Podcasts about Working Families Party

Ralph speaks to economist Dean Baker about the hypocrisies behind the supposed Social Security shortfall and Republicans' "waste, fraud, and abuse" panic. Then, Ralph talks to journalist and ocean activist David Helvarg about his new book: Forest of the Sea: The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp.Dean Baker is a Senior Economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, where he authors “Beat the Press,” his regular commentary on economic reporting. He has written several books, including Getting Back to Full Employment: A Better Bargain for Working People, The End of Loser Liberalism: Making Markets Progressive, False Profits: Recovering from the Bubble Economy, and The Conservative Nanny State: How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer.People will hear big numbers. They'll hear “$300 billion” and they'll go “Oh my God, that's a lot of money. That's money out of my pocket. It's causing the government deficit,” whatever. That's because they haven't given it any context…If we could, in any conceivable world, afford to pay $500 billion to increase the military budget, surely we can afford to pay $300 billion to ensure that everyone gets their Social Security benefits. It's just a case of: put it in context. I'm not going to say it's a small number. It isn't. But it's smaller— $300 billion is smaller than $500 billion, and that's really not a disputable point.Dean BakerWhere [DOGE] had the biggest consequences is with foreign aid. [Musk] just got a big kick out of that— USAID, he just shut it down. He boasted about that. He goes, “Last weekend I fed USAID into the wood chipper.” That's almost verbatim what he said. Now, what this meant was that you have people— and you could find waste in that program just like any other program, but this is a program that provided millions of people with medicine, with nutrition, with healthcare. And suddenly they couldn't get it…And Elon Musk was boasting that he killed that program. That's great. But millions of people, I mean, thankfully, I don't think it's millions yet, but if that program doesn't get restarted or funded somewhere else, you're going to see millions of people lose their lives.Dean BakerSo we're saying we have people on Medicaid that are committing fraud? No one gets a check from Medicaid. What would that even mean? Like, you signed up for Medicaid and you weren't eligible, so that would mean that they might be making a payment to a doctor or hospital that they don't actually have to make because you didn't qualify? I'm sure that happens sometimes but it's not like someone's living high on the hog because they were able to get Medicaid to pay for their doctor's visit when it actually shouldn't have.Dean BakerDavid Helvarg is a journalist and ocean activist. He is the founder and executive director of Blue Frontier, an ocean policy and media group, and producer of Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast. He has produced more than 40 documentaries for media outlets, including PBS and the Discovery Channel. And he has written several books, including Blue Frontier, The War Against the Greens, and Forest of the Sea: The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp.I've been pushing with my colleagues in journalism the idea of the “blue beat.” The only resource in the ocean not fully exploited at this point is good investigative reporting and narrative storytelling. Because people don't connect with it, a lot of people think the environment ends at the shoreline. And that's really where 95% of the living space on the planet begins.David HelvargPeople at least know that corals are in trouble and they have some sense of what a coral reef is. People don't know that the planet has this other forest crisis—that kelp forests cover an area larger than the Amazon basin, and they're also being impacted by these marine heat waves that are growing every year. And as you add more heat to the system, it gets more energetic, which is why we have more and more extreme storms. I covered Katrina in 2005. I thought that would be a turning point (we had 1,800 people killed and a million environmental refugees). But the propaganda by the oil and gas industry is such that we keep having these disasters from a warming ocean planet, we see the melting of the Arctic ice, and instead of an alarm bell, it became a dinner bell for all the shipping industries and people who want to exploit the oil and gas in the increasingly open Arctic waters. So we're in this crisis point. I'm more frustrated than despairing because we know what the solutions are. It's creating the political will to enact them.David HelvargWhen I started Blue Frontier 20 years ago, the main threats were overfishing and pollution—oil, chemical, plastic, nutrient pollution. Today, that's being overwhelmed by these marine heat waves.David HelvargNews 6/26/26* Our top story this week comes to us from New York City, where democratic socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani has pulled off a stunning hat trick, with all three candidates for Congress endorsed by the Mayor winning their primaries on Tuesday. The most surprising victory is that of Darializa Avila Chevalier, who ousted the powerful incumbent Congressman Adriano Espaillat, head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in New York's 13th congressional district. This primary had turned ugly, with Espaillat's campaign seeking to weaponize anti-Haitian racism in the Dominican community against Avila Chevalier, per the Haitian Times, despite the fact that she is not in fact Haitian. Impressive in another way is the victory of UAW organizer and New York State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez in New York's 7th district. Much has been made of this race being a proxy battle between Mamdani and his onetime supporter, retiring Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, who backed her protégé, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to succeed her in this seat. Reynoso enjoyed the support of a broad range of New York elected officials – including Velazquez along with New York Attorney General Letitia James, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and a broad range of unions and civil society groups, most notably the Working Families Party – but was absolutely trounced by Valdez, who won by over 20 points with the support of Mamdani and NYC-DSA. Meanwhile, in the 10th district, Brad Lander won by an even greater margin, outrunning incumbent Congressman Dan Goldman by over 30 points while running on a pro-Palestine platform in the most Jewish congressional district in America. These victories send a clear signal to the sclerotic, ossified leadership of the Democratic Party. The only question now is will they listen.* Beyond the congressional races, DSA won a remarkable number of races at the state level. According to Democratic Left, DSA will send as many as seven new legislators to Albany this cycle, for a total of “four state senators and 11 or 12 members of the state assembly.” As the magazine notes, this means that the “2027-2028 socialist bloc in Albany will be the second largest in a state legislature in U.S. history…behind 20 members in Wisconsin in 1919 and ahead of 14 members in Wisconsin in 1911.” Within New York City, DSA endorsed candidates won seven out of eight races for seats in the state legislature, per NYC-DSA. All told, it was a thunderous victory for the left in New York and raises the clout of Zohran and his compatriots to dizzying heights.* Meanwhile, in Washington DC, NOTUS reports the local DSA has exploded in membership, adding nearly 1,000 new members since this time last year. This growing bloc flexed its political muscle in the recent Democratic primaries, electing DSA members Janeese Lewis George for Mayor and Aparna Raj for the Ward 1 seat on the DC Council, as well as Oye Owolewa for an at-large seat. Axios notes that they are already eying, “two more openings — to fill Lewis George's Ward 4 seat and the at-large seat of Congress-bound Robert White.” If these votes go in DSA's favor, Lewis George could assume the mayoralty with a progressive majority of seven out of 13 members on the Council. Since her victory last Tuesday, Lewis George has emphasized her plan to lower utility costs through “expanding government solar,” and “balcony solar” for apartment tenants, optimizing efficiency at local government agencies and maximizing federal housing grants.* In Maryland, the results for DSA and progressives more generally were not quite so decisive but the left notched key victories nonetheless. DSA endorsed candidate McKayla Wilkes won her primary for the Charles County Commission and incumbent State Delegate Gabriel Acevero won reelection to his seat. Senators Dalya Attar and Nancy King, both centrist incumbents, lost to progressive challengers, per Maryland Matters. Will Jawando in Montgomery County won the County Executive position with broad support from the Maryland political establishment and progressives, while Maryland Senate Majority Leader Bill Ferguson fended off his first real challenge in years only after a last minute pledge to reverse his position on Maryland congressional redistricting. However, in the 5th congressional district, Steny Hoyer protégé and “AIPAC-backed” Adrian Boafo won the primary to succeed his mentor in Congress. According to the Jerusalem Post, “AIPAC poured $5.7 million into his campaign through its super PAC.” Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn came in a distant third place, despite scoring the endorsement of Nancy Pelosi. In short, the left has more work to do in order to build a political machine in Maryland as they have in New York and DC.* The next major contest between the factions of the party will occur next week in Colorado, where Melat Kiros, a DSA-backed progressive challenger born in 1997, is taking on Congresswoman Diana DeGette, who first took office that same year, per Zeteo. According to a poll conducted on behalf of the Kiros-aligned Justice Democrats, she leads DeGette by five points and she has now won the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders. Senator and former Governor John Hickenlooper is also facing a progressive primary challenge from State Senator Julie Gonzales and, according to the polls, he holds but a single digit lead, the Coloradan reports. We will be watching both of these races closely.* Meanwhile in Congress, the Senate has passed a new resolution on Iran, this time directing Trump to “remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized by Congress, other than to defend America, an ally or partner from ‘imminent attack,'” according to the Wall Street Journal. The Journal notes that while the resolution is nonbinding, it was previously passed by the House, marking “the first time both chambers of Congress have passed the same measure to curb” presidential power to wage war on the Islamic Republic. The resolution passed 50-48, with the support of Republican Senators Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul. Senators Mitch McConnell and Dave McCormick were absent, and Senator John Fetterman again broke ranks with the Democrats to vote no.* Turning from the Senate floor to the shop floor, the United Auto Workers (UAW) concluded their 39th Constitutional Convention last week, with a momentous vote to divest the union's investments from Israel bonds. UAW's divestment decision is the latest victory in the campaign to disentangle the finances of American organized labor from the state of Israel, following the United Electrical Workers (UE) in 2015 and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in 2023. UAW members also heard from Abdul El-Sayed, the candidate the union has endorsed in the Michigan Senate race. This contentious campaign will not be over until August, but El-Sayed, occupying the progressive lane, has moved into the lead and appears to be consolidating his lead, winning the endorsement of Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen just this week, per the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Van Hollen himself has recently begun hinting that he may seek higher office, recently telling NOTUS that he is “kicking the tires” on a 2028 presidential bid.* Turning to foreign affairs, this week saw the fall of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer, a centrist who was elected Labour Party leader in 2020 following the ouster of leftist Jeremy Corbyn, has held the post of Prime Minister since 2024 when Labour won an historic landslide. Since then however, his personal approval rating and that of the party has cratered, creating space for the rise of the far-right Reform UK party. The BBC reports Starmer will remain in his post until a new leader is chosen from within the party, with the presumptive successor being MP Andy Burnham who recently beat back a challenge in his own seat by a Reform candidate by a large margin. Starmer is now set to be the shortest serving Labour PM in British history, while Burnham is set to become the UK's seventh Prime Minister in the last ten years, both indications of the precariousness of the post-Brexit British political order.* Our final two stories come to us from Latin America. First, in Bolivia, the country's union confederation has maintained a general strike against the right-wing government of Rodrigo Paz for nearly two months over his administration's initiatives to privatize government services and rescind the land reform program instituted over the last several decades of rule by the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS). On June 19th, journalist Ollie Vargas reported that the government had blinked and signed an agreement to withdraw these plans in exchange for the unions ending the general strike. However, Vargas notes that “most affiliated unions state that they want to maintain strike until [the Paz government] resigns.”* Finally, in Colombia, the right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella emerged victorious from Sunday's runoff presidential election, defeating leftist Ivan Cepeda, the handpicked successor of sitting President Gustavo Petro, by less than one percentage point. In the immediate wake of the election, President Petro “alleged that Israel interfered” in the election, citing “irregularities in the country's vote counting process and calling for a full audit and recount,” per Drop Site News. However, by Wednesday, Cepeda himself formally conceded, framing his decision to do so as “an act of democratic responsibility, to contribute to harmony, peace and dialogue among Colombians,” Al Jazeera reports. As one of his first acts, Abelardo de la Espriella has committed to reestablishing diplomatic relations with Israel, which had been severed under President Petro.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

All three congressional candidates that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamadani endorsed won their primaries on Tuesday. The races were widely viewed as a test of just how much influence the left would have in charting the next chapter for the Democratic Party — and a referendum on Mamdani's power.“Mamdani is the one variable that truly matters,” Michael Lange, political writer and elections analyst of The Narrative Wars Substack, tells The Intercept Briefing as he breaks down the wins of Claire Valdez, Brad Lander, and Darializa Avila Chevalier by district. “You pair that type of broad cultural political figure with the block-by-block organizing of New York City DSA — it's a very powerful thing.” “You had a candidate who said ‘Fuck Kamala Harris' win the historic capital of Black America," says Lange, of Avila Chevalier's win over five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat. “If that is not a distillation of the ‘Democratic tea party,' I don't quite know what is.”This week on the podcast, host Akela Lacy speaks to Lange and Intercept managing editor Maia Hibbett about the strategic mistakes of the traditionally progressive Working Families Party, the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America on the Democratic Party, and how the DSA is upending electoral politics from the left.“Here in New York, a lot of the momentum is being driven by the DSA, of course, but there are these progressive and insurgent candidates across the country who are trying to change the course of the Democratic Party," says Hibbett, “and excite voters who might not have been into the Democratic establishment in past cycles.”Lange notes how demographic changes and pressures on the Democratic Party base are impacting voters' priorities. “The party's becoming younger, more educated, and increasingly squeezed financially,” says Lange. “There's just this broad alienation of people who have not really been able to get ahead, not for their own fault, and I think it's like downstream of our economy, and that's why the affordability zeitgeist is so potent.” He adds, "You spin the wheels up in two years, what could this look like in a Democratic presidential primary?"Full transcript: https://interc.pt/4vsuUDFKeep our investigations free and fearless at theintercept.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Rogerson is facing off against Patrick Nelson in the Democratic Party primary on June 23rd for the right to challenge James Tedisco in November in the 44th Senate District (Saratoga County, City of Schenectady, Niskayuna). Sarah is an Albany Law School professor and immigration attorney with over 20 years of experience in public-interest law. She is the founding director of Albany Law School's Immigration Law Clinic and currently leads the Edward P. Swyer Justice Center. She also served on the Niskayuna School Board, contributing to initiatives such as electric bus conversion and safe firearm storage. She also has the Working Families Party line. With Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

In this episode of Politics in Question, Lee chats with Tabitha Abu El-Haj about the power of associational party building. Abu El-Haj is a professor of law at Drexel University and the author of a new report, A Model for Associational Party Building (New America, 2026). How does associational party building work under the constraints of the two-party system? What are the key components of an associational party? Why hasn't this associational model spread more broadly? These are some of the questions Lee explores in this week's episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three hopefuls vie for Democratic line Beacon and Philipstown have not been represented by a Democratic state senator since 2015, and the party hopes this year to flip the seat, held by Rob Rolison, a Republican seeking his third 2-year term. First, there will be a primary on June 23 to decide which of three Democratic candidates will challenge him in November: Lisa Kaul, a Dutchess County legislator; Gay Lee, a former City of Newburgh council member; or Evan Menist, a member of the Poughkeepsie Common Council. Sue Serino, now the Dutchess County executive, represented Beacon and Philipstown in the state Senate for three terms. She took office in 2015 after defeating Terry Gipson, a Democrat who served one term. Rolison won the seat in 2022, defeating Julie Shiroishi, a Beacon resident who was then chief of staff to Assembly Member Jonathan Jacobson, whose district includes Beacon. In 2024, Rolison defeated Dutchess County Legislator Yvette Valdés Smith, whose district includes part of Beacon. She now chairs the Legislature after Democrats flipped the majority in 2025. Kaul is a native of India and Rhodes Scholar who moved to the U.S. in 2004. She spent five years as an administrator at Vassar College and served on the Arlington school board before defeating Republican Marc Pfeifer in 2023 to win a seat in the Legislature representing part of the Town of Poughkeepsie. She ran unopposed in 2025 for her second term and chairs the Environment Committee. Lee served for four years on the Newburgh City Council. She is a longtime clinical social worker and therapist with a private practice whose career includes stints with nonprofits that provide services to people who are homeless and have mental illnesses. She previously ran for the state Senate seat in 2014. Questions for Candidates Ahead of the Democratic primary on June 23, we gave each candidate 500 words to answer three questions. The responses are posted at highlandscurrent.org/senate-primary-39. Menist holds a master's degree in public administration from Marist University, where he played on and coached the men's rugby team. His resume includes working as a planner and researcher for Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a policy organization based in the City of Newburgh, as a staffer for former state Sen. Elijah Reichlin-Melnick and as assistant deputy county executive for Ulster County. He first won election to the Common Council in 2019 and is now in his fourth 2-year term. He also works as co-executive director of the Poughkeepsie Farm Project, which produces fruits and vegetables for purchase and donation and educates farmers. Kaul has earned endorsements from the Dutchess County and Beacon Democratic Committees, and Menist from the Working Families Party. The Putnam Democratic Committee did not endorse a candidate; Jennifer Colamonico, its chair said the representatives from the two towns in District 39, including Philipstown, considered both Kaul and Menist to be "outstanding candidates." As of May 29, Kaul had $227,000 on hand and Menist, $133,000. Lee has not filed campaign finance reports. Rolison reported having $7,000 on hand. As of Wednesday (June 10), Kaul has received $268,479 from the state's Public Campaign Finance Board, which matches small donations, and Menist, $234,017. Rolison has received $160,219.

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

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

The near total dominance of the two major political parties is nothing new. Democrats and Republicans have distinct ideological and political differences, but for some, it’s their similarities that drive them away from both.  Many voters are not affiliated with any party. In fact, those unaffiliated voters number more than either of the major parties by a substantial margin. Most of the remaining registered voters are members of the other minor parties: The Independent Party, the Constitution party, the Libertarian Party, No Labels, the Pacific Green Party, the Progressive Party, We the People Party and the Working Families Party.   In next week’s Oregon Primary, all voters will be sent ballots that include local and state candidates for nonpartisan offices and measures. But for those who are unaffiliated or a member of a minor party, no partisan candidates will appear, and they cannot vote for any of the major party candidates. Minor parties do not have their primary process funded by taxpayers, as the two major parties do.   A public opinion survey from January 2026 by DHM Research showed significant frustration with both major parties. And a recent national survey of voter opinions of Congress indicated contempt for both Democrats and Republicans. But what does all this mean for minor parties, if anything?   We ask representatives from three of those minor parties to share how they think two-party rule is working for the electorate at large and what changes they’d like to see to include more voters more often. Our guests are Annie Naranjo-Rivera with the Oregon Working Families Party, Sonja Feintech with the Libertarian Party of Oregon and Sal Peralta with the Independent Party of Oregon.  

What does it look like when someone walks away from a prestigious career, on principle, and comes back fighting? Chuck Park did exactly that. A son of Korean immigrants who sold T-shirts on Canal Street, he rose to become a U.S. diplomat, then resigned in 2019 after the El Paso mass shooting and published his letter in The Washington Post. Now he's running a 100% grassroots campaign for Congress in New York's 6th District — Queens against a seven-term incumbent. No corporate PACs. No AIPAC money. No focus-grouped talking points. In this conversation, Saadia sits down with Chuck Park to talk about what it means to run as a true outsider: abolishing ICE (and why that's not the same as open borders), calling Gaza a genocide out loud, the Working Families Party's closed-door betrayal, and why dumplings might be the most radical political tool in Queens right now. They also get into the MSG myth, the difference between progressivism and leftism, and what Chuck says he'll do if he loses, spoiler: deep clean the bathroom first. If you've been waiting for a politician who sounds like an actual human being, this one's for you. Vote Chuck Park — June 23rd, NY-6. chuckforqueens.com Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can find more information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to help more people find us!  You can connect with Saadia on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@itssaadiak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Helena is on IG ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ Email:saadia@immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound Immigrantly Podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, contact us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ BOYOT (Belong On Your Own Terms) is the next step. It's our new app, designed to help you think through identity, culture, ambition, relationships, and the stories we carry — with guided reflections, prompts, and frameworks developed over years of conversations on this show. It's thoughtful. It's challenging. And honestly, it's the kind of space many of us wish existed earlier in our lives. If you're ready to go deeper than the podcast, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BOYOT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and start the journey. Don't forget to subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Immigrantly Uninterrupted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck Todd opens with a sobering analysis of the post-Correspondents' Dinner shooting political climate, arguing that both sides are now busy blaming each other for violent rhetoric while past presidents from both parties always understood their job was to lower the temperature, not raise it. He argues that while Democratic rhetoric has gotten harsher in recent years, Trump is the one who fundamentally changed what was acceptable to say out loud — his January 6th pardons effectively created a permission slip for political violence, and the public barely batted an eye when he celebrated Robert Mueller's death — and warns it only takes one unstable person to take the wrong cue from this environment. He says American politics has become genuinely brutal and violent, that the "cold civil war" is warming up, and that two wrongs don't make a right: just because Trump started this race to the bottom doesn't mean everyone has to engage in it. He then pivots to the Iran war, where he says the U.S. and Iran are measuring the conflict in fundamentally different ways — for the regime, victory is simply surviving — and argues that Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz has to be addressed before any nuclear threat. He closes with the proposed Florida redistricting map (which looks great for the GOP in a presidential year but terrible in a midterm), a new Texas poll showing Talarico leading both potential GOP nominees, and Susan Collins going negative on Graham Platner before the Maine primary. Atima Omara — Democratic political strategist, longtime activist, and author of the new book The Instigators — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about who actually decides American elections, why Democrats keep losing despite favorable demographics, and what a winning coalition looks like in 2028. Omara opens by dismantling the conventional wisdom that white moderate swing voters are the deciding force in elections, arguing that the 2024 contest was lost on mobilization rather than persuasion — Trump won at the margins, not in a landslide, and many blue states were won by surprisingly thin margins. She points out that Kamala Harris was behind before she even started because she had to succeed an unpopular Biden, but they credit Harris with saving three to four Senate seats that Biden would have lost outright. Omara walks through the political leverage Black women in Virginia exercised after the Ralph Northam blackface scandal — pushing for real legislative change rather than just symbolic accountability — and uses that as a case study in how activist coalitions can wield power smartly. The conversation turns to the structural challenges facing the Democratic coalition and what comes next. Omara makes the case that Republican advocacy is a constant, year-round operation while Democrats only mobilize during election years — a fundamental asymmetry that has allowed Republican messaging to dominate the cultural spaces and media ecosystem. She argues the left needs to get dramatically better at cultural messaging, that the activist class has helped Democrats make progress but has also made the party more rigid in ways that hurt it electorally, and that organizations like the Working Families Party are doing important work trying to push the Democratic Party from within. They both reflect on whether the two-party duopoly can survive — Americans clearly want the flexibility of a multiparty system but are stuck with this one. She offers a fascinating cultural analysis of why one-third of the electorate effectively grew up in a non-multiracial democracy, why events like the Tulsa massacre still aren't taught in most public schools, and why the South disproportionately sets the tone for American (and especially Republican) politics. They close by handicapping the 2028 Democratic field. Finally, he gives his ToddCast Top 5 list of Republican races that could signal trouble for Donald Trump and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 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. 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 02:45 Both sides blaming each other for “violent rhetoric” 03:15 Past presidents always tried to lower the temperature 04:30 Both sides confident they are right & other side is wrong 05:30 We’ve produced a new political environment that is scary 06:45 Trump changed what was acceptable to say out loud 07:45 Democratic rhetoric has also gotten harsher, but Trump took us here 08:30 Two wrongs don’t make a right* 09:15 Trump’s J6 pardons created a permission slip for political violence 10:30 Public barely batted an eye when Trump celebrated death of Mueller 11:15 One unstable person will take the wrong cue from this environment 13:15 American politics is now brutal and violent. Cold civil war is warming up 14:15 Both sides are racing to the bottom, and nobody wins 15:30 Just because Trump started it doesn’t mean everyone should engage in it 16:45 American leadership is not meeting the moment 18:00 You can’t “secure” your way out of a volatile political climate 19:30 At the ballot box, character and temperament need to matter 20:15 James Comey indicted again by Trump’s DOJ 21:00 Administration is weaponizing the Comey case 22:30 If Dems immediately go for impeachment in 27’, the cycle will continue 23:45 Jimmy Kimmel should apologize, but government shouldn’t target him 25:00 You can be a deescalator or an accelerant in this moment 26:30 The U.S. and Iran are measuring the war in different ways 27:00 Victory for the regime is simply surviving 28:30 Iranian control of the Strait has to be dealt with before nuclear threat 29:30 The Iranians understand us better than we understand them 30:30 Florida releases proposed redistricting map 31:15 The map is great for GOP in presidential year, bad in a midterm election 32:00 Map targets Jared Moskowitz & Debbie Wasserman Schultz 33:30 Analysis of how the new districts will look politically 37:30 Republicans might only break even, or only pick up 1-2 seats in ‘26 38:45 Poll out of Texas shows Talarico with a lead over both GOP candidates 39:45 Susan Collins has gone negative on Platner before the primary 40:15 Move shows that Collins would rather face Mills over Platner 41:00 Platner is in a strong position to win the senate seat 47:00 Atima Omara (The Instigators) joins The Chuck ToddCast 48:30 Misconception that white moderate swing voters decide elections 50:15 Black women pushed for legislation after Ralph Northam blackface scandal 53:15 Activists were smart in using their political leverage in Virginia 55:15 Democrats can try to find some common cause with Trump voters 56:30 2024 election was lost on mobilization, not persuasion 57:45 Trump won on the margins, it wasn’t a resounding win 59:00 Lots of blue states were won with small margins in ‘24 1:00:00 It was hard for Harris to succeed a very unpopular Biden 1:01:00 Harris was behind before she started 1:01:30 Harris saved 3-4 senate seats that Biden would have lost 1:02:45 What ideological arguments work & don’t work with black women? 1:04:30 Messaging around criminal & environmental justice needs to capture humanity 1:06:15 Activists don’t see politicians putting together even piecemeal reform 1:07:15 Even with full control, Democrats couldn’t pass voting rights legislation 1:09:15 LBJ had to play hardball with senators to pass the Voting Rights Act 1:11:00 Most major legislation gets passed through sheer force of will 1:11:45 How can advocacy get more leverage in the face of huge money 1:13:00 Republican advocacy is constant, Dems focus on election years 1:14:00 Republican messaging has dominated the media ecosystem 1:16:00 The left needs to get better at messaging in the cultural spaces 1:17:30 Will the current two party duopoly be able to sustain itself? 1:19:30 Activists have caused Dems to progress, but also become rigid 1:20:30 The Working Families Party works to change the Democratic party 1:22:00 Americans want the flexibility of a multiparty system, stuck with duopoly 1:22:30 There hasn’t been enough energy to force changes to electoral college 1:23:30 Fear of AI job displacement could galvanize energy for structural change 1:24:00 What does a winning Democratic coalition look like in 2028? 1:27:30 Older generation of Democratic strategists have aged out 1:30:00 1/3rd of the electorate lived in a non multiracial democracy 1:31:15 We don’t have a shared public education or shared memory 1:33:30 Events like the Tulsa massacre aren’t taught in many public schools 1:34:45 The south sets the tone for American & especially Republican politics 1:37:30 Obama benefitted from being from a midwestern state 1:38:45 Most of the pushback to progress comes from the south & midwest 1:41:30 Obama’s superpower was being able to talk to everyone 1:42:15 4 people most likely to be the 2028 Democratic nominee? 1:44:30 Harris would be more free to run her own campaign in ‘28 1:45:30 It’s hard to know what Gavin Newsom is FOR 1:47:00 Starting to see more black women break through & win statewide 1:50:00 Thoughts on interview with Atima Omara 1:51:00 ToddCast Top 5 Republican races that could signal trouble for Trump 1:53:00 We’ll find out in May if Trump’s grip on the party is slipping 1:53:45 #5 North Carolina senate 1:56:00 #4 Louisiana senate primary 1:57:45 #3 Texas senate primary 1:59:15 #2 Georgia governor 2:01:30 #1 Kentucky 4th district & Thomas Massie 2:03:30 Ask Chuck 2:03:45 Did Ohio Democrats make a mistake by backing Sherrod Brown? 2:09:00 Is Trump liable for violating contracts by cancelling offshore wind projects?* 2:12:45 If Trump had bought the Bills would it have kept him from running in ‘16? 2:18:00 Navigating the reverence for founders when proposing amendments? 2:23:30 How do we move beyond violence to remove a tyrant?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atima Omara — Democratic political strategist, longtime activist, and author of the new book The Instigators — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about who actually decides American elections, why Democrats keep losing despite favorable demographics, and what a winning coalition looks like in 2028. Omara opens by dismantling the conventional wisdom that white moderate swing voters are the deciding force in elections, arguing that the 2024 contest was lost on mobilization rather than persuasion — Trump won at the margins, not in a landslide, and many blue states were won by surprisingly thin margins. She points out that Kamala Harris was behind before she even started because she had to succeed an unpopular Biden, but they credit Harris with saving three to four Senate seats that Biden would have lost outright. Omara walks through the political leverage Black women in Virginia exercised after the Ralph Northam blackface scandal — pushing for real legislative change rather than just symbolic accountability — and uses that as a case study in how activist coalitions can wield power smartly. The conversation turns to the structural challenges facing the Democratic coalition and what comes next. Omara makes the case that Republican advocacy is a constant, year-round operation while Democrats only mobilize during election years — a fundamental asymmetry that has allowed Republican messaging to dominate the cultural spaces and media ecosystem. She argues the left needs to get dramatically better at cultural messaging, that the activist class has helped Democrats make progress but has also made the party more rigid in ways that hurt it electorally, and that organizations like the Working Families Party are doing important work trying to push the Democratic Party from within. They both reflect on whether the two-party duopoly can survive — Americans clearly want the flexibility of a multiparty system but are stuck with this one. She offers a fascinating cultural analysis of why one-third of the electorate effectively grew up in a non-multiracial democracy, why events like the Tulsa massacre still aren't taught in most public schools, and why the South disproportionately sets the tone for American (and especially Republican) politics. They close by handicapping the 2028 Democratic field. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! 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. 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 Atima Omara (The Instigators) joins The Chuck ToddCast 01:30 Misconception that white moderate swing voters decide elections 03:15 Black women pushed for legislation after Ralph Northam blackface scandal 06:15 Activists were smart in using their political leverage in Virginia 08:15 Democrats can try to find some common cause with Trump voters 09:30 2024 election was lost on mobilization, not persuasion 10:45 Trump won on the margins, it wasn’t a resounding win 12:00 Lots of blue states were won with small margins in ‘24 13:00 It was hard for Harris to succeed a very unpopular Biden 14:00 Harris was behind before she started 14:30 Harris saved 3-4 senate seats that Biden would have lost 15:45 What ideological arguments work & don’t work with black women? 17:30 Messaging around criminal & environmental justice needs to capture humanity 19:15 Activists don’t see politicians putting together even piecemeal reform 20:15 Even with full control, Democrats couldn’t pass voting rights legislation 22:15 LBJ had to play hardball with senators to pass the Voting Rights Act 24:00 Most major legislation gets passed through sheer force of will 24:45 How can advocacy get more leverage in the face of huge money 26:00 Republican advocacy is constant, Dems focus on election years 27:00 Republican messaging has dominated the media ecosystem 29:00 The left needs to get better at messaging in the cultural spaces 30:30 Will the current two party duopoly be able to sustain itself? 32:30 Activists have caused Dems to progress, but also become rigid 33:30 The Working Families Party works to change the Democratic party 35:00 Americans want the flexibility of a multiparty system, stuck with duopoly 35:30 There hasn’t been enough energy to force changes to electoral college 36:30 Fear of AI job displacement could galvanize energy for structural change 37:00 What does a winning Democratic coalition look like in 2028? 40:30 Older generation of Democratic strategists have aged out 43:00 1/3rd of the electorate lived in a non multiracial democracy 44:15 We don’t have a shared public education or shared memory 46:30 Events like the Tulsa massacre aren’t taught in many public schools 47:45 The south sets the tone for American & especially Republican politics 50:30 Obama benefitted from being from a midwestern state 51:45 Most of the pushback to progress comes from the south & midwest 54:30 Obama’s superpower was being able to talk to everyone 55:15 4 people most likely to be the 2028 Democratic nominee? 57:30 Harris would be more free to run her own campaign in ‘28 58:30 It’s hard to know what Gavin Newsom is FOR 1:00:00 Starting to see more black women break through & win statewideSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Cantor joins The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about his career in politics, co-founding The Working Families Party and his role at the Center for Ballot Freedom, where they advocate for fusion voting, which allows a candidate to appear on the ballot as a nominee of more than one party.

Hundreds of New Yorkers joined a rally at the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 10, organized by Invest in Our New York, Make the Road New York, and NY Renews. Their shared demand: Gov. Kathy Hochul must deliver a budget that protects New Yorkers from predatory ICE agents and billionaires, makes polluters pay for global warming , and makes long-term investments in our state's future. We hear from the event organizers from Make the Road and Working Families Party; Assemblymembers Sarahana Shrestha, Jessica González-Rojas, Emily Gallagher, and Senator Michele Hinchey, along with Dawn Wells-Clyburn of PUSH Buffalo and Faiza from ALIGN. With Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Dear Humans, Today Jesus and I were joined by writer and human rights lawyer Qasim Rashid, who watched and analyzed last night's State of the Union so you didn't have to! Qasim truly did the LORD's work by calling out all the lies Trump spewed for nearly two hours on Tuesday night. Be sure to follow him! Plus, we discuss: Corporate Democrats & APAC/Meta/Palantir influence, and the DCCC pre-selecting candidates and undermining primaries The contrast between corporate leadership (Schumer, Jeffries, Newsom) and movement candidates (Mamdani, AOC, Working Families Party) "Vote blue no matter who" hypocrisy and refusal to fully back Mamdani after a fair primary win The Epstein Files, censorship, and why covering up is treated as a confession Exhaustion as a fascist strategy, mental health, taking breaks, and using art/music for resistance Plans for a karaoke marathon fundraiser in order to support Working Families Party–style organizing Speaking of karaoke, God wraps the show up with Muse's 'Resistance'! You're halfway through the week! You got this! PS - Every subscription keeps us pushing back on Corporate Media, Trump's non-stop lies, and the Project 2025 machine. If you're able, join today. Subscribe now  

Quick recap The meeting focused on two major topics: voting rights and nuclear power. The discussion began with concerns about ICE's presence at polling places and the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration. The group then explored the dangers of reopening aging nuclear power plants, particularly Palisades in Michigan, where Holtec International faces significant challenges in meeting safety standards and documentation requirements. The conversation highlighted how both Democratic and Republican leaders are supporting nuclear power despite its cost and safety issues, with Trump personally taking control of nuclear regulations. The conversation ended with concerns about California's Democratic Party platform, which removed environmental protections and nuclear power restrictions, and the need for a renewed focus on solar and wind energy over nuclear power. Next steps Hedy Tripp: Persuade Minneapolis training organizers to consider putting their in-person ICE resistance training sessions on the internet (e.g., Zoom, Instagram) for broader access, as requested by Sunny. Andrea Miller: Share the link to the Virginia redistricting presentation in the chat and host the presentation on Thursday night as announced. Ellen Slavick: Put the link to the "Atomic Dragons by Swans" art exhibition at Pitzer College in the chat (confirmed done during meeting). Vina Colley: Connect with Ellen Slavick (and her husband) regarding radiation exposure assessment work and share relevant links or information as requested. Dorothy Reik and Susie Shannon: Reach out to the new Environmental Caucus chair (Sam) to educate him on the facts about nuclear energy and work to reintroduce anti-nuclear language into the California Democratic Party platform. Roger Rapoport, Susan Shapiro, Karl Grossman, and Sunny: Collaborate on writing and publicizing the findings about Holtec/Palisades and the lack of documentation, targeting both public education and the financial/investor community. Team: Organize and promote participation in the No King's Day march (March 28th) and link nuclear safety concerns to Donald Trump's role in nuclear regulation for public education. Team: Attempt to contact Joe Rogan (and/or Stuart Brand) to engage in public discussion/debate on nuclear issues, as suggested by David Saltman. Vina Colley: Work with Veterans for Peace, Chris Busby, and Paul Mobley to develop and share materials calculating radiation exposure for affected communities. Team: Revisit and discuss Don Mosier's research on low-dose radiation and breast cancer in a future meeting, as suggested by Myla. Karl Grossman: Publish and distribute the article on New York's nuclear push and the climate change misinformation to national outlets after Long Island distribution. Team: Focus public education efforts on the true emissions and climate impact of nuclear energy, as highlighted by Susan Shapiro and Karl Grossman. Summary Team Meeting and Event Planning The meeting began with greetings and technical adjustments, including addressing audio issues for Myla. Gree-Gree and Harvey discussed editing a video, which caused some frustration. The group briefly touched on current events, such as the Texas gubernatorial race and a power outage at a nuclear plant in Delaware. Hedy shared her experience attending a conference in Southern California. As the conversation ended, participants prepared for an upcoming event, with Sunny and others discussing logistics and welcoming attendees. Election and Nuclear Power Concerns The meeting focused on two main topics: election protection and nuclear power issues. The group discussed concerns about ICE presence at polling stations in 2026 and Trump's efforts to eliminate voting by mail. They also addressed the situation in Minneapolis, where Hedy Tripp reported on weekly rallies and a planned week-long training session for resistance activities. The second hour of the meeting will cover nuclear power issues, including the restart of the reactor at Three Mile Island and the Palisades nuclear plant situation. Vote-by-Mail and ICE Election Impact Melissa Bird, a candidate for Congress in Oregon's 4th Congressional District, discussed concerns about vote-by-mail processes and the potential impact of ICE presence on elections. She emphasized the importance of early voting and ensuring ballots are sent directly to county election offices due to changes in postal rules and the presence of ICE in Oregon. Andrea Miller, an expert on voting in the Southeast, expressed concerns about the reliability of vote-by-mail systems and recommended in-person early voting where possible. Melissa also announced endorsements from Progressive Victory and the Working Families Party of Oregon, adding to her growing support. SAVE Act Senate Passage Uncertainty Andrea discussed the passage of the SAVE Act in the House and its challenges in the Senate, highlighting concerns about proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration, which disproportionately affect women, rural residents, and people in poverty. Melissa emphasized the bill's impact on marginalized communities and criticized it as an overreach of federal authority in managing elections. Sunny inquired about the likelihood of the bill passing the Senate, and Andrea noted the uncertainty but expressed skepticism about Democrats supporting it, given potential legal challenges and opposition from both Democratic and Republican states. ICE's Impact on Voting Rights The meeting focused on discussions about ICE's presence in various states and its potential impact on voting rights. Participants expressed concerns about ICE's role in communities, particularly in low-income and minority areas, and discussed legislative efforts to restrict ICE activities. The group also touched on recent FBI raids on voting centers in Georgia and the need for stronger enforcement mechanisms to protect voting rights. Paul Johnson raised concerns about government subsidies for AI farms, and the conversation ended with a brief discussion about voting issues in California and the need for effective pushback against voter suppression efforts. Election Integrity and Voting Rights The group discussed voting rights and election integrity, with Lynn Feinerman sharing progress in Marin County where the county executive has removed ICE cooperation funding from the budget. Susie Shannon emphasized that once voters are prevented from casting their ballot on Election Day, there is no remedy for individual voters, while Paul Newman highlighted the need to address private prisons and their role in the criminal justice system. The conversation ended with Andrea Miller announcing her upcoming discussion on Virginia redistricting and warning about new election legislation that would require proof of citizenship and residence for voting. Voter Rights and Energy Concerns The group discussed voter suppression efforts and the importance of protecting and turning out the vote in upcoming elections. They highlighted the need for on-the-ground solutions to combat voter intimidation and the challenges faced by certain demographics in accessing polling places. The conversation then shifted to energy issues, including the transition to sodium-based batteries and the dangers of Donald Trump's regulation of nuclear power plants. The conversation ended with a brief mention of an upcoming art exhibit at Pitzer College. Palisades Nuclear Plant Restart Challenges The meeting focused on the challenges and risks associated with the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan, which has been shut down due to safety and economic issues. Roger Rapoport explained that Holtec International, the plant's owner, has faced significant delays and financial challenges in attempting to restart the plant, with estimated costs of up to $1.25 billion for repairs and further delays of up to five years. The discussion highlighted broader concerns about the nuclear industry, including the lack of economic rationale for nuclear power compared to renewables, the safety risks associated with nuclear plants, and the influence of political leaders and the energy industry in promoting nuclear energy despite these challenges. The group also discussed similar issues at other nuclear plants, such as Indian Point in New York, and emphasized the need for independent regulation and transparency in the nuclear industry. Exploring Solar vs Nuclear Energy The group discussed nuclear power policies, with Susie Shannon explaining that the California Democratic Party's platform was weakened by removing protections for underserved communities and environmental measures, including nuclear energy safety provisions. They explored the possibility of shifting focus to solar energy as a more viable alternative to nuclear power, noting that solar technology has become significantly more cost-effective than nuclear. Ellen Slavick shared information about her husband's work on a UN radiation study that concluded there is no safe threshold for nuclear exposure, and mentioned an upcoming art exhibition at Pitzer College featuring work by seven women artists related to nuclear issues. Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Concerns The group discussed concerns about nuclear power plants, including inadequate record-keeping, missing welding documents, and the risks of accidents. They highlighted the need to address these issues, with David suggesting buying shares in companies like Holtec to influence decisions. The conversation also touched on the lack of regulation under Trump's administration and the potential for accidents, with Karl noting that extending the life of old plants is "asking for a catastrophe." The group agreed that they are now in "25th Amendment territory" due to these risks and the need to convince policymakers to change course. Nuclear Industry's Public Perception The group discussed the nuclear industry's financial viability and public perception, with Susan Shapiro emphasizing the need to educate the public about nuclear power's emissions and carbon footprint. They agreed to link nuclear safety to Donald Trump and planned to participate in the "No Kings, No Nukes" march on March 28th, aiming to draw 10 million people. The group also discussed attacking Joe Rogan's promotion of nuclear power and connecting with the solar industry to highlight nuclear's cost issues. Vina mentioned working with Veterans for Peace to calculate radiation exposure levels, and Tatanka shared information about a 50-year energy plan by big oil companies to control the world's energy supply.

Max and 99 kick off another episode of their still-unnamed weekly show, diving into everything from grocery inflation and RFK’s bizarre workout videos to the future of progressive organizing through the Working Families Party and DSA. They workshop show name suggestions from listeners, tackle emails on how to influence the Democratic Party, and debate their Top Five movie villains. Chapters Intro: 00:00:15 Housekeeping: 00:02:30 Headlines: 00:16:14 Emails: 00:36:35 Top 5: 01:03:59 Beyond the Bullshit: 01:20:33 Memberships: 01:22:53 Outro: 01:23:26 Resources Vengaboys: Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! devilleforcongress.com In These Times: Read This If You're New and Trying to Find Your Way RFK Jr. Instagram Video Business Insider: I followed an RFK-approved, $15-a-day diet Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis: Losing Lucy The Block: Polymarket investor Vitalik Buterin says prediction markets need to stop catering to 'dumb opinions' Bruce Springsteen: Streets Of Minneapolis Working Families Party Democratic Socialists of America UNFTR Resources Chester A. Arthur and Julia Sand: Strange Bedfellows. Video: On The Record (Cuba Libre | AOC Stumbles Abroad | Racist Caught at Senate Hearing) UNFTR's 5 Non-Negotiables -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Except for Zorro and Batman, people who put on masks to hide their identity when going to work are rarely up to any good.And as Americans learned decades ago when Ku Klux Klanners covered themselves from head to toe, the bigger the mask, the greater the evil hiding behind it. Which brings us full circle to “Operation Metro Surge.”OMS is the muy macho PR slogan for the Republican Party's militaristic invasions of Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and other American cities they hate. Deploying ICE and other bastions of authoritarian power, thousands of massively armed federal belligerents in full assault gear have been rampaging through peaceful neighborhoods in violent and murderous mass sweeps.This is an un-American attack by America's own government on America's founding ideals of liberty and openness. The defining symbol of this government repression is that its forces are all hiding behind full-face masks.Of course, if I was doing some of the stuff ICE commandos are doing, I'd want to cover my face, too. But, like the Klan, masking up the oppressors is not merely about cloaking their personal shame — it's an added ploy by the perpetrators to terrify anyone who might dare to stand up to them.As usual, though, the authoritarian powers misunderstood America and underestimated the deeply rebellious nature of our gutsy, grassroots people. Some 30,000 volunteers in Minneapolis, for example, have become trained “constitutional observers” to police the police, and a citywide “whistle brigade” rushes like Paul Revere to alert neighbors when ICE agents invade their neighborhoods.Their ethic of neighbors-helping-neighbors recognizes their power to “do what's right.” It's the best of America standing up to confront the worst.Do something!Our friends at the Working Families Party are leading the charge to pressure Democrats to vote NO on any DHS bill that does not work to stop ICE's reckless attacks. You can text “ICE OUT” to 30403 or dial 833-636-3260 to call your Senators. Need a sample script? Here you go:When you connect, say your name and where you live to show that you're a constituent. Then, you could say something like:“ICE's reckless and illegal attacks on our communities must be stopped. But instead of ending and investigating ICE's abuses, the DHS spending bill would empower this rogue agency to terrorize and kill even more of our neighbors. As your constituent, I urge you to vote against the DHS funding bill and stand up to ICE.”Here's a whole set of actions they've compiled to help direct your energy.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

On this special episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach break down the cultural and political impact of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime performance with Nelini Stamp – Director of Strategy at the Working Families Party and certified Bad Bunny superfan! You can find everything Vibe Check related at our official website, www.vibecheckpod.comWe want to hear from you! Email us at vibecheck@stitcher.com, and keep in touch with us on Instagram @vibecheck_pod.Get your Vibe Check merch at www.podswag.com/vibecheck.Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Vibe Check ad-free.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's Casual Friday on the Majority Report   On today's program: In the Democratic primary for New Jersey's 11th District, Analilia Mejia — endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, and the Working Families Party — holds a 500-vote lead with 91% of ballots counted in a major upset. AIPAC spent heavily targeting the presumed frontrunner, Tom Malinowski and in turn shot themselves in the foot. National affairs correspondent for The Nation, Jeet Heer joins the show to wrap-up the week's news. Topics covered include Epstein, ICE and more. Independent U.S. Senate candidate in Nebraska, Dan Osborn, joins the show to discuss his opponent, Sen. Pete Ricketts role in price manipulation regarding the Tyson meat-processing plant closure that laid off nearly one-third of the residents of Lexington, Nebraska. In the Fun Half: Mayor Mamdani sign Executive Order to protect immigrants from abusive immigration enforcement. Donald Trump reposts racist Ai gif depicting the Obamas as monkeys. As Trump has gutted and weakened the IRS, experts warn that the agency may struggle to handle tax season effectively. Americans are also learning that Trump's campaign promise of "no tax on overtime" applies only to the extra half-time portion of time-and-a-half pay — not to the full overtime wage, and they are not happy. The buy now, pay later companies like Affirm have begun offering rent now, pay later loans to people who cannot make their rent. Harry Enten presents polling that shows Democrats have a +39 lead with independents over Republicans on the economy. RFK, Jr. claims that schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder can be cured by the keto diet. all that and more To connect and organize with your local ICE rapid response team visit ICERRT.com The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase Check out today's sponsors: NAKED WINES: To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to NakedWines.com/MAJORITY and use code MAJORITY for both the code AND PASSWORD.   RITUAL: Get 25% off during your first month. Visit ritual.com/MAJORITY. COZY EARTH: Go to cozyearth.com/MAJORITYREPORTBOGO for an exclusive deal only available Jan 25th - Feb 8th! SUNSET LAKE: Now through February 9th you can use the code VALENTINE26 to save 30% on all of Sunset Lake's gummies, chocolate fudge, and Farmer's Roast infused coffee beans at SunsetLakeCBD.com  Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe WSJ is predicting higher electricity costs in 2026. Trump is bringing down the cost of energy and implementing new energy sources. Electricity increased because of the the green new scam. Trump is now going after the Federal Reserve for gross incompetence, this will lead to exposing the Fed’s criminal activity. The [DS] infiltrated Congress going all the way back to 1929, the continued to present day. They made it so they have the ability to control those people they install. There are no term limits, this allows these people to stay in their positions for a very longtime. Trump is now setting the stage to return the power back to the people. This is much bigger than a few arrests. Economy Average Electricity Rates by State, What Do You Pay?  Hawaii and California have the highest rates. Idaho the lowest. Average Residential Electricity Rates by State   Electricity Cost 10 Lowest States Be Prepared to Keep Paying More for Electricity The Wall Street Journal says Be Prepared to Keep Paying More for Electricity Source:  mishtalk.com  (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2005964583727780156?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2005751158149615698?s=20  Trump claims the project has overrun by $4 billion (he mentions $4.1 billion total for “a few small buildings”), calling it the “highest price in the history of construction.” He contrasts this with his own White House ballroom project, which he says is under budget and ahead of schedule despite its cost doubling to $400 million from an earlier $200 million estimate.  Yes, discovery could occur—if the case advances past initial hurdles. This would allow Trump’s side to subpoena Fed documents, emails, financial records, and testimony related to the renovations. This could effectively let them “look into” specific aspects of what the Fed has been doing, such as budgeting, contracting, and project management for the HQ overhaul. Discovery rules under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are broad, potentially uncovering internal Fed communications or decisions tied to the alleged incompetence.    Trump could request a GAO investigation into the HQ project overruns. Political/Rights Longtime Democrat George Clooney and His Family Ditch America, Move to France, and Secure French Citizenship Hollywood elitist and longtime Democrat activist George Clooney has officially joined the growing list of wealthy, left-wing celebrities who preach “American values” while quietly distancing themselves from the United States. Clooney, along with his wife, Amal Alamuddin Clooney, and their two children, has reportedly obtained French citizenship through a naturalization decree. The couple's 8-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander, were included in the process.  Clooney went on to explain that he feared raising his children in Los Angeles. “I was worried about raising our kids in L. A., in the culture of Hollywood. I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life. France—they kind of don't give a shit about fame. I don't want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi. I don't want them being compared to somebody else's famous kids.” Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/2005844962769064196?s=20 beliefs. Boycotting the Arts to show you support the Arts is a form of derangement syndrome. The arts are for everyone and the left is mad about it. https://twitter.com/Oilfield_Rando/status/2005834821503705445?s=20 DOGE Geopolitical New Report Appears to Confirm Covenant School Shooter Audrey Hale Bought Guns With Student Loan Money The FBI has just released more pages from the manifesto of Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale, which suggest that she bought the guns used in the 2023 shooting with money she had from a Pell Grant. Hale's parents suggested this two years ago and this report appears to confirm that. The Tennessee Star reports: Latest FBI Release of Covenant School Manifesto Files Appears to Confirm Trans-Identified Killer Bought Guns with Pell Grant Money The FBI on Monday released another 230 manifesto pages written by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the biological female who identified as a transgender man on March 27, 2023, when the 28-year-old killed six at the Covenant School in Nashville, the Christian elementary school she once attended. This latest journal appears to have been written sometime in late 2021, and includes lengthy sections about the weapons the killer planned to use to commit a mass shooting at a school sometime that year. Following multiple pages full of weapons to purchase, the journal includes a page labeled “Account Savings Record,” which appears to reference the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It also records multiple payments received from Nossi during the period when Hale attended the Nossi College of Art and Design in Nashville. “FASFA [sic] grant checks started at $2,050.86,” wrote Hale at the top of the entry. The page then lists a series of apparent ledger entries, starting with, “$2,656.87 (x3 checks from Nossi).” The next ledger entry states, “+$530.00 (x1 check Nossi) ($3,186.87).” This reference to Hale's federal student aid, located in the writings next to her entries about guns she considered buying, appears to corroborate the claims made by her parents to Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) detectives in 2023, when they told law enforcement their child purchased the firearms using federal Pell Grant money.  Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/Noahpinion/status/2005425950306263265?s=20 War/Peace https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2005747398614847766?s=20 https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2005757621278761205?s=20 Trump clarifies that if Hamas do not disarm like they promised, that any number of the 59 countries who signed onto the peace deal, will completely wipe out Hamas.  Protests Erupt Across Iran As Angry People Flood Streets  The mullahs have ruled in Iran since 1979. So you had millions that went to helping to prop up the terrorist state. But the Iranians are a persistent people, it would appear, especially when you hurt them in their wallets and make it challenging to survive. We’re at another one of those moments in history where hope has sparked again in the country, and people are in the streets, calling for change. Nationwide strikes and protests by merchants continued across Iran, with shops shuttered in major commercial hubs including Tehran's Grand Bazaar, Lalehzar Street, Naser Khosrow and Istanbul Square. Demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans calling for the downfall of the ruling clerics and demanding the leadership step aside. Video circulating online showed protesters inside a major shopping complex in Tehran's Grand Bazaar chanting, “Have no fear, we are all together,” while hurling insults at security forces and calling them shameless. Source: redstate.com Crushed by inflation, soaring living costs, and a future stolen by the regime, Iranians are back in the streets to protest. In a chilling echo of Tiananmen's Tank Man, one man defiantly sits down before the riot police. Desperation has met courage. Funds have been cutoff to the Mullahs/DS. They will lose control in the end and the people will rise up and take back their country. Cyber attacks ‘tipping point' warning issued after Harrods and M&S targeted Cyber attacks surged into prominence in 2025, inflicting significant financial damage on major British businesses and exposing widespread vulnerabilities across the economy. High-profile targets included automotive giant Jaguar Land Rover, retail stalwart Marks & Spencer, and luxury department store Harrods, underscoring how firms of all sizes are susceptible to sophisticated digital threats. Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, articulated his belief that cyber attacks represent one of the most substantial threats to UK financial stability, stressing the “critically important” need for collaborative defence. He stated: “Cyber attacks are far from new, but 2025 has shown just how deeply cyber risk is intertwined with economic stability and business continuity.” Source:  uk.news.yahoo.com  President Trump Responds to the 91-Drone Attack on Putin's Residence in Novgorod region During an impromptu press availability beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump responded to a question about a drone attack against the personal residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Trump noted that he was informed of the attack by President Putin during an early Monday phone call between the two leaders. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied the accusation that Ukraine carried out this particular attack.  The attack took place while Zelenskyy was in Florida meeting with President Trump. U.S. media have said the attack on Putin may be a lie; however, with physical evidence from the defense operation, it is less likely Russia just made up the attack.  At this moment in the conflict, Putin doesn't need domestic propaganda. CONTEXT: British intelligence previously confirmed their participation in the successful Ukraine drone attack against long-range Russian bombers.  That operation, highly controversial at the time, was previously confirmed by President Trump saying the U.S. was not informed in advance. The “coalition of the willing” has also expanded.  Outside the Ukraine regime, the current group making up the “coalition of the willing” includes: the U.K, France, Germany, Canada and Australia.  It is worth noting the additions are all part of the British commonwealth (U.K, Canada, Australia).   I suspect the British did it Source: theconservativetreehouse.com https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2005810672672624746?s=20   and utilities have materially underperformed the broader market over the last few years. This has been fueled by the outsized gains in the US technology sector. A similar pattern occurred during the 1990s, while the opposite took place during the 2008 Financial Crisis, when global defensive stocks outperformed. Defensive sectors are lagging. Medical/False Flags [DS] Agenda Soros family reportedly donated more than $71,000 to Letitia James campaigns Leftist billionaire George Soros and members of his family have donated more than $71,000 to political campaigns supporting New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James since 2019, according to a report published Sunday by the New York Post. The report, citing campaign finance records, said the total includes $31,000 contributed toward James' 2026 reelection bid. Soros personally donated $18,000 in July 2024, while his daughter-in-law, Jennifer Soros, contributed $13,000 in May. With earlier donations included, Soros and his family have provided James with roughly $40,000 more since 2019, the Post reported. The figure does not include the indirect support James has received through left-leaning organizations backed by Soros. The report said Soros' Open Society Foundations have given more than $865,000 to the New York branch of the Working Families Party since 2018. Source:  rsbnetwork.com  https://twitter.com/SteveRob/status/2005683753432351171?s=20 https://twitter.com/mazemoore/status/2005361462580011272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2005361462580011272%7Ctwgr%5E084f3c4b7bd7fa1059f91dab99d5e9dce1ab3cec%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fnick-arama%2F2025%2F12%2F29%2Fthis-didnt-age-well-what-tim-walz-said-about-child-care-providers-during-2024-debate-n2197568 in Minnesota.” Yes Tim, you sure did make it easy for people to open childcare businesses. They don’t even need to provide childcare to get paid. https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2005702559239946273?s=20  admitted to the scheme and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the underlying fraud, with nearly $48 million ordered in restitution. Separate sentencing remains pending for the bribery conviction. https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/2005794263091798284?s=20   in there until today. That parking lot is empty all the time, and I was under the impression that place is permanently closed,” a local said. About 20 kids were seen “streaming in and out” of the center, according to the Post. “You do realize there's supposed to be 99 children here in this building, and there's no one here?” Shirley said in his viral video. The owner’s son, Ali Ibrahim, claims Shirley came before they opened and is blaming their graphic designer for messing up the sign. “What I understand is [the owners] dealt with a graphic designer. He did it incorrectly. I guess they didn't think it was a big issue,” Ibrahim said https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/2005812805786607882?s=20   children for the cameras. https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2005766571487289395?s=20   citizens.” – MN AG Keith Ellison https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2005871452562555304?s=20  shootings the morning of Saturday June 13th at approximately 2:30am and 3:30am, in around [unclear] that I will probably be dead by the time you read this letter. I wanted to share some info with you that you might find interesting. I was trained by U.S. Military people off the books starting in college. I have been on projects since that time in Eastern Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Africa. All in the line of duty what I thought was right and in the best interest of the United States. Recently I was approached about a project that Tim Walz wanted done, and Keith [unclear] was also aware of the project. Tim wanted me to kill Amy Klobuchar and Tina [unclear]. Tim wants to be a senator and he doesn't trust [unclear] to retire as planned and this is meant to stay in the last mile with Amy & [unclear] gone. Tim would get one of the open senate seats, and [unclear] was to be VP, and Keith Ellison would be rewarded with a lucrative governing position. I told Tim I wanted nothing to do with it and that I didn't call off that plan I would go public. He said he would call it off himself if I didn't play ball. Then he set up a meeting with me and [unclear] and [unclear] to take care of me when I refused. They had some people waiting to kill me. I was able to get away by God's mercy. So I went back a short time later and shot back at [unclear]. You should notice how I didn't fire me rounds at any police officers and by God I have plenty of opportunity. Ask for the report on how many weapons and ammunition I had with me. Cops were pulling up right next to me in unmarked vehicles and I had an AK pistol across my lap. And I could have left a pile of cops dead but I did not. Short burst towards law enforcement. You can ask them. Because I snapped the police and chose not to see them hurt. But it may end up my wife and kids next time. I won't give them a pass. If you think I'm making this up just get on the phone and tell Tim you have a few questions for him. Then ask Tim Walz if he knows me and see what he says? If he says he doesn't know me, or never met me, look in the files and you will see that Tim personally approved me to be on his Governor's workforce. Bridges are the business representatives. He is probably trying to destroy that note but it is public record. Then ask Tim Walz why they kept the shots silent from the media when they first happened. Not a word in the press and I. Why? They needed to get their stories figured out. So everyone was on the same page about what happened. Tim is probably crapping bricks right now because I'm still at large and he knows what I can disclose and that I know about all the buried skeletons are. So I will be shot on sight you can bet on that. If you want me to turn myself in it need to be directly to you and then I need to be held at a military prison or in the Middle East, or at least on a ship. These guys have military backgrounds and can get to anybody. I am willing to spill all the beans. I just want my family safe. They had nothing to do with this and are totally innocent. This was a lone person https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2005811252409344411?s=20 Tim Walz is trying to bury the evidence of Somalian money laundering. His government website showing all the daycare licenses is having a mysterious “outage”. They are freaking out. https://twitter.com/feelsdesperate/status/2005736682100777121?s=20 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2005699538808697062?s=20 Trump fires 17 government watchdogs at various federal agencies President Donald Trump fired 17 independent watchdogs at various federal agencies late Friday, a Trump administration official confirmed to Fox News, as he continues to reshape the government at a blistering pace. Trump dismissed inspectors general at agencies within the Defense Department, State Department, Energy Department, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department of Veterans Affairs and more, notifying them by email from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, the Washington Post first reported. “It's a widespread massacre,” one of the terminated inspectors general told the Post. “Whoever Trump puts in now will be viewed as loyalists, and that undermines the entire system.” Source: foxnews.com Trump has been in office for 11 months. The Trump US Attorney has been in control of the Minneapolis Office less than that. These are programs the Biden DOJ did not investigate — they investigated “Feeding our Future” only. So the investigations of 13 other federally funded welfare programs started from scratch.   https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2005764911427731459?s=20 THREAD https://twitter.com/Geiger_Capital/status/2005688449026908544?s=20 https://twitter.com/politico/status/2005765912167911931?s=20 https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/2005851479425310785?s=20  https://twitter.com/C_3C_3/status/2005864187575128397?s=20 President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2005816218226233847?s=20 The National Guard is building a “quick reaction force” (QRF) of some 23,500 troops trained in crowd control and civil disturbance that can be ready to deploy to U.S. cities by early next year, according to a leaked memo reported by multiple outlets Wednesday.  The Oct. 8 memo, signed by National Guard Bureau Director of Operations Maj. Gen. Ronald Burkett, orders the Guard from nearly every U.S. state, Puerto Rico and Guam to train 500 service members. States with smaller populations such as Delaware will have 250 troops in its force, while Alaska will have 350 and Guam will have 100, Task & Purpose reported. Attorney General Pam Bondi Directs DOJ to Investigate Obama-Biden Era ‘Lawfare' as Ongoing Criminal Conspiracy Attorney General Pam Bondi has confirmed that the Department of Justice is actively probing what she describes as a decade-long pattern of government weaponization and “lawfare” under the Obama and Biden administrations. Bondi has directed U.S. Attorneys and federal agents to treat these actions as an “ongoing criminal conspiracy,” potentially allowing prosecutors to bypass statutes of limitations and hold high-ranking officials accountable for alleged election interference and civil rights violations. Source: thegatewaypundit.com  child-like illogic. And if you want to jump in and comment on whatever your particular axe to grind is and how disappointed you are that axe did not get ground in 11 months, please refer to the preposterous, child-like illogic mentioned above. https://twitter.com/TonySeruga/status/2005766903579701465?s=20 Look at the structure itself. 435 representatives for more than 300 million citizens. One voice per 700,000 people. The founders envisioned one per 30,000. That ratio was frozen in 1929, locked by the Permanent Apportionment Act, ensuring the number would remain manageable. Manageable for whom? One hundred senators. 535 total legislators controlling the direction of the largest economy in human history. You do not need to purchase a nation. You purchase 535 people. Or fewer. Buy the committee chairs. Fewer still. Buy the leadership. A few dozen individuals, properly leveraged through money or blackmail (it's actually both), steer everything. The bottleneck is artificial. Engineered for efficient capture. The Federal Reserve arrived in 1913, transferring monetary sovereignty from the people to a private banking cartel. That same year, the 17th Amendment removed state legislatures from Senate appointments, severing the balance between federal and state power. The intelligence apparatus emerged after World War II as a parallel government operating beyond electoral accountability. The administrative state metastasized into an unelected fourth branch writing rules with the force of law. Layer upon layer. Each generation inherits chains from contracts they never signed, bound by compromises made long before their birth. Yes, the Founding Fathers intended for the House of Representatives to expand as the population grew. The U.S. Constitution’s Article I, Section 2 established an initial apportionment ratio of no more than one representative per 30,000 inhabitants (with each state guaranteed at least one), implying that the total number would increase based on census results every ten years. the framers expected regular adjustments to maintain proportional representation as the nation expanded.  James Madison, in Federalist No. 58, directly addressed concerns that the House might not grow, arguing that the Constitution’s mechanisms—such as decennial reapportionments—would “augment the number of representatives” over time, and that political incentives (e.g., larger states pushing for increases) would ensure it happened.  This intent is further supported by the proposed (but unratified) Congressional Apportionment Amendment from the original Bill of Rights, which aimed to set a formula preventing the House from becoming too small relative to the population.  However, the House was permanently capped at 435 members by the Apportionment Act of 1929, diverging from this original vision. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2005740095979069669?s=20   attempt instead chase smaller game, run interference, attack each other, send you down rabbit holes, and offer limited hangouts that lead nowhere. The silence is bipartisan. The silence is the tell. If your enemy acts and your ally does nothing despite holding every lever of power, you do not have two sides. WAIT… THERE'S MORE… https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2005729994782466232?s=20   our walls, with Antifa and radical Islamic terrorist groups still at large, without Trump's people in position, without the public being informed of the treasonous conspiracy, without the wars around the globe being settled, without rogue Deep State elements like Iran's nuclear capabilities being shut down, all while the public are extremely emotionally charged after the election cycle and have been repeatedly brainwashed to believe that Trump is Hitler about to unleash a military dictatorship… There's levels to this shit. Many variables must be accounted for and many pieces must be in place before we can do something of this magnitude. But if you've been paying attention, you'd see that much of these things have already been taken care of over Trump's first year. I'm more optimistic than I've ever been, and frankly I don't understand how people don't see what Trump is doing. The price to pay for striking early, could result in mass civilian casualties, the entire operation will be ruined, the Republic will fall to the Deep State, and all of us will be tax/labor slaves forever. We can't afford to miss. Everything must be perfect, and Trump is putting the pieces into place to make it happen. (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

Welcome back to another insightful episode of Keepin' It a Podcast! This week Marquise Davon and Salaah Muhammad dive deep into the recent victory of Zohran Mamdani and its implications for local politics. In this episode, we discuss:The significance of Mamdani's win and its influence on community engagement.The role of the Working Families Party in shaping political narratives and victories.How this shift might push the Democratic Party towards more progressive social policies.Join us as we unpack these critical themes and explore what this means for the future of our local and national political landscape. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments below!

Good news for food truck lovers! The city just made it easier for mobile vendors to set up shop. Host Megan Harris and executive producer Mallory Falk share why new rules could open the door for taco trucks, mobile pizza ovens, and more in your favorite city park. Plus, they dig into new reports about Pittsburgh's hottest housing markets and richest neighborhoods, explain why it's not entirely a good thing that we lead the nation in home inheritance, and discuss a proposed cell phone ban in Pittsburgh public schools. Notes and references from today's show: Where Are Americans Inheriting The Most Homes? [Coventry Direct] Pittsburgh leads the nation in inherited properties — but some become burdens, not blessings [P-G] All Allegheny County residents can now access free legacy planning under new program [WESA] Family sues after finding giant swastika-tiled floor under rug in newly bought Pa. home [PennLive] New rules take bite out of red tape for food trucks ahead of NFL [TribLive] Vending Policy Report [City of Pittsburgh] Pennsylvania's Working Families Party pledges to support a primary challenger against Sen. John Fetterman [Philadelphia Inquirer] Striking Post-Gazette workers send company return-to-work offer [TribLive] Hazelwood rezoning gets 4-2 nod, despite railroad opposition [Public Source] PODCAST: Rezoning Pittsburgh's ‘Rat Buffet' [City Cast Pittsburgh] Pittsburgh Public Schools considering districtwide cell phone ban after stabbing [CBS Pittsburgh] Paving begins on Pittsburgh Mills roads while mall owner fights $11 million in fines [TribLive] Pittsburgh Mills property owners ordered to pay another $17.6 million in fines [TribLive] Fountain at Point State Park turns back on after construction [CBS Pittsburgh] Learn more about the sponsors of this November 21st episode: Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Handmade Arcade The Frick Family House AIDS Free Pittsburgh Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We're also on Instagram @CityCastPgh! Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.

On this episode Donna sat down with the newly elected Denzel McCampbell plus Jasahn Larosa and Iris Taylor of the Southeast Michigan Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (SEMPQIC). Together, they explore a father-centered approach to maternal and infant health and the policy changes that make it possible, as well as Detroit's new council voice on housing, transit, environmental justice, and participatory budgeting.SEMPQIC is leading a groundbreaking initiative to fully embrace fatherhood, especially in the lives of Black children. Their Black Fatherhood Initiative directly addresses the stark disparities in maternal health outcomes faced by Black mothers by elevating the often-overlooked role of fathers.For more information on SEMPQIC's Black Fatherhood Initiative, click here. Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Hey HBs! It's time for part 2 PLAY by Kylie Scott! Mal has just been the biggest dummy and he'll only get dumber... but also seggsy. Lady Loves: Sabrina: get you a neighbor who can cook AND wants to feed you! Local connections are so crucial and affirming! Mel: if you're feeling as frustrated as I am with the state of "the left" you can check out the Working Families Party and the organization Run for Something. If you want to refresh yourself with the series, listen to our recap of the first book LICK, which is episodes 378.1 & 378.2. This Friday on Patreon and our Apple Podcast subscription, Sabrina is telling Mel all about what starts as a mystery historical and turns out to have the most singular premise! That's THE ELUSIVE WIFE by Callie Hutton. Curious about the ridiculous faces we make? Subscribe and watch us on YOUTUBE! Want to tell us a story, ask about advertising, or anything else? Email: heavingbosomspodcast (at) gmail  Follow our socials:  Instagram @heavingbosoms | Tiktok @heaving_bosoms | Bluesky: @heavingbosoms.com | Threads: @heavingbosoms   Facebook group: the Heaving Bosoms Geriatric Friendship Cult Credits: Theme Music: Brittany Pfantz  Art: Author Kate Prior The above contains affiliate links, which means that when purchasing through them, the podcast gets a small percentage without costing you a penny more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jasmine Gripper and Ana María Archila, New York Working Families Party co-directors, reflect on Mayor-elect Mamdani's win and the WFP role in the election, their policy priorities and next year's primaries.

Diana Martha Louis is an assistant professor of women’s and gender studies at the University of Michigan. In her new book, Louis seeks to reframe some of the historical stories about Black people and mental health in the 19th century. The book is titled “Colored Insane: Slavery, Asylums, and the Politics of Mental Health in the 19th Century.” Combining literary and historical analysis, the book explores the asylum movement, slavery’s impact on the mental health of Black people, and how some historical beliefs about mental health still shape how some in the medical field view Black people’s mental disability in the present day. Plus, the Working Families Party is an independent political organization focusing on making life better for working families. Recently, Fallon McClure, the deputy southeast regional director for WFP, joined a group of state legislators urging Governor Kemp to use the state’s surplus to cover the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Fallon talks with “Closer Look” program host Rose Scott about her overall thoughts on how lawmakers responded to the federal shutdown, how other federal cuts are impacting the lives of families, as well as the recent political shifts happening within growing progressive movements.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Zohran Mamdani's victory speech after being elected New York City's new mayor, he thanked those often forgotten by the politics of the city, the “Yemeni bodega owners and Mexican abuelas. Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses. Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties.” It got us thinking about the people who make up our Bay Area cities and whether they are represented by our politics. And we'll hear from you: Who are the often overlooked people who you see as the heart of your city? Guests: Jane Kim, California chair, Working Families Party - former San Francisco Supervisor representing District 6 from 2011-2019 Adena Ishii, mayor, City of Berkeley Noelia Corzo, supervisor, San Mateo County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode Donna and Orlando discuss Detroit's historic election where the city elected Mary Sheffield as its 76th mayor along with a progressive bloc which aims to reshape Detroit's future. After months of forums and one-on-ones with candidates, they share why this landslide felt inevitable and why it has to translate into results at the neighborhood level. Early voting helped lift turnout to 22% this year, now they hope to keep people engaged with creating progress.They believe a Detroit for everyone requires concrete action on affordable housing, home repair grants, inclusionary development, better transit, and jobs that actually employ Detroiters.For more episodes of Authentically Detroit, click here. FOR HOT TAKES:SENATE ADVANCES PLAN TO END HISTORIC SHUTDOWN IN BIPARTISAN BREAKTHROUGHAS DTE SEEKS SPEEDY APPROVAL TO POWER MASSIVE DATA CENTER, SOME OFFICIALS PUSH BACK Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

What is the Working Families Party? // Whatcom County Sheriff’s Detective allegedly created an AI sex video of a female detective // GUEST: Chris Sullivan on slow down/move over laws // SCENARIOS

When Zohran Mamdani voted in the New York Mayoral election last week he told the press that he followed the Working Families Party ticket. Who is the Working FamiliesParty? This episode is one we recorded earlier with the national leader of the Working Families Party - Maurice Mitchell. This episode was recorded in the wake of the Movement for Black Lives protests, but he also explains the origins of Working Families and their urban origins in community organising movements like ACORN in the US.There is a long story behind one of the many strands emerging in resistance politics in the US.For more on ChangeMakers check us out:Via our Website - https://changemakerspodcast.org (where you can also sign up to our email list!)On Facebook, Instagram, Threads - https://www.facebook.com/ChangeMakersPodcast/Blue Sky Social - changemakerspod.bsky.aocial & amandatattersall.bsky.socialOn X/Twitter - @changemakers99 or @amandatattsOn LinkedIn - Amanda.Tattersall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s MiniPod, our hosts Angela Rye, Tiffany Cross, Andrew Gillum, and Bakari Sellers are joined by Maurice Mitchell, the National Director of the Working Families Party for a conversation on breaking the two-party system and getting corporate (and AIPAC) money out of politics. The WFP is a political party aimed at taking power from the rich and powerful, and putting it in the hands of the working class through a broad multi-racial coalition. They run their own candidates AND run candidates through Democratic Party primaries, candidates who have fought for higher wages, a fairer criminal justice system, getting big money out of politics, and more. If you’d like to submit a question, check out our tutorial video: www.instagram.com/reel/C5j_oBXLIg0/ Welcome home y’all! —--------- We want to hear from you! Send us a video @nativelandpod and we may feature you on the podcast. Instagram X/Twitter Facebook NativeLandPod.com Watch full episodes of Native Land Pod here on YouTube. Native Land Pod is brought to you by Reasoned Choice Media. Thank you to the Native Land Pod team: Angela Rye as host, executive producer, and cofounder of Reasoned Choice Media; Tiffany Cross as host and producer, Andrew Gillum as host and producer, Bakari Sellers as host and producer, and Lauren Hansen as executive producer; LoLo Mychael is our research producer, and Nikolas Harter is our editor and producer. Special thanks to Chris Morrow and Lenard McKelvey, co-founders of Reasoned Choice Media. Theme music created by Daniel Laurent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday, voters in Virginia, New York City, New Jersey, Texas, California, and Mississippi overwhelmingly supported Democratic candidates and ballot initiatives.In New York, despite facing racist opposition from both Republicans and much of the Democratic establishment, Zohran Mamdani sailed to victory. The new mayor-elect won over 50 percent of the vote in a three-way race. And in Virginia, Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger won with an even greater margin over her opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears, whose campaign weaponized transphobia in a vain attempt to defeat Spanberger.In California, as of Wednesday, nearly two-thirds of the vote favored redrawing the congressional map to counter Republican gerrymandering in Texas.The Intercept Briefing spoke with Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of the PAC Run for Something, and Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party, to discuss what lessons Democrats and progressives should take heading into the midterm elections. Mitchell pointed to Mamdani's and other Democrats' success last night at driving home a positive economic message for working-class voters as an important roadmap for next year.“There's elements of [Mamdani's] victory that are very particular to New York, that are very particular to him, but the politics and the conditions that are a part of the victory are happening all across the country,” said Mitchell. “It's clear that this was a wave election. And inside of that wave are a number of independent, progressive-minded folks who didn't wait their turn, who are willing to fight for working people.” Similarly, Litman argued that Democrats need to embrace a big tent that includes progressive voices. "You need candidates who know what they believe, who know how to communicate, who love the place they're running, and who can articulate why voters should want them to win,” she said.Litman continued, “Does every candidate need to have the exact same ideological profile? No. But also, the person who's running and winning a seat on the Iowa City Council is probably not a good fit for the New York City Council, and vice versa. And that's OK. To be a party that can win everywhere, which is what we need to be in order to stop authoritarianism and stop what the Republican Party has done, we need to have a big tent.” Listen to the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.You can support our work at theintercept.com/join. Your donation, no matter the amount, makes a real difference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New York’s new Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won amid Islamophobic attacks, and is set to become the city's first Muslim mayor. He pledged to serve all communities, and to challenge US President Trump's policies. His win is being compared to that of London’s Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan, a counterweight to then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Are city mayors the new resistance to right-wing governments? In this episode: Moustafa Bayoumi (@BayoumiMoustafa), author and columnist for The Guardian Episode credits: This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, Sarí el-Khalili, Diana Ferrero and Tracie Hunte, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Amy Walters, Farhan Rafif, Fatima Shafiq, Tamara Khandaker, and guest host, Manny Rapalo. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz and Kylene Kiang. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.insurgentspod.comRavi Mangla, national press secretary for the Working Families Party, joins Jordan to talk about the NYC mayoral race, the Cuomo campaign's desperation in the final days and weeks of the race, and—most importantly—what people need to do after the election to help support the implementation of Mamdani's agenda.You can follow Ravi here: https://x.com/ravi_mangla Check out his Substack, Signal Break, here: https://signalbreak.substack.com/

On this episode Donna and Orlando sat down with community organizer, Branden Snyder, to discuss the Working Families Party and how people can stay involved in the political process beyond election day. They also unpack the media narratives swirling around the mayoral race, why they matter for young Black leadership in Detroit, and the government shutdown's impact on EBT and food security across Michigan.The Working Families Party is regular people coming together across their differences to make a better future for all. They are a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful. They want an America which realizes the promise – unrealized in our history – of freedom and equality for all.Together, they break down the Working Families Party's “inside-outside” strategy in Michigan: start small, build infrastructure, recruit multiracial working-class candidates, and create a values-based bloc that can negotiate policy, not just win headlines.To learn more about the Working Families Party and how to get involved, click here. FOR HOT TAKES:ETHICS RULES DIDN'T REQUIRE SHEFFIELD TO DISCLOSE PAST RELATIONSHIP WITH DEMOLITION CONTRACTORTRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO ISSUE PARTIAL SNAP PAYMENTS AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Katie Spain-McLaren is running for Troy City Council District 3 on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines against John Mancinelli. Katie spoke with Elizabeth Press as part of Hudson Mohawk Magazine's election watch coverage. HMM reached out to John Mancinelli for an interview, but we have not heard back.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine, First, we begin with Election Watch 2025 Mark Dunlea talks to Noreen McKee, the Democrat and Working Families Party candidate running for Troy City Council District 4 about her campaign. Then, Elizabeth “EP” Press talks with Jona Favreau, the Democrat candidate for the Troy City Council in District 5 in the upcoming election. Later on, we interview from retired National Weather Service meteorologist, Hugh Johnson, for our weekly weather update. After that, we have Everybody Moves weekly series, which profiles the migration stories of members of our community. Finally, Carolyn Tennant talks to artist and filmmaker Suneil Sanzgiri and EMPAC's Katherine Adams about their upcoming workshop and the film screening at the Sanctuary

Noreen McKee is the Democrat and Working Families Party candidate for Troy City Council District 4. A long time CPA who is concerned about the city's financial management, she has been active in local civic groups such as the Justice Center of Rensselaer County and Unity House. She joined Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine to discuss her campaign, including affordable housing and the Good Cause Eviction Law, and the need to protect immigrants from ICE. https://www.mckee4troy.com/

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine, First, Mark Dunlea talks to the Executive Director of Protect the Adirondacks about the upcoming vote on Proposition One, a proposal from an amendment to Article 14 that protects against construction on select natural areas within the 6 million acre park. Then, Sina Basila Hickey talks campaign goals with Phil DiLorenzo, the candidate on the Democratic and Working Families Party line in the upcoming election for Troy City Council District 1 Later on, Willie Terry continues his coverage on the NoKings Protest from October 18th And in our last segment, we hear about the importance of language preservation in Mohican Culture Hosted By: Jacob Boston, Richard Sleeper. Engineered by: Jacob Boston

Phil DiLorenzo is running for Troy City Council District 1 on the Democratic and Working Families Party line against incumbent Bill Keal. Phil spoke with Sina Basila Hickey as part of Hudson Mohawk Magazine's election watch coverage. HMM reached out to Bill Keal for an interview, but we have not heard back.

Shikole Struber is running for Troy City Council District 2 on the Democratic and Working Families Party line against incumbent Ryan Brosnan. Shikole spoke with Sina Basila Hickey as part of Hudson Mohawk Magazine's election watch coverage. HMM reached out to Ryan Brosnan for an interview, but we have not heard back.

This week on Rising Up For Justice, Jane Kim from Working Families Party joins us. Jane is the California Director of the Working Families Party.

Ed Cox, chairman of the New York Republican State Committee, joins the program to discuss the concerns regarding the NYC Mayoral race, about 501(c)(4) funds being funneled into the Working Families Party, particularly from Alex Soros. He highlights the Marxist policies of candidate Zohran Mamdani and their potential impact on New York City, such as rent freezes and public land requisition for housing. Cox also critiques Andrew Cuomo's political maneuvers and the shift to far-left policies in the state as he prepares to run on an independent ticket in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Tuesday edition of Sid & Friends in the Morning, Curtis Sliwa is live in-studio once again alongside T.J. McCormack and later joined by John Catsimatidis, as the trio substitute for morning show host Sid Rosenberg while he's on vacation in Europe. In news of the day, extreme weather hits New York City with flash floods, the evolving NYC Mayoral race in NYC and candidate Andrew Cuomo announcing he will be running in the general election in November on an independent line, further strategizing in regard to overcoming the rise of socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani. Curtis, John & T.J. also touch upon national political dynamics, FBI internal conflicts, and the influence of significant funding from Working Families Party, raising concerns over transparency in campaign financing. Rich Lowry, Bo Dietl, Alan Dershowitz, Ed Cox, Judge Richard Weinberg & George Venizuelos join the show on this Tuesday installment of Sid & Friends in the Morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ana María Archila and Jasmine Gripper, co-directors of the New York Working Families Party, reflect on Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani's resounding win in the Democratic primary election, and look ahead to the general election.     

Zohran Mamdani didn't just beat Andrew Cuomo — he buried him. In a race many expected to be tight or favor Cuomo through ranked-choice tallies, Mamdani delivered a knockout in the first round. The final numbers weren't close: Mamdani pulled in 545,000 votes to Cuomo's 428,000. That's a blowout. And it happened despite Cuomo once polling at an absurd 80%. This wasn't just a campaign upset — it was the end of Cuomo's delusion that he could waltz back into New York politics on name recognition alone.Mamdani's campaign was sharp and technically sound. He mastered ranked-choice mechanics — building coalitions, securing second-choice support, and locking in endorsements from the Working Families Party and key progressive organizers. But he didn't just activate the left. He reached across neighborhoods and demographics, putting in real ground work. His message wasn't just ideological; it was practical and local — housing, transit, jobs. The kind of politics that wins you quiet votes in places people don't usually canvass.Now, Mamdani becomes a national proxy whether he wants to or not. Republicans will make him the new face of the Democratic Party, using his self-identified socialism as a scarecrow in swing states. But that spotlight also comes with opportunity. He's proven he can organize, message, and win. If Mamdani survives the general — and with Eric Adams now backed into a defensive fight, that's looking more likely — he could emerge as a new progressive standard-bearer not just for New York, but for the left nationwide.Politics Politics Politics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Trump and DeSantis, Reunited AgainDonald Trump and Ron DeSantis appeared together this week, publicly touring the new Alligator Alcatraz immigration facility in the Everglades. This was their first real moment of unity since a brutal 2024 GOP primary season. On the surface, they were aligned — joking, praising one another, presenting a strong front on immigration.Behind the smiles, though, Florida politics remains deeply tribal. There's always more going on under the surface. This wasn't just a unity photo-op; it was a strategic pivot. With the media focused on deportation centers and immigration enforcement, Democrats' messaging about Medicaid cuts and policy substance is being drowned out. Whether this is 5D chess from Trump or just savvy instinct, the outcome is the same — the right is driving the conversation.And here's my hunch: DeSantis is bound for a Trump administration role. Maybe not immediately, but certainly toward the end of his term. I don't know the exact position, but his re-alignment with Trump suggests he's looking for a path forward that keeps him in the national conversation.Allred's Return and the Uphill Battle in TexasColin Allred is back, launching another Senate bid in Texas, likely against Ken Paxton. His opening ad leans heavily on anti-corruption themes, clearly aimed at Paxton's scandals and ethical baggage. It's a smart choice if Paxton is the nominee. Voters don't forget public messes involving mistresses, real estate ties, and abandoned staff.That said, I'm not sold on Allred. His ad doesn't connect — it's too heavy on biography and too light on vision. People watching already know who he is. They're asking what he's going to do differently this time. He had a respectable run against Ted Cruz, but he didn't break through. And in a state like Texas, breaking through isn't optional — it's the baseline requirement.Texas Democrats face a structural problem. The party's progressives dominate primaries but struggle to produce general election winners. Allred's strength as a former football player was undercut by the trans sports issue. He doesn't read as a football guy, and he doesn't read as the kind of candidate who can split the difference between national party expectations and Texas voter realities. I'll be watching this race, but my expectations are tempered.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:03:03 - Interview with Kirk Bado00:29:16 - Update00:29:53 - Final NYC Mayoral Primary Results00:33:57 - Trump and DeSantis Reunite00:37:29 - Colin Allred for Texas Senate00:45:05 - Interview with Kirk Bado (con't)01:07:04 - Steelers Talk01:19:13 - Bonus Politics Question01:19:52 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe

In towns and cities across the country, from blue cities to red states, from Idaho to Georgia and pretty much everywhere else, folks gathered to show their opposition to the Trump Administration. They were standing up against immigration raids with masked federal agents, to devastating cuts to Medicaid, to the President of the United States, quote-unquote “honoring” the United States Army with a birthday parade. If you marched this weekend with hundreds (or even thousands) of your neighbors, what can you do to keep that energy going? We asked Maurice Mitchell, the national director of the Working Families Party.And in headlines: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a preemptive strike against Iran, Minnesota lawmakers were shot and killed in a suspected political assassination, and the Trump administration proposes an expansion of the travel ban. Show Notes:Check out the Working Families Party – https://workingfamilies.org/Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday 

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the campaign trail, including what she's expecting ahead of the first mayoral debate, the Working Families Party ranking Zohran Mamdani as top pick for mayor, and the battle for Asian voters. 

New York City's mayoral race is heating up, and into the inferno walks Brad Lander: City Comptroller, longtime progressive pain in the ass (in the best way), and, most importantly, not a corrupt tool of the oligarchy. That alone is refreshing. Lander's running on a revolutionary NYC platform: competence, decency, and not being Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, or a trash fire named Donald Trump. He's spent his career backing tenants, workers, and immigrants, including showing up at an ICE facility to demand Newark mayor Ras Baraka's release. On Gaslit Nation, Lander made it clear: he's not here to play nice with predators in power. He's here to break the cycle of corruption, fight for working people, and stop ICE from turning Rikers Island into Guantanamo East. On climate? “Climate risk is financial risk,” Lander says. His plan includes rooftop solar, ensuring net-zero emissions by 2040, and preventing your apartment from becoming a boiling deathtrap during the next heat wave. (Remember Cuomo leaving people to die in nursing homes?) As the feds abandon us under Trump and Musk, someone's got to step up. Lander wants to expand the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. And for non-New Yorkers: NYC's mayor matters nationally. This is a frontline job against elite impunity and rising autocracy. We need Lander to help rebuild democracy. Want to protect New York, and the country, from grifters like Adams and Cuomo? Use ranked-choice voting, ranking Lander #1. Then rank all the other progressives endorsed by the Working Families Party. Do not put Cuomo on your ballot. He already resigned after using his power to prey on women. Don't make us go through that again. Go to landerfornyc.com and help make New York City safer and stronger, for the sake of its residents and all of America. Share this interview with the New Yorkers in your life to help stop Cuomo and elect Lander New York City's next mayor.  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!

Tonight, President Trump will give his first major address to the nation since the inauguration of his second term. He'll probably talk about how great of a job he's doing, the Gulf of America and deporting undocumented immigrants. Who knows, he might even rant about the Russian influence investigation some more. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut tells us why he won't be attending Trump's address — and why the president is vying to become Russian President Vladimir Putin's new best friend. And later in the show, California Democratic Representative Lateefah Simon is set to deliver the Working Families Party response to the president. She previews her speech for us.In headlines: Trump's 25-percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports are set to take effect today, First Lady Melania Trump made her first public appearance since Inauguration Day, and the Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as Education Secretary.Show Notes:Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday