Podcast appearances and mentions of Ben Wikler

Ralph speaks to independent investigative journalist Lylla Younes to discuss her reporting on Israel's assault on southern Lebanon. Then, Ralph and media studies professor Robin Andersen discuss her new book "The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of the Genocide in Gaza."Lylla Younes is a Beirut-based journalist. She is an editor at The Public Source, and a frequent contributor to Drop Site News.What we've seen in the past several days is really an escalation of what's been happening since March 2nd (when the US-Israeli assault on Iran took off) and then obviously the ceasefire… What we see is a campaign of ethnic cleansing from the Israeli military in Lebanon. And that has looked like the Gaza playbook sped up, you could say, in southern Lebanon. It's looked like invading and bulldozing homes; tearing up roads; destroying, booby-trapping, and detonating entire villages and cultural sites. It's looked like targeting medical personnel—killing, at this point, over 100 since March 2nd (this is in addition to the 130 or so who were killed in the last round of fighting in 2024). In addition to that, the targeting and killing of journalists who are reporting near the border. I think it's important to note there's practically no one left in the border region. Having a press vest on and a microphone and a camera is basically like having a target on your back at this point.Lylla YounesThe pager attack was, I think it's fair to say, one of the darker days of Lebanese history. I think regardless of people's feelings about Hezbollah, the fact that you are setting men alight literally in the streets in cities all across the country, killing children, maiming children—the mark of the pager attack was that these pagers that Hezbollah members were carrying exploded in their faces and blinded them. So you have thousands of blinded people, people missing fingers. And again, some of these are relatives of Hezbollah members. It was a massive event that overwhelmed hospitals across the country. And it also marked the beginning of that 66 day [period] of escalated fighting. And it showed how deeply infiltrated Hezbollah was in an intelligence capacity. This was quite a feat by the Israeli Mossad.Lylla YounesRobin Andersen is professor emerita of media studies at Fordham University and an award-winning author of a dozen single- and co-authored books. She serves as a Project Censored Judge, and contributes to the annual State of the Free Press. She is on the Board of Directors of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), where she also writes regularly, and is an Izzy Award Judge for the Park Center for Independent Media. Her latest book is The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of Israel's Genocide in Gaza.In my book, I look at the directives of the New York Times and CNN, and then I compare it to media coverage. And I found that, in fact, these were the ways [the directives that were passed down] in which the media was presenting the genocide in Gaza…But in terms of the Israeli directives, CNN was putting their copy through their Jerusalem bureau and the IDF was looking at it. The New York Times was simply going along with Israeli talking points. So we did find that. And the real telling part was when they finally did say that Israel dropped the bomb, it was only when Israel had admitted—or put their propaganda to the next level, which was to claim that they had killed a Hamas commander or a fighter or somebody involved in Hamas. And we found that also in the BBC. So those were direct things that came from Israel. And abandoning their journalistic mission, the US media was basically following the dictates of a foreign government.Robin AndersenTheir form of censorship was basically murder. They knew that as the genocide wore on (and Israel controlled the narrative for a very long time, and then it started to collapse) as over time we saw on the internet, we saw on our handheld devices the documentation of what was happening [they'd lose control of the narrative]. And so in a total propaganda environment, what we have to have is no noise, no opposition, no alternative information. And Israel really was trying to achieve a total propaganda environment. It wasn't enough that they had establishment in legacy media and those media were allowing outside influences to direct their editorial decisions. That wasn't quite enough.Robin AndersenNews 5/29/26* This week, Democratic Socialist Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani unveiled his plan to construct 200,000 new rent-stabilized homes in the city over the next decade, PIX 11 reports, making good on a campaign promise that many supposedly savvy political observers doubted. In addition to the new construction, Mamdani vowed to “preserve and stabilize” an additional 200,000 via New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) repairs, increased housing code enforcement, and a special focus on development in the Bronx. In his announcement, Mamdani said “We are the largest city in the nation. We have the resources, the talent, and the will to achieve this.”* In the federal government, one of the most controversial members of the Trump administration – former Democratic Congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard – has resigned her position as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The BBC reports Gabbard is citing her husband's recent bone cancer diagnosis as the reason for her departure, but also notes that Gabbard “has largely been out of public view even as the US took military action against Iran, put pressure on Cuba, and…removed Venezuela's president.” In theory, these would all require a substantial degree of participation from and coordination with the DNI, but Gabbard seemed pointedly out of the loop. The actions of the administration have also been diametrically opposed to Gabbard's past foreign policy positions, defined by her 2020 slogan “no more regime change wars.” Others have noted that Gabbard now joins former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as high-profile women ousted from the Trump administration while glaringly incompetent men like Pete Hegseth remain in their posts.* Turning to Texas, this week saw a political bloodbath in the runoffs for the primaries held back in March. The topline of course is that scandal-plagued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, backed by Trump, triumphed over powerful longtime incumbent Senator John Cornyn. With the backing of the president, Paxton wiped the floor with Cornyn, winning around two-thirds of the vote. Yet Paxton goes into the general election against James Talarico very weak. 35% of those polled “Disapprove Strongly” of Paxton with only 15% saying they “Strongly Approve” according to the Texas Politics Project and even the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) condemned Paxton's “lies” “incompetence” personal scandals and corruption in now-deleted press releases. Further down the ballot, incumbent Democratic Members of Congress Al Green and Julie Johnson have been defeated in their primary run-offs, after being forced into Member-on-Member races by the Texas redistricting scheme.* Meanwhile in Michigan, NOTUS reports the Working Families Party (WFP) has endorsed progressive Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed. This primary campaign, with El-Sayed running against moderate Congresswoman Haley Stevens and liberal state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, has become a bruising tripartite affair pitting the three major factions within the Democratic Party against one another. Recently, El-Sayed has taken the lead in this race, which WFP hopes to help consolidate, saying it is prepared to go “all in” on this race. WFP is feeling confident following their role in helping to ensure victory for Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania and Analilia Mejia in New Jersey.* In the Garden State, Senator Andy Kim was caught in a cloud of pepper spray this week as he joined protestors outside of a privately-run ICE detention facility, NJ.com reports. The protests began as a result of an ongoing hunger strike inside of the facility, which has led many high-profile New Jersey Democrats – including Governor Mikie Sherill and Congressman Robert Menendez Jr. in addition to Senator Kim – to call for the facility's closure. Following the confrontation, Kim stated that “What we saw here is unfortunately just what we see all over the country…It's sad…sad day.” At another point, Kim said “The cruelty that you see behind me, this is the point…Right now, I'm trying to have them not point guns at us.”* In another case of outrageous overreach by the Trump administration, Fox reports the Treasury Department has served subpoenas to CodePink activist Medea Benjamin and political streamer and influencer Hasan Piker seeking “financial, logistical and communications information” regarding their recent humanitarian voyage to Cuba. According to this story, the Treasury probe – handled through their Office of Foreign Assets Control – is primarily concerned with whether the convoy “violated U.S. sanctions laws through the financing, coordination or delivery of goods to Cuba, including potential contacts with Cuban government personnel or entities on the island.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned the probe, writing that “Weaponizing the Treasury Department to target Americans for exercising their constitutional right to support human rights is unacceptable.” CAIR went on to call the investigation “performative and politically-motivated,” contending that “Every American who believes in the rule of law and human rights should stand in solidarity with Medea and demand that the Treasury Department drop its McCarthyite witch hunt.”* The Democrats meanwhile are once again conspiring against one another. The Bulwark reports the campaign to unseat Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin is back on – and now includes viable alternatives. Previously, discontent was mounting but there did not appear to be any other options. Presently though, the list circulating in Democratic circles consists of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, former EMILY's List president Stephanie Schriock, former president of the Service Employees International Union Mary Kay Henry, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes, and former Wisconsin party chair Ben Wikler. Wikler, who revitalized the Beaver State party and placed second against Martin in the DNC Chair election, has “rebuffed discussions about leading the DNC, saying he wants nothing to do with effort to remove Martin and isn't interested in replacing him.” Yet even with no obvious alternative, calls are mounting for Martin to step aside. This piece cites statements by progressive Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, as well as a new initiative by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee on one side, alongside statements by more moderate Reps. Marc Veasey and Seth Moulton to the same effect. Still, many state parties and an equally ideologically diverse coalition is standing by Martin, so he will likely remain in place, at least for the time being.* Looking southward, this week Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her country will host the Iranian team ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Per Al Jazeera, the United States, which is hosting many of the matches, including all three the Iranian team was scheduled to play in, expressed that they did not think it “appropriate” for Iranian team members to be in the country, “for their own life and safety.” FIFA approached Mexico as an alternative. In her daily press conference, Sheinbaum stated that “We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico.” The Iranian team has also announced they will be moving their training base from Tucson to Tijuana, but still plan to enter the United States to play their games – with Trump saying they will be “welcome,” despite the fact American authorities have yet to issue the necessary visas.* Our final two stories involve the Pope. First, AP reports that this week Pope Leo XIV made an historic apology not only for the Catholic Church's role in legitimizing slavery, but its failure to condemn the practice for centuries afterwards. Pope Leo called this a “wound in Christian memory.” Leo, the first American Pope, can point to both enslaved people and slave owners in his familial lineage, a remarkable vantage point from which to issue this statement in his first ever encyclical ”Magnifica Humanitas.”* Yet, for how historic this section of the encyclical is, it is not the portion of it that drew the most attention. That would be the section on Artificial Intelligence. Pope Leo writes “Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” Leo goes on to make the critical point that “technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate, and use it.” He further goes on to state that “the pressure of new ideologies or certain highly powerful interests” can reduce the human person to “a resource to be used and exploited” or evaluated “on what they achieve or produce,” whereas God creates each individual person in His image and imbues them with inherent dignity. It is impossible to say whether the Pontiff's words will move the titans of the tech industry to change their ways, but his moving rhetoric is sure to significantly influence the world's view of AI, both today and for students of history.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Ralph welcomes back Adolph Reed, Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Mount Holyoke College to discuss the latest Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act. Then, Ralph and our resident constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, talk about what ordinary citizens can do to pressure their reps to impeach Donald Trump.Adolph Reed is Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Mount Holyoke College. His most recent books are The South: Jim Crow and Its Afterlives, No Politics but Class Politics (co-authored with Walter Benn Michaels), and Black Studies, Cultural Politics, and the Evasion of Inequality: The Farce this Time (co-authored with Kenneth W. Warren).I think the issues are a lot more complex than they seem to be or than seems to be the way that they are represented in the debate [over the Voting Rights Act]…To cut straight to the political case, I think there's a distinction between the Act's guarantee that black citizens and others (where pertinent) who live in areas where there's been a history of suppression of the right to vote have the support of the federal government to make certain that Black voters have the ability to vote for and to elect candidates of their choosing. Which is not the same thing as a right of Black individuals to be elected to office. And I think that's one of the confusions that characterizes, frankly, both sides of the debate at this point. And I think that's definitely something that needs to be clarified.Adolph ReedSome of my friends and I have been talking about this, and have been bouncing this idea back and forth since, frankly, even before the court handed down the [Louisiana v Callais] decision. In thinking about developments in black politics across the board, the idea that all that Black voters are supposed to get out of politics is the representation of people who look like them and share in the same racial identification has also fueled backward turns. Like how all of a sudden the biggest issue in Black American politics supposedly had become the racial wealth gap, which boils down to a complaint that rich Black people aren't as rich as rich white people are. So, yeah, shaking up or reshuffling the deck for how we might begin to try to determine the stakes of Black Americans' engagement in national politics is something that needs to happen. No matter what brings it about.Adolph ReedBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.My website is www.lawofficesofbrucefein.com and my email address is Bruce@feinpoints.com. And I'll respond and give you guidance as to how you can help be part of this effort to impeach and remove by far the most dangerous President in the history of the United States. And he's most dangerous to the world as well.Bruce FeinNews 5/8/26* Our top story this week comes to us from the Bulwark, which reports that dissatisfaction with Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin is reaching a fever pitch. Martin has faced criticism over the course of his tenure for reneging on his promise to release an autopsy on the 2024 presidential campaign and for his decidedly lackluster fundraising efforts. The DNC has reportedly “spent more money than it has raised” and “has more debt than cash on hand,” while the Republican National Committee enjoys a “roughly seven-to-one money advantage.” According to this report, high-level DNC members are now privately discussing ousting Martin, only tabling these discussions “after members failed to identify an alternative candidate willing to step into the role.” Martin's failures have even led Democrats to openly wonder “whether the 178-year-old committee should even exist anymore.” Martin was elected DNC Chair last year, beating out Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler, who helped rebuild the party and raise tremendous amounts of money in that critical swing state.* Speaking of money in politics, this week POLITICO released a damning report on End Citizens United, the good-government focused 501(c)(4) that has in past years been a “fundraising behemoth” but has now faded nearly into complete irrelevancy. The issues highlighted in this piece will be familiar to many who have worked in this world. Despite raising $14.8 million, the group's PAC arm is burning through the money more quickly than it can raise it, having just $324,000 on hand at the end of March. What are they spending the money on? According to POLITICO, about $650,000 has gone to candidates and party groups and about the same amount has been bundled. Meanwhile, payments to fundraising firms have eaten up an astonishing $5.3 million. This is just another case of Democratic Party aligned consulting firms run amok and growing fat off of small dollar donations.* Another disappointing story comes to us from the Teamsters. According to Bloomberg, the union has forfeited a hard-won union foothold – the first ever unionized Chipotle – following three years of battling the company and failing to secure a contract. A Teamsters local president said in an email to the National Labor Relations Board that the union “officially withdraws and disclaims interest” at the Lansing, Michigan location. Legally speaking, this means the company will no longer be “required to recognize or negotiate with the union.” The employees of this location voted to unionize in 2022 by a margin of 11-to-3. Chipotle corporate has been decried for seeking to bust this union, with Biden NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo accusing them of employing illegal anti-union tactics like “withholding raises from the store's staff and telling workers that the union was keeping their pay frozen…[and punishing] a pro-union employee to discourage activism.” However, it was the Teamsters themselves who ultimately gave up, paving the way for the demise of the workers' heroic stand against corporate power. As the saying goes, with friends like these.* In more positive political news, during the Washington DC mayoral debate last week, the Washington Post reports democratic socialist mayoral hopeful Janeese Lewis George seemed to endorse the idea of opening municipal grocery stores in DC food deserts, including the impoverished and majority Black Wards 7 and 8. Asked about this topic, Councilmember Lewis George committed to bringing at least one more grocery store to Ward 7 and at least two more to Ward 8, noting that she would seek to shore up investor confidence with public dollars. If private options do not materialize however, she vowed that “we will work towards” a publicly-owned store. Municipally-owned grocery stores were a much publicized part of the Zohran Mamdani campaign platform and, if Lewis George is elected, his success or failure in carrying out that pledge is sure to impact her decision making on this issue.* Meanwhile, in media news, the New York Times reports Lupa Systems – the private holding company representing the interests of James Murdoch, son of conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch – is “in talks to acquire major parts of Vox Media.” Vox, founded in the 2010s by journalists Ezra Klein, Matt Yglesias, and Melissa Bell, now owns major media properties including New York magazine, the Verge, Eater and a podcast network featuring Kara Swisher and others. Murdoch, through Lupa, owns a “majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, the parent company of the Tribeca Film Festival.” Additionally, the Times notes that Quadrivium, the foundation founded by Mr. Murdoch and his wife, Kathryn, has financial interests in “The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom focused on gender and politics, and The Bulwark, a so-called ‘Never Trump' digital media company.” James Murdoch, along with his sister Elisabeth, are seen as far more liberal than the Murdoch patriarch and his other son, Lachlan, who together successfully ousted the other family members from control of the family trust in a recent legal battle.* Turning to international news, yet another deadlocked presidential election in Peru is looming. A new Ipsos poll, taken near the end of April, shows an exact 50-50 split between the two candidates in the runoff: the left-wing member of Congress Roberto Sánchez and Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former Peruvian dictator Alberto Fujimori. This election was always going to be close – Peruvian politics have been deadlocked for years, resulting in ultra-narrow presidential victories frequently followed by impeachments. Fujimori has been a runoff candidate in every presidential election going back to 2011, losing each by extremely narrow margins. Most recently, she lost to Pedro Castillo by a margin of 50.13% to 49.87% in 2021. Castillo however was thwarted by, and ultimately ousted by, the Congress. The runoff will be held on June 7th.* In India, the Left suffered catastrophic defeats in this week's state elections, Al Jazeera reports. The state of Kerala – “the first in the world to have a democratically elected communist government” and “the last state in India where communists were in power” – will now be led by the United Democratic Front, a coalition headed by the Congress party, which won over 100 out of 140 seats. The Left bloc will likely capture around 35 seats. Beyond Kerala however, the Left has seen setbacks throughout the country, with no state now being ruled by the Left for the first time since 1977 and the national parliamentary Left bloc declining from 62 in the 2004 election to just eight seats today. Different factors are cited for the general decline of the Left in India, including an inability to adapt Marxist analysis to non class-related issues in the country, such as caste and gender, as well as the decline of industrial trade unions and a general trend towards Right-wing Hindu nationalism. Hopefully, the Left will take this electoral rout as an opportunity to rebuild itself into a viable force for 21st century Indian politics.* Turning to East Asia, the Financial Times reports North Korea has subtly revised its constitution to drop references to reunification of the two Koreas. Specifically, the new text reads “the territory of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea includes the territory bordering the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation to the north and the Republic of Korea to the south, and the territorial sea and airspace established on it”. In acknowledging the existence of the Republic of Korea, more commonly known as South Korea, experts see a move away from the long-held North Korean contention that the peninsula is a single country illegally partitioned. The revision was “disclosed by an academic at a press conference hosted by the South Korean Ministry of Unification on Wednesday.” Though this article notes that “North Korea has not made any comment on the revised constitution and the source of the text revealed by the unification ministry was not disclosed,” it highlights that Kim Jong-un has increasingly moved in this direction in recent years, renaming Tongil (“reunification”) metro station in Pyongyang and dismantling an Arch of Reunification monument.* Our last two stories have to do with the People's Republic of China. First, Reuters reports China's Commerce Ministry has issued an injunction to “block U.S. ​sanctions imposed on five Chinese refiners accused ‌of buying Iranian oil.” Hengli Petrochemical, one of the five small “teapot” refineries primarily located in China's Shandong province, was slapped with sanctions last month, when the Trump administration accused the company of purchasing billions ​of dollars in Iranian oil. The other four have been sanctioned since last year. However, the Ministry now argues that the sanctions violate “international law and ‌the ⁠basic norms of international relations,” and with the injunction in place, “the United States cannot recognize, ​implement, or comply ​with the ⁠sanctions imposed on the aforementioned five Chinese companies.” This is perhaps the most significant challenge to the American-led international sanctions regime in decades and whatever reaction issues from the U.S. will surely inform other states on just how far they can go in flouting such sanctions.* Finally, in a stunning legal decision, Fortune reports Chinese courts have ruled that “companies cannot terminate employees just to replace them with artificial intelligence systems.” The case in question hinged on whether a tech firm in eastern China had acted illegally when firing one of its workers, a “quality assurance professional…identified only as Zhou” after he “refused to take a demotion” and a 40% pay cut, when his job was automated by AI. The court found that the termination did not meet established standards, such as business downsizing or operational difficulties, and the court separately stated that “Companies cannot unilaterally lay off employees or cut salaries due to technological progress.” This stunning legal victory for workers in the face of challenges by technology is bittersweet – heartening in that it's happening at all, yet at the same time depressing because it is almost impossible to imagine an equivalent worker protection regime being implemented in the United States.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Trump's removal under the 25th Amendment. Plus, Trump calls for historic defense spending and deep domestic cuts. And Democrats stack wins in Wisconsin ahead of the midterms. Rep. Madeleine Dean, Rep. Melanie Stansbury, Rep. Brendan Boyle, and Ben Wikler join Jonathan Capehart. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 2024 election closed the book on the old way of thinking about political geography. Famously blue areas moved right. So did famously red ones. We need a new strategy that works as well in supposedly safe states like New Jersey as it does in tossups like North Carolina and Wisconsin. Alyssa Mastromonaco hosts Rep. Sarah McBride (D–DE), Rep. Janelle Bynum (D–OR), Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, and Ben Wikler, former chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party to talk about how we can fight our way back to power everywhere on the map. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson parses the right’s escalating rhetoric of revenge for Charlie Kirk’s death. Former chair of the Wisconsin Democrats Ben Wikler discusses how the Democratic Party effectively builds to counter the GOP.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Last Word: A federal appeals court deals a huge blow to Donald Trump on tariffs. Also, Trump is blasted for his “illegal” tactic to cut foreign aid. Plus, Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff refuses to blame Russia as the aggressor against Ukraine. And Iowa GOP Sen. Joni Ernst won't seek reelection in 2026. Laurence Tribe, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Norm Ornstein, David Rothkopf, Iowa State Rep. Josh Turek, and Ben Wikler join Ali Velshi.

In (another) politically tumultuous weekend in the US and around the world, Sarah and Beth catch up on the headlines and step back to talk about the political scene with Ben Wikler of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Topics Discussed Political Assassination in Minnesota Israel vs. Iran “No Kings” Protest and a Military Parade Ben Wikler on Rebuilding the Democratic Brand Outside of Politics: Kid Rotting or Wild Summer Visit our website for complete show notes, premium shows, show merchandise, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wisconsin Democrats have elected a new chair to replace Ben Wikler, the outgoing chair who turned the party into a fundraising juggernaut. Thousands of people across the state protested the Trump administration over the weekend. And, a new audit shows Milwaukee Public Schools isn't supporting its teachers and doesn't have adequate systems in place for student learning.

Tonight on The Last Word: Democrats slam Donald Trump and Republicans for their budget bill's Medicaid cuts. Also, the Trump administration complies with the Supreme Court's order and returns Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States. Plus, Trump blames Ukraine for Vladimir Putin's latest deadly strikes. And the motive for Trump's tariffs and trade war remains unclear. Rebecca Cooke, Ben Wikler, Barbara McQuade, Amb. Michael McFaul, and Rep. Madeleine Dean join Ali Velshi.

Tonight on The Last Word: Stocks rally after Donald Trump backs down and delays EU tariffs. Also, Trump seeks to end all federal contracts with Harvard University. Plus, Trump says Vladimir Putin is “playing with fire.” And Wisconsin voters reject Elon Musk's political influence. Robert Reich, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Timothy Snyder, and Ben Wikler join Lawrence O'Donnell.

Ben Wikler returns to the show again in this wild political moment both locally and nationally. As he is stepping out of his role as Chair of Wisconsin Democratic Party he is energized by a recent state Supreme Court win. Dr. Gee asks him about how the Black community fits into the vision of the Democratic Party in the current environment. Are Black voters acknowledged outside of an election? Hear what Ben is doing after his current role and how he is processing his experience in the high profile political climate of Wisconsin. The discussion covers the reality of the Democratic party on the ground, what elections look like for candidates after they are elected, and where the political action should be happening. Ben breaks down the resistance happening to the current administration and why he is encouraged. The two men discuss the role of Black women in the last presidential election and whether their vote and political aspirations are truly valued.  alexgee.com Support the Show: patreon.com/blacklikeme Join the Black Like Me Listener Community Facebook Group

After five years at the helm of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, Ben Wikler is stepping down as chair. Executive Producer Hayley Sperling sits down with Wikler for a wide-ranging conversation about what he's learned since taking on the role, and what the future holds — for both him and the WisDems. From navigating pivotal elections to grassroots organizing wins, Wikler shares his insights and hopes for Wisconsin's political landscape going forward. Get more from City Cast Madison when you become a City Cast Madison Neighbor. You'll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm.  Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We're also on Instagram!  You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.  Learn more about the sponsors of this April 28th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST District Council of Madison Madison Opera Aldo Leopold Nature Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The chair of Wisconsin Democrats, who transformed the party during his tenure, is stepping down. Democratic state lawmakers announced a bill to crack down on election bribery. And, we've got a special interview with a Grammy-winning Wisconsinite who has a new album out today. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler joins Marc Elias to discuss the state Supreme Court victory, why even Republicans hate Musk right now and Wikler's advice to Democrats running nationwide. -Become a Democracy Docket premium member: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/member-signup -Sign up for our free newsletters: https://newsletters.democracydocket.com/all-newsletters -Support our work: https://www.democracydocket.com/support/ -Shop Democracy Docket merch: https://store.democracydocket.com Follow Democracy Docket! -Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com -⁠X/Twitter⁠: https://twitter.com/DemocracyDocket -⁠Facebook⁠: https://facebook.com/democracydocket -⁠Instagram⁠: https://instagram.com/democracydocket -⁠TikTok⁠: https://tiktok.com/@democracydocket -Threads: https://www.threads.net/@democracydocket This video was produced and edited by Paige Moskowitz.

John is joined by former AP Washington Bureau Chief Ron Fournier and current Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler to discuss a week in which America's de facto co-presidents seemed trying to outdo each other in terms of wreaking havoc and stoking panic. Fournier assesses the motives behind Donald Trump's market-crashing tariffs and their potential political implications; explains why the results of Tuesday's special elections in Florida and Wisconsin are so ominous for Republicans; and issues a partial mea culpa for being dismissive about Cory Booker's 25-hour Senate filibuster. Then Wikler takes listeners inside the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, detailing the ways in which Musk was the gift that kept on giving and laying out how Badger State Democrats plan to build on their big win in the country's swingiest swing state.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tonight on The Last Word: NBC News projects Susan Crawford wins the Wisconsin Supreme Court seat, beating Trump-Musk candidate Brad Schimel. And Sen. Cory Booker makes history with a 25-hour Senate speech. Shaq Brewster, House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, and Ben Wikler join Lawrence O'Donnell.

Wisconsin voters will head to the polls Tuesday (if they haven't already) to choose a new member of the State Supreme Court. The race between two state circuit court judges — liberal Susan Crawford and conservative Brad Schimel — is now the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, in no small part because the winner will decide control of the key swing state's highest court. But also because Elon Musk and his allies have been pouring millions into the race. Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, explains what's at stake in Tuesday's race.And in headlines: President Donald Trump called up NBC to say some crazy shit, Iran rejected direct negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear program, and the death toll from a massive earthquake in Myanmar climbed to around 1,700.Show notes:Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Trump has entered the Signal chat, despite supposedly not knowing what it is. What he does know, is that it is a "witch hunt." That's what the President told NBC's Kristen Welker exclusively on Saturday. Former Congressman Denver Riggleman and former deputy chief of staff to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Caroline Zier, discuss. Tuesday is also a critical state supreme court election in Wisconsin, an election that has already seen record-breaking turning and money spent. The chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Ben Wikler discusses. 

Guests: Jamelle Bouie, Ken Martin, Ben Wikler, Sen. Mark KellyFrom the Putin-esque land grab in Greenland to the subversion of the rule of law at home. Tonight: the stark and mounting evidence that American autocracy is already here. Then, DNC Chair Ken Martin on the big push to flip seats across the country as Trump wrestles with political gravity. Plus, is the co-president breaking the law with his plan to buy an election in Wisconsin. And Senator Mark Kelly on the national security failure on signal—and his response to Elon Musk.   Want more of Chris? Download and subscribe to his podcast, “Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes podcast” wherever you get your podcasts.

Tonight on The Last Word: Democrats call for Pete Hegseth to resign over the Signal leak. Also, the race for the House seat vacated by Mike Waltz is closer than expected. Plus, Elon Musk is pouring millions into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. And Republicans are scrambling as Democrats win special elections. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Barbara McQuade, Josh Weil, Ben Wikler, Pennsylvania State Sen.-elect James Malone, and Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton join Symone Sanders.

Ben Wikler, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, joins to discuss the critical Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Then, Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, examines the direction and leadership of the Democratic Party. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the shuttering of USAID, Russia-Ukraine ceasefire negotiations, Israel's revamped assault on Gaza, the DOJ's refusal to answer for its illegal deportations, Trump's killing of FTC operations, the gutting of the SSA, the abduction of Mahmoud Khalil, Trump's attempt to re-segregate, the Fed not to cut rates, the release of the JFK Files, GOP Sen. Eichorn's confirmation of pedocon theory, and HHS's gutting of HIV prevention, also highlighting Schumer's ongoing shame tour and the ongoing backlash the GOP's facing at their town halls. Ben Wikler then joins, diving right into the story of Wisconsin politics during the 2010s – and what it can foretell about this moment for our country – with a GOP trifecta coming into 2011 and using a supposed budget crisis to legitimize a complete crippling of the opposition as well as the progressive and worker movements, unleashing extensively gerrymandered maps, engaging in blatantly discriminatory voter suppression, and explicitly targeting language around progressive issues (e.g. banning the term “climate change”). After diving deep into the particular role the Conservative majority on the State Supreme Court played in bolstering the unparalleled executive power of Governor Scott Walker, and how a revamped focus on the Court helped begin the Democrats' slow crawl back into control, Wikler zeroes in on the ongoing State Supreme Court race between Brad Schimel – dedicated MAGA-Musker – and Susan Crawford, exploring the insane multi-million dollar investment into Schimel by Elon Musk, including blatantly illegal propaganda misrepresenting both his own organization and the candidates, wrapping up by emphasizing the importance of tying the entire conservative movement to the MAGA/Musk agenda they support, and exploring what those of us on the outside can do to help. Ezra Levin then joins, first running through the inception of Indivisible in the wake of the 2016 elections to combat the heinous agenda of Donald Trump and address the vacuum in Democratic leadership, before diving deep into the culmination of this effort, with last week's failure by Democratic Leadership in the Senate to stand up against the Trump/Musk budget seeing an unprecedented level of backlash, with their caucus, House Leadership, and the mainstream media all leveling blunt questions of Chuck Schumer. Levin, Sam, and Emma parse through a few of Schumer's recent TV appearances, as they dissect his utter strategic failures in using leverage in their fight with the GOP or in working with fellow Democrats, before wrapping up by tackling the future of this fight as Democrats look to find other pathways for messaging, and what those of us at home can do to help Indivisible's fight. And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma watch Chuck Schumer get slammed by Chris Hayes in the wake of his humiliating capitulation to Trump and the GOP, listen to Elon Musk's plea to empathize with the automotive class, and unpack Tim Pool's attempt to revamp his relevancy on the coattails of Sam's Jubilee video. Tonya from Washington has some film comparisons for the modern-day conservative movement, and another caller has a thought experiment, plus, your calls and IMs!
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Tonight on The Last Word: The New York Times reports Elon Musk berated Cabinet secretaries for not firing enough civil service workers. Also, Democrats fiercely criticize Donald Trump for caving to Vladimir Putin. Plus, Trump's Treasury Secretary downplays the stock market drop. And Elon Musk is spending millions to try and flip the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Kurt Andersen, Rep. Adam Smith, Robert Reich, and Ben Wikler join Ali Velshi.

The Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson examines Elon Musk’s actual motives for constantly hanging around the Capitol. Wisconsin Democrats Chair Ben Wikler details how the Democratic Party can improve its messaging. PLUS! A bonus excerpt from our interview on YouTube with Labor Secretary Robert Reich, which you can watch in full here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ralph welcomes Constitutional law expert Bruce Fein to analyze Congress' abdication of power in the face of President Trump and Elon Musk's actions to dismantle the federal government, and whether any of it is legal. Then, Ralph is joined by Norman Solomon from RootsAction to discuss the new Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Ken Martin, and whether we should be optimistic about his agenda for the Democrats.Bruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.What I think shows the clear (what I would call malignant) intent, is even though he has Republican majorities in the House and the Senate, he's never contemplated going back to Congress and saying, "Hey, I want you to do X. I want you to do Y. We need to do this in the proper way."Bruce Fein[Trump's] boogeyman is DEI. So he claims that a crash between a helicopter and airplane in Washington, D.C. is a DEI problem. Of course, it's amazing that somebody who has such contempt for meritocracy with his own cabinet appointments suddenly blames, “Oh, well, DEI, it's watering down standards.” Well, he doesn't have any standards himself, so it's kind of ironic there.Bruce FeinImpeachment is not a criminal prosecution. Impeachment is what Benjamin Franklin at the Constitutional Convention said— it's the civilized substitute for tyrannicide…And if you're impeached, it's because you have undertaken attempts to subvert the Constitution so the people no longer view you as a trustworthy steward of our liberties and the rule of law. That's what it is. You don't go to Siberia, you don't go to the guillotine, that's it. And there have been, of course, many federal judges (probably as many as a dozen) who've been impeached, removed from office. And you know what? They still survive. There's not a graveyard of them…So this idea that impeachment is somehow some enormous volcanic eruption on the landscape is totally misleading and wrong.Bruce FeinThere are two informal checkpoints I want to run by you. [Trump] is afraid of the stock market collapsing—and it could well collapse because chaos is the thing that really gets investors and big institutional investors scared. And the second thing he's afraid of is a plunge in the polls, including among Trump voters who represent families that have the same necessities for their children and their neighborhood as liberal families.Ralph NaderNorman Solomon is co-founder of RootsAction.org and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He is the author of War Made Easy, Made Love, Got War, and his newest book, War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine.Especially when there's not a Democrat in the White House, the leader of the Democratic Party de facto is often the chair of the Democratic National Committee. And we now, of course, have the Democrats in minority in the House and the Senate. Biden's out of there in the White House. And so, really, it falls to the chair of the DNC to ostensibly at least give direction to the Democratic Party. And we've suffered for the last four years under Jamie Harrison as chair of the DNC, who basically did whatever Biden told him to do, and Biden told him to just praise President Biden. And we saw the result, the enabling process from the DNC was just a disaster for the Democratic Party and the country.Norman SolomonLiterally and figuratively in a sense, there needs to be a tearing down of the walls that have been surrounding the Democratic National Committee headquarters. Activists (thousands of us, really, in recent years) have discovered and rediscovered that the DNC is like a fortress. They have the moat, the drawbridge is locked, and we can't even get inside to have a word in edgewise compared to the lobbyists and those who are running the DNC. This is really just remarkable, how difficult it has been for strong Democratic Party activists, if they're not on the DNC (and even if they are, quite often) to get a word in edgewise for the corporate-oriented so-called leadership of the DNC. That might change now.Norman SolomonAlfred Bridi is a U.S. immigration attorney associated with the law firm Scale LLP who specializes in employment- and family-based immigration law. Prior to joining Scale LLP, he practiced law at major international law firms and also worked with leading international organizations on global migration and transparency issues.These executive orders and these executive actions have really created a tension in terms of enforcement officials trying to understand what these mean; in terms of the judiciary and and legal activists contesting a lot of the foundations and the arguments made; in terms of our legal system and our constitutional rights; and I think more than anything, they have had a signaling effect to ordinary Americans and immigrant populations that, “You're not welcome here, and we are going to come after you.” And I think the difference that we've seen is a broadening of the enforcement net and a removal of any sort of refinement or targeting. We've seen American citizens and military veterans being arrested and detained. We've seen Indigenous people being detained. And it's created a sense of terror and panic across the country that I feel is absolutely deliberate, and in line with the campaign promises of this new administration.Alfred BridiNews 2/5/251. The New York Times reports President Trump has ousted Rohit Chopra, the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau who was “known for his aggressive enforcement and expansion of consumer protection laws.” During his tenure, Chopra cracked down on junk fees, particularly bank overdraft fees, and sought to remove medical debt from individuals' credit histories. As the Times notes, Chopra “improbably hung on for nearly two weeks [after Trump took office, and]…used that time to impose a $2 million fine on a money transmitter and release reports on auto lending costs, specialty credit reporting companies and rent payment data.” In his letter of resignation, Chopra wrote “With so much power concentrated in the hands of a few, agencies like the C.F.P.B. have never been more critical,” and “I hope that the CFPB will continue to be a pillar of restoring and advancing economic liberty in America.”2. In more Trump administration staffing news, AP reports the Senate Finance Committee voted 13-14 along party lines Tuesday to advance the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician by trade and member of the committee who expressed grave concern over Kennedy's stances on vaccines and other health-related matters, said during the hearings “Your past, undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments, concerns me.” Ultimately however, Cassidy voted “aye.” Kennedy's nomination will now advance to the full Senate, where the GOP holds a comfortable majority thus almost ensuring his confirmation.3. Speaking of Trump and health, CBS is out with an update on the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio railroad disaster. According to this report, Vice President JD Vance visited the crash site on February 3rd and vowed that the administration would hold Norfolk Southern accountable for “unfilled promises of settlement money and training centers.” That same day, residents of East Palestine filed a lawsuit alleging that Norfolk Southern's actions resulted in the wrongful death of seven people, including a one-week-old baby.4. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has successfully negotiated a month-long delay of Trump's proposed 25% tariffs. According to CNN, the deal reached between the two North American heads of state includes Mexico deploying 10,000 National Guard troops to its northern border to help stem the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., while Trump has reportedly agreed to help end the deluge of American guns moving South. In her regular Monday morning press conference, Sheinbaum said “For humanitarian reasons, we must help the United States address its fentanyl consumption crisis, which is leading to overdose deaths.” Sheinbaum has been roundly praised for her ability to both stand up to and placate Trump. Reuters quoted Jorge Guajardo, a former Mexican ambassador to China and member of the opposition Partido Acción Nacional or PAN party, who had to admit “President Sheinbaum played it…Masterfully.”5. Democracy Now! reports a group of Quaker congregations have filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in response to the Trump administration's order “allowing federal agents to raid…schools, hospitals, shelters and places of worship.” This lawsuit alleges that “The very threat of [such raids] deters congregants from attending services, especially members of immigrant communities,” and that therefore this order infringes upon the Constitutional “guarantee of religious liberty.” The Quakers have historically been among the most progressive Christian sects, having been leaders in the fight to abolish slavery and to oppose war.6. Reese Gorman of NOTUS reports that so far approximately 24,000 federal employees have accepted Elon Musk's proposed “buyout,” meaning they will leave their jobs and should receive eight months of severance pay. This purge of the federal workforce has been among the most prominent initiatives of Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Less prominently touted however is what the administration plans to do once these employees have been purged. Recent comments from Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Bloomberg however are enlightening. Rubio, commenting on the “potential reorganization” of the Agency for International Development or USAID, indicated that the reduction in the size of the workforce would be paired with greater use of private contractors. Most likely this means farming out government services to Trump lackeys, cronies, and assorted grifters – all on the taxpayers' dime.7. Front and center in combatting Musk's quiet coup is Public Citizen. On Monday, the public interest watchdog announced they are suing the Treasury Department for its “unlawful disclosure of personal & financial information to Elon Musk's DOGE.” Their legal complaint, filed alongside the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Association of Federal Government Employees and the SEIU, reads, in part, “The scale of the intrusion into individuals' privacy is massive and unprecedented. Millions of people cannot avoid engaging in financial transactionswith the federal government and, therefore, cannot avoid having their sensitivepersonal and financial information maintained in government records. SecretaryBessent's action granting DOGE-affiliated individuals full, continuous, and ongoingaccess to that information for an unspecified period of time means that retirees,taxpayers, federal employees, companies, and other individuals from all walks of life have no assurance that their information will receive the protection that federal law affords.”8. Turning to the Middle East, Drop Site News reports “Over 100 journalists…sent a letter to Egyptian authorities on Sunday requesting access to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.” CNN, NBC, NPR, CBS, ABC, AP, Reuters, BBC, Sky News, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times France 24, Le Monde, El Pais, and others, including Drop Site itself, are signatories on this letter. The letter states “We understand that the situation is fluid regarding the border crossing, but we ask that permission for journalists to cross the Rafah border be at the forefront of the…No international journalists have been able to access Gaza without an Israeli military escort since the war began in October 2023. We request that permission be granted on an expedited basis while Phase 1 of the ceasefire is still in effect.” As Drop Site notes, “Egypt has not allowed journalists to cross Rafah into Gaza since 2013, when Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took power in Egypt in a military coup.” This has meant all journalistic access to Gaza must go through Israel.9. Our last two stories have to do with the Democrats. On February 1st, Ken Martin was elected the new chair of the Democratic National Committee. Martin previously led the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and the Association of State Democratic Parties, per POLITICO. WPR reports Martin's victory was decisive at 246.5 out of 428 votes; the second-place finisher, Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, won only 134.5 votes despite endorsements from House and Senate Minority Leaders Jeffries and Schumer, among many other high-profile elected Democrats, per the Hill. Other candidates included Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign manager Faiz Shakir, though he entered late and without substantial backing. Martin's reputation is mixed, with one DNC member telling POLITICO, “he's a knife-fighter.” Perhaps that is what the party needs to turn things around.10. Finally, Variety reports former President Biden has signed with the Creative Arts Agency, or CAA, one of the premier talent agencies in Hollywood. CAA also represents Barack and Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, per the BBC. With the White House once again occupied by a creature of showbusiness, the symbiotic relationship between politics, media and entertainment has never been clearer. In the words of George Carlin, “It's a big club, and you ain't in it.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

It's the Tuesday after the Bills' loss, and Sami & V talk about the intersection of sports, politics, and social media censorship in the NFL. 12:00 - V warns us about "breaking news culture" and how it can lead to confusion and misinformation. 27:30 - This week we're joined by Ben Wikler, the current chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, who's running for the DNC Chairman. Wikler talks about using new media to engage voters, what keeps him motivated, and emphasizing the need for hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1.27.2025 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: 2024 Voter Suppression Analysis, DNR Chair Race, The Strategy Behind An Economic Boycott Investigative reporter Greg Palast will explain how MAGA's mass purging of voters of color cost Vice President Kamala Harris the presidency. The Democratic National Convention's winter meeting convenes on Saturday to elect a new chair. Tonight, I'll speak with Wisconsin's Democratic Party Chair, Ben Wikler, about his desire to lead the party. Target's decision to drop its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies has led many Black consumers to call for a boycott. Tonight, I will outline the strategy behind economic boycotts and the importance of having specific goals. Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox http://www.blackstarnetwork.com The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Van and Rachel open the show with Coach Prime, a.k.a. impressionist Sam Croker (8:38), before welcoming the chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Ben Wikler, to discuss plans should he become chair of the DNC (27:43), and re-energizing the Democratic Party (33:12). Then, in-the-moment reactions to Donald Trump's inauguration (1:02:10), and digging into Nelly, Snoop, Rick Ross, and Soulja Boy's participation (1:14:55). Plus, Byron Donalds calls Trump ‘daddy' (1:42:30). Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Guests: Sam Croker and Ben Wikler Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Biden bids the nation farewell from the Oval Office, delivering a stark warning about the rise of an American "oligarchy." Dan and Jon break down how history will judge his legacy. Then, Tommy joins to discuss the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas—who really deserves the credit, and what happens next? Meanwhile, Senate Republicans press ahead with confirmation hearings for Trump's Cabinet picks, and the clock is ticking on a last-ditch effort to save TikTok. Later, Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, stops by to share his bold vision for leading the DNC.

Announcement! If you're a Gaslit Nation supporter on Patreon, join us for the first ever Gaslit Nation Game Night this Friday at 8:30pm ET, organized by Gaslit Nation listeners. The game of the night will either be Codenames or Chameleon. The Zoom link is posted in the Victory Chat as well as this episode page on Patreon!  When it comes to the DNC Chair election on February 1st, the only choice is Ben Wikler, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin since July 2019. None of the other candidates, except for Ken Martin, the state chair of the Democratic Party in Minnesota, even come close. Why? Because, unlike Martin, Wikler has faced off with the worst of our national demons in Wisconsin—a state that's long been a laboratory for GOP autocracy, as detailed in Ari Berman's must-read book Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People—and the Fight to Resist It. In this week's bonus show Q&A, shaped by our Democracy Defender-level supporters and higher, we make the case for Wikler and break down the dynamics of a race that could shape not only the future of the Democratic Party but the soul of America. We also dive into the People's March, formerly the Women's March, and announce the Gaslit Nation sign contest for the best protest sign! Join Andrea at the march in New York City at 10 AM on Saturday, January 18th—details to come! To find a People's March near you, or to help organize one if there isn't already one in your area, check out this handy guide: https://map.peoplesmarch.com/local If you didn't hear your question answered this week, keep an eye out for it soon as the Gaslit Nation Q&A continues! To our Democracy Defender-level folks and higher, submit your questions in a private message for the next Q&A! Thank you to everyone who supports the show—we couldn't make Gaslit Nation without you! Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: Books: What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures By Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, the marine biologist behind the Blue New Deal: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/645855/what-if-we-get-it-right-by-ayana-elizabeth-johnson/ The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by journalist David Wallace-Wells https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-uninhabitable-earth-life-after-warming-david-wallace-wells/12097261?ean=9780525576716 The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist's Guide to the Climate Crisis Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, two of the architects of the Paris Climate Agreement https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-future-we-choose-the-stubborn-optimist-s-guide-to-the-climate-crisis-christiana-figueres/13156367?aid=1676&ean=9780593080931&listref=caring-for-the-earth-each-other-practicing-sustainable-living   Reading:  Researcher Jenny Cohn wrote a disturbing thread about Sillicon Valley bro-fascists setting their sights on Greenland: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1877052010559844478.html?utm_campaign=topunroll Historian Timothy Snyder on why the U.S. needs a Shadow Cabinet, like the U.K.: https://snyder.substack.com/p/shadow-cabinet A bombshell report confirming that Russian intelligence paid tens of millions of dollars to the Taliban to target American coalition forces in Afghanistan. What is Trump going to do about this as president? https://theins.ru/en/politics/277723   The Gerrymander Has Been Slayed: Wisconsinites Get Fair Maps for 2024 Election https://campaignlegal.org/update/gerrymander-has-been-slayed-wisconsinites-get-fair-maps-2024-election As Democrats Reel, Two Front-Runners Emerge in a Leadership Battle The race to lead the Democratic National Committee centers on the favorites, Ken Martin and Ben Wikler, but the party's infighting over them looks nothing like a broad reckoning with its 2024 defeats. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/05/us/politics/dnc-race-ben-wikler-ken-martin.html The People's March Website: https://www.peoplesmarch.com/ Trump's inauguration coincides with an unprecedented string of high-stakes security events in DC https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-security-a3df8ed878f2c0587f7038d68a0447f6   FTC antitrust case against Meta can move to trial, court rules. The decision marks a victory for the agency and its Democratic chair, Lina Khan, after early legal setbacks. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/11/13/meta-ftc-antitrust/   Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People--And the Fight to Resist It https://bookshop.org/p/books/minority-rule-ari-berman/19994801?ean=9780374600211    

The MR Crew is back from the break with the first live show of 2025! First, Sam and Emma discuss their outlook for 2025, from the perspective of the show itself, as well as what to watch for when it comes to Congress (House gridlock, grim Senate judicial appointments), the courts themselves (upcoming SCOTUS decisions, the John Roberts annual report), and the new Trump administration (immigration hawkishness). They then check in on the right's response to the truck attack in New Orleans, where Trump and his allies are desperately trying to peg the violent attack to illegal immigration when, it turns out, the perpetrator was a U.S. citizen and an Army veteran. Sam and Emma then discuss the right's dust up over H1B visas, with the tech side (Vivek, Elon) advocating feverishly for visas for skilled foreign workers against the nativist side (Charlie Kirk, Bannon), who believe Trump's mandate rests upon curbing all kinds of immigration. It seems interesting, Sam and Emma contest, that now, after the extreme bankrolling of his campaign by Elon Musk, Trump has surprisingly taken kindly to H1B visas, something his 1st administration tried to crack down on! And in the Fun Half, Sam, Emma, and the MR Crew discuss Chuck Schumer surprisingly endorsing Ben Wikler for DNC chair, the discourse around what it means to be "anti-establishment", and Patrick Bet-David's frustration with Twitter's Community Notes function for calling him a scammer online. Plus, your calls & IM's! Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Join Sam on the Nation Magazine Cruise! 7 days in December 2024!!: https://nationcruise.com/mr/ Check out StrikeAid here!; https://strikeaid.com/ Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 20% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: Babbel: Let's get more of you talking in a new language. Babbel is gifting our listeners 60% off subscriptions at https://Babbel.com/MAJORITY.  Get up to 60% off at https://Babbel.com/.ABabbel dot com slash MAJORITY. Spelled B-A-B-B-E-L dot com slash MAJORITY.  Babbel dot com slash MAJORITY. Rules and restrictions may apply. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/  

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.politix.fmThe mailbag episode will have to wait, but for good reason! An opportunity arose for us to interview Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair (and DNC chair candidate) Ben Wikler. So we jumped on it—and warmly extend an invitation to other DNC chair candidates to join us in the new year.In this episode, Matt and Brian ask Ben:* What he thinks happened in the election, and whether the lessons are actionable for a DNC chairman;* What does the DNC and its chairman actually do;* How to tell a good, effective political operative from placeholders and check cashers;* If he's prepared the dirty tricks and abuses of power that Donald Trump might direct at Democratic Party leaders, including him.Then, behind the paywall, a lengthy exploration of and primal scream about Nancy Pelosi's decision to whip votes against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, blocking her from becoming the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, in favor of 74-year old, cancer-stricken Gerry Connolly. Why would AOC have been a better opposition leader on this committee? What does the episode portend for Democratic infighting and grand strategery going forward? And most importantly, wtf was Pelosi thinking?!All that, plus the full Politix archive are available to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed. Further reading:* Brian argues that reprising the strategy that just lost Democrats the election (including sidelining more dynamic messengers) makes capitulating to Trump the path of least resistance for other people and institutions. * Michelle Goldberg on this great capitulation.* Greg Sargent discusses the challenges of rebuilding in this climate with Ben and other DNC candidates, Ken Martin, and Martin O'Malley.

Air Date 12/17/2024 Changing the direction of a political party doesn't happen overnight and it usually takes a major disrupting event to shake it out of its well-wore groove. The loss of the Harris campaign to Trump and the evident desperation people have for a new economics that works for people might finally be enough to put Democrats on track to a more full-throated support of economic populism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership 20% off for the Holiday! Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Jon Stewart On What Went Wrong For Democrats - The Daily Show - Air Date 11-11-24 KP 2: The Democratic Party Is A Rudderless Ship - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 11-21-24 KP 3: ‘BERNIE WAS RIGHT!': Corporate Democrat ADMITS DEFEAT - The Kyle Kulinski Show - Air Date 11-18-24 KP 4: Assad Ousted From Syria - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-10-24 KP 5: Can Ben Wikler Fix The Democratic Party? - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 12-4-24 KP 6: “Get These Incels to Work” (feat. Hasan Piker) Part 1 - Pod Save America - Air Date 11-27-24 (49:33) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the Democrats perception gap and Ben Wikler for the DNC DEEPER DIVES (1:00:11) SECTION A - WHY DEMOCRATS LOST (1:32:40) SECTION B - TIME TO FIGHT (1:56:05) SECTION C - MOVING FORWARD SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of billionaire Mark Cuban speaking into a microphone at a Harris Walz campaign event. Credit: “Mark Cuban” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

It's News Day Tuesday! Emma speaks with Gregory Brew, analyst with the Eurasia Group's Energy, Climate, & Resources Team, to discuss the fluid situation in Syria now that rebels have taken control of Damascus. Then, she speaks with Thomas Birmingham, reporter and intern at The Nation based in New Haven, to discuss his recent piece entitled "In the US, Tenants Are Usually on Their Own. Can a New National Tenant Union Change That?." First, Emma runs through updates on the charging of the United Healthcare CEO killer, Pete Hegseth's nomination, Lara Trump's future in politics, Pete Buttigieg's potential governor run in Michigan, Tulsi Gabbard's nomination, Bibi Netanyahu's corruption case, Ukraine's defense, Democratic leadership, Boeing layoffs, and wildfires in Malibu, before touching on developing succession drama in the Murdoch family and the right-wing media's response to the killing of United Healthcare's CEO. Gregory Brew then joins, first providing the context of the deep domestic unpopularity of Assad's late Russia- and Iran-backed regime, then diving deep into the filling of the vacuum in the wake of his departure, with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – the Islamist militant rebel group that just deposed of Assad's regime – still in control in Damascus while Kurds in the east continue to fight a Syrian National Army backed by an anti-Kurdish Turkey, all coinciding with US pressure against a potential ISIS resurgence. Next, Brew looks to the biggest winners and losers outside of Syria, with the collapse of the Assad regime dramatically decreasing Iranian and Russian influence in the region – with the former not seeming too displeased amid an already-crumbling relationship with Assad – while substantially raising the status of the likes of Israel. Thomas Birmingham then joins, jumping right into the major success of Bozeman Tenants United – the Montana city's tenant's union – and their role in an ongoing attempt to organize the National Tenant Union Federation, alongside tenant unions in Chicago, Kansas City Louisville, and Connecticut, with those in Kentucky and Montana providing a particularly valuable blueprint for successful progressive, working-class organizing in deep-red states. Expanding on the work Bozeman Tenants United engages in, Birmingham walks through the story of Ozaa Echo Maker as an example of how these organizing efforts work to bring marginalized and politically uninvolved people into politics, providing them a voice and showcasing genuinely democratic models of leadership, also touching on the extensive work BTU does locally, from pushing for tenant property ownership to building their electoral power and representation on city council, to defend renters' contract rights. Wrapping up, Thomas and Emma discuss Biden's role in pushing back against corporate landlords at the tail-end of his tenure and the importance of showcasing proper tenant power as this fight continues. And in the Fun Half: Emma and the MR Team talk with Jason from DC about the fallacy of bringing a populist right out of the Trump Administration, Lindsay Graham vocalizes his support for Tulsi Gabbard, and the crew unpacks developments in the arrest United Healthcare CEO's killer – with some help addressing the “death of a villain” narrative around this story from Ava in Miami. They also watch Ben Wikler's appearance on the Daily Show, plus, your calls and IMs! Follow Gregory on Twitter here: https://x.com/gbrew24 Follow Thomas on Twitter here: https://x.com/thomasbirm Check out Thomas' piece in The Nation here: https://www.thenation.com/article/society/tenant-union-organizing-rent/ If you can, donate to Majed Jebril's GoFundMe to assist their family in Gaza: https://www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-help-jebrils-family-in-gaza Check out Bana Jebril's incredible portrait of Emma here: https://x.com/Banajebrilart/status/1865807635095896289 Get the limited edition EmMajority Report hat at the MR store here!: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/collections/all-items/products/limited-edition-the-emmajority-baseball-hat Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Join Sam on the Nation Magazine Cruise! 7 days in December 2024!!: https://nationcruise.com/mr/ Check out StrikeAid here!; https://strikeaid.com/ Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 20% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: Givewell:  If you've never used GiveWell to donate, you can have your donation matched up to 100 dollars before the end of the year or as long as matching funds last. To claim your match, go to https://Givewell.org and pick PODCAST and enter The Majority Report with Sam Seder at checkout. Make sure they know that you heard about GiveWell from The Majority Report with Sam Seder to get your donation matched. Delete Me: Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for DeleteMe. Now at a special discount for our listeners. Today get 20% off your DeleteMe plan by texting MAJORITY to 64000. That's MAJORITY to 64000.  Sunset Lake CBD: Sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com. 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Happy Monday! Sam speaks with John Nichols, national affairs correspondent for The Nation, to discuss his recent interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders, and the paths forward he sees for the Left after the 2024 election. First, Emma runs through updates on the acquittal of Daniel Penny, the potential detaining of the United Healthcare CEO killer, the fall of Assad in Syria and the imperialist responses from Israel and the US, South Korean President Yoom, Trump's pledge to pardon insurrectionists, and Trump's developing cabinet, before parsing through Trump's inhumane and unconstitutional plan to end birthright citizenship, and Democrats' failure to prevent this threat. Then, John Nichols joins Sam as he dives right into his recent interview with Bernie Sanders, unpacking Bernie's major takeaways from Democrats' failure in the 2024 elections, from the need for a new way to communicate with a multi-racial, multi-ethnic working class to the imperative for Democrats to stand aside and let independent, working-class progressive candidates run without the burden of the party establishment weighing them down. After briefly expanding on the challenge of convincing the Democratic Party Brand to stop pushing the Democratic Party Brand, Nichols steps back to walk through the history of this tactic's success on the left, playing a particularly prevalent role in bolstering FDR's progressive coalition and the major progress they achieved. Next, John and Sam look to Bernie's 2016 anti-oligarchy candidacy, exploring how Democrats' failure to address that growing political inequality provided a path (twice) for Trump and the GOP (twice) to successfully stand as the party of money power and as anti-establishment, bolstered by the GOP's messaging dominance (see: Elon Musk's Twitter purchase), before looking deeper into the contemporary examples for Bernie's model – namely himself and Angus King, two independents that, while outside of the party infrastructure, caucus (and vote) with Democrats. Wrapping up, Nichols and Sam look at the ongoing race for DNC chair, and the promising future of a Blue-Wall-led party – touching particularly on the success of DNC chair candidate Ben Wikler. And in the Fun Half: Emma unpacks the potential capture of the United Healthcare CEO killer in Altoona, PA, and the wide-ranging coverage of the event, from the incensed and out-of-touch Ben Shapiro to the ever big-brained Bill Burr, with additional commentary from Joe from Illinois. Zack from Missouri unpacks the MAGA defense of Trump's character, Brie from New York on their view of the View, and Jim Clyburn and Chip Roy come to the defense of Trump and his administration, respectively, plus, your calls and IMs! Follow John on Twitter here: https://x.com/NicholsUprising Check out John's interview with Sen. Sanders here: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/bernie-sanders-working-class-candidates-challenge-both-parties/ If you can, donate to Majed Jebril's GoFundMe to assist their family in Gaza: https://www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-help-jebrils-family-in-gaza Check out Bana Jebril's incredible portrait of Emma here: https://x.com/Banajebrilart/status/1865807635095896289 Get the limited edition EmMajority Report hat at the MR store here!: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/collections/all-items/products/limited-edition-the-emmajority-baseball-hat Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Join Sam on the Nation Magazine Cruise! 7 days in December 2024!!: https://nationcruise.com/mr/ Check out StrikeAid here!; https://strikeaid.com/ Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 20% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: Prolon: Right now, Prolon is offering The Majority Report with Sam Seder listeners 15% off their 5-day nutrition program. Go to https://ProlonLife.com/MAJORITY.  That's https://ProlonLife.com/MAJORITY for this special offer. Storyworth: With StoryWorth I am giving those I love most a thoughtful, personal gift from the heart and preserving their memories and stories for years to come. Go to https://StoryWorth.com/majority and save $10 on your first purchase!  That's https://StoryWorth.com/majority to save $10 on your first purchase! Blueland Cleaning Products: Blueland has a special offer for listeners. Right now, get 15% off your first order by going to https://blueland.com/majority. You won't want to miss this! https://blueland.com/majority for 15% off. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/

The Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson examines the optimistic view of Trump's incoming administration. Wisconsin Democrats chair Ben Wikler details his run to head the DNC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Gaslit Nation, Andrea and Terrell answer listeners' questions about Syria, Ukraine, and Georgia–and urgent lessons for us here at home.  Take a look at what's happening in countries like Georgia and Syria—resistance movements are growing against oppressive, authoritarian regimes backed by Russia. It's a struggle for freedom and self-determination, and it's all part of the same global fight. Americans can't keep pretending that foreign conflicts are somehow detached from our own issues. What's happening abroad affects us too, whether we like it or not. In Georgia, for example, the situation mirrors what's happening in Ukraine: ordinary citizens are pushing back against corrupt governments and trying to secure their future with the European Union. Meanwhile, in Syria, a surprise push by a rebel alliance has liberated several key areas from Assad's brutal dictatorship, propped up by Russia and Iran. Assad and his family fled to Russia, joining Ukraine's Trump, Viktor Yanukovych.  The left needs to take a long, hard look at the atrocities Russia is committing—not just in Ukraine, but around the world. And let's not forget that Ukrainians are fighting for their own agency, their right to choose their future, in a way that should inspire us all.  This week's bonus show, for subscribers at the Truth-teller ($5/month) level and higher, answers questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender ($10/month) and higher, and looks at the potential for Trump to start an actual war with Mexico. To hear all bonus shows, be sure to subscribe!  Thank you to everyone who supports the show–we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes:   Red Lines: Documentary on Syria: https://iwonder.com/titles/red-lines-ad98aab62542ea8d524fed6dd51fcb76   Philip Obaji Jr.:  https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-putins-private-army-ordered-soldiers-to-torture-me/   Warnings from Syria: https://gaslitnation.libsyn.com/warnings-from-syria-on-how-to-stop-putin-in-ukraine   In sweeping advance, rebels control parts of Sryia https://www.npr.org/2024/12/01/nx-s1-5211885/in-sweeping-advance-rebels-control-parts-of-sryia   Who Are the Rebels Leading the Offensive in Syria? The group now advancing, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, says it wants to replace the Assad government with one inspired by Islamic principles. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/02/world/middleeast/syria-rebels-hts-who-what.html   Trump Orders Withdrawal of U.S. Troops From Northern Syria https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/13/us/politics/mark-esper-syria-kurds-turkey.html   Commentary The US will become ‘minority white' in 2045, Census projects https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-us-will-become-minority-white-in-2045-census-projects/   Donald Trump Has 'Obligations' to Those Who Brought Him to Power—Putin Ally https://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-nikolai-patrushev-donald-trump-russia-1984360   Why Six Countries Account for Most Migrants at the U.S.-Mexico Border Migrants and displaced people from across the world are arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border in droves. More than half come from six Latin American countries, where worsening violence, poverty, and other factors are pushing them to leave. https://www.cfr.org/article/why-six-countries-account-most-migrants-us-mexico-border   Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People--And the Fight to Resist It https://bookshop.org/p/books/minority-rule-ari-berman/19994801?ean=9780374600211   If Anyone Can Save the Democrats, It's Ben Wikler https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/02/opinion/ben-wikler-dnc-chair.html

It's Hump Day! Sam and Emma discuss the biggest headlines of the day. First, they run through updates on Pete Hegseth's character assassination, South Korean President Yoon's failed martial law takeover and backlash, US v. Skrmetti, final US Congressional election tallies, Trump's Billionaire defense contractor nomination for Deputy Secretary of Defence, a Jewish settler pogrom on West Bank Palestinians, Congressional Oversight, and judicial confirmation in the Senate, before spending some time admiring Fox News' attempt to run cover for the astonishingly quick downfall of Pete Hegseth with accusations of abuse (be it of women or alcohol) coming from every corner of his social life. After briefly touching on some of Hegseth's own problematic history of critiquing Donald Trump, Sam and Emma parse through the background on Stephen Feinberg – billionaire investor, hedge fund manager, and Trump's pick for Deputy Defence Secretary – and his myriad conflicts of interest when it comes to the world of military contracts, also touching on the GOP's slim Congressional majority and the major fights it sets up for 2025. Wrapping up, the MR Team highlights Ben Wikler's promising campaign for DNC Chair in the wake of the astonishing failure of the consultant class in the 2024 elections, and issues a forewarning of the threat of “shared sacrifice” under a crypto-backed austerity regime. And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma parse through some unsurprising developments around which services Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency can (Social Security) and cannot (military budget) cut, discuss the apparent murder of United Healthcare's CEO, and reflect on the now-downtrodden legacy of Dinesh D'Souza's “2000 Mules.” Tim Pool struggles to grapple with the intricacies of language and social dynamics, and the MR Crew highlights a more heartwarming side of Kash Patel's history, plus, your calls and IMs! Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Join Sam on the Nation Magazine Cruise! 7 days in December 2024!!: https://nationcruise.com/mr/ Check out StrikeAid here!; https://strikeaid.com/ Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 20% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: Givewell:  If you've never used GiveWell to donate, you can have your donation matched up to ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS before the end of the year or as long as matching funds last.  To claim your match, go to https://Givewell.org and pick PODCAST and enter The Majority Report with Sam Seder at checkout. Make sure they know that you heard about GiveWell from The Majority Report with Sam Seder to get your donation matched. Shopify: Upgrade your business and get the same checkout that AllBirds & Alo uses. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/majority. Go to https://shopify.com/majority to upgrade your selling today. Aura Frames: Save on the perfect gift by visiting https://auraframes.com to get $35-off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code MAJORITY at checkout. That's https://auraframes.com promo code MAJORITY. This deal is exclusive to listeners, so get yours now in time for the holidays! Smalls Cat Food: Now is the time to make the switch to Smalls.  Head to https://smalls.com/majority and use promo code MAJORITY at checkout for 50% off your first order PLUS free shipping!  That's the best offer you'll find but you HAVE to use my code, MAJORITY, for 50% off your first order. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/

Tonight on The Last Word: Vice President Harris addresses Donald Trump's abortion ban. Also, the Harris campaign is focusing on “blue wall” states. And Senate control is critical to the next president's agenda. Ben Wikler, Sen. Jacky Rosen, and Sen. Gary Peters join Lawrence O'Donnell.

Tonight on The Last Word: Vice President Harris holds events with Liz Cheney in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Also, early voting begins in Texas amid the tight Senate race. And Democrats try to prevent an election spoiler from Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Sarah Longwell, Ben Wikler, and Rep. Colin Allred join Lawrence O'Donnell.

Donald Trump gives a stunning answer to a Republican voter upset about Trump's behavior on January 6: "That was a day of love." Kamala Harris braves Fox News for a combative interview with Bret Baier, and JD Vance finally gives an answer on whether Trump lost the 2020 election. Then, Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, stops by to talk about how things are looking in the Badger state, and what everyone can do to help. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Ben Wikler is the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin—one of the seven battleground states in this extremely competitive presidential election. Hailed as a “winning machine” for Democrats, Wikler joined Preet for a live taping to discuss political humor, third party candidates, and the state of the race in swing states.  To learn more about WisDems and how to get involved, click here.  For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/election-swing-states-wisconsin-ben-wikler/  Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Preet speaks with NBC's national political correspondent Steve Kornacki about the key swing states in the 2024 election and how to make sense of the latest polls. Also, Stay Tuned is going live! RSVP here to our live remote taping with Ben Wikler, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, on 10/15 at 5pm ET.   Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at letters@cafe.com, or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. For analysis of recent legal news, join the CAFE Insider community. Head to cafe.com/insider to join for just $1 for the first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we approach the 2024 presidential election, economic issues have taken center stage. Financial Times columnist Gillian Tett joins Preet to break down each candidate's economic proposals, examining their potential impact on the U.S. and the global economy. They explore key topics like tariffs, inflation, and how they'll impact voters.  Plus, will hurricane season affect the presidential election? What's Preet's advice for first year law students? And, what does “The Young Bharara” think about Harris's chances in November? In other news, Stay Tuned is going live! RSVP here to our live remote taping with Ben Wikler, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, taking place on 10/15 at 5pm ET.   Stay Tuned is nominated for a Signal Award for Best Podcast in the News & Politics category, but we need your help to win! To vote for us, head to cafe.com/signal. Stay Tuned is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at letters@cafe.com, or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/tariffs/ Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a new episode of CAFE Insider, Preet and Joyce discuss special counsel Jack Smith's brief on presidential immunity in the election interference prosecution of former President Donald Trump.  In an excerpt from the show, they respond to CAFE Contributor Elie Honig's article criticizing Smith and Chutkan. Was Chutkan right to make the brief public? Are the allegations in the brief unduly prejudicial against Trump? And was it all politics? In the full episode, Preet and Joyce further respond to Honig's critiques of Smith and Chutkan. They also analyze the content of Smith's brief, including the evidence he intends to present at trial and his argument that the charges should survive Trump's immunity challenges.  CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis. To become a member of CAFE Insider head to cafe.com/insider. You'll get access to full episodes of the podcast and other exclusive content. RSVP to CAFE Live, Preet with Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democrats. Vote for Stay Tuned in the Signal Awards. Subscribe to The Counsel for free to get more news at the intersection of law and politics each week. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel, Preet speaks with The Atlantic staff writer Franklin Foer about the war in Gaza, the U.S.-led diplomacy, and what the next year may hold for the region.  Also, Stay Tuned is going live! RSVP here to our live remote taping with Ben Wikler, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, on 10/15 at 5pm ET.   Stay Tuned in Brief is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Please write to us with your thoughts and questions at letters@cafe.com, or leave a voicemail at 669-247-7338. For analysis of recent legal news, join the CAFE Insider community. Head to cafe.com/insider to join for just $1 for the first month.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Politics War Room ON TOUR  - live show in Boston on 11/2 at politicon.com/tour  Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial James and Al react to the VP debate, call on Kamala's campaign to go on the offensive, and welcome Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler. They strategize about how to win his state, defend the Blue Wall of northern battleground states, and expose the disastrous impact of Trump's proposed tariffs on workers and inflation.  Then, they're joined by tennis legend Martina Navratilova to discuss her activism on behalf of women in sports, the desire to win, her experience defecting to the US from the Soviet Bloc, and the European perspective on the Ukraine War. Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon.  Make sure to include your city– we love to hear where you're from! Get tickets for the Politics War Room live shows in Boston on 11/2 at politicon.com/tour  Get text updates from Politics War Room and Politicon. Watch Politics War Room & James Carville Explains on YouTube @PoliticsWarRoomOfficial CARVILLE: WINNING IS EVERYTHING, STUPID, comes out 10/5 @ 7 PM EST on CNN. Get updates and some great behind-the-scenes content.  Follow James on Twitter @jamescarville and his new TikTok @realjamescarville James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack Get More From This Week's Guests:  Ben Wikler: Twitter | Wisconsin Democratic Party | Website | Wisconsin Donations | MoveOn Martina Navratilova: Twitter | Website | International Tennis Hall of Fame | TopCourt.com Please Support Our Sponsors: Glean: Find answers, generate content, and automate work by connecting and understanding all your company data on Glean's Work A.I. platform when you go to glean.com/politics 3 Day Blinds: For their buy 1 get 1 50% off deal, head to 3DayBlinds.com/warroom Beam: Sleep better with Beam's best-selling Dream Powder and get up to 40% off for a limited time when you go to shopbeam.com/warroom and use code: WARROOM

On Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance took the debate stage together for the first and only time. Former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and staff writer at The Atlantic, David Frum, joins Preet to dissect the politest debate of this election season. Will the vice presidential face-off impact the election? Also, Stay Tuned is going live! RSVP here to our live remote taping with Ben Wikler, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/vp-debate/ Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump pleads not guilty to the revised January 6 charges. Also, new Kamala Harris ads detail “Trump's Project 2025 agenda.” And President Biden makes a swing state visit to Wisconsin. Andrew Weissmann, Adam Klasfeld, Simon Rosenberg, Stuart Stevens, and Ben Wikler join Lawrence O'Donnell.

Is Biden inching toward dropping out, or is he committed to staying put? If he did make a move, when would he do it, and how? Live in Madison, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, and Dan parse the latest news and discuss the worst and the weirdest of the Republican convention alongside guest host Errin Haines of The 19th and special guest Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Then, Sen. Tammy Baldwin stops by to talk about her crucial Senate race and what Democrats need to do to win Wisconsin in November.

Jon is joined by longtime pollster Sarah Longwell and former Republican strategist Tim Miller to get inside the minds of two-time Trump voters who are no longer sure if they'll vote for him again. What's changed? Well, January 6th, a few criminal trials, and some obviously bogus claims that the election was stolen. But is that enough to get them over the line for Joe Biden? Jon, Tim, and Sarah listen to a focus group tape of these voters to figure out how they're leaning in 2024 and then Ben Wikler, Chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, joins to help teach you how to persuade the Biden-curious Trump voter in your life. Take action with Vote Save America: Visit votesaveamerica.com/2024  Pre-order Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps at crooked.com/books or wherever books are sold. Out June 25th.