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On this Happy Hour, Michael and Anna sit down with Maia Cook, the executive director of Equal Citizens, a democracy reform organization, founded by Lawrence Lessig. Their mission? Fighting for the ultra-sexy, super popular, top of every news cycle issue: campaign finance reform, and specifically reducing the influence of Super PACs and dark money. While we kid that this issue might not be front of everyone's mind, Maia walks us through how this issue actually affects EVERY issue you care about. And the problem is way worse than we realized. We also realized the actual problem doesn't totally lie with Citizen's United, but actually a law that came about BECAUSE of Citizen's united. We promise you'll come away from this one much smarter. We sure did. Make sure you're subscribed here and check out some other ways to engage with us: Grab your 'Elect Young People' shirt. Head to our website to dive deeper on members of Congress under 45-years-old. Watch the full episode here on YouTube. Connect with us on Instagram/Threads and TikTok. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Are President Trump and MAGA Republicans publicly signaling that they plan to interfere in—and potentially rig—the 2026 midterm elections? If so, why is the media not taking the threat seriously? In this episode of Inequality Watch, Taya Graham and Stephen Janis investigate the connections between wealth inequality, political power, ICE funding, the influence of Super PACs on elections, and growing concerns about democratic accountability in Trump's America.Credits: Pre-Production: Taya Graham, Stephen JanisStudio Production / Post-Production: Cameron Granadino, Stephen JanisBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!
Jason talks about a Super PAC ad that uses an AI animated picture of Peggy Flanagan to attack her campaign. MN has a law banning deepfake political ads. Is that enough to stop these sorts of things?
Reaction to the back and forth between U.S. Senate Candidates Peggy Flanagan and Angie Craig.
Reaction to the back and forth between U.S. Senate Candidates Peggy Flanagan and Angie Craig.
In this episode: Florida's Republican-controlled Legislature has finally agreed on a new state budget, following a flurry of last-minute spending deals — most of them negotiated behind closed doors and sealed late on the Sunday night of a holiday weekend. The eleventh-hour additions to Florida's $115 billion spending plan include provisions that could let the state buy more property from a big developer and donor; steer a $2 million education contract to a Koch-backed company; and pave the way for the use of artificial intelligence in an anti-hunger program that feeds nearly 3 million Floridians. Plus: Ron DeSantis signs a bill written by lobbyists for a mining company that recently donated $50,000 to his Super PAC. And the devolution of Florida's public university system into a pure political patronage machine continues. Show notesRegister here for the Seeking Rents + Welcome to Florida live event in JacksonvilleThe stories referenced in today's show:A tour of Florida's new state budget, from money for Mike Huckabee to tax cuts for casinosA last-minute budget measure could let Florida buy more land from a donor the state paid $83 million to last yearA Koch-connected school choice contractor could get $2 million from Florida taxpayersFlorida may hire an AI vendor to help decide which hungry families get grocery assistanceCompanies linked to a Trump appointee are seeking money from Florida taxpayers — and giving money to Florida lawmakersFlorida is cutting funding for transit — and exposing the true cost of business tax breaksA management firm is poised to profit off plan to divert local property taxes to charter schoolsA right-wing news network lobbied Florida lawmakers to defund fact-checkers, records showLast-minute legislation could give more money to Publix, 7-Eleven and Circle K — but less to Florida studentsQuestions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.comListen to the show: Apple | SpotifyWatch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe
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.
Something strange is unfolding in several crucial House Democratic primaries — mysterious super PACs are quietly emerging. Deputy Congressional Editor Robert O'Shaughnessy discusses the latest developments. Plus: the Cornyn-Paxton brawl reaches the finish line. Watch this episode on YouTube here! Punchbowl News is on YouTube. Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we're investing in video. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for May 27, 2026The Cost of Partisan Power: Mid-Decade Redistricting and Delaying Congressional Primaries Will Cost the Taxpayers Big MoneyStates conducting mid-decade redistricting racked up big bills for the special sessions, special elections, delayed congressional primaries, infrastructure changes, and extra labor. And it's taxpayers, not those doing the gerrymandering, who will foot the bill.Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today's report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgToday's LinksArticles & Resources:KXTV Sacramento - Price tag for California's redistricting special election comes to $282M Center Square - Analysts: Redistricting to cost taxpayers, while slowly shifting election outcomes Fox Nashville - Lawmakers debate $3.1M redistricting cost as Tennessee special session moves quicklySouth Carolina Daily Gazette - Bill redrawing SC congressional voting lines advances in Senate as cost estimates double Votebeat - Two reminders that the rules of the 2026 election are still in flux WSET ABC 13 - How much money did Virginia taxpayers pay for the redistricting vote? Related ADM Reports:American Democracy Minute - The Redistricting Arms Race was Fueled by Hundreds of Millions in Super PAC and 501C4 Dark Money from Both Sides in Virginia and CaliforniaRegister or Check Your Voter Registration:U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgSubscribe for FREE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting platforms.#NewsAlerts #AmericanDemocracy #California #Virginia #Tennessee #Alabama #SouthCarolina #Gerrymandering #Redistricting
American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for May 26, 2026The Redistricting Arms Race was Fueled by Hundreds of Millions in Super PAC and 501C4 Money from Both Sides in Virginia and CaliforniaThe redistricting arms race fights in Virginia, California and elsewhere were fueled by hundreds of millions of dollars from Super PACs and hard-to-track dark money groups. Contributions shattered Virginia's previous record for ballot questions.Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today's report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgToday's LinksArticles & Resources: Open Secrets - The same dark money groups keep turning up in redistricting fightsVirginia Public Access Project (VPAP) - Virginia's 10 Most Expensive Referenda Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) - Top Political Donors in VirginiaBallotPedia - What were the most expensive ballot measures in California?California Fair Practices Commission - November 2025 Special ElectionRelated ADM Reports:American Democracy Minute - VA Supreme Court Invalidates Redistricting Referendum for Not Following the Rules for Amendments. It Could Tilt Control of Congress.American Democracy Minute - Without Comment, the U.S. Supreme Court Allows California Prop 50 Maps. What's the Next Battle in the Gerrymandering Wars?Register or Check Your Voter Registration:U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgSubscribe for FREE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting platforms.#NewsAlerts #AmericanDemocracy #Proposition50 #DarkMoney #BigMoney #Virginia #California #Redistricting
Tonight on Habari Live, we expose the growing controversies shaking America from Washington to local communities fighting for survival. Republicans erupt over a controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund tied to Trump allies and possible January 6 compensation, while the Supreme Court weighs Trump's push to end birthright citizenship for children born on U.S. soil. We break down the dangerous historical parallels to Dred Scott, the 14th Amendment, and why civil rights groups say these attacks threaten constitutional protections for everyone.We also react to explosive clips featuring Bernie Sanders calling out billionaire influence and demanding a ban on Super PACs, residents in Wisconsin sounding the alarm over data centers draining local water supplies, AOC confronting officials over undrinkable water in Georgia communities, Trump claiming affordability concerns are “made up,” and JD Vance defending Trump on insider trading concerns. From political corruption to environmental injustice, Habari Live connects the dots that mainstream media ignores.#Trump #AOC #BernieSanders #BirthrightCitizenship #SupremeCourt #JDVance #WaterCrisis #Politics #HabariLive #NewsOurWay #January6 #SuperPACs #TrumpNews #CivilRights #BreakingNews
Artist Anthony Freda describes his professional evolution from marketing cigarettes to children and war to the public for NYT and WSJ to eventually finding a home in alternative media as a dissident political artist in order to maintain his moral integrity. The conversation explores the heavy cost of dissent, including professional blacklisting and legal persecution for challenging official narratives. He expresses deep concern over the budding digital prison and particularly the rise of AI, which he views as a threat to human sovereignty. Anthony frames current global events as a spiritual battle between light and dark, urging listeners to resist state-sponsored tyranny and cultural inversion. Watch on BitChute / Brighteon / Rumble / Substack / YouTube *Support Geopolitics & Empire! Become a Member https://geopoliticsandempire.substack.com Donate https://geopoliticsandempire.com/donations Consult https://geopoliticsandempire.com/consultation **Listen Ad-Free for $4.99 a Month or $49.99 a Year! Apple Subscriptions https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/geopolitics-empire/id1003465597 Supercast https://geopoliticsandempire.supercast.com ***Visit Our Affiliates & Sponsors! Above Phone https://abovephone.com/?above=geopolitics American Gold Exchange https://www.amergold.com/geopolitics Escape The Technocracy (15% off w/ GEOPOLITICS!) https://escapethetechnocracy.com/geopolitics Expat Money (FREE “Plan B” Report!) https://expatmoney.com/geopolitics PassVult https://passvult.com Sociatates Civis https://societates-civis.com StartMail https://www.startmail.com/partner/?ref=ngu4nzr Wise Wolf Gold https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=geopolitics Websites Website https://anthonyfreda.com Substack https://anthonyfreda.substack.com YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@FredaTheArt About Anthony Freda Anthony Freda is a controversial political artist who left mainstream clients like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal to work for alternative media, including a 10 year run with Infowars as an artist and writer. One of his pieces is part of the permanent collection of the 911 Museum in NY. It is the only piece to question the official narrative. He formed Occupy Peace with Gerald Celente and was under contract in 2024 for RFK Jr’s presidential campaign Super PAC, AV24. He is currently a permanent faculty member of FIT in New York. *Podcast intro music used with permission is from the song “The Queens Jig” by the fantastic “Musicke & Mirth” from their album “Music for Two Lyra Viols”: http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)
The recent Kentucky primary defeat of Thomas Massie is presented as definitive proof of a rigged American political system controlled by a singular "uniparty." Despite the narrative of defying Trump, Massie's loss was orchestrated by a massive influx of outside money from Super PACs after he supported releasing the Epstein files. Members of Congress were told "you will be destroyed" for this vote. This election, with its unusual voter turnout and ballot dumps, shows the power of the oligarch donor class, who now also control Trump, making him a puppet.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Hydrofluorocarbon Republican House leadership pulls vote on Iran War Powers Resolution for second time, amid concerns over GOP defections; Ethics, good government groups, Dems blast Trump's $1.7 billion “slush fund” that could pay January 6th insurrectionists; Trump administration rolls back Biden rules on climate-damaging chemicals in refrigeration; Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep Summer Lee introduce bill to cap political contributions to Super-PACs; Prediction markets draw bipartisan criticism, legislation over links to fraud, gambling addiction The post Republican House leadership pulls vote on Iran War Powers Resolution for second time; Trump administration rolls back Biden rules on climate-damaging chemicals – May 21, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.
Pips OMR 2026 Präsentation: Beyond the AI hype: Wo wir wirklich stehen und was uns erwartet 06. Mai, 12:10-13:00 – HBO Max Stage Doppelgänger Live Podcast 06. Mai, 17:05-17:40 – Purple Stage OMR-Edition aus Pips Hotelzimmer. Anthropic kündigt ein Financial Services Briefing an, bleibt aber unter den Erwartungen. Coatue startet eine neue Firma namens Next Frontier, die Land für Data Center aufkauft. AWS-CEO verkündet, dass Amazon 11.000 neue Coding-Praktikanten einstellt – Job-Apokalypse durch KI bleibt vorerst aus. Coinbase entlässt 14% der Belegschaft als "AI-driven restructuring". Wired enthüllt: Ein Super PAC mit OpenAI/Andreessen Horowitz im Hintergrund zahlt TikTok-Influencer für Anti-China-KI-Stimmung. Cerebras strebt einen $4 Mrd. IPO bei $40 Mrd. Bewertung an. Meta kauft Assured Robot Intelligence. Objection.ai von Peter Thiel und Aaron D'Souza stellt sich als KI-Tribunal über Journalisten auf – Pip nennt es seine "Number One Shit Company des Jahres". Chinesische Gerichte verbieten KI-Entlassungen. Mike OSS will Harvey/Legora nachbauen. GameStop bereitet eBay-Übernahme vor. xAI launcht Grok 4.3 mit Voice-Cloning. Trump-Familie verkauft heimlich World-Liberty-Tokens für $550 Mio. Harvard-Studie: KI schlägt Ärzte bei Notfall-Triage. Pentagon erweitert Classified Military AI auf Nvidia, Microsoft, AWS. Palantirs Earnings übertreffen Erwartungen. Spotify führt Verified-Artist-Badges gegen KI ein. Anthropic schließt $1,5 Mrd. JV mit Blackstone und Wall Street. OpenAIs DeployCo bekommt $4 Mrd. von PE-Firmen mit 17,5% Mindestrendite-Garantie. Unterstütze unseren Podcast und entdecke die Angebote unserer Werbepartner auf doppelgaenger.io/werbung. Vielen Dank! Philipp Glöckler und Philipp Klöckner sprechen heute über: (00:00:00) Intro &Anthropic Financial Services Briefing (00:04:38) Coatue Next Frontier: Land für Data Center kaufen (00:08:38) AWS stellt 11.000 Coding-Praktikanten ein (00:11:43) Coinbase entlässt 14% als AI-driven restructuring (00:13:51) Super PAC zahlt TikTok-Influencer für Anti-China-Kampagne (00:17:32) Cerebras strebt $4 Mrd. IPO an (00:19:00) Meta kauft Assured Robot Intelligence (00:21:27) Objection.ai: Peter Thiels KI-Tribunal über Journalisten (00:33:43) China: Gerichte verbieten KI-Entlassungen (00:34:00) Mike OSS will Harvey/Legora als Open Source nachbauen (00:40:27) Microsoft Copilot für Legal Markets (00:41:05) GameStop bereitet eBay-Übernahme vor (00:43:15) xAI launcht Grok 4.3 mit Voice-Cloning (00:44:55) Trump-Familie verkauft heimlich World-Liberty-Tokens (00:48:00) Harvard-Studie: KI schlägt Ärzte bei Notfall-Triage (00:49:12) Pentagon erweitert Classified Military AI auf Big Tech (00:51:00) Palantir Earnings (00:51:36) Spotify Verified-Artist-Badges gegen KI (00:55:02) Anthropic + Blackstone, OpenAI DeployCo: PE-Joint-Ventures closen Shownotes Coatue startet Venture für Data-Center-Land - wsj.com AWS-CEO: Amazon stoppt Coding-Interns wegen KI - businessinsider.com Coinbase entlässt 14% der Belegschaft - reuters.com Super PAC mit OpenAI/Palantir-Hintergrund zahlt TikTok-Influencer - wired.com Cerebras strebt $4 Mrd. IPO an - bloomberg.com Meta kauft Assured Robot Intelligence für Humanoide - bloomberg.com Thiel-Startup bewertet Journalismus mit KI - techcrunch.com Taylor Lorenz: Tech-Influencer-Strategie - xcancel.com China: Firmen dürfen Mitarbeiter nicht für KI-Nutzung feuern - reddit.com Objection - xcancel.com Mike OSS Coin: 48 Stunden Pump-and-Dump - linkedin.com Bitte manuell prüfen (Brad Smith Post) - xcancel.com GameStop bereitet eBay-Übernahmeangebot vor - wsj.com xAI launcht Grok 4.3 mit Voice-Cloning - venturebeat.com Trump-Krypto-Projekt heimlich verkauft - bloomberg.com Harvard-Studie: KI schlägt Ärzte bei Notfall-Triage - theguardian.com Nvidia, Microsoft, AWS für Classified Military AI - bloomberg.com Palantir Q1 2026 Earnings - cnbc.com Spotify führt Verified-Artist-Badges gegen KI ein - techcrunch.com Anthropic plant $1,5 Mrd. JV mit Wall Street - wsj.com OpenAI DeployCo: $4 Mrd. von PE-Firmen - pe-insights.com Trump und KI-Modelle: NYT-Bericht - nytimes.com
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down the fallout from the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting, King Charles' upcoming visit to the US, Bernie Sanders' efforts to limit Super PAC money in the Democratic party, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down the fallout from the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting, King Charles' upcoming visit to the US, Bernie Sanders' efforts to limit Super PAC money in the Democratic party, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the DSR Daily for Monday, we break down the fallout from the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting, King Charles' upcoming visit to the US, Bernie Sanders' efforts to limit Super PAC money in the Democratic party, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jon continues talking about physical media, and talks about the plans for a super PAC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jon continues talking about physical media, and talks about the plans for a super PAC.
Federal Election Commission filings for the first quarter of 2026 showed that billionaires Miriam Adelson and George Soros were the biggest donors backing GOP and Democratic super PACs, respectively, ahead of this year's midterms, while billionaire Marc Andreessen's venture capital firm poured $25 million into a pro-artificial intelligence Super PAC. KEY FACTS According to the filings published on Wednesday night, GOP megadonor Adelson donated $30 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, the major super PAC backing Republican Senate candidates. Filings made by the GOP-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund—which backs GOP House candidates—showed Adelson had given the super PAC $10 million, bringing her overall contribution to $40 million so far this year. Billionaire George Soros, one of the biggest backers of Democratic candidates, donated $50 million to his Democracy PAC in January through an associated group, the Fund for Policy Reform. The Democracy PAC then donated $9 million to Senate Majority PAC—which backs Democratic Senate candidates. FORBES VALUATION According to Forbes' Real Time Billionaire's list, Adelson's total fortune is worth $37.3 billion, making her the 58th richest person in the world. In comparison Soros' net worth stands at $7.5 billion as of Thursday morning. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FUNDING FROM SILICON VALLEY ?Leaders from Silicon Valley launched the pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future in August last year, with venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz among its main backers. Wednesday's filings showed that the venture firm donated $25 million to the political action committee, with $12.5 million each coming from co-founders Benjamin Horowitz and billionaire Marc Andreessen. BIG NUMBER $27 million. That is how much Democratic Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico has raised in the first three months of the year so far, according to the New York Times. Talarico's strong numbers appear to reflect Democratic optimism about the race in deep-red Texas, as the GOP has been besieged by infighting among its top two candidates. SURPRISING FACT Filings for a Win for America, a super PAC backed by sports betting platforms, showed it raised more than $40 million in the first three months of the year. FanDuel contributed $19.5 million while DraftKings' holding company, DK Crown Holdings, donated 17.5 million. An additional $4 million came from Fanatics' subsidiary FBG Enterprises Opco. Read the full story on Forbes: By Siladitya Ray https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/04/16/billionaire-adelson-pours-40-million-to-back-gop-soros-gives-50-million-to-his-democrat-pac/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Federal Election Commission filings for the first quarter of 2026 showed that billionaires Miriam Adelson and George Soros were the biggest donors backing GOP and Democratic super PACs, respectively, ahead of this year's midterms, while billionaire Marc Andreessen's venture capital firm poured $25 million into a pro-artificial intelligence Super PAC. KEY FACTS According to the filings published on Wednesday night, GOP megadonor Adelson donated $30 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, the major super PAC backing Republican Senate candidates. Filings made by the GOP-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund—which backs GOP House candidates—showed Adelson had given the super PAC $10 million, bringing her overall contribution to $40 million so far this year. Billionaire George Soros, one of the biggest backers of Democratic candidates, donated $50 million to his Democracy PAC in January through an associated group, the Fund for Policy Reform. The Democracy PAC then donated $9 million to Senate Majority PAC—which backs Democratic Senate candidates. FORBES VALUATION According to Forbes' Real Time Billionaire's list, Adelson's total fortune is worth $37.3 billion, making her the 58th richest person in the world. In comparison Soros' net worth stands at $7.5 billion as of Thursday morning. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FUNDING FROM SILICON VALLEY ?Leaders from Silicon Valley launched the pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future in August last year, with venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz among its main backers. Wednesday's filings showed that the venture firm donated $25 million to the political action committee, with $12.5 million each coming from co-founders Benjamin Horowitz and billionaire Marc Andreessen. BIG NUMBER $27 million. That is how much Democratic Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico has raised in the first three months of the year so far, according to the New York Times. Talarico's strong numbers appear to reflect Democratic optimism about the race in deep-red Texas, as the GOP has been besieged by infighting among its top two candidates. SURPRISING FACT Filings for a Win for America, a super PAC backed by sports betting platforms, showed it raised more than $40 million in the first three months of the year. FanDuel contributed $19.5 million while DraftKings' holding company, DK Crown Holdings, donated 17.5 million. An additional $4 million came from Fanatics' subsidiary FBG Enterprises Opco. Read the full story on Forbes: By Siladitya Ray https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/04/16/billionaire-adelson-pours-40-million-to-back-gop-soros-gives-50-million-to-his-democrat-pac/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ralph welcomes journalist and author Megan Greenwell to discuss her book "Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream." Then, Ralph speaks to James Zogby (co-founder and president of the Arab American Institute) about the recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon.Megan Greenwell is a journalist who has written or edited for publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, New York Magazine, WIRED, and ESPN. She is also the deputy director of the Princeton Summer Journalism Program, a workshop and college-access initiative for students from low-income backgrounds. She is the author of Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream.The real trick with private equity (and this was the thing that made me want to write a book on it) is that when they take out those billions of dollars worth of loans (if you're buying a bigger company), the private equity firm is not responsible for paying those loans back. Only the portfolio company in whose name the private equity firm has taken the money out is on the hook for that money. And so what you end up with is this split in incentive where what's good for the private equity firm is not necessarily what's good for its own portfolio company.Megan Greenwell[Congress hasn't repealed the carried interest loophole] because Congress is in the pocket of the private equity industry. 88% of members of the House and Senate take donations from private equity. Interestingly, Donald Trump has called twice for the carried interest loophole to be closed. And still, even he, as much of a stranglehold as he has on the Republican Party, he can't build support for it among Republicans. Because they're all taking private equity money, as are the vast majority of the Democrats. So this is not a partisan issue.Megan GreenwellOne of the reasons I was really interested to write this book as a series of narrative profiles of people trying to do something about [private equity] is: none of them are trying to do something about it through the federal government. And I think when we talk about “Only the federal government can save us,” we really risk turning people away from trying to do anything. And I think we've seen on the private equity issue there has been some really interesting movement on the state level in several places—real reforms that are much easier to accomplish on the state level than on the federal level.Megan GreenwellJames Zogby is co-founder and president of the Arab American Institute, and he is featured frequently on national and international media as an expert on Middle East affairs. Since 1992, he has written a weekly column— “Washington Watch” —that is published in 12 countries. He is the author of several books, including Looking at Iran: The Rise and Fall of Iran in Arab Public Opinion, The Tumultuous Decade: Arab, Turkish, and Iranian Public Opinion - 2010-2019, Arab Voices: What They Are Saying to Us, and Why it Matters, and Palestinians: The Invisible Victims.Not only are thousands being killed [in Lebanon], but there's a process underway of demolishing villages, obviously expelling lots of people, creating internal refugees and sectarian tension as a result of it. And clearly (as Israel has stated, and I think we have to believe them), that they actually want to annex the territory up to the Litani River and maybe even further. They call it a buffer zone, but we've heard that buffer zone stuff before. It's merely a way of taking new land and providing opportunities for settlements.James ZogbyAs we saw ourselves in Vietnam, as we saw in Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel is now getting PTSD reports that are deeply disturbing to them. They're getting suicides. They're getting an exhausted military. They're not exhausted with the weapons that they're losing (because they're losing a lot and they're using a lot), they're getting emotionally and physically exhausted. Look, when the soldiers do what they've been doing—which is basically inhuman behavior, I mean, it's disgraceful behavior—it begins to eat away at the soul. You get these suicides. You get these emotional collapses. And what gets me upset is that—72,000 Palestinians dead, a few Israeli soldiers having PTSD and trauma and committing suicide becomes a news story? My feeling has to be with the Lebanese and Palestinians.James ZogbyWhen I hear on the DNC from other members who say to me, “When you talk about Israeli genocide, that's anti-Semitic, it makes me uncomfortable,” I said, “You know what makes me uncomfortable? That genocide is actually taking place. And it makes me equally uncomfortable that you won't admit it or even want us to talk about it.”James ZogbyNews 4/17/26* Our top story this week comes to us from New York City, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani is delivering on yet another campaign promise thought impossible by mainstream pundits and beltway insiders: the creation of municipal grocery stores. Capping off his first 100 days in office, Mayor Mamdani delivered remarks in front of La Marqueta in East Harlem, the site of one of the original city-run grocery stores created under Fiorello LaGuardia. Mamdani laid out how the stores will operate, noting that while “A private operator will run the store,” they will “answer to the standards the city will set…[including] requirements that at our stores bread will be cheaper. Eggs will be cheaper. Grocery shopping will no longer be an unsolvable equation. And workers will be treated with dignity.” Mamdani plans to have the first of these stores open in 2027 and stores in all five boroughs open by the end of his term in 2029. This from NBC4 New York.* Meanwhile, in New York's 10th congressional district, former NYC Comptroller and Mamdani ally Brad Lander is aligning himself with AOC and calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel. In a meeting with a group of local journalists, Lander said “We need to follow the Leahy Law and condition all of our foreign policy aid on human rights and international law compliance…At the moment, Israel is very far from complying with human rights and international law. So I would not vote for any more aid,” adding that he “hopes” Israel will “[get] there.” The Forward notes that this is an evolution from the position he took during his mayoral candidacy last year. At that time Lander opposed sending offensive weapons to Israel, but believed that the US should keep funding Israel's Iron Dome, per the New York Post. Through a representative, Lander's opponent in this race, incumbent Congressman Dan Goldman, told the Forward he “will always support defensive systems,” like Iron Dome.* The liberal Zionist organization J Street is also shifting its position. The Middle East Eye reports the group is calling for an end to “direct” US military support to Israel, according to a new policy paper. To be clear however, while this does mark a shift from J Street's previous position that the U.S. should provide defensive weapons systems – like resupply for Iron Dome, at no cost to Israelis – J Street now argues that Israel should simply purchase these weapons instead. In short, J Street is arguing that Israel is rich enough to provide for its own defense and that the American financial subsidies are “unnecessary and politically counterproductive, creating avoidable tensions in US domestic politics and in the bilateral relationship.” This is in line with statements by Netanyahu himself, who has made it clear that Israel wants to reduce its reliance on U.S. military aid “all the way down to zero.”* In other news, Reuters reports Apple is closing several of its brick-and-mortar stores, including the first ever unionized Apple store. Over 100 workers at the store, located in Towson Town Center mall in Maryland, voted to join the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) in 2022; Reuters notes that “a similar union drive in Atlanta [around that same time] was withdrawn, with Apple workers alleging intimidation.”At the other stores being shuttered, employees were offered the option to continue their jobs at other nearby Apple stores. At the Towson store however, Apple is claiming that the collective bargaining agreement prevents relocation. The union says this is “false” and is reportedly exploring all legal options. IAM also expressed “serious concerns that this closure is a cynical attempt to bust the union.”* Elsewhere in Maryland, the state legislature has passed the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act. This bill, which Gov. Wes Moore has vowed to sign into law, is designed to prohibit surveillance pricing, the practice of retailers charging different shoppers different prices for the same item at the same time based on information the store knows about them as an individual. While crucial and innovative legislation, Consumer Reports – which “engaged on the bill…throughout the legislative process,” argues that it has been watered down to the point of inadequacy via lobbying by the Maryland Retail Alliance. Some of the added exceptions include failing to establish any baseline or standard price – given that “with no set standard price, everything can be marketed as a discount” — and exempting any pricing associated with loyalty or membership programs or subscriptions. The bill also does not contain strong enforcement provisions, such as a private right of action. So, while this bill is a start – and you have to start somewhere – we echo Consumer Reports' urging that “other state legislatures considering personalized pricing legislation to build in stronger consumer protections and avoid loopholes that weakened this bill.”* In more consumer news, the scourge of sports betting continues to metastasize. A new report from Siena Research Institute has produced staggering findings: “27% of Americans and [52%] of men ages 18-49…[say] they have an active account with an online sportsbook such as DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel, or BetMGM.” And, while most respondents maintain that they bet because it is “exciting” and “fun”, “31% of bettors report having had someone express concern about their usage of online sportsbooks, [42%] of bettors...say they have felt that they bet more than they should…Fifteen percent of bettors…say they have called a problem gambling Helpline or sought other help with problem gambling, and 22% of respondents overall say they know someone that has or has had a problem with online sports betting.” Taken together, this represents a deeply troubling gambling wave cresting in this country. And, while legislators are beginning to take notice, the sports betting interests are beginning to fight back, with Bloomberg reporting that these companies – FanDuel, DraftKings and Fanatics Sportsbook – are beginning to dump money by the truckload into new Super PACs. Just this year, they have contributed $41 million to Win for America, according to new FEC filings, and show no sign of stopping there.* In our final domestic story, this week saw the implosion of leading California gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Eric Swalwell. Swalwell ultimately opted to resign his seat in Congress after it became clear that the Democratic and Republican House leadership was mulling a deal to expel him and flagrantly corrupt Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick along with two scandal-ridden GOP Reps., Tony Gonzales and Cory Mills. The fact that Swalwell's resignation was paired with that of Gonzales lends credence to the idea that some deal was worked out behind closed doors. Yet, deal or no, this leaves Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills in their seats despite general acknowledgment that they should be expelled, per the Hill. This constitutes congressional horsetrading at its most base.* Turning to international news, this week Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has for months governed the country with a plurality in the House of Commons, has successfully secured a majority for his ruling Liberal Party. This majority was secured via three byelection victories, but more significantly, by five recent “floor crossings” – elected MPs switching parties to join the Liberals. Having secured a majority, Carney is now confident in his ability to stave off a no-confidence vote and will likely remain in power at least until the 2029 general election. Unfortunately, the New Democratic Party (NDP) saw improvement in their share of the vote in only one “riding” despite their new leadership. This just proves the party has a long, difficult climb back to relevance in Canadian politics. This from the CBC.* Looking Southward, this week, Peru held the first round of their presidential election. The top two vote getters will advance to a runoff, but who those candidates would be remained unclear for an agonizingly protracted period of time. Keiko Fujimori, daughter of the former Japanese-Peruvian dictator and a perennial far-right candidate herself, came in first with 17% of the vote. And at first, it seemed like the second slot would be taken by ultraconservative Rafael Lopez Aliaga. However, following days of vote counting, Aliaga moved down to third place, with the second place finisher proving to be Roberto Sanchez, a figure of the Peruvian Left and ally of ousted former President Pedro Castillo. Sanchez however is also allegedly allied with the Andean supremacist movement led by Antauro Humala in Peru. The Peruvian political system has been rocked by instability, churning through “eight presidents in the past 10 years, including four who were impeached,” per France 24. Castillo, the last democratically elected president, was sentenced to over 11 years in prison in 2025; if elected, Sanchez would likely pardon the former president as other left-wing Latin American leaders including Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have urged. How long Sanchez, or for that matter Fujimori, might last in office is another question.* Finally, we turn to the United Kingdom where the dream of a new Leftist party – Your Party – is foundering. After a promising start, Your Party ultimately descended into infighting between the Grassroots Left faction, led by Zarah Sultana, and another faction, the Many, led by former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Your Party also chose to bar from participation any avowedly leftist organizations. These moves, alienating to the very constituencies most interested in backing the YP, paired with the meteoric rise of the Green Party under Zack Polanski and a threatened exodus by the Scottish YP segment, have rendered what could have been a substantial power in Parliament, pressing for concessions on issues if not achieving a majority itself, utterly toothless. An inside account of the internal battles is available at Counterfire.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe
Host Radell Lewis breaks down Ohio's 2026 State Auditor race between Republican Frank LaRose, Democrat Annette Blackwell, and Libertarian write-in Aidan Jeffery, then runs through a wild week of Ohio political news on Purple Political Breakdown. This episode covers why the Auditor's office matters (hint: it's the only statewide office with the power to catch public officials misusing your tax dollars), how current Auditor Keith Faber's run for Attorney General is part of what reporters are calling a "musical chairs" pattern among term-limited Ohio Republicans, and whether LaRose's Secretary of State record (including the 2023 Issue 1 reversal, a Hatch Act complaint, and 1,200 alleged voter fraud cases referred to the DOJ in late 2025) matches the job description of Ohio's chief accountability officer. On the other side of the aisle, Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell pitches 16 years of accounting experience and a documented fiscal turnaround that won the Auditor's own Clean Audit Award three years running. In the news roundup: Ohio quietly adds "Trump Wildlife Area" as an official name through administrative rule, podcaster Myron Gaines performs a Sieg Heil salute on the steps of Ohio University's Memorial Auditorium in the first real test of Senate Bill 1, Columbus restaurant La Chatelaine cancels a Casey Putsch fundraiser over his comments about Hitler and Nazis, Governor Mike DeWine honors his late father's role liberating Dachau, a 2019 Bexley police report resurfaces on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, Signal Ohio reporter Jake Zuckerman exposes Ohio nursing homes dumping medically fragile patients at homeless shelters, and a DraftKings-linked super PAC places over $1.1 million in ads backing Ohio Republican legislative primary candidates. Nonpartisan political analysis. Solutions-focused. No corporate spin. Keywords: Ohio auditor 2026, Frank LaRose, Annette Blackwell, Ohio primary May 5 2026, Amy Acton police report, Vivek Ramaswamy, Casey Putsch, Myron Gaines Ohio University, Trump Wildlife Area, DraftKings super PAC Ohio, Ohio nursing homes, Mike DeWine, Ohio 2026 election, Purple Political Breakdown, Radell Lewis.Standard 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)Check Out the Unfuck America Tour & National Ground Game: https://www.nationalgroundgame.com/ 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
Jack Schlossberg is JFK's only grandson, and he's making his first bid for elected office in Manhattan's 12th Congressional District, the seat being vacated by Jerry Nadler. He has Nancy Pelosi's endorsement, two million social media followers, and a campaign built around kitchen-table issues like housing costs and tariffs on food and clothing. But he's also faced pointed questions about his qualifications and some notably harsh press coverage. In this conversation, he lays out his policy priorities, his decision to forgo Super PAC money, and what the Kennedy name really means for a first-time–ever–candidate running for Congress 2026.See 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.
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.
Co-founder and Board Member of The Lincoln Project, Rick Wilson is a renowned political strategist, infamous award-winning ad-maker and podcast host, writer, speaker, and political commentator on MSNBC, CNN, ABC News, NPR, Real Time with Bill Maher, and various American and international news national outlets. A 30-year veteran of national Republican politics, Rick got his start in the 1988 Presidential campaign of George Herbert Walker Bush and has produced groundbreaking and award-winning political advertising, strategic counsel to winning political candidates, SuperPACS, state parties, the national campaign committees, and corporate, association, and government clients across the nation and around the world. Rick has authored two New York Times bestsellers – Everything Trump Touches Dies and Running Against The Devil – A Plot To Save America from Trump And Democrats From Themselves – and often writes for The Washington Post, Politico, Rolling Stone, The Hill, The Bulwark, and the London Spectator. Rick and I discuss the Iran war, Trump's unconscionable 'genocide' threat, the Epstein cover-up, MAGA, the midterms, and the Trump's bizarre assault on the Pope and the Vatican. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
UNBIASED University is in session! While Jordan is on maternity leave, she's breaking down the most critical aspects of the United States government — the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the three branches of the federal government, presidential elections, the evolution of political parties, and more. In this episode of UNBIASED University, we pull back the curtain on the hidden power players in Washington and examine how influence actually works behind the scenes. Who are lobbyists, what do they legally do, and how do Political Action Committees, Super PACs, and so-called dark money groups operate within the campaign finance system? We break down the difference between direct lobbying and independent expenditures, how campaign finance laws have evolved over time, and what Supreme Court decisions have shaped the modern political funding landscape. We also explain the rules around disclosure, coordination, and contribution limits so you can better understand what is legal, what is controversial, and why these systems generate so much debate. Whether you view these groups as essential participants in a representative democracy or as outsized influencers in American politics, this episode provides a clear, nonpartisan explanation of how money and advocacy intersect with power in Washington. What to Know About Lobbying (2:58) The World of Campaign Finance (~20:03) PACS, Super PACS, and "Dark Money" Groups (~32:27) Notable Supreme Court Cases That Have Shaped the World of Campaign Finance (~42:41) How to Track the Money (~46:50) SUBSCRIBE TO JORDAN'S SUBSTACK. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Jordan on Instagram and TikTok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Money from super PACs flooded into Illinois for the Democratic primary — much of it aimed at defeating progressives by misleading voters about their records. We'll hear from a candidate on the receiving end of such an attack: congressional candidate Robert Peters, whom a crypto PAC labeled a “corporate pawn” despite being endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. We'll also put these kind of attacks into a broader national context with Dave Weigel of Semafor.
Primary season for the 2026 midterm elections is underway. And the money from super PACs is already flowing. But how well is it working? On today's show, Kimberly talks with democratic strategist Tim Lim about how spending from outside groups is shaping this year's races so far and why strategists are waiting on the outcome of an under-the-radar Supreme Court case that could loosen the rules on how parties can coordinate with candidates.Here's everything we talked about today:"MAGA Inc.'s $300 Million War Chest Waits for Go-Ahead From Trump" from Bloomberg "Super PAC spending passes $200M, with some groups hiding their cause" from The Washington Post"Big-spending Democratic PACs see mixed results in Illinois" from Semafor"This Supreme Court decision could upend millions in political spending ahead of the midterms. Here's how the parties are preparing." from Politico "Pivotal U.S. Supreme Court Case Could Further Reshape Federal Campaign Finance Law" from Bernstein Shur Got a question about the Iran war and its impact on the global economy? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.
Primary season for the 2026 midterm elections is underway. And the money from super PACs is already flowing. But how well is it working? On today's show, Kimberly talks with democratic strategist Tim Lim about how spending from outside groups is shaping this year's races so far and why strategists are waiting on the outcome of an under-the-radar Supreme Court case that could loosen the rules on how parties can coordinate with candidates.Here's everything we talked about today:"MAGA Inc.'s $300 Million War Chest Waits for Go-Ahead From Trump" from Bloomberg "Super PAC spending passes $200M, with some groups hiding their cause" from The Washington Post"Big-spending Democratic PACs see mixed results in Illinois" from Semafor"This Supreme Court decision could upend millions in political spending ahead of the midterms. Here's how the parties are preparing." from Politico "Pivotal U.S. Supreme Court Case Could Further Reshape Federal Campaign Finance Law" from Bernstein Shur Got a question about the Iran war and its impact on the global economy? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email makemesmart@marketplace.org.
The Chief and Jim discuss Super PACs in the Illinois Primaries. After that, John Flannigan joins the conversation to discuss how to discern AI from reality as well as to dive into the politics of the Iran War.
Anthropic beziffert den Umsatzschaden auf $350 Mio. und klagt gegen die Supply-Chain-Risk-Einstufung. Big Tech stützt Anthropic: Amazon, Google und Microsoft bestätigen, dass Claude auf ihren Plattformen bleibt. 37 OpenAI- und DeepMind-Mitarbeiter reichen einen Amicus Brief ein. OpenAI-Robotik-Chefin Caitlin Kalinowski kündigt wegen Bedenken zu Überwachung und autonomen Waffen. Yann LeCuns AMI Labs sammelt $1,03 Mrd. bei $3,5 Mrd. Bewertung. Meta übernimmt Moltbook. Microsoft bündelt Copilot Cowork in M365 - Bundling-Alarm für Anthropic und Perplexity. Oracle und OpenAI streiten über die Stargate-Finanzierung, Nvidia springt ein und führt Meta als neuen Mieter heran. Iran greift Amazon-Data-Center in Bahrain und Dubai an - $300 Mrd. KI-Investitionen am Golf in Frage gestellt. Saudi-Arabien erwägt, The Line in ein Rechenzentrum umzuwidmen. Robinhoods Venture Fund fällt 16% am ersten Tag. Hims & Hers einigt sich mit Novo Nordisk. Ein Palantir-Gründer attackiert per Super PAC einen NY-Kandidaten für die Arbeit bei Palantir. DOGE nutzt ChatGPT, um Geisteswissenschaften-Förderung zu streichen. XAI scheitert gegen Kaliforniens Datentransparenz-Gesetz. 88% der X-Nutzer haben nie über Werbung gekauft. AWS kämpft mit Ausfällen durch KI-Code. Trumps Söhne investieren in Drohnenfirmen. Unterstütze unseren Podcast und entdecke die Angebote unserer Werbepartner auf doppelgaenger.io/werbung. Vielen Dank! Philipp Glöckler und Philipp Klöckner sprechen heute über: 00:00:00) Anthropic vs. Pentagon: Big Tech stützt Claude (00:12:51) Anthropic klagt, OpenAI-Robotik-Chefin kündigt (00:17:17) AMI Labs: $1 Mrd. für Yann LeCuns Weltmodelle (00:22:53) Meta übernimmt Moltbook (00:28:05) Microsoft Copilot Cowork: Bundling-Alarm (00:32:50) Oracle/OpenAI: Stargate-Streit (00:37:44) Iran greift Data Center an (00:42:20) Robinhood Venture Fund und Hims & Hers (00:47:25) Palantir-Gründer attackiert eigenen Ex-Mitarbeiter (00:51:07) DOGE nutzt ChatGPT gegen Geisteswissenschaften (00:53:30) Musk vs. Kalifornien und X-Werbepoll (01:04:07) AWS-Ausfälle durch KI-Code und Prompt Injection (01:12:21) Trumps Söhne investieren in Drohnen Shownotes Anthropic Pentagon - wired Amazon, Google und Microsoft stützen Anthropic - heise.de OpenAI- und Google-Mitarbeiter unterstützen Anthropic-Klage - wired.com Kalinowski tritt bei OpenAI zurück - x.com OpenAI-Robotik-Chefin kündigt wegen Pentagon-Deal - fortune.com AMI Labs: $1 Mrd. für Weltmodelle - techcrunch.com Meta übernimmt Moltbook - axios.com Nadella kündigt Copilot Cowork an - x.com Oracle und OpenAI stoppen Rechenzentrum-Ausbau - bloomberg.com Iran-Krieg gefährdet $300 Mrd. KI-Investitionen am Golf - theinformation.com Drohnenangriffe bedrohen KI-Rechenzentren am Golf - theguardian.com Saudi-Arabien: The Line wird zum Rechenzentrum - techradar.com Robinhood-Venture-Fonds fällt 11% am ersten Tag - cnbc.com Robinhood: $658 Mio. Fonds für Privatanleger - reuters.com VCBrags-Post - x.com Hims & Hers steigt: Novo Nordisk zieht Patentklage zurück - cnbc.com Alex Bores' KI-Strategie bei Anthropic - politico.com Trump/DOGE kürzt Geisteswissenschaften-Stiftung - nytimes.com Musk scheitert gegen Kaliforniens Datenschutzgesetz - arstechnica.com Musk-Post zu Tesla - x.com Amazon Engineering Meeting- ft.com Microsoft: KI-Zusammenfassung als Sicherheitsrisiko - thehackernews.com Trumps Söhne investieren in Drohnenfirma - wsj.com Palmer Luckey: $1 Mrd. für Retro-Konsolen - ft.com
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
Fifteen years after Citizens United, the conventional wisdom was wrong. Corporations never flooded Super PACs with cash — and Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Brody Mullins, co-author of The Wolves of K Street, explains exactly why. On this episode of Facts About PACs, Brody joins Micaela, Adam, and David to unpack why publicly traded companies have stayed on the sidelines, who is spending big in the Super PAC game, and which industries — crypto, big oil, Wall Street, and AI — are starting to rethink that calculus.
What's one thing people across the U.S. can agree on? Hint – it's about money. Voters from all political parties overwhelmingly see unlimited spending in elections as a threat to our democracy. So if most people don't like all this money in politics, then who does? The answer, on this episode of Throughline.Guests:Michael Kang, Class of 1940 Professor of Law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.Henrik Schatzinger, professor of political science at Ripon College and author of forthcoming book Super PACs in the City: How Outside Money is Reshaping Local ElectionsTo access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Danielle Butterfield joins The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about her career in politics and her role as Executive Director at Priorities USA, where they're working to build progressive power by redefining how Super PACs contribute by training digital operatives and developing new apps and tools.
With Trump faltering and their policy agenda incomplete, the crypto industry has moved at least $288 million toward the midterms in a desperate bid to keep Republicans in control of Congress. Originally published on February 20, 2026.
CBS lawyers shut down Stephen Colbert's Senate interview — and suddenly it's “Trump censorship.” A Democrat Super PAC darkens Jasmine Crockett's skin in a primary ad. A DHS building is targeted in Idaho. And the New England Journal of Medicine quietly admits COVID vaccine blood clots were real. Tara connects the dots on media double standards, political hypocrisy, terror labeling, and the slow unraveling of the COVID narrative.
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
Anne Kim is an old friend from my Capitol Hill days, but she's also Senior Editor at Washington Monthly and author of Poverty for Profit: How Corporations Get Rich Off America's Poor. We just had a fascinating discussion about the secret world of companies making millions off of shadowy, almost secret contracts with ICE. What they are doing, how they got these contracts, and even who they are is often a mystery. You can watch the full video above or watch/listen to the podcast video here:And then, we tried to get out of the Trump/ICE/corruption doom loop that we've all been living with in recent months and talk about the top ten stories we'd written about in our work for Washington Monthly and Newsweek (and here on Worth Knowing) respectively. We covered topics like:Are Democrats really “out of touch”? Reviving the argument for at-large districts Getting rid of superPACs How can we use state laws to rein in ICE (ok, that was back to ICE)Why Republican healthcare plans are so broken and subversive00:00 Welcome and Introduction00:35 Trump Fatigue and Political Corruption02:25 Introducing the Guest: Economic Policy Expert03:10 Top Stories Worth Knowing03:57 The Melania Movie: Reviews and Reactions08:58 Investigating ICE Contracts and Corruption17:45 Democratic Party's Brand Problem30:16 Eric Schmidt's Controversial Statements30:50 State-Level Legal Actions Against Federal Agents31:25 Empowering States and Legal Analysis32:02 Federal Civil Liability and the Rene Good Civil Rights Act33:11 Democrats' Focus on Federal vs. State Power35:00 At-Large Districts and Depolarizing Congress37:13 Approval Voting vs. Rank Choice Voting43:05 Super PACs and Campaign Finance Reform47:21 Republican Healthcare Plans Critiqued56:43 Concluding Remarks and Viewer Interaction
This year-end live show features nine rapid-fire conversations to make sense of AI's 2025 and what might define 2026. PSA for AI builders: Interested in alignment, governance, or AI safety? Learn more about the MATS Summer 2026 Fellowship and submit your name to be notified when applications open: https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr. New York Assemblymember Alex Boris breaks down the RAISE Act's bid to curb catastrophic AI risks, the governor negotiations, and why a16z-backed ads are targeting him. Former White House AI adviser Dean Ball maps the emerging coalitions on AI, federal preemption, and what fast-improving coding agents could mean for policy and jobs. Forecaster Peter Wildeford debates selling vs "renting" chips to China and offers a 2026 outlook on agents, costs, and robotics. Recorded live as part of our AI 2025→2026 series (Part 2). Sponsors: Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio: Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio lets you build fully functional apps from a simple description—no coding required. Start vibe coding your idea today at https://ai.studio/build MATS: MATS is a fully funded 12-week research program pairing rising talent with top mentors in AI alignment, interpretability, security, and governance. Apply for the next cohort at https://matsprogram.org/s26-tcr Framer: Framer is the all-in-one tool to design, iterate, and publish stunning websites with powerful AI features. Start creating for free and use code COGNITIVE to get one free month of Framer Pro at https://framer.com/design Shopify: Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Tasklet: Tasklet is an AI agent that automates your work 24/7; just describe what you want in plain English and it gets the job done. Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai CHAPTERS: (00:00) Sponsor: Gemini 3 in Google AI Studio (00:31) RAISE Act status (04:52) Catastrophic risk focus (10:47) Super PAC backlash (16:17) Data centers and grid (19:47) Palantir and surveillance (23:42) Dean Ball joins (Part 1) (23:46) Sponsors: MATS | Framer (27:05) Dean Ball joins (Part 2) (32:00) Social media lessons (36:22) Trump preemption and chips (Part 1) (40:51) Sponsors: Shopify | Tasklet (43:59) Trump preemption and chips (Part 2) (44:50) Structural US-China decoupling (49:39) Peter on chip ban (55:43) Threat model and renting (01:02:55) Cost drops, revenue (01:16:03) Forecasting paradigm shifts (01:20:38) 2026 agents and robots (01:31:41) Show wrap and markets (01:42:28) Outro PRODUCED BY: https://aipodcast.ing
Send us a text Anthony Freda is an accomplished educator, artist, and activist whose creative journey shaped by moral reckoning and bold shifts in perspective ultimately led him to Jesus and a renewed focus on Christian art. A tenured professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, Freda has built a distinguished career as an award-winning illustrator, with work featured in major publications such as The New Yorker, Time, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times. His art is showcased in a permanent exhibit at the 9/11 Memorial, and he has been honored by The Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, and American Illustration. Known for his provocative, politically charged imagery, Freda blends vintage American ephemera with modern commentary, using his work as a platform for cultural critique and creative activism. His StoryHe began his career in advertising, notably working on the infamous Joe Camel campaign. When the FTC ruled the campaign illegal for marketing cigarettes to children, Freda experienced a profound moral awakening that led him to leave advertising behind. He went on to work with prestigious publications such as The New York Times and The New Yorker, but it was his work on an OpEd piece for The New York Times promoting the Iraq War that sparked another ethical reckoning. Realizing he had gone from selling cigarettes to selling war, Freda transitioned once more, joining the early alternative media movement in the 2000s.Freda's work has often pushed boundaries, both politically and artistically. His art is part of the permanent collection of the 9/11 Museum and Memorial in New York, where his piece is one of the only works that questions the official narrative of the events of 9/11. His ten-year tenure with Infowars as an illustrator and writer further cemented his place in the world of controversial alternative news, and he has been vocal about his role in the space.Freda's work, especially his art, continues to stir debate. In 2024, an author in Germany faced legal consequences for simply posting one of his book covers on social media, and Freda himself has been extensively censored for his dissent against the official COVID-19 narrative. He has even been flagged as a potential domestic terrorist for his critical stance and controversial imagery. One of his most notable works is a covert illustration for The Wall Street Journal in 2025, where he secretly adorned Xi Jinping's tie with skull motifs as a subtle critique of global politics.In 2024, Freda worked as an illustrator and media consultant for RFK Jr.'s Super-Pac, AV24, further cementing his role in the political and media landscape. However, in recent years, Freda has pivoted his artistic focus towards Christian art. After decades of political commentary, he now sees the battle as spiritual and has committed to dedicating much of his creative work to Christ, producing original pieces as a devotion to his faith.Freda is also working on an ambitious project called Jesus Park, a sculptural earthen garden designed as a peaceful space for prayer and meditation. The project aims to provide a tranquil setting for spiritual reflection and devotion.To explore his ongoing projects, including his Christian art, visit his website: AnthonyFreda.com, https://www.instagram.com/anthonyfredaart/,The Thought Crimes of Anthony Freda - Book PreviewConnect with Angie Taylor on:IG: https://www.instagram.com/mrsangietaylor/?hl=enFB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090424997350
John and Kurt continue their conversation. In this episode, they discuss how strong relationships help in both business and family life, why it's important for entrepreneurs to be good on camera, the value of personal branding, and how Kurt's company uses data to help businesses and political campaigns. In Part 1, they talked about Kurt's journey into political campaigns, how he built a successful fundraising company, and Liberty Spenders. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Recap of Part 1 [01:22] - Advice to entrepreneurs about being camera-ready [04:00] - "You are the brand" [04:54] - Does Kurt still help political fundraising? [05:45] - Kurt's ideal client [07:07] - How Mustard Seed uses data to target the right audience [09:14] - Statistics about political donors [10:43] - How much does it cost to run for President? [13:42] - Campaign finance rules and how Super PACs work [16:21] - How working with his wife has helped his family and business [21:24] - Kurt's definition of success [24:24] - #1 daily habit [24:54] - Traits of a great leader [26:12] - How Kurt invests in himself [28:15] - Creating memories with family [30:26] - How Kurt improves his marriage [31:23] - Best way to connect with Kurt [32:53] - Wrap-up NOTABLE QUOTES: "If you (entrepreneurs) don't have a lot of experience behind the camera, you need to work on that. It is a skill set. Don't just assume that because you're passionate about your thing, you're going to be good on camera, because I can promise you it's going to blow up in your face spectacularly." "Remember, you are the brand. You may have a company, you may have multiple companies, the companies fit under you as the brand. So if there ever comes a time where you remove yourself from the company, you sell the company, it's still you as the brand. Because if all you're focused on is that particular company and that becomes your branding, then if you sell it or leave it, it's like, 'Well, what do I do now?' You still have your branding when it's you." "If your problems are operational or you don't really know what you're selling yet, it's a little hard to pump in and build out a good marketing and brand strategy, because we're still not sure what we're marketing." "My wife and I are partners in the business, and I've always believed that's one of the reasons our marriage has been healthy. If one of us was building it and working all those extra hours while the other stayed at home feeling lonely and neglected … we'd have been in trouble. But we were always working on it together." "We started with a commitment that we took our vows seriously, that this was 'till death do us part.'" "I've got to do some stuff I don't want to do, because I don't want the consequence of a really ugly, unhappy marriage that I'm stuck in for 30 years." BOOK MENTIONED: Sacred Pace: Four Steps to Hearing God and Aligning Yourself with His Will by Terry Looper (https://a.co/d/bVRz3on) USEFUL RESOURCES: https://www.prospergroupcorp.com/ https://libertyspenders.com/ https://www.kurtluidhardt.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosper-group-corp/posts/?feedView=all https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtluidhardt/ https://www.instagram.com/kluidhardt/ https://www.facebook.com/ProsperGroup https://www.facebook.com/libertyspenders https://www.facebook.com/kurtluidhardt https://x.com/theprospergroup https://x.com/kurtluidhardt https://www.youtube.com/@Prospergroupcorp https://www.youtube.com/@luidhardts Liberty Spenders: How to Reach the $5 Trillion Market of High-Value, Conservative or Faith-Based Clients to Grow Your Business (https://a.co/d/bXFYB8C) CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen X - https://x.com/johnhulen YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLX_NchE8lisC4NL2GciIWA EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/
Next week in Tennessee, the biggest and most important election since Election Day is happening. And it could be a key bellwether for the mid-term elections next year. But most of America doesn't know it's happening. Or that an independent veteran is running in it. But this fascinating and intense race is a reflection of all that is broken in American politics today. And also, may give you hope for the future. Can the Republicans hold this solidly red district? Will the Democrats continue their hot streak and win again? And will this little-known independent candidate be the determining factor? Independent veteran Congressional candidate Jon Thorp joins Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) from rural Tennessee to break down his high‑stakes special election outside of Nashville, why he walked away from the GOP to run as a true independent, and how MAGA money, Democrat Super PACs, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, gerrymandering, and broken election rules are all stacked against independent candidates like him. We'll take you inside this fight for a Congressional seat that could alter the entire balance of power in Washington. In this latest special “Meet the Independent Candidate” episode, Paul talks exclusively with the former Army soldier and independent veteran who is running in a December 2nd special election in Tennessee's 7th District—a race drawn to be safely Republican but now suddenly competitive. Jon explains how a district that stretches across 14 counties from the Kentucky line down toward Alabama was carved to exclude downtown Nashville, why that gerrymander matters, and what he is hearing from disillusioned voters who feel politically homeless and ignored by both parties. Jon is facing a Trump-supported loyalist and extreme Republican Matt Van Epps, AND a Kamala Harris-supported far left Democrat Aftyn Behn–and presenting himself as the moderate voice of reason in the middle. Trump is watching this race closely. You should too. And Paul also breaks down the top stories of the day–including reaction to the breaking news that the cases against James Comey and Leticia James have been dropped–and that Secretary of Defense and Pete Hegseth are considering launching an investigation and UCMJ legal action against political opponent, Navy Veteran and Democrat Senator Mark Kelly. Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories--and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It's independent content for independent Americans. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. The podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve--and stay vigilant. -WATCH video of this episode on YouTube now. -Learn more about Jon Thorp and his independent campaign. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours. -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us. -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the holidays. -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm. Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. Ways to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Amazon Podcasts Ways to watch: YouTube Instagram Social Channels X/Twitter BlueSky Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Next week in Tennessee, the biggest and most important election since Election Day is happening. And it could be a key bellwether for the mid-term elections next year. But most of America doesn't know it's happening. Or that an independent veteran is running in it. But this fascinating and intense race is a reflection of all that is broken in American politics today. And also, may give you hope for the future. Can the Republicans hold this solidly red district? Will the Democrats continue their hot streak and win again? And will this little-known independent candidate be the determining factor? Independent veteran Congressional candidate Jon Thorp joins Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) from rural Tennessee to break down his high‑stakes special election outside of Nashville, why he walked away from the GOP to run as a true independent, and how MAGA money, Democrat Super PACs, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, gerrymandering, and broken election rules are all stacked against independent candidates like him. We'll take you inside this fight for a Congressional seat that could alter the entire balance of power in Washington. In this latest special “Meet the Independent Candidate” episode, Paul talks exclusively with the former Army soldier and independent veteran who is running in a December 2nd special election in Tennessee's 7th District—a race drawn to be safely Republican but now suddenly competitive. Jon explains how a district that stretches across 14 counties from the Kentucky line down toward Alabama was carved to exclude downtown Nashville, why that gerrymander matters, and what he is hearing from disillusioned voters who feel politically homeless and ignored by both parties. Jon is facing a Trump-supported loyalist and extreme Republican Matt Van Epps, AND a Kamala Harris-supported far left Democrat Aftyn Behn–and presenting himself as the moderate voice of reason in the middle. Trump is watching this race closely. You should too. And Paul also breaks down the top stories of the day–including reaction to the breaking news that the cases against James Comey and Leticia James have been dropped–and that Secretary of Defense and Pete Hegseth are considering launching an investigation and UCMJ legal action against political opponent, Navy Veteran and Democrat Senator Mark Kelly. Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories--and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It's independent content for independent Americans. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. The podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve--and stay vigilant. -WATCH video of this episode on YouTube now. -Learn more about Jon Thorp and his independent campaign. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours. -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us. -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the holidays. -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm. Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. Ways to Listen: Spotify Apple Podcasts Amazon Podcasts Ways to watch: YouTube Instagram Social Channels X/Twitter BlueSky Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Options flashing a bullish, but cautious, signal ahead of Nvidia earnings. Bernstein sees near-term risk for the country's biggest retailer. Plus, the $100M AI Super PAC picks its first target. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Maine overwhelmingly voted last year to end Super PACs. A federal judge blocked the ballot measure — but left a kill switch inside the ruling. Larry Lessig, a professor at Harvard Law School and head of the nonprofit Equal Citizens, is ready to flip that switch and take his case to the Supreme Court. In our final episode of Lever Time's MONEYBOMB series, David Sirota speaks with Lessig about the legal battle against Super PACs and why he believes that we can stop Citizens United without touching it. To read more about Larry Lessig's case against Super PACs, click here. Click here to order our new book, MASTER PLAN: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America. 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
Listen to the full episode The nonprofit organization (and its adjoined Super PAC), MAHA Action, is leading semi-regular Zoom calls featuring a host of wellness influencers and RFK Jr appointees, including Jillian Michaels, Dr Oz, and Russell Brand. Derek listens into a recent call to see just what they're saying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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