 4m
08/02/2024

The Anxious Generation, Brought To You By Smartphones

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by scientist Zach Rausch, lead researcher for social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of the new book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. According to new research, children in the U.S. are producing lower test scores, becoming more easily distracted, growing less sociable, and are generally feeling more anxious than they were several years ago. Now, researchers are drawing a connection between these detrimental effects on childhood development and modern technology like smartphones. In today’s interview, David and Zach discuss the modern trend of parents “overprotecting kids in the real world, while under-protecting them online.” Zach also explains the unique technological challenges facing young girls in particular, as well as what schools and parents can do to mitigate some of the damage. A transcript of this episode is available here. Links: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (Penguin Press, 2024)BONUS: Last week’s bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, featured David Sirota’s conversation with media strategist Jason Kint about how Facebook’s parent company Meta is trying to protect the money it makes from harvesting kids’ user data. If you’d like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber. If you’d like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar

08/02/2024

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49 min
14 FEB

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.

14 Feb

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34 min

A secret plot. A public theft. A democracy corrupted. Discover the truth on Master Plan, the winner of the 2025 National Press Club Award for audio journalism. 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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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, and expert analysis from the sharpest minds in media and politics.

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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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Top Shows

The Battle To End Dark Money (w/ Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse)

The Man Who Bought The Supreme Court

Liberals, Leftists, And Pragers, Oh My

How The Lever Forced Buttigieg To Do His Job

Can Harris Fight – And Win?

Why The Working Class Could Deliver A Trump Victory

LEVER TIME PREMIUM: Why Pennsylvanians Handed Trump The Presidency

About Those Evil Communists…

The Anxious Generation, Brought To You By Smartphones

RFK’s Beef With Big Food

Get exclusive episodes, early access, and more

LEVER TIME PREMIUM: Why Pennsylvanians Handed Trump The Presidency

BONUS: How Republicans Rejected A Texas Flood Warning System

LEVER TIME PREMIUM: Did Elon Musk Just Buy The Presidency?

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

PREMIUM: Everything You Think About The Deficit Is Wrong

LEVER TIME PREMIUM: The Populist Paradox Of Matt Gaetz

Tax Revolt BONUS: How Art Laffer Created The Cult Of Reaganomics

BONUS: The Other Memo

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

BONUS: How Democrats Lost The Courts

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