Podcasts about citizens united

This week, BJ is joined by Dr. Robert Lustig. A Professor emeritus of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology at UCSF, and the author of numerous books you should read, including The Hacking of the American Mind, which is the subject of this week's interview. Dr. Lustig had a lot to say about the power corporations wield over us, Citizens United, and why you should cut as much sugar from your diet as you can. That's because, like the end result of Citizens United, sugar could kill you. Politically speaking of course.

Subscribe for more: https://thinkfuture.comConnect with Travis: https://hub.futureis.org---What if the biggest problem in politics isn't left vs. right—but the middlemen in between?In this episode of thinkfuture, host Chris Kalaboukis speaks with Travis Misurell, founder of the FINC Coalition, about an ambitious effort to upgrade democracy through a citizen-owned civic internet.Travis argues that American democracy has become increasingly dominated by gatekeepers—big money, political parties, media organizations, and institutional interests that shape which candidates voters see and which ideas gain traction.His solution?A platform designed to bypass the middlemen.The Fink Coalition aims to create a citizen-owned political infrastructure that helps voters make more informed decisions through candidate report cards, conflict-of-interest tracking, promise accountability, and journalist transparency.We explore:- Why Travis believes democracy is failing ordinary citizens- The impact of the Citizens United ruling on modern elections- How campaign spending exploded from millions to billions- Why voters often face a “false choice” between establishment candidatesVThe vision for a citizen-owned civic internet- Candidate report cards and promise tracking- Journalist accountability and credibility scoring- Why FINC is movement-first and technology-second- A future where citizens—not corporations—own the platformLooking ahead to 2036, Travis envisions FINC becoming the primary hub for American political engagement, with ownership distributed through a unique one-person, one-share cooperative model.Whether you agree with the vision or not, this conversation raises important questions about trust, transparency, and the future of democratic participation.

Tiffany Muller talks to me about what Citizens United enabled, how crypto and AI fit into the bigger picture of money in politics, and what it would actually take to fix this broken system. Originally published on June 10, 2026.

Lauren Pinkston — the independent candidate for governor of Tennessee — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that the deepest problem in her state isn't left versus right, it's the near-total absence of two-party competition that has allowed one-party rule to calcify into something genuinely unhealthy. Pinkston, who was raised in an evangelical environment where she was taught that voting Democrat meant going to hell, offers a fascinating personal and political journey: she lived in communist Laos where people were persecuted for their faith, which gave her a firsthand understanding of why the Founders deliberately kept Christianity out of the Constitution, and she's now running explicitly against the kind of Christian nationalism that teaches America was divinely ordained. She argues Citizens United is a major reason Tennessee became so uncompetitive, walks through the mechanical difficulties of mounting a serious independent campaign, and contends that Marsha Blackburn isn't nearly as strong a candidate as she thinks she is. The conversation digs into Pinkston's actual governing vision and her theory of how an independent can build a winning coalition in one of the reddest states in the country. She wants to reform education and make teaching a genuinely fun profession again, and she's passionate about the way Nashville soaks up all the state's political investment while Memphis gets neglected — pointing out that crime in Memphis is at a 20-year low yet the city still can't attract investment, and that St. Jude is struggling to recruit talent because of H1-B visa denials. Pinkston is candid about the structural obstacles: Tennessee's constitution doesn't even allow for ballot measures, the GOP holds a stranglehold on the statehouse, and Republican leadership has been kicking moderate candidates off the ballot entirely. But she argues there's a real opening — Republicans in the state are looking for an offramp that isn't a Democrat, and even staunch Democrats are frustrated with their own party. Pinkston is energized about working with the Working Families Party and the Forward Party to build toward a more moderate, genuinely competitive two-party system, argues this is the strongest group of independent candidates to run in years, and wonders aloud whether being "too educated" has perversely become a negative quality in a candidate. She closes with a sharp observation that cuts to the heart of the whole project: Americans demand more than two options for literally everything in their lives except politics, politicians increasingly rely on performance over substance, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Lauren Pinkston joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 Why run for governor as an independent? 02:15 There’s a lack of two party competition in Tennessee 04:00 Some of the barriers for an insurgent candidacy have been removed 06:00 Citizen’s United was a big reason for TN becoming uncompetitive 06:45 Lauren was raised to feel that voting Dem meant going to hell 08:45 Politics has courted the evangelical vote & leaders for decades 09:30 Jimmy Carter’s pure faith made it harder for him to govern 10:15 Churches teach nationalism & that America was ordained by god 11:15 Founders specifically didn’t put christianity & religion into the constitution 12:15 Lauren lived in communist Laos, where people were persecuted for their faith 13:15 The mechanical difficulties of running as an independent 14:30 Businesses afraid to support a non-Republican candidate in TN 16:00 Democratic opponent has been receiving calls to drop out 17:15 Any chance Marsha Blackburn isn’t the GOP nominee? 18:00 Blackburn isn’t as strong of a candidate as she thinks she is 18:30 Three leading candidates are white women with colors in their name 20:00 What big ideas are you proposing that you hope stick with voters? 20:30 Want to reform education and make it a fun field for teachers to work 22:00 Nashville gets all the political support and Memphis gets neglected 22:45 Crime is at a 20 year low in Memphis, but it still doesn’t get investment 23:45 St. Jude struggling to recruit due to denial of H1-B visas 24:15 How would you govern with a Republican stranglehold on the statehouse? 25:00 State constitution doesn’t even allow for ballot measures 25:45 Need to invest in Chief Information Officers are the county level 27:15 Attracting support from disaffected Democrats and Republicans 29:45 There’s a deep history of good governance out of east Tennessee 31:00 Need leaders and not party puppets 32:00 GOP leadership in the state has kicked moderate candidates off the ballot 33:00 Republicans in the state are looking for an offramp that isn’t a Democrat 33:30 What does your winning coalition look like? 35:45 Can you succeed without winning? 36:15 Want to give people an onramp to political engagement 37:30 Excited about working with WFP and Forward Party 38:00 Want to create a more moderate two party system 39:45 Strongest group of independent candidates running in years 40:45 Possible that being too educated will be a negative quality in a candidate 42:15 Voter turnout is pretty low in both Nashville and Memphis 44:00 Even the most staunch Democrats are frustrated with their party 45:15 It will be hard to get either opponent to agree to a debate 47:15 People demand more than two options for everything except politics 49:15 Politicians rely more on performance now than substance 51:00 People will die if governing isn’t taken seriouslySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the resolution of a story he's been tracking for weeks: Graham Platner cruised to victory in Maine, comfortably clearing 70% even with Janet Mills' name still on the ballot — which he says means the scandals that had Platner in "save my campaign" mode turned out to be far less than a five-alarm fire. The deeper lesson, Chuck argues, is uncomfortable but revealing: for a significant share of Democratic primary voters, high character has become a luxury item, because the base is so exhausted by losing and capitulating to the establishment that it will forgive a flawed candidate who actually seems willing to fight. He notes that Maine has gotten meaningfully bluer since Susan Collins was last on the ballot (Harris underperformed nationally but actually drew more raw votes in Maine than Biden did), that a generic Democrat should win this seat by six or seven points, and that the only real question left is how many squeamish Democrats sit the race out rather than pull the lever for Platner. He runs through the rest of the night — Lindsey Graham narrowly avoided a runoff in South Carolina, the GOP gubernatorial race there is headed to a runoff that knocked out both Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman — and pulls back to identify the defining theme of the entire 2026 cycle: everyone, in both parties, is running on a message of change, with no candidate anywhere running on restoration the way Biden did in 2020. The messaging this cycle is relentlessly future-focused, the exact opposite of Trump's nostalgia, and Chuck reiterates his running observation that the worst possible first name to have in politics right now is "congressman" — because Washington experience carries zero value to voters this cycle. The split-screen between the parties remains stark: Republican voters still reward confrontation while Democratic primary voters are gravitating toward electability and consensus, Democratic turnout is rising while GOP turnout is flat or falling, and the throughline that's held for a decade is only intensifying — voters are demanding major change, and they'll punish anyone who doesn't offer it. Then, Lauren Pinkston — the independent candidate for governor of Tennessee — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that the deepest problem in her state isn't left versus right, it's the near-total absence of two-party competition that has allowed one-party rule to calcify into something genuinely unhealthy. Pinkston, who was raised in an evangelical environment where she was taught that voting Democrat meant going to hell, offers a fascinating personal and political journey: she lived in communist Laos where people were persecuted for their faith, which gave her a firsthand understanding of why the Founders deliberately kept Christianity out of the Constitution, and she's now running explicitly against the kind of Christian nationalism that teaches America was divinely ordained. She argues Citizens United is a major reason Tennessee became so uncompetitive, walks through the mechanical difficulties of mounting a serious independent campaign, and contends that Marsha Blackburn isn't nearly as strong a candidate as she thinks she is. The conversation digs into Pinkston's actual governing vision and her theory of how an independent can build a winning coalition in one of the reddest states in the country. She wants to reform education and make teaching a genuinely fun profession again, and she's passionate about the way Nashville soaks up all the state's political investment while Memphis gets neglected — pointing out that crime in Memphis is at a 20-year low yet the city still can't attract investment, and that St. Jude is struggling to recruit talent because of H1-B visa denials. Pinkston is candid about the structural obstacles: Tennessee's constitution doesn't even allow for ballot measures, the GOP holds a stranglehold on the statehouse, and Republican leadership has been kicking moderate candidates off the ballot entirely. But she argues there's a real opening — Republicans in the state are looking for an offramp that isn't a Democrat, and even staunch Democrats are frustrated with their own party. Pinkston is energized about working with the Working Families Party and the Forward Party to build toward a more moderate, genuinely competitive two-party system, argues this is the strongest group of independent candidates to run in years, and wonders aloud whether being "too educated" has perversely become a negative quality in a candidate. She closes with a sharp observation that cuts to the heart of the whole project: Americans demand more than two options for literally everything in their lives except politics, politicians increasingly rely on performance over substance, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Finally, Chuck updates his ToddCast Top 5 list of senate seats most likely to flip parties and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Predict the action all the way through the finals. Sign up now for your twenty-five dollar bonus on https://fanduel.com/predicts Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:15 Graham Platner cruised to victory will Janet Mills still on the ballot 04:15 Platner comfortably cleared 70%, it’s not a five alarm fire 05:45 Will there be more scandals from Platner? If so, what type? 06:30 For some primary voters, high character is a luxury item 08:15 The Democratic base is tired of losing & capitulating to establishment 08:45 A Platner election victory could change perception of the Democrats 10:30 Maine has gotten bluer since the last time Collins was on the ballot 11:30 Harris underperformed nationally, but had more raw vote in Maine than Biden 13:30 How many Dems will sit out the race rather than vote for Platner? 15:00 A generic Dem should win this race by 6-7 points 16:00 Lindsey Graham manages to avoid a runoff 16:45 South Carolina GOP gubernatorial race headed to runoff 17:15 Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman didn’t make the runoff 18:30 Everybody running in 2026 is running on a message of change 19:30 There’s no message of restoration similar to Biden’s campaign 20:30 Messaging is more future focused, the opposite of Trump 21:30 The worst first name to have in politics is congressman 24:45 Washington experience won’t carry value to voters this cycle 26:00 GOP voters still seemingly reward confrontation 27:00 Dem primary voters looking to electability/consensus candidates 28:45 Dem turnout on the rise, GOP turnout stagnant or down 29:30 For a decade, voters are demanding major change 36:45 Lauren Pinkston joins the Chuck ToddCast 37:45 Why run for governor as an independent? 39:00 There’s a lack of two party competition in Tennessee 40:45 Some of the barriers for an insurgent candidacy have been removed 42:45 Citizen’s United was a big reason for TN becoming uncompetitive 43:30 Lauren was raised to feel that voting Dem meant going to hell 45:30 Politics has courted the evangelical vote & leaders for decades 46:15 Jimmy Carter’s pure faith made it harder for him to govern 47:00 Churches teach nationalism & that America was ordained by god 48:00 Founders specifically didn’t put christianity & religion into the constitution 49:00 Lauren lived in communist Laos, where people were persecuted for their faith 50:00 The mechanical difficulties of running as an independent 51:15 Businesses afraid to support a non-Republican candidate in TN 52:45 Democratic opponent has been receiving calls to drop out 54:00 Any chance Marsha Blackburn isn’t the GOP nominee? 54:45 Blackburn isn’t as strong of a candidate as she thinks she is 55:15 Three leading candidates are white women with colors in their name 56:45 What big ideas are you proposing that you hope stick with voters? 57:15 Want to reform education and make it a fun field for teachers to work 58:45 Nashville gets all the political support and Memphis gets neglected 59:30 Crime is at a 20 year low in Memphis, but it still doesn’t get investment 1:00:30 St. Jude struggling to recruit due to denial of H1-B visas 1:01:00 How would you govern with a Republican stranglehold on the statehouse? 1:01:45 State constitution doesn’t even allow for ballot measures 1:02:30 Need to invest in Chief Information Officers are the county level 1:04:00 Attracting support from disaffected Democrats and Republicans 1:06:30 There’s a deep history of good governance out of east Tennessee 1:07:45 Need leaders and not party puppets 1:08:45 GOP leadership in the state has kicked moderate candidates off the ballot 1:09:45 Republicans in the state are looking for an offramp that isn’t a Democrat 1:10:15 What does your winning coalition look like? 1:12:30 Can you succeed without winning? 1:13:00 Want to give people an onramp to political engagement 1:14:15 Excited about working with WFP and Forward Party 1:14:45 Want to create a more moderate two party system 1:16:30 Strongest group of independent candidates running in years 1:17:30 Possible that being too educated will be a negative quality in a candidate 1:19:00 Voter turnout is pretty low in both Nashville and Memphis 1:20:45 Even the most staunch Democrats are frustrated with their party 1:22:00 It will be hard to get either opponent to agree to a debate 1:24:00 People demand more than two options for everything except politics 1:26:00 Politicians rely more on performance now than substance 1:27:45 People will die if governing isn’t taken seriously 1:29:15 Lack of competition in one party states isn’t good for democracy 1:30:30 Independents have better chance to win in one party states 1:32:30 ToddCast Top 5 senate seats most likely to flip 1:33:45 More senate seats are creeping to “in play” status 1:36:00 #1 North Carolina 1:37:45 #2 Ohio 1:40:45 #3 Michigan 1:44:15 #4 Iowa 1:47:15 #5 Maine 1:52:15 Ask Chuck 1:52:30 Could politicians' investments be limited by law to index funds? 1:54:15 Correction on Jeri Ryan’s Star Trek series 1:55:45 If candidates like Platner and El-Sayed lose, could progressives change course? 2:01:45 Will Trump’s disciples try to be too much like him once he leaves politics? 2:05:30 Are you seeing a real shift in coverage from CBS News? 2:10:45 Thoughts on Brendan Soresby being reinstated after gambling on himselfSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hawaii just enacted a groundbreaking law challenging Citizens United, the Supreme Court decision that unleashed unlimited corporate spending in elections. It's a major victory against big money's grip on democracy — but powerful interests are already gearing up for a legal showdown. On today's Lever Time, David Sirota speaks with Hawaii state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, one of the law's architects, about how the measure works, why Hawaii is leading the fight against Citizens United, and why reformers believe they finally have a path to victory. Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join. To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporations are people in the eyes of the law. But how did that happen, and why does it hand them rights you don't have?  UCLA law professor Adam Winkler, author of "We the Corporations", traces a 200-year campaign by business to win the constitutional rights of human beings. Bethany McLean and Luigi Zingales press him on what Zingales calls an incredible trick. Corporations insist they're separate from their owners when that shields owners from blame, then argue they're like people when they want to spend on elections or dodge a rule.  Winkler traces how the Fourteenth Amendment, written after the Civil War to protect the newly freed, became a tool for railroads and banks instead. He even describes a lawyer who, by his account, lied to the Supreme Court, producing a journal he claimed proved the amendment was meant for corporations.  Zingales pushes on what comes next: could AI itself qualify for legal personhood, and would that shield big tech from blame? When we ask Winkler for a shred of hope that the long arc doesn't simply keep favoring business, the answer is far shorter and blunter than expected.  Connect with us:

What Would America Look Like Without Citizens United?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Since the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, special interest groups have funneled millions into elections, including $79M in the California governor's race.

The Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson joins us to discuss Trump kneecapping JD Vance presidential aspirations. Then we'll talk to The Center For American Progress Tom Moore about his plan to overturn Citizens United that one state has already passed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sal Assante breaks down the shocking loss of Thomas Massie and what it reveals about systemic corruption in American politics. From dark money and Citizens United enabling backroom deals to the explosive growth of AI data centers threatening privacy, jobs, and freedom, this episode pulls no punches. Sal also dives into the heated MLB labor negotiations — salary caps, parity debates, and the future of America's pastime — plus wild prospects of meteor impacts and space mining as potential game-changers.

Look Forward breaks down the Texas Senate race turning ugly fast: Ken Paxton's first general election ad calls Democrat James Talarico "too Low-T for Texas," Stephen Miller falsely called the straight, cisgender Talarico Democrats' "first transgender senate candidate." GOP nicknames include "Tofu Talarico," "Six Gender Jimmy," and "Tala-freako." Talarico raised $600,000 in the two hours after Paxton clinched the nomination.The Iran war may be nearing its end, NYTimes reports the deal is 95% complete with the final 5% oddly being the entirety of the reason the conflict is continuing. But Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is threatening Oman, raising fears of a new front in the conflict. The Trump administration is considering disrupting international airline travel for passengers from sanctuary cities. Hawaii finds a clever constitutional workaround to limit Citizens United's corporate campaign finance dominance. A North Carolina GOP lawmaker pulls their name from a radical abortion bill after social media backlash.The DOJ opens a case against E. Jean Carroll which is clearly a transparent retaliation against Trump's rape accuser. Trump's team pushes to put his face on a new $250 bill. The National Park Service spends America 250th anniversary funds on golden horse statues. And artists immediately bail on DC's 250th birthday bash. We cover the Texas race, Iran's endgame, DOJ retaliation, and golden corruption.Look Forward is a weekly progressive political podcast covering U.S. politics, government policy, Democratic strategy, elections, voting rights, Supreme Court rulings, and political news. Featuring progressive commentary, political analysis, and unapologetic opinions on the fight for democracy. Hosted by Jay and Brad. A TNP Studios production. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms. For more TNP Studios content, check out The Nerdpocalypse (movie & TV news), Black on Black Cinema (Black film reviews), and Dense Pixels (video game news).

Tonight on GeekNights we consider cinema. We both love movies, and have for our entire lives. In the news, the K-shaped economy means the Steam Deck is expensive and also sold out, chemical disasters are occurring in the US, Hawaii is using state power to fight back against the disastrous Citizens United ruling, and Delaware is doing the literal opposite.Related LinksForum ThreadCinemaDiscord ChatCinemaBluesky PostCinemaThings of the DayRym - Incentive per diemScott - hallucinate: Massively Multiplayer Online Rave

The Governor of Hawaii, Josh Green, just signed into law a landmark piece of legislation that has the power to undo corporate moneyed interference in politics.

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In 2010, two landmark decisions transformed American campaign finance law. The first was Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The second was SpeechNow.org v. FEC. Together, these cases cleared the way for corporations and so-called Super PACs to raise and spend unlimited sums of money in elections. What followed was a new era in American politics where individuals, corporations, and industries increasingly spent more and more money to influence campaigns and public opinion. To debate the constitutional, political, and historical questions surrounding money in politics, we are joined by Larry Lessig and Paul Sherman. Lessig is a Harvard Law professor and the founder of Equal Citizens, one of the country's leading advocates for campaign finance reform. Sherman is a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice who served as co-counsel in SpeechNow.org. Read Larry's paper "If Roe, then Buckley" here. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:43 How Larry and Paul became interested in political speech and campaign finance 05:33 Citizens United, political speech, and quid pro quo corruption 18:34 What was the SpeechNow case? 32:31 Elon Musk and billionaire influence in the 2024 election 49:06 History of campaign finance regulation 51:26 First Amendment originalism, Federalist 52, and Federalist 57 01:07:07 Does money actually influence election outcomes? 01:14:20 Outro Enjoy listening to the podcast? Donate to FIRE today and get exclusive content like member webinars, special episodes, and more. If you became a FIRE Member through a donation to FIRE at fire.org and would like access to Substack's paid subscriber podcast feed, please email sotospeak@fire.org.

The Central California Blood Center is asking for more donors because it faces a seasonal shortage, especially as summer approaches and fewer people donate. Officials say donations drop when schools are out and blood drives slow down, but hospitals still need a steady supply for emergencies, surgeries, and cancer treatment—making donations critical since one donation can help save up to three lives. States are increasingly trying new ways to limit corporate money in elections, despite the long‑standing impact of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which allows unlimited independent political spending by corporations and unions. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Central California Blood Center is asking for more donors because it faces a seasonal shortage, especially as summer approaches and fewer people donate. Officials say donations drop when schools are out and blood drives slow down, but hospitals still need a steady supply for emergencies, surgeries, and cancer treatment—making donations critical since one donation can help save up to three lives. States are increasingly trying new ways to limit corporate money in elections, despite the long‑standing impact of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which allows unlimited independent political spending by corporations and unions. Please Like, Comment and Follow 'Philip Teresi on KMJ' on all platforms: --- Philip Teresi on KMJ is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts. -- Philip Teresi on KMJ Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM KMJ | Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Podcast | Amazon | - Everything KMJ KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good news on the environment, the public option, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and Citizens United! Donald returns to Walter Reed for yet another non-annual annual physical. Donald's remarks at Arlington were a train wreck. CNN expert questions Donald's constant sleeping in public. Donald's record of doctor visits over the last year. The non-ceasefire continues to be a non-ceasefire. Iran threatens retaliation. The Iran War is a tax on MAGA. Iran knows when the midterms will be held. Newsmax, Tomi Lahren, and Ted Cruz challenge the regime on Iran non-ceasefire. Court of appeals rejects Alabama's racist map. With Jody Hamilton, David Ferguson, music by Seth Adam, Keturah Allgood, and more! Brought to you by Russ Rybicki, SharePower Responsible Investing. Support our new sponsor and get free shipping at Quince.com/bob!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Talk What You Know — Hard Talk EditionEpisode 28: “The Corporate Power Reset”Can the States Take Back What Citizens United Gave Away?Hosted by Rev. Dr. Donald R. JonesWho really owns the microphone in American democracy?The people?The voters?Or the corporations with enough money to flood elections with influence?In this episode of Talk What You Know — Hard Talk Edition, Rev. Dr. Donald R. Jones takes on one of the biggest constitutional questions of our time:

This bill in Hawaii (which embraces a strategy known as "Corporate Power Reset") is meant to sidestep Citizens United and the dark money it injected into our democracy. Other states are taking notice. Ali Velshi explains.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie was decisively ousted on Tuesday night in his Kentucky primary, a win for President Donald Trump, who had launched an all-out attack on the congressman for his role in pushing for the release of the Epstein files. But in Pennsylvania, the left had a lot to celebrate. Chris Rabb won by nearly 15 points in Philadelphia in a major win for progressives. And Bob Brooks, a retired firefighter and union head, sailed to victory with the support of both the left and moderates. Mysterious super PACs with ties to Republican donors poured millions into influencing the election results in both states with varying degrees of success. In Kentucky, AIPAC's super political action committee and two other groups backed by pro-Israel donors spent more than $15 million in opposition to Massie or in support of his opponent, according to Federal Election Commission reports released through Tuesday. In Pennsylvania, advertisements from Lead Left — a super PAC that reportedly has ties to Republican donors — dropped ads attacking two of the candidates as not progressive enough, leading to speculation that Republicans were trying to prop up a weaker candidate for the general election. This week on The Intercept Briefing, host Jessica Washington and politics reporter Matt Sledge break down the contentious primary races, the record-level campaign spending and how obscure groups funding the midterm elections are hiding donors' tracks.“Groups can kind of game campaign finance deadlines and create super PACs to funnel money to other super PACs so that reporting deadlines are missed and use these ‘pop-up super PACs' to ensure that ordinary voters never find out who is funding ads before a campaign happens,” says Sledge. “Sometimes there's even a second layer of pop-up super PACness where those bland-sounding groups send money to other bland-sounding groups. God help you if you're an ordinary voter trying to track all this money.”The consequential U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United 16 years ago has allowed courts to chip away at campaign financing restrictions. “Now here we are where any industry that's facing regulation or any donors who support an unpopular cause can really just open the spigots and try to throw primaries their way,” adds Sledge. Certain industries have gotten smart about how to hide where the money is coming from. “Ordinary voters don't generally like crypto, AI or gambling. They may tolerate it at a maximum, but they're not motivated by the idea of electing pro-crypto, pro-AI, pro-gambling people,” notes Sledge. “But all of these industries have realized, ‘OK, we can use super PACs that run ads that have nothing to do with our industry and get our friends elected to Congress, and they are going to remember that we spent a lot of money on their races.'”For more, listen to the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.Keep our investigations free and fearless at theintercept.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Citizens United

Send us Fan MailThe American Dream depends on something we rarely measure directly: whether ordinary people can still shape the rules they live under. When wealth concentrates into the hands of a tiny elite, the damage isn't just economic. It changes what democracy can even do. We dig into how today's inequality is driven by “super wealth,” why that concentration is historically familiar, and how it quietly kills class mobility by making stable work, home ownership, and upward movement harder to reach.We follow the money as it moves from boardrooms into politics, turning elections into high-priced contests that pull parties toward major donors and corporate power. Along the way, we connect the dots between financialization, offshoring, wage pressure, and the deliberate use of worker insecurity to weaken bargaining power. We also get specific about the policy pipeline: tax shifts away from wealth and toward wages, deregulation that invites crashes, and a bailout cycle where the public absorbs the risk while the gains stay private. If you've ever wondered why public opinion can feel irrelevant, this is the mechanism.Then we step back and ask what's happening to solidarity itself. Social Security and public schools aren't just programs; they're shared commitments, and they become targets when the goal is to turn citizens into isolated consumers. We also unpack corporate personhood, money as speech, and Citizens United, plus how advertising logic bleeds into political messaging to produce an uninformed electorate. The episode ends where it should: with the practical lesson that rights and reforms are won through organizing, sustained pressure, and countless small deeds that build real movements.If this connects with what you're seeing in your community, subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more people can find it. What part of this cycle do you think is most urgent to break first? Support the show

US House candidate Emily Berge in studio, discussing the issues she’s hearing from the people around Wisconsin’s 3rd District — healthcare, money in politics, the price of gas, and healthcare (again). We started the show, though, discussing party “infighting” — this trigger word political parties use to call out the other side, and how maybe this “infighting” isn’t such a terrible thing vs. an entire party being unified on everything. After that, we talked about how, traveling the district, Berge hears complaints about healthcare and money in politics a lot. Berge talks about her ideas on how to resolve those issues, like Medicare-for-All and ending Citizens United, plus having representatives that are ready to fight for those ideals. Berge also talks about the money in her race and how she was asked not to run. Lastly, we discussed gas prices and the war, where Berge talks about the need to focus and prioritize on issues back home vs. things like a war with Iran.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us Fan MailHawaii did not “fix” Citizens United, but it did something rarer: it picked a fight with the idea that corporations get to buy our politics without consequence. We dig into Hawaii's Senate Bill 2471 and the legal theory behind it, then ask the question sitting under all the court doctrine and campaign finance jargon: are voters still the basic unit of democracy, or are we just the background noise behind donor checks and corporate influence?From there we head to Louisiana, where redistricting battles and suspended primaries show how power can rewrite the rules while people are trying to participate. We break down why gerrymandering and vote dilution are not abstract problems, especially for Black voters, Latino voters, and communities that keep getting cracked up or packed in. If representatives can choose their voters, what are elections even for?Then we confront a moment that exposes elite politics in plain language: Trump's remark that Americans' financial situations are “not even a little bit” motivating decisions around Iran. We talk through the moral problem of treating working families as a footnote, connect it to inflation data like wholesale prices and energy shocks, and look at warning signs like credit card delinquencies and rising food price risk. We also hit the War Powers fight over congressional authorization and end with a hard look at SNAP cuts and the way “dignity of work” gets used as cover for cruelty.If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share the episode with someone who argues with you in good faith, and leave a review so more people can find independent media that refuses tribalism. Support the show

Former Department of Justice pardon attorney Liz Oyer describes being pulled out of a meeting, told to pack up her belongings, and walked out by security the same day. Her offense, she said, was refusing to recommend that the attorney general restore gun rights to a politically connected celebrity without the information she believed was necessary to make that judgment safely. “Once you compromise your integrity, you cannot get it back,” she said. That moment sets the tone for a candid conversation about what it means to serve inside the Department of Justice, and what happens when career lawyers believe the institution they devoted themselves to has changed. Moderated by Stanford Law professor Pam Karlan, this episode brings together Oyer, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Rosen, and former DOJ civil rights lawyer Stacey Young for a discussion of public service, prosecutorial independence, clemency, civil rights, professional ethics, and the difficult questions of when to stay, when to leave, and when to speak out. The panel, recorded at a live law school event and presented by the Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession and the Neukom Center for the Rule of Law, offers a close look at the professional obligations of government lawyers from people who spent years doing the work: Rosen supervising more than 1,000 prosecutions stemming from January 6; Oyer overseeing the federal pardon process and thousands of clemency petitions; and Young working in the Civil Rights Division while also founding the DOJ Gender Equality Network. Karlan, herself a former DOJ official, draws out the deeper questions behind their stories. Links: Former DOJ Lawyers Discuss Duty, Integrity, and Public Service During Stanford Law Panel >>> Stanford Law page Connect: Episode Transcripts >>> Stanford Legal Podcast Website Stanford Legal Podcast >>> LinkedIn Page Rich Ford >>>  Twitter/X Pam Karlan >>> Stanford Law School Page Stanford Law School >>> Twitter/X Stanford Lawyer Magazine >>> Twitter/X (00:00:00) Introductions and what drew each panelist to DOJ (00:08:24) Loyalty inside the institution (00:11:19) January 6th pardons: impact on prosecutors and lack of vetting (00:32:04) Liz Oyer's firing over the Mel Gibson gun-rights recommendation (00:43:23) The "stay or go" dilemma and the bifurcated job market (00:47:15) Rebuilding DOJ: norms vs. enforceable laws and the communications problem [00:57:00) Student Q&A: red lines, accountability, and the Epstein files Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SEASON 4 EPISODE 84: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (3:00) SPECIAL COMMENT: Back from a week off just in time to put the podcast on health hiatus...details within today's supersized edition. Plus, befitting the time off, some meta pictures on how Democrats should plan for what they want this country to look like on its 300th anniversary, if it lasts that long. Will we have jailed Trump and gotten back the money he took? Undone his damage? Eliminated the anachronistic idea that Wyoming should have as many senators as California? Let the Supreme Court continue to lie, cheat and steal the democracy from under us? As John Candy said in "Splash": Think big, be big, my friend. MORE IMMEDIATELY: Whaddya mean the Governor of Virginia hasn't been BRIEFED on the way to overturn her state's Supreme Court's usurpation of redistricting? Why the hell not Hakeem Jeffries? Anybody notice Trump is simply rotating the same three lies about Iran? Why are only independent journalists like Garrett Graff still covering the WHCD non-shooting when the New York Times is doing 31 paragraphs on the future of the dinner like anybody gave a crap? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: stop saying Trump is painting everything GOLD. That color is not GOLD. It is the color of WEE WEE. Say it. Use the clinical terms, use the gutter terms. The gutter terms define this idiot president. Stop saying gold when you mean whizzzzzzzzzzzzzz. B-Block (56:00) ON THE PASSING OF TED TURNER: Hard to believe few of the obituaries mentioned how he also invented 7-day-a-week sports on national television. Or how Jane Fonda kept him from destroying himself in, like, 1982. One particularly harrowing saga had him telling the lowest ranking staffer at CNN's Washington Bureau which way, when he finally decided he'd do it, he'd do it. And this is said with admiration and affection for the man who created the place where I and so many of the figures of the last 45 years began our TV careers. C-Block (1:30:00) ALL TED ALL THE TIME: I was holding back until I was certain I wouldn't jinx him. My beloved first rescue dog, Ted, was up against it last fall. I took him to the University of Florida for life-saving open heart surgery and boy, did they! Eight hours on the table, eight hours of SICU, all for an eight pound dog and now - he's not even on any medications! It's a long story and I would insist it's worth hearing it. And if you have a dog (or know of one) moving from Mitral Valve Disease to Heart Failure, maybe this will provide you with hope - and an option.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let us know what you think of the show and what we can do better! Calling yourself patriotic is easy. Living like a patriot is harder, especially when the facts feel messy and the incentives in politics push us toward slogans instead of responsibility. We sit down with Michael T. Lester, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Desert Storm veteran, and cybersecurity leader, to talk about why he titled his book We Are the Bad Guys and what he means by it: not that Americans are bad people, but that U.S. foreign policy is often experienced abroad as coercion, not liberation. That outside view can be shocking, and it can also be clarifying. We unpack how beliefs are shaped through selective information, repetition, and social proof, the mechanics behind manufactured consent. Then we zoom out to history and geopolitics, touching on examples like Central America, Hawaii's overthrow, and the 1953 Iran coup and why “it came out of nowhere” is often a symptom of missing context. We also connect the dots back home: opportunity costs in federal spending, a growing civic knowledge gap, and why performative patriotism can replace real involvement. Finally, we get practical. We talk campaign finance, super PACs, Citizens United, closed primaries, gerrymandering, and reforms like ranked-choice voting and the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Most importantly, we lay out steps you can take now: start local, keep conversations nonpartisan, learn who represents you, and hold them accountable in ways that actually get seen. If this made you rethink anything, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people find the conversation.Stories of Service presents guests' stories and opinions in their own words, reflecting their personal experiences and perspectives. While shared respectfully and authentically, the podcast does not independently verify all statements. Views expressed are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the host, producers, government agencies, or podcast affiliates.Support the showVisit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTERRead my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.comWatch episodes of my podcast:https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

Two simple ideas to end Citizens United and force good government. Palantir oligarchs publish their techno-fascist manifesto. It's as bad as you think. And, a handful of loudmouth podcasters shaping the major political parties is no way to run a country.   www.charlesbursell.com

Some people live through change. Cordell J. Overgaard tracked it, worked inside it, and then sat down to tell the truth about what it did to law, media, politics, and everyday life.We talk about his memoir, Watching Things Change, and why it started as a message to his grandchildren before widening into a frank look at American systems. Cordell shares why Citizens United still matters, how campaign contributions distort incentives, and why “who funds a candidate” is now a basic voter skill. We also dig into information literacy in the social media era, where confidence can masquerade as expertise and bad sources can quietly shape what you believe.Then we move through the career chapters that make his story so unusual: Harvard Law, corporate law's shift toward billable hours and bigger firms, and what AI could realistically automate in the legal profession. From there, Cordell takes us into the early days of FM radio and cable television, showing how timing, formats, and scale can make or break a media business long before the public realizes the ground is moving.The conversation also gets deeply personal, including the Steve Small kidnapping case and the way one late-night phone call can permanently change how you think about safety and risk. We close with practical advice for young professionals on adapting to rapid change, staying informed, and getting involved without losing your footing.If you care about American politics, media change, AI disruption, and real-world career lessons, this one will stick with you. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.Support the showElsa's AMAZON STORE Elsa's FAITH & FREEDOM MERCH STOREElsa's BOOKSElsa Kurt: You may know her for her uncanny, viral Kamala Harris impressions & conservative comedy skits, but she's also a lifelong Patriot & longtime Police Wife. She has channeled her fierce love and passion for God, family, country, and those who serve as the creator, Executive Producer & Host of the Elsa Kurt Show with Clay Novak. Her show discusses today's topics & news from a middle class/blue collar family & conservative perspective. The vocal LEOW's career began as a multi-genre author who has penned over 25 books, including twelve contemporary women's novels. Clay Novak: Clay Novak was commissioned in 1995 as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and served as an officer for twenty four years in Mechanized Infantry, Airborne Infantry, and Cavalry units .  He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2019. Clay is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School and is a Master Rated Parachutist, serving for more tha...

We are back with another Open Book Q&A — the episode where you ask, I answer, and nobody's feelings are guaranteed to survive intact. From repealing Citizens United to what Trump is really like behind closed doors, we're getting into all of it today, so let's go.

Zach Wahls — the Iowa state senator, former minority leader, and U.S. Senate candidate who first went viral as a 19-year-old in 2011 for his moving speech defending his two moms before the Iowa legislature — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that Democrats have a real shot at flipping statewide races in Iowa this cycle. Wahls explains how he realized at 13 that the GOP was targeting his own family, how he still considers marriage equality to be genuinely under threat today, and pushes back on the narrative that Iowa has abandoned its famous libertarian streak — noting that the vast majority of Iowans remain pro-choice and supportive of marriage equality even as the state has drifted red. He argues that Obama-Trump voters are plentiful in Iowa and that rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment — a dynamic Trump spoke to effectively in 2016 when the state was in a regional recession. Wahls points to the party's post-New Deal legacy of fighting for workers' rights, but he also reveals he wouldn't support Chuck Schumer for Senate leadership — a position that's apparently cost him, as Schumer-linked super PACs are now spending millions against him in the primary. The conversation turns to what Wahls sees as the defining issue of his campaign: the obscene influence of dark money in American politics. He reveals that a bipartisan Iowa bill to get money out of state politics was killed by lobbyists and GOP opposition, that he's received small-dollar donations from all 99 Iowa counties while refusing corporate PAC money, and that his anti-corruption message is genuinely resonating with voters who are exhausted by the current system. Wahls says he'll co-sponsor a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, discusses his openness to banning private equity from owning residential homes and responds to being labeled a "Sanders/Warren" candidate. Wahls pledges to lead by example on anti-corruption by serving only two terms if elected, shares concerns about state reliance on gambling revenue as a signal of voter economic anxiety, and closes with a deeply relatable observation every young parent will recognize: with a two-year-old at home, his monthly childcare bill now costs as much as his mortgage. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Zach Wahls joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 Democrats have a real chance at flipping statewide Iowa races 04:00 Did you always know you were going to be in politics? 05:45 Realized at 13 years old the GOP was targeting his own family 06:45 Going viral in 2011 for speech defending his two moms 08:00 Gay marriage rights are still under threat today 09:30 Does Iowa’s famous libertarian streak still exist today? 10:45 Vast majority of Iowans are pro-choice and support marriage equality 12:00 There are a lot of Obama/Trump voters in Iowa 13:30 Union leadership in Iowa leans Dem, rank & file lean GOP 15:15 Rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment 16:00 Iowa was in a regional recession in 2016, Trump spoke to that 17:30 Why run as a Democrat vs. as an independent? 18:30 Since the New Deal, Democrats have fought for workers rights 19:00 Wouldn’t support Chuck Schumer for senate leadership 19:45 Schumer-linked Super PAC spending millions against him 21:00 How do you avoid being painted as focused on identity & not economics? 23:00 The impact of dark money has tainted American & Iowa politics 24:30 Bipartisan bill to get money out of politics in Iowa spiked by lobbyists & GOP 25:45 The money in politics has gotten obscene quickly in recent years 27:00 What would a campaign finance constitutional amendment look like? 28:30 Republican aligned PACs set to spend huge money in Iowa in the fall 29:15 Received small dollar donations from all 99 counties, no corporate PAC $ 30:15 Anti-corruption message is resonating with voters 31:30 Can you unilaterally disarm in the face of huge Republican spending? 32:30 Will co-sponsor amendment to overturn Citizen’s United 33:45 What did you learn from your stint in leadership in the legislature? 36:00 There was no clear strategic plan for Democrats to take back majority 37:00 There were basic organizational issues for Iowa Dems that needed to be fixed 37:45 Needed to rebuild relationships with organized labor 40:00 Stint in leadership doesn’t make him have more sympathy for Schumer 40:45 Democrats didn’t know what they were asking for during shutdown 41:30 If Democrats get the majority…do you work with Trump? 42:45 Have a responsibility to work across the aisle if it helps people 43:30 Open to banning private equity from owning homes, anti monopoly in meat 44:45 Price of fire trucks has tripled due to private equity buying up the manufacturing 46:30 Is the description of being the “Sanders/Warren” candidate a fair description? 49:00 Part-time legislatures don’t have the institutional knowledge of the lobbyists 50:30 Must lead by example on anti-corruption, will only serve two terms if elected 51:30 Thoughts on “vice taxes” & gambling to help state generate revenue? 54:30 High interest in gambling speaks to fear for economic future in voters 56:45 How has having a two year old affected your life & job? 57:30 Childcare costs as much as his mortgage with one childSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens on Tax Day — which the Trump team had planned as a political celebration showcasing bigger refunds, but which has instead become what he dubs the "One Big Beautiful BUST," with any gains from the tax cut completely eaten up by Trump's tariffs and the Iran war. Todd argues the economy isn't in recession but isn't good either, that voters simply won't feel the effects of Trump's tax cut, and that America now faces the genuine prospect of 1970s-style stagflation. H predicts we'll ultimately end up with an Iran deal that looks remarkably similar to the Obama deal Trump once ripped up, and notes that Trump's Jesus meme played terribly even with his own base — forcing him to backpedal with weak excuses — because when things are going well that kind of provocation gets a pass, but Trump is now squarely in the "bad gets worse" stage of his presidency where the coalition hasn't collapsed but the cracks are visibly widening. He pivots to Viktor Orbán's decisive defeat in Hungary after 16 years in power, an election that featured massive voter turnout and was won by opposition leader Péter Magyar — an insider who gave Orbán's own voters a "permission slip" to leave by connecting democratic erosion directly to the bad economy. He argues America used to set the weather for democracy worldwide but hasn't been the leading model in 15 years, points to the mainstream party vote share in the UK falling below 40% as evidence of a broader cultural conservative backlash happening across democracies, and closes with a historically grounded warning: Hungary proves that political breakthroughs come from defectors within the system rather than outsiders challenging it, and history suggests real change rarely comes from merely tweaking the machinery — it comes from someone giving voters permission to abandon a failing project. Then, Zach Wahls — the Iowa state senator, former minority leader, and U.S. Senate candidate who first went viral as a 19-year-old in 2011 for his moving speech defending his two moms before the Iowa legislature — joins the Chuck Toddcast to make the case that Democrats have a real shot at flipping statewide races in Iowa this cycle. Wahls explains how he realized at 13 that the GOP was targeting his own family, how he still considers marriage equality to be genuinely under threat today, and pushes back on the narrative that Iowa has abandoned its famous libertarian streak — noting that the vast majority of Iowans remain pro-choice and supportive of marriage equality even as the state has drifted red. He argues that Obama-Trump voters are plentiful in Iowa and that rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment — a dynamic Trump spoke to effectively in 2016 when the state was in a regional recession. Wahls points to the party's post-New Deal legacy of fighting for workers' rights, but he also reveals he wouldn't support Chuck Schumer for Senate leadership — a position that's apparently cost him, as Schumer-linked super PACs are now spending millions against him in the primary. The conversation turns to what Wahls sees as the defining issue of his campaign: the obscene influence of dark money in American politics. He reveals that a bipartisan Iowa bill to get money out of state politics was killed by lobbyists and GOP opposition, that he's received small-dollar donations from all 99 Iowa counties while refusing corporate PAC money, and that his anti-corruption message is genuinely resonating with voters who are exhausted by the current system. Wahls says he'll co-sponsor a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, discusses his openness to banning private equity from owning residential homes and responds to being labeled a "Sanders/Warren" candidate. Wahls pledges to lead by example on anti-corruption by serving only two terms if elected, shares concerns about state reliance on gambling revenue as a signal of voter economic anxiety, and closes with a deeply relatable observation every young parent will recognize: with a two-year-old at home, his monthly childcare bill now costs as much as his mortgage. Finally, Chuck provides a spin on the ToddCast Top 5 and instead lists the senate seats he ranks as 6th-10th most likely to flip and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:00 It’s Tax Day and Trump’s team planned on it being a boon 03:00 Bigger tax refunds eaten by Trump’s tariffs and Iran war 03:45 Tax day instead will be the One Big Beautiful BUST 04:30 Economy isn’t in recession, but it’s not good 05:15 If Trump didn’t impose tariffs & start war, today would be good for him 06:00 Facing the potential of stagflation for a decade like in the 70s 07:00 Voters won’t feel the effects of Trump’s tax cut 08:15 Economic conditions could go off a cliff if war doesn’t end 09:15 This period of Trump’s presidency will be viewed as when it ended 10:00 It’s clear we’ll get a deal with the Iranians similar to Obama’s deal 11:30 Trump’s jesus meme played terribly, even with his base 12:30 Trump backpedaled and came up with bad excuses for meme 13:45 Everybody has a line that Trump will eventually cross 15:00 If things were going well, the meme wouldn’t get the same backlash 16:15 Trump is in the “bad gets worse” stage of his presidency 18:15 Trump’s coalition hasn’t collapsed, but cracks are getting wider 18:45 Viktor Orban trounced in Hungarian elections after 16 years of rule 20:00 We assumed that America democracy set the weather for democracies 20:45 In the last 15 years, America’s democracy isn’t the leading model 22:00 Cultural conservative backlash happening in many democracies 23:00 Mainstream party vote share in UK has dropped below 40% 24:00 Center-left and center-right UK parties would lose to far left/right 24:45 Hungary’s election was decisive with mass voter turnout 25:30 Magyar was an insider, gave Orban voters permission slip to leave 26:15 Magyar connected democratic erosion to the bad economy 26:45 Vance tried to rescue Orban and that backfired horribly 27:15 How much Hungarian money didn’t American influencers receive? 28:30 America’s political system just vacillates and feels stuck 29:00 Hungary showed the breakthrough comes from defectors, not outsiders 30:15 History suggests that change doesn’t come from tweaking the system 36:00 Zach Wahls joins the Chuck ToddCast 38:00 Democrats have a real chance at flipping statewide Iowa races 40:00 Did you always know you were going to be in politics? 41:45 Realized at 13 years old the GOP was targeting his own family 42:45 Going viral in 2011 for speech defending his two moms 44:00 Gay marriage rights are still under threat today 45:30 Does Iowa’s famous libertarian streak still exist today? 46:45 Vast majority of Iowans are pro-choice and support marriage equality 48:00 There are a lot of Obama/Trump voters in Iowa 49:30 Union leadership in Iowa leans Dem, rank & file lean GOP 51:15 Rural Iowa communities feel forgotten by the establishment 52:00 Iowa was in a regional recession in 2016, Trump spoke to that 53:30 Why run as a Democrat vs. as an independent? 54:30 Since the New Deal, Democrats have fought for workers rights 55:00 Wouldn’t support Chuck Schumer for senate leadership 55:45 Schumer-linked Super PAC spending millions against him 57:00 How do you avoid being painted as focused on identity & not economics? 59:00 The impact of dark money has tainted American & Iowa politics 1:00:30 Bipartisan bill to get money out of politics in Iowa spiked by lobbyists & GOP 1:01:45 The money in politics has gotten obscene quickly in recent years 1:03:00 What would a campaign finance constitutional amendment look like? 1:04:30 Republican aligned PACs set to spend huge money in Iowa in the fall 1:05:15 Received small dollar donations from all 99 counties, no corporate PAC $ 1:06:15 Anti-corruption message is resonating with voters 1:07:30 Can you unilaterally disarm in the face of huge Republican spending? 1:08:30 Will co-sponsor amendment to overturn Citizen’s United 1:09:45 What did you learn from your stint in leadership in the legislature? 1:12:00 There was no clear strategic plan for Democrats to take back majority 1:13:00 There were basic organizational issues for Iowa Dems that needed to be fixed 1:13:45 Needed to rebuild relationships with organized labor 1:16:00 Stint in leadership doesn’t make him have more sympathy for Schumer 1:16:45 Democrats didn’t know what they were asking for during shutdown 1:17:30 If Democrats get the majority…do you work with Trump? 1:18:45 Have a responsibility to work across the aisle if it helps people 1:19:30 Open to banning private equity from owning homes, anti monopoly in meat 1:20:45 Price of fire trucks has tripled due to private equity buying up the manufacturing 1:22:30 Is the description of being the “Sanders/Warren” candidate a fair description? 1:25:00 Part-time legislatures don’t have the institutional knowledge of the lobbyists 1:26:30 Must lead by example on anti-corruption, will only serve two terms if elected 1:27:30 Thoughts on “vice taxes” & gambling to help state generate revenue? 1:30:30 High interest in gambling speaks to fear for economic future in voters 1:32:45 How has having a two year old affected your life & job? 1:33:30 Childcare costs as much as his mortgage with one child 1:37:30 ToddCast Not Top 5 - The next 5 senate seats most likely to flip 1:38:30 Political environment is highly favorable for Democrats 1:40:00 Top 5, NC, ME, OH, AK, NE 1:41:45 #6 Texas 1:42:30 #7 Michigan 1:45:30 #8 Georgia 1:46:00 #9 Iowa 1:47:45 #10 Montana 1:50:15 Ask Chuck 1:50:30 Are Republicans more in danger of fracturing than Democrats? 1:57:00 Was there a backroom deal for resignation of Swalwell & Gonzales? 1:58:30 Rubio’s shoes are the most “Veep” thing in Trump administration 2:02:00 How can CA Dems win over rural GOP voters in the state? 2:07:30 Best national and international news sources to stay informed?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last twenty-five years, the concept of per-sonhood has become central to many contentious debates. Corporations have won free speech protections, as if they were individuals. The right to life or freedom has been claimed on behalf of fetuses, trees, and elephants. The fund of human rights is spilling over into the nonhuman.Lisa Siraganian's The Problem of Personhood: Giving Rights to Trees, Corporations, and Robots (Verso, 2026) reveals the unsettling consequences of granting rights to imagined persons, such as Sophia the robot citizen or New Zealand's Whanganui River. Synthesizing the political and phil­osophical debates on personhood and drawing on a varied cast of thinkers that includes Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt, and Dr. Seuss, Siraganian un­covers the disturbing impact of this contemporary development. Awarding rights to robots and rivers all too easily becomes a legal tool to turn people into capital. When robot Sophia is made a citizen, “she” is transformed into a subject in the law without the corre­sponding legal duties that protect us from her.At the root of this trend is the US Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling that grants First Amendment rights to corporations as if they were individuals. The result has not been the transformation of things into humans so much as humans into things, when animals and the environment would be better protected with reference to our humanity rather than to theirs. Lisa Siraganian is the J. R. Herbert Boone Chair in Humanities and Professor in the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland, USA). Her work has won multiple awards and has been supported by fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Endowment of the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Siraganian has written award-winning scholarly monographs that bridge literary criticism, art criticism, and legal and philosophical scholarship. More recently, she was the Editor of the Norton Anthology of American Literature, 10th edition, Volume D (1914-1945) (2022). Tim Wyman-McCarthy is a Lecturer in the discipline of Human Rights and Associate Director of Graduate Studies at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights and the Department of Sociology at Columbia University. He can be reached at tw2468@columbia.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On episode 101, Charles talks to Sarah Isgur about her new book, Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme Court. What is the role of the Court? Do Americans understand it? Why has it survived? Do the justices get along? Why does everyone hate Citizens United? Is it a paradox that to get the Court to change the law, one often has to break the law? The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the last twenty-five years, the concept of per-sonhood has become central to many contentious debates. Corporations have won free speech protections, as if they were individuals. The right to life or freedom has been claimed on behalf of fetuses, trees, and elephants. The fund of human rights is spilling over into the nonhuman.Lisa Siraganian's The Problem of Personhood: Giving Rights to Trees, Corporations, and Robots (Verso, 2026) reveals the unsettling consequences of granting rights to imagined persons, such as Sophia the robot citizen or New Zealand's Whanganui River. Synthesizing the political and phil­osophical debates on personhood and drawing on a varied cast of thinkers that includes Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt, and Dr. Seuss, Siraganian un­covers the disturbing impact of this contemporary development. Awarding rights to robots and rivers all too easily becomes a legal tool to turn people into capital. When robot Sophia is made a citizen, “she” is transformed into a subject in the law without the corre­sponding legal duties that protect us from her.At the root of this trend is the US Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling that grants First Amendment rights to corporations as if they were individuals. The result has not been the transformation of things into humans so much as humans into things, when animals and the environment would be better protected with reference to our humanity rather than to theirs. Lisa Siraganian is the J. R. Herbert Boone Chair in Humanities and Professor in the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland, USA). Her work has won multiple awards and has been supported by fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Endowment of the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Siraganian has written award-winning scholarly monographs that bridge literary criticism, art criticism, and legal and philosophical scholarship. More recently, she was the Editor of the Norton Anthology of American Literature, 10th edition, Volume D (1914-1945) (2022). Tim Wyman-McCarthy is a Lecturer in the discipline of Human Rights and Associate Director of Graduate Studies at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights and the Department of Sociology at Columbia University. He can be reached at tw2468@columbia.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Over the last twenty-five years, the concept of per-sonhood has become central to many contentious debates. Corporations have won free speech protections, as if they were individuals. The right to life or freedom has been claimed on behalf of fetuses, trees, and elephants. The fund of human rights is spilling over into the nonhuman.Lisa Siraganian's The Problem of Personhood: Giving Rights to Trees, Corporations, and Robots (Verso, 2026) reveals the unsettling consequences of granting rights to imagined persons, such as Sophia the robot citizen or New Zealand's Whanganui River. Synthesizing the political and phil­osophical debates on personhood and drawing on a varied cast of thinkers that includes Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt, and Dr. Seuss, Siraganian un­covers the disturbing impact of this contemporary development. Awarding rights to robots and rivers all too easily becomes a legal tool to turn people into capital. When robot Sophia is made a citizen, “she” is transformed into a subject in the law without the corre­sponding legal duties that protect us from her.At the root of this trend is the US Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling that grants First Amendment rights to corporations as if they were individuals. The result has not been the transformation of things into humans so much as humans into things, when animals and the environment would be better protected with reference to our humanity rather than to theirs. Lisa Siraganian is the J. R. Herbert Boone Chair in Humanities and Professor in the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland, USA). Her work has won multiple awards and has been supported by fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Endowment of the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Siraganian has written award-winning scholarly monographs that bridge literary criticism, art criticism, and legal and philosophical scholarship. More recently, she was the Editor of the Norton Anthology of American Literature, 10th edition, Volume D (1914-1945) (2022). Tim Wyman-McCarthy is a Lecturer in the discipline of Human Rights and Associate Director of Graduate Studies at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights and the Department of Sociology at Columbia University. He can be reached at tw2468@columbia.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Over the last twenty-five years, the concept of per-sonhood has become central to many contentious debates. Corporations have won free speech protections, as if they were individuals. The right to life or freedom has been claimed on behalf of fetuses, trees, and elephants. The fund of human rights is spilling over into the nonhuman.Lisa Siraganian's The Problem of Personhood: Giving Rights to Trees, Corporations, and Robots (Verso, 2026) reveals the unsettling consequences of granting rights to imagined persons, such as Sophia the robot citizen or New Zealand's Whanganui River. Synthesizing the political and phil­osophical debates on personhood and drawing on a varied cast of thinkers that includes Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt, and Dr. Seuss, Siraganian un­covers the disturbing impact of this contemporary development. Awarding rights to robots and rivers all too easily becomes a legal tool to turn people into capital. When robot Sophia is made a citizen, “she” is transformed into a subject in the law without the corre­sponding legal duties that protect us from her.At the root of this trend is the US Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling that grants First Amendment rights to corporations as if they were individuals. The result has not been the transformation of things into humans so much as humans into things, when animals and the environment would be better protected with reference to our humanity rather than to theirs. Lisa Siraganian is the J. R. Herbert Boone Chair in Humanities and Professor in the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland, USA). Her work has won multiple awards and has been supported by fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Endowment of the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Siraganian has written award-winning scholarly monographs that bridge literary criticism, art criticism, and legal and philosophical scholarship. More recently, she was the Editor of the Norton Anthology of American Literature, 10th edition, Volume D (1914-1945) (2022). Tim Wyman-McCarthy is a Lecturer in the discipline of Human Rights and Associate Director of Graduate Studies at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights and the Department of Sociology at Columbia University. He can be reached at tw2468@columbia.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Over the last twenty-five years, the concept of per-sonhood has become central to many contentious debates. Corporations have won free speech protections, as if they were individuals. The right to life or freedom has been claimed on behalf of fetuses, trees, and elephants. The fund of human rights is spilling over into the nonhuman.Lisa Siraganian's The Problem of Personhood: Giving Rights to Trees, Corporations, and Robots (Verso, 2026) reveals the unsettling consequences of granting rights to imagined persons, such as Sophia the robot citizen or New Zealand's Whanganui River. Synthesizing the political and phil­osophical debates on personhood and drawing on a varied cast of thinkers that includes Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt, and Dr. Seuss, Siraganian un­covers the disturbing impact of this contemporary development. Awarding rights to robots and rivers all too easily becomes a legal tool to turn people into capital. When robot Sophia is made a citizen, “she” is transformed into a subject in the law without the corre­sponding legal duties that protect us from her.At the root of this trend is the US Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling that grants First Amendment rights to corporations as if they were individuals. The result has not been the transformation of things into humans so much as humans into things, when animals and the environment would be better protected with reference to our humanity rather than to theirs. Lisa Siraganian is the J. R. Herbert Boone Chair in Humanities and Professor in the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland, USA). Her work has won multiple awards and has been supported by fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Endowment of the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Siraganian has written award-winning scholarly monographs that bridge literary criticism, art criticism, and legal and philosophical scholarship. More recently, she was the Editor of the Norton Anthology of American Literature, 10th edition, Volume D (1914-1945) (2022). Tim Wyman-McCarthy is a Lecturer in the discipline of Human Rights and Associate Director of Graduate Studies at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights and the Department of Sociology at Columbia University. He can be reached at tw2468@columbia.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law

Hello to you listening in Dublin, New Hampshire! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds (and a bit more) for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. Imagine this: It's February 1998. You are 89 years old. You have arthritis and emphysema. You live in a small town in New Hampshire. You laid to rest your husband of 65 years after caring for him with Alzheimer's the last 10 years of his life. Your best friend of 50 years has also died. Now what, asks your son? What will you do? I have an idea, you say. Money is the big divider between people and politics. The tycoons with the money are buying the politicians and making all the decisions. Someone has to tell the American people about the need for national campaign finance reform. I can do that. How, your son wants to know. I'll go on a walk. And so she begins getting in shape walking 2 miles a day, 5 miles a day, 10 miles a day, and carrying a backpack. After 7 months she declares herself ready to go on a walk and tells her son she is starting in Los Angeles, California. After collecting petitions on a beach in Los Angeles Doris Haddock, a.k.a. Granny D begins 14-month walk across America through California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Arkansas and on up to Washington, DC. She has no GoFundMe account or any real plan except to get out and talk to as many people as she can about the need for campaign finance reform. My friend Granny D eats with the people she walks with along the way, sleeps in a spare bedroom, on a couch or in a church basement. She gives talks about national campaign finance reform at rodeos, county fairs, schools, and local gatherings. 10 miles a day, every day, walking across America in her 90th year. By the time Granny D arrives in Washington, DC a blizzard has blocked traffic so she cross-country skies to the Capital to meet then Senators McCain & Feingold who sponsored the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act which will become law 2 years later in 2002. The primary purpose of the Act was to eliminate the increased use of so-called soft money to fund advertising by political parties on behalf of their candidates.     Of her walk Granny D always had her doubts; but she persisted. Here we are 25 years later and deeper in soft-money shit than she could have imagined thanks to the bought and paid for SCOTUS decision in Citizens United that equated money with free speech, kicked open the floodgates to a tsunami of dark money, and tilted political influence toward wealthy donors tycoons, and corporations.     I knew Granny D, we wrote letters back and forth. Sometimes I wonder: What was the point? What difference did 14 months of walking and talking do? I'll tell you. It did this: I'm still talking about her and the wild possibility that she actually realized. She was one Ordinary Person who took up a cause she believed in, talked to thousands of people as she walked across America in her 90th year and kept on talking until she died at the age of 100. Like every good story Granny D lives on to inspire, motivate, and remind each of us - young and old - what we are capable of, what we can achieve before and even after our 90th year.   Yes! we are Ordinary Persons standing shoulder to shoulder with other Ordinary Persons drawn together like filings to a magnet building an Army of Ordinary Persons to Free America, unbalance the status quo, and create a Citizen's Future of hope, dignity, and inclusion. We are the stories of light we struggle to write in these dark times and will be proud to share with those we leave behind when we walk on.   Story Prompt: Who are you? What is your declaration of wild possibility? How are you shaping the future for good? Write that story and share it out loud ! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Communication Services, email me to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

The Montana Supreme Court has just cleared the way for a groundbreaking voter initiative that could effectively neuter Citizens United without overturning it and potentially spread nationwide. Dina Doll breaks down the Montana's Transparent Election Initiative, headed to the November 2026 ballot and the novel approach it takes to cutting off corporate money in political campaigns. Lola Blankets: Get 40% off select Lola Blankets products at https://Lolablankets.com by using code MISSTRIAL at checkout. Experience the world's #1 blanket with Lola Blankets. Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show The Ken Harbaugh Show: https://meidasnews.com/tag/the-ken-harbaugh-show Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered

Welcome to the Awakening Podcast, where we delve into the deeper truths shaping our world. In this compelling episode, we sit down with Stu Strumwasser, a novelist whose fictional thrillers bravely expose the intricate socio-political issues of our time. Stu, a self-proclaimed polymath with a background in music and finance, shares his journey from a young writer to an author challenging the very foundations of American democracy. We explore the philosophical dangers of political parties, the impact of Citizens United on campaign finance, and the surprising ways in which the two major parties collude to maintain their power. Stu also touches on the critical organ shortage crisis, offering a powerful example of a fixable systemic issue. This conversation is a call to conscious citizenship, urging listeners to question the narratives and envision a more authentic democracy. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that will challenge your perceptions and inspire you to seek real change.   Join my PodFather Podcast Coaching Community https://www.skool.com/podfather/about   Start Your Own SKOOL Community https://www.skool.com/signup?ref=c72a37fe832f49c584d7984db9e54b71     About my Guest Stu Strumwasser Stu Strumwasser is a modern-day muckraker who writes literary novels that address important sociopolitical issues. His first novel, The Organ Broker, was published by Skyhorse (distributed by Simon & Schuster) and shortlisted as one of five finalists for the Hammett Prize for literary excellence in crime writing. Strumwasser was also the primary songwriter and drummer for the indie rock band Channeling Owen. He is a longtime investment professional (investing in sustainable technology that improves the manner in which we make food) and hails from Brooklyn NY. His new novel, A Real Collusion, is both an exposé and analysis of broken government and a fictional David Vs. Goliath(s) story of the man who almost took down the two-party system in America.     Awakening Podcast Social Media / Coaching My Other Podcasts   ⁠⁠⁠https://roycoughlan.com/⁠⁠     What we Discussed: 0:00 Welcome & Introduction to Stu Strumwasser 0:35 Stu Strumwasser: Author, Musician, Polymath 1:02 Stu's Journey as a Writer: From Childhood to Published Author 2:02 The Organ Broker: Stu's First Published Novel 3:07 The Two-Party System: A Global Perspective and its Flaws 3:51 The Elephant and the Donkey: Origins of US Political Symbols 4:50 George Washington's Farewell Address: Warning Against Political Parties 6:43 The Danger of Political Parties: From Totalitarianism to Fascism 8:01 The Founders' Vision: A Republic, Not a Democracy 9:01 The Electoral College: Why it Exists and its Impact 10:01 The Problem with the Two-Party System: Lack of Choice 11:01 The Illusion of Choice: How Two Parties Control the Narrative 12:01 The Need for a Third Party: Breaking the Duopoly 13:01 The Power of the People: How Grassroots Movements Can Effect Change 14:01 The Role of Money in Politics: Citizens United and its Consequences 15:01 The Billion-Dollar Campaign: Why Running for Office is So Expensive 16:01 The Unlikely Leader: How an Ordinary Person Can Spark a Movement 17:01 The Zeitgeist Moment: When Society is Ready for Change 18:01 The Impact of a CEO: How One Person Can Transform an Organization 19:01 The Need for a Real Leader: Capturing the Frustration of the Electorate 20:01 Social Media and Censorship: The Challenges of Organizing Movements 21:01 Blockchain Technology: A Solution for Decentralized Movements 22:01 The Collusion of Parties: How Republicans and Democrats Cooperate 23:01 The Epstein List: A Symbol of Bipartisan Corruption 24:01 Suppressing Third-Party Movements: An Unethical Practice 25:01 Un-American Practices: The Opposite of What the Country Stands For 26:01 America's Imperfection: A Loss of Pride and Nationalism 27:01 The Presidential Debates: A Critical Part of the Election Cycle 28:01 Nixon vs. Kennedy: The Impact of Television on Politics 29:01 The Commission on Presidential Debates: A Private Organization 30:01 The Two-Party Monopoly: How Debates Exclude Third Parties 31:01 The Unfair System: Why Third Parties Can't Compete 32:01 The Organ Shortage Crisis: A Fixable Problem 33:01 21 Deaths a Day: The Human Cost of a Broken System 34:01 Solutions for Organ Donation: A Call to Action 35:01 Stu's Offer: A Three-Way Conversation on Organ Donation 36:01 The Power of Awareness: Doing Good Through Discussion 37:01 Stu's Book: A Real Collusion - Where to Find It 38:01 Reading the First Chapters for Free: Arealcollusion.com 39:01 Stu's Band: A Conversation for Another Day 40:01 The Importance of Reviews: Helping Algorithms and Authors 41:01 Final Thoughts and Call to Action 41:16 Outro: RoyCoughlan.com and VA.world 41:24 The First Televised Debates: Nixon vs. Kennedy and their massive impact 42:13 The League of Women Voters: Non-partisan debate hosts 42:59 The Commission on Presidential Debates: Created by RNC and DNC to exclude third parties 43:26 Federal Election Laws and the 5% Vote Barrier for Third Parties 44:22 The 15% Debate Threshold: An impossible bar for third parties 44:34 Ross Perot: The billionaire who broke the 5% barrier 45:18 The End of the Commission on Presidential Debates: Parties negotiate directly with networks 45:41 Is this Freedom? Is this Democracy? Questioning the current system 46:16 Trump's Nuts: An illustration of the problem with severe partisanship 46:42 Why We Don't Need Parties: Stu's unique viewpoint 47:08 Senators and Representatives: How they should represent the people 48:43 Why Hate? Disagreeing without animosity in politics 49:06 George Washington's Warnings: Factionalism, Sectionalism, Foreign Influence 49:54 Party Loyalty vs. Representing the People: The corruption of voting records 50:22 The Independence Center: Supporting independent candidates to break gridlock 51:31 Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump: Stu's protest vote for Jill Green 52:46 The Electoral College: Why votes are meaningless in certain states 53:29 The Need for Updates: Amending the Constitution for a modern society 53:51 Pathetic Political Parties: Voting along party lines in Ireland and the UK 54:39 Direct Democracy: Accountability and immediate removal for non-performance 55:09 Global Suffering: Politicians ignoring local needs for international conflicts 55:37 Insider Trading & Corruption: Pelosi, Trump, and the meme coin 56:06 Citizens United: The linchpin that removed campaign finance guide rails 56:32 Minimizing Wealth's Influence: The key to real democracy 56:51 A Real Collusion: Stu's book as a roadmap for political reform 57:22 John Campbell: The regular guy leading an independent movement 58:09 The American Coalition: Inviting all to join, country over party 59:17 Why the System Worked: Nobility and magnanimity in early government 60:45 Well-Intentioned Politicians: The attorneys who could make more in private practice 61:24 Term Limits: A solution for professional politicians and corporate influence 63:20 Corporate Donations: Democrats are also the party of money 64:07 Change is Inevitable: The power of a fictional novel as a catalyst for reform 65:21 Organ Donation Crisis: A call for a future discussion and awareness 65:54 Where to Find Stu: Arealcollusion.com and his bio 66:33 Stu's Passion for Organ Donation: 21 deaths a day and fixable solutions 67:39 Invitation for a Three-Way Conversation: Raising awareness for organ donation 67:59 Roy's Outro: Links, virtual assistants, and supporting Stu's book         Contact  http://www.arealcollusion.com   www.instagram.com/stuthemeddler     More about the Awakening Podcast: All Episodes can be found at www.awakeningpodcast.org   Our Facebook Group can be found at https://www.facebook.com/royawakening     #AwakeningPodcast #StuStrumwasser #PoliticalThriller #Democracy #TwoPartySystem #CitizensUnited #OrganDonation #SocialChange #ConsciousCitizenship #PoliticalCorruption #ThirdPartyPolitics #AmericanPolitics #RealCollusion #AuthorInterview #PodcastRecommendations #Empowerment #TruthSeeking #SystemicChange #BeyondTheNarrative

Back in 2010, in the campaign finance case, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, SCOTUS ruled in favor of Citizens United stating that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations and unions. This then opened the door to unlimited political spending by corporations and outside groups, ultimately reshaping our elections.  Craig welcomes Tom Moore, Senior Fellow for Democracy Policy at the Center for American Progress, to discuss the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision. Craig & Tom take a look at the impact of this SCOTUS ruling over 16 years, and in an election year, how a state's authority over corporations can take out dark money in politics.   Mentioned in this Episode: Transparent Election Initiative The Montana Plan

Radell Lewis sits down with Jerrad Christian, Democratic candidate for Ohio's 12th Congressional District, for a conversation about the issues hitting Ohioans hardest right now. From the gerrymandering compromise that reshaped Ohio's congressional map to the property tax crisis squeezing homeowners and retirees, no topic is off limits.Jerrad grew up in rural Appalachian Ohio in a working poor family where government programs were not abstract policy debates but the difference between eating and going hungry. He served in the U.S. Navy as a flight deck fueler during Operation Iraqi Freedom and later worked as a meteorologist and oceanographer. After becoming a father, he took a job as a janitor in a factory before teaching himself software engineering and building a career in tech. He is running for Congress because he refuses to hand his son a country hollowed out by corruption, cruelty, and short term thinking.In this episode, Radell and Jerrad break down universal healthcare and the single payer model, why Ohio's education funding has been ruled unconstitutional multiple times with no fix, how the school voucher system funnels public money to private institutions, the role of Citizens United and super PACs in buying political influence, congressional stock trading, Ohio's flat tax and who it really benefits, data center tax abatements draining local resources, and how to engage with MAGA voters without demonizing them.Whether you lean left, right, or somewhere in between, this conversation is about what it actually takes to represent working people in a system designed to keep them out.Learn more about Jerrad Christian's campaign: https://ChristianForOhio.comPurple Political Breakdown: Political Solutions Without Political Bias.Hosted by Radell LewisWebsite: purplepoliticalbreakdown.comContact: thetrendgoldandfaith@gmail.com#OhioPolitics #Midterms2026 #OH12 #PurplePolitics #UniversalHealthcare #GerrymanderingOhio #PropertyTaxes #SchoolVouchers #CitizensUnited #MoneyInPolitics #WorkingClassStandard Resource Links & RecommendationsThe following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation: PODCAST NETWORKCheck Out the Podcast Website: www.purplepoliticalbreakdown.comALIVE Podcast Network - Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/ CONVERSATION PLATFORMSHeadOn - A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/Living Room Conversations - Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/ UNITY MOVEMENTSUs United - A movement for unity that challenges Americans to step out of their bubbles and connect across differences. Take the Unity Pledge, join monthly "30 For US" conversation calls, wear purple (the color of unity), and participate in National Unity Day every second Saturday in December. Their programs include the Sheriff Unity Network and Unity Seats at sports events, proving that shared values are stronger than our differences. Link: https://www.us-united.org/ BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATIONOtherWeb - An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/ VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACYEqual Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/starFuture is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse. Link: https://futureis.org/ POLITICAL ENGAGEMENTIndependent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/ GET DAILY NEWSText 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed (https://informed.now) ALL LINKShttps://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdownThe Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics - where we find common ground in the middle! Also if you want to be apart of the community and the conversation make sure to Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ptPAsZtHC9

Legislative season is underway, and we're seeing a wave of proposals that could significantly reshape the operating environment for nonprofits and advocacy organizations. We're tracking over 1,000 bills across the country, and while some of them do positive things, like make improvements to our electoral system or increase voter turnout, unfortunately, most of these measures are taking aim at impactful nonprofit advocacy. These proposals collectively reflect an erosion of the civic space in the nonprofit ecosystem. We're here to break down some of the key trends and help you stay informed about emerging twists in compliance.   Attorneys for this episode Maggie Ellinger-Locke Susan Finkle Sourlis Natalie Roetzel Ossenfort   Shownotes   Federal Legislation   ·      The SAVE Act would require voter registration applicants to provide documentary proof of US citizenship and impose strict photo ID rules to vote in federal elections. ·      Federal law is already clear that only US citizens are permitted to vote in federal elections. ·      This legislation could disproportionately impact voters of color, married people who have changed their last names, and low-income voters.     State Legislation   ·      So far, we've seen over 150 bills filed in at least half the states, that seek to impact the voting process. Georgia's SB 586 proposes sweeping changes to state elections including early voting. Under current law voters are permitted to cast their ballot at any polling location in their county during the early voting period. But if this bill becomes law, voters would be restricted to just one polling location. In West Virginia, SB 90 would prohibit voters not affiliated with a major political party from voting in a primary election. In Kansas, HB 2438 would prohibit online voter registration unless a website uses a .gov domain or is explicitly approved by the secretary of state. Corporate Power Reset movement: The goal of this movement is to create an end run around supreme court precedent like Citizens United and Buckley v Valeo[NO1] [ME2] [SS3]  by prohibiting all corporate, whether for profit or nonprofit, engagement with elections.[SS4] [ME5]  ·      Restricting foreign influence on ballot measure campaigns: Federal law already bans foreign national contributions to candidate campaigns, but these bills are seeking to extend the restrictions further, narrowing the funding landscape for direct democracy. o   During the 2026 state legislative sessions, we've seen 39 bills introduced in twenty states that would restrict foreign contributions to ballot measure campaigns. o   Some focus narrowly on majority foreign-owned businesses, but many target individuals and ballot question committees. These bills often require affirmative certifications that no foreign national funding is involved in an organization's ballot measure advocacy. Baby FARA bills: At the federal level, the Foreign Agents Registration Act was enacted in 1938 to counter Nazi propaganda. It requires individuals or entities acting "at the order, request, or under the direction or control" of a foreign principal to register with the Department of Justice and file detailed disclosures. Historically, FARA has been applied in relatively specific circumstances, primarily lobbying or political work directly tied to foreign governments. State-level analogues, however, are often drafted much more broadly. These proposals could sweep in a wide range of advocacy activities and impact organizations engaged in international solidarity movements. Terrorism: US law only allows foreign groups to be labeled as foreign terrorist organizations. And new policy directs federal law enforcement agencies to "investigate and disrupt networks, entities, and organizations" that have views in contravention to the president's. This type of legislation is now making its way to the states. In Florida, lawmakers are pushing several bills, such as HB 1471, SB 1632, and SB 1634, would dramatically expand the state's power to designate organizations as "domestic terrorist organizations." o   The bills broaden the definition of domestic terrorism, using sweeping language about activities intended to "influence the policy of a government" or "affect the conduct of government," terms that could be interpreted expansively. o   Once designated, an organization could have its funds frozen, be barred from receiving state contracts or funding, and expose its staff, donors, and supporters to criminal liability for providing "material support."   Hopeful Legislation:   ·      In Georgia, lawmakers are considering a bill that would expand student protest rights, excusing absences for classes missed due to protest attendance. ·      In Missouri, HB 1871 extends the "no excuse" absentee voting period from two weeks to four.   Resources Public Charities Can Lobby (Factsheet) Being a Player: A Guide to IRS Lobbying Regulations for Advocacy Charities Practical Guidance: What Nonprofits Need to Know about Lobbying in Your State

Big money is reshaping American democracy.In this livestream, political analyst Matt Robison speaks with Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United, about how billionaire money, Super PACs, and the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision transformed U.S. politics — and why some experts believe America may be drifting toward oligarchy.Today, just 300 billionaire families account for nearly 20% of federal campaign donations. What does that mean for democracy, elections, and everyday Americans?We break down:• How Citizens United changed campaign finance forever• The explosion of billionaire money in politics• The rise of Super PACs and dark money networks• Corporate influence over elections and policy• Why many voters feel their voices don't matter anymore• Whether reforms can actually fix the systemMatt and Tiffany also discuss real examples — from Elon Musk's massive political spending to the growing influence of corporate lobbying in Washington.If you care about the future of democracy, campaign finance reform, and the role of money in politics, this conversation is essential.Guest:Tiffany Muller – President of End Citizens UnitedLearn more:https://endcitizensunited.orgSubscribe for more political analysis and livestream interviews:https://www.youtube.com/@WorthKnowingNew episodes of Political Rehab and Worth Knowing livestreams every week.Timestamps00:00 The billionaire influence problem02:40 Wealth concentration in America07:00 What Citizens United actually did10:30 The rise of Super PACs16:00 How big money shapes policy27:00 Elon Musk and political spending34:00 Can the system be fixed?54:00 The future of campaign finance reformTopics coveredmoney in politicscitizens united explainedbillionaires in politicscampaign finance reformsuper pacs explaineddark money in politicscorporate influence governmentoligarchy united statespolitical corruption united stateselon musk politicselection money influenceamerican democracycampaign finance lawsSEO Tags (for YouTube tag field)citizens united, money in politics, billionaires politics, campaign finance reform, super pacs explained, dark money politics, corporate influence government, oligarchy united states, political corruption, elon musk politics, election money influence, american democracy, campaign finance lawsHashtags#CitizensUnited#MoneyInPolitics#CampaignFinance#Billionaires#PoliticalCorruption#DarkMoney#SuperPAC#AmericanPolitics#Democracy#PoliticalReform#ElectionMoney#EndCitizensUnited

In this month's Q&A episode of Open Book, I answer questions from viewers across YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X on topics ranging from politics and global markets to career decisions, philosophy, and parenting. We cover Citizens United, the national debt, and the future of crypto, while also offering personal insights on finding your calling, managing time, and navigating difficult moments in life.

We discuss  the corrupting effect of the Citizens United decision on policymaking and elections.    Tiffany's civic action toolkit recommendations are:  Go to town halls and hold your elected officials accountable Participate in phone banking or write postcards to get out the vote   Tiffany Muller is the President of End Citizens United, Let America Vote, and the End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund. The organization's mission is to fix our democracy by getting big money out of politics and protecting the right to vote.      Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/   Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:  https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark    Follow Mila on X:  https://x.com/milaatmos    Follow Tiffany on X:  https://x.com/Tiffany_Muller    Sponsor:  Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.   Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight  Credits:  Host: Mila Atmos  Guests: Tiffany Muller Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Kara talks to Lawrence Lessig about his fight to end Super PACs — without passing a constitutional amendment or overturning Citizens United.  The Harvard law professor and Equal Citizens founder was once the internet's open-access evangelist. 19 years ago, he shifted his focus from intellectual property to institutional corruption, and since then, he's become one of the country's sharpest critics of money-driven politics.  Kara and Lessig break down how so many of the tech industries leaders evolved from a generally benign, libertarian-light stance into active Trump enablers; whether Democrats can capitalize on the Epstein controversy to persuade Trump's voters that he's not the outsider he claims to be; how engagement-driven AI is tearing democracy apart; and why citizen assemblies are the way to repair it. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices