Blunt truth and dark humor for a world in chaos. A Daily Beast podcast hosted by Rick Wilson and Molly Jong-Fast. Tune in every Tuesday and Friday
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Listeners of The New Abnormal that love the show mention:On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell talks to us about Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert's latest shocking rant and how he contends with some of the louder members of the Republican Party on the House Judiciary Committee. Plus! The Bulwark's Jonathan V. Last tells us about the contrast in Democratic and Republican responses to Sen. Bob Menendez's recent indictment for corruption. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The New Abnormal: Why Joe Biden is right to let Republicans shoot themselves in the foot during yet another idiotic shutdown fight. Plus! A look at Trump's weekend of manic posting on Truth Social. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Run For Something has just pumped $10 million into electing left-leaning school board members. Co-founder Amanda Litman tells The New Abnormal the basic credentials you need. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner talks about Donald Trump's latest legal challenges. Then a talk with Freedom of the Press Foundation executive director Trevor Timm about how the U.S. trying Julian Assange under the Espionage Act may prove to be a regrettable decision if Trump is elected president again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Peter Hotez joins The New Abnormal this week to discuss his new book, “The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science”—and why anti-vaccine conspiracies are so dangerous. Plus! An interview with labor reporter and author Kim Kelly about the United Auto Workers strike. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's episode of The New Abnormal highlights how Republicans are tying themselves up in knots while attempting to explain why we need an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie delve deep into the lack of class shown by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) this week. Then, author Mike Rothschild is here to tell us all about his new book. Plus! Jeffrey Lewis, a scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies on the Non-Proliferation and Terrorism Studies, joins us to share the reason we're all still here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, a reminder that the enemy of your enemy isn't always your friend. Plus! A status check on the various groups protesting Atlanta's “Cop City” project and a chat with Meagan Burrows of the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project about Alabama's attempts to criminalize those who help young women seeking abortions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Daily Beast columnist David Rothkopf tells The New Abnormal's Danielle Moodie that U.S. politicians should rethink their support of Elon Musk after his intervention to help Russia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie are shocked by just how much control billionaire Elon Musk has over the world. Plus! Executive Director of reproductive justice group the Yellowhammer Fund, Jenice Fountain, joins the show to talk about what's going on in Alabama. Author Marc Tyler Nobleman also talks about his experience on a speaking tour of Georgia schools where school leaders found an issue with him saying the word “gay.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The New Abnormal, hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss how crazy it is that Donald Trump keeps talking about jailing his political opponents and everyone has just accepted it as normal. Dare we say, the new abnormal. Plus! Blowback Podcast hosts Brendan James and Noah Kulwin pop in to talk about their newest season covering the ins, outs, and random stars of the crisis in Afghanistan and the US' involvement after 9/11. Then, Author, historian, and culture critic Ruth Ben Ghiat is here to answer the question Danielle Moodie thinks nobody is asking, what stage of the facist takeover are we in right now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Comedian Jesse Joyce tells The New Abnormal how his fascination with “the guy who cut his own balls off with a pair of scissors and then killed John Wilkes Booth” forced him into writing his new book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, hosts Andy and Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss the ramifications of Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's latest freeze. Plus! National opinion columnist for the “Philadelphia Enquirer,” Will Bunch, talks to us about his recent article surrounding the state of journalism. Then, The Daily Beast's politics reporter Zachary Petrizzo stops by to let us in on what's happening with G O P fundraising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, why Trump's mugshot does nothing to endear him to the Black community—despite the insistence of a number of Fox News hosts. Plus, Ari Cohn, the free speech counsel at TechFreedom, joins the podcast to discuss a new bill that tries, and fails, to prevent kids from seeing harmful content online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Professor Ted Parson tells The New Abnormal how we already have the technology to help cool the Earth by 1 degree within years and why lawmakers are fearful of embracing it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, hosts Andy and Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss the fallout from the first Republican primary debate of the 2024 election season. Plus! Author Stephen Hassan stops by to talk to us about what he's seeing change in the cult of Trump, and Amanda Moore, who infiltrated the MAGA movement—and wrote about it—shares her experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The New Abnormal, Law Dork newsletter's Chris Geidner tells co-host Andy Levy about a Constitutional amendment that could prevent Trump from running again, and what it would take for that clause to actually be enacted against him. Also on this episode: Kate Briquelet, senior reporter at The Daily Beast, explains the connections between bank J.P. Morgan and Jeffrey Epstein as laid out in a recent piece she reported. Plus, she tells co-host Danielle Moodie who she thinks will be held accountable next in this saga. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The New Abnormal, Daily Beast editor Andrew Kirell gives an inside look at one of the right's biggest grifts: inflating conservatives' crappy book sales, specifically to get on the New York Times' bestseller lists, and breaks down why the biography of expelled Fox News star Tucker Carlson's biography didn't get it (plus other reasons the book's sales are so bad.) Also on the show: hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie react to Republican clips, and this week that includes the Republican reaction to Hillary Clinton going on MSNBC to talk Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene saying that Georgia's Fani Willis should go after rapists instead of Trump (Anyone want to tell her?), and Matt Gaetz getting his ass handed to him by MSNBC's Ari Melber. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, Mary Trump joins us to talk all about her uncle's latest legal woes and her future predictions for both the Republican and Democratic parties. Plus! CNN legal analyst Elie Honig walks us through another round of Trump indictments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Slate senior editor Dahlia Lithwick is noticing a tone change when it comes to how people are reacting to Donald Trump's indictments. She describes this change on this latest episode of The New Abnormal podcast along with a huge decision that Trump's Jan. 6 judge is going to have to make. Also on this episode: Hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss Trump's looming Georgia indictment, the one (and possibly only) thing that'll shut him up, and the clash of his and Gov. Ron DeSantis' fans at the Iowa State Fair when one of Trump's followers called DeSantis “Florida Pudding Fingers.” Plus! Dr. Nicholas Mitchell, assistant professor of Curriculum Studies at the University of Kansas, explains what it means now that a propaganda organization called PragerU was just approved to have its “educational” videos be used in Florida schools (and a few examples of its videos that show how bizarre they really are.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The New Abnormal podcast, hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie listen to some clips, which includes a right-winger who has a drug-related suggestion to make Ron DeSantis more human, Matt Gaetz speaking nonsense to get Trump out of his indictments, and Jesse Watters saying a possible stalking fantasy of his out loud. Plus, wildfire expert Matthew R. Auer of the University of Georgia has a warning: Get ready for more fires in unexpected places. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, how the latest Ohio election should be a wake-up call to Republicans. David Pepper, the former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, joins to discuss. Plus! Nick Suplina, senior Vice President of Law and Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, describes how ghost guns are more terrifying than you can imagine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The New Abnormal is back from vacation! And what a week to recap. A certain orange person named Donald Trump has been charged for alleged criming again and hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie unpack it all. They also discuss how they think Trump is handling the pressure and Andy shares one of Ron DeSantis' biggest failings in his presidential campaign. Plus, on this right-wing themed show: Madeline Peltz, Deputy Director of Rapid Response, shares the full arc of the right's response to the ‘Barbie' movie hate, including an unexpected twist: Female right-wingers are sticking up for the film. Plus, a brief history of the right-wing's hatred of the USWNT. Then HuffPost Senior Reporter Christopher Mathias reveals to Andy how he was able to expose famed writer Richard Hanania's secret right-wing and very hateful past, which includes incredibly dark eugenic ideas like forcing sterilization on low IQ people and opposing race mixing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we're sharing an episode from our friends at the Tools and Weapons podcast, hosted by Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. Tools and Weapons features conversations with leaders in government, business, and culture that explore the world's most critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society. The guest is Strive Masiyiwa, a pioneer of Africa's telecoms industry and influential global tech tycoon. He and Brad discuss Strive's work to ensure that all 1.3 billion+ Africans get access to digital infrastructure, close the digital skills gap, and invest in the continent's young entrepreneurs to find innovative solutions for healthcare and food insecurity. Follow Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alex Winter has a warning about YouTube that he makes loud and clear in this episode of The New Abnormal politics podcast. He breaks down for Andy how easy it is for users to see right-wing propaganda on the site, especially from the right, as well as one of his biggest fears as a consequence of it: People getting killed. Winter also shares whether we will be having this conversation about TikTok soon and why Google, YouTube's parent company, isn't doing anything about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
New Abnormal hosts Danielle Moodie and Andy Levy do another round of Q&A to kick off this episode, which includes who they think will be the biggest winners and losers of the 2024 Republican presidential debates. Then later in the show, it's all about climate change. First up David Lipsky, author of ‘The Parrot and the Igloo,' gives a historical overview of when chemists first realized climate change was happening, and how people and pop culture felt about the topic back then, even after one scientist said in the '50s that its effect would be “violent.” And Richard Lazarus, professor of environmental law at Harvard University, talks about the time Nancy Pelosi and the late John McCain actually agreed on climate change, and what messed everything up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Would novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand have loathed Elon Musk? Philosopher and writer Wolfram Eilenberger, author of The Visionaries: Arendt, Beauvoir, Rand, Weil, and the Power of Philosophy in Dark Times, comes on The New Abnormal to answer that question and another question with an answer that he can't seem to full grasp: How libertarians can support Donald Trump. Also on this episode: Danielle Campoamor, reporter for TODAY Parents, shares the story of Celeste Burgess, a 19-year-old who is serving a prison sentence for taking abortion pills when she was 17. Plus, co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie use the intro of this episode to share some of their favorite things—and which social media platform (Threads, the site formally known as Twitter, and Bluesky) they'd fuck, marry, or kill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Country singer Jason Aldean's song and video “Try That in a Small Town” has created backlash, with critics claiming the song promotes violence and anti-Black rhetoric. Still, Aldean is just the tip of the racist iceberg for the country music business says historian Amanda Marie Martinez, who came on this bonus episode of The New Abnormal to discuss the Aldean controversy with Danielle. She shares insight into the genre's racist history and why we shouldn't expect them to change their tune anytime soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, why Mitch McConnell's concerning press conference this week should be a wake up call to both sides of the political spectrum. Plus! The Nation's Elie Mystal joins us to talk about the Supreme Court's Alabama decision. Then, The Bulwark's Tim Miller talks all about the latest in Republican party madness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ron DeSantis thought he could win over the MAGA base and secure the 2024 nomination by being the smart, indictment-free version of Donald Trump, but judging by his less than robust campaign performance, he thought wrong. Rolling Stone reporter, Adam Rawnsley, joins this episode of TNA to talk about what it'll take for Trump's base to finally be broken of his spell as well as the ways DeSantis' campaign went wrong. Also on this episode: Capital B rural issues reporter Aallyah Wright tells co-host Andy Levy a story she reported on from a small town in the south that is so horrendously racist it left him nearly speechless. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bullshitting is an art, and according to hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie, Donald Trump proved he's mastered it after they listened to a clip of him totally spewing nonsense in response to an Iowa voter's question at an event early July. Andy shares a funny analogy and the two have strong reactions to the other wacky audio clips they listen to on this bonus episode. Then Colin Dickey, author of the upcoming book ‘Under the Eye of Power', walks Andy through the political impact of the country's earliest conspiracy theories and secret societies. Plus! He shares how Americans became so enthralled and scared of the Illuminati that it literally influenced a presidential election. Even George Washington was involved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Donald Trump recently posted a video to his Truth Social account that hosts of The New Abnormal politics podcast, Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie, say is a preview of what another MAGA presidency will look like. They discuss in this episode of the show along with Marjorie Taylor Greene's display of Hunter Biden's nudes. Also on this episode: Melissa Murray, professor of law at NYU, MSNBC talking head and legal analyst, and co-host of Strict Scrutiny, breaks down the possible indictments that could come down against Trump, including other charges that could stem from bigger allegations. Plus! Sarah McLaughlin, Senior Scholar, Global Expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Expression (FIRE), spars (kindly!) with Andy about religious freedom of speech and explains why the UN Human Rights Council's resolution that supports the prosecution of blasphemy won't be so “pretty” in practice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Things aren't going so well for Meatball Ron [DeSantis], says Andy Levy in this episode of The New Abnormal. He and co-host Danielle Moodie unpack the ways that DeSantis seems to be flubbing his presidential campaign with the Florida governor's personality, and general robotic weirdness, taking the top spot as a reason why. Then Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) joins the show and makes it very clear how he feels about this Supreme Court and Andy chats with David Slack, a veteran writer and producer who's worked on shows such as ‘Law and Order' and ‘Person of Interest' and was a member of the WGA West's Board of Directors from 2018 to 2022, about the differences in demands of the people on strike and those in power, and what it was like to be in a negotiating room with them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nick Fuentes knows the ideal age he'd like his future wife to be and, disgustingly, it's sixteen. On this episode of The New Abnormal politics podcast, hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie listen to clips of Republicans and right-wing figures saying stupid things, but this Sunday's clip of Fuentes, a white supremacist and right-wing extremist, takes the cake. Also on this episode: Marc Garlasco, a military advisor at PAX Protection of Civilians and the co-host of The Civilian Protection Podcast, shares a dire prediction for what's to come now that the White House plans to send cluster bombs over to Ukrainian forces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, former federal prosecutor and host of “Justice Matters” Glenn Kirschner talks about all the legal turmoil involving Donald Trump, Jack Smith, and Judge Aileen Cannon. Then, Washington Post national columnist Philip Bump joins us to tell us who exactly is House Oversight Committee chair James Comer's star informant, Gal Luft. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Daily Beast politics reporter Ursula Perano shares more details about the anti-vax rhetoric she saw in RFK Jr.'s campaign-run Slack, including wild comparisons of vaccines to household cleaners from the 1900s. Plus, Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks what's next for new social media site Threads and the feature that could change platforms forever—if Mark Zuckerberg enables it in Europe. And of course, hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie unpack Elon Musk's dick measuring comments they for sure thought were fake and the latest lawsuit hitting Fox News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Daily Beast reporter Zach Petrizzo talks with co-host Andy Levy Marjorie Taylor Greene's VP moves, her drama with fellow Rep. Lauren Boebert, and why Team Trump is anti-Kari Lake. Plus, Andy and co-host Danielle are forced to listen to clips of Trump and DeSantis saying weird things. Or in Trump's case, making odd noises. And Andy makes a bold claim: Trump would be better than DeSantis on LGBTQ issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's The New Abnormal, extremism expert Jared Holt recounts his trip to a Moms for Liberty conference—and why DeSantis just can't get the MAGA faithful to defect. Plus! A talk with political researcher Anat Shenker-Osorio about Democrats' messaging woes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's Independence Day but hosts of The New Abnormal are not in a patriotic mood. Hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss last week's “grifting ass” Supreme Court decisions, including the student debt, anti-LGBTQ same-sex website, and affirmative action rulings—and Danielle makes the case for students of color filing a lawsuit against universities for their legacy student practices. Also on this episode: Andy plays a game of American “20 questions” with David Roth, editor at and co-owner of Defector and co-host of the Distraction Podcast, and Jeb Lund, a journalist whose writing has appeared in such places as The Guardian Vice Rolling Stone, Gawker, and The New Republic, each whom answer questions like ‘what was the best year in American history?' ‘who is the most annoying president in American history?' and ‘how is Donald Trump celebrating the July 4th holiday?' Then, on a serious note: Alí R. Bustamante, deputy director of the Worker Power and Economic Security program at The Roosevelt Institute, reveals a hard truth: The American economy isn't functioning “in any Democratic way.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wesley Lowery, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress, joins co-host Danielle Moodie in this bonus episode of The New Abnormal podcast to talk about the origins of this so-called “whitelash” happening in America today, and how Black Americans saw it coming long before anyone else. He touches on the Obama presidency's role in this scary trend as well as the media's role in it all, starting with how it covered Trump's nativist “Ground Zero Mosque” fear-mongering he espoused in 2010. And as always, Danielle and Andy Levy kick off the episode by responding to clips of Republicans saying dumb things. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie react to the Supreme Court's latest ruling on Affirmative Action. Joining the show to discuss is Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola University. Plus! Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride talks about her recently announced candidacy for Congress, as well as being the first openly trans person to work at the White House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Andy Levy, co-host of TNA, suspects there's more to the 2024 presidential hopeful's workout vids than just stupidity. He discusses his theory with co-host Danielle Moodie, along with what he thinks is happening in Russia. Then, Kelly Weill, reporter at The Daily Beast who covers far-right groups and trends, tells Danielle what we should know about “Moms for Liberty,” a mom group that operates like Proud Boys and are just as dangerous. Plus! Law Dork newsletter's Chris Geidner breaks down a recent Supreme Court case ruling, Jones v Hendrix, which essentially prevents some legally innocent people from challenging their conviction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, talks about where we stand one year after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Then, Vice's Anna Merlan weighs in on RFK Jr. and all the misinformation he's spreading. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, Texas Observer's Special Investigative correspondent Steven Monacelli talks Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment problems. Then, climate tech investor Molly Wood joins the show to discuss the impact of the Canadian wildfires. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Author David Daley tells The New Abnormal that while the Supreme Court's Alabama decision is a win for democracy it may be a PR move by conservative justices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.