Pod Save the People

423: They’re All in Cahoots

A growing “pardon industry” helps wealthy offenders hire lobbyists to secure clemency from the White House, Chinese billionaires use surrogacy to produce dozens of U.S.-born heirs to inherit their empires, and Jill Scott tops the R&B charts with “Pressha,” a reminder that while the powerful build dynasties, the culture does too.NewsPardon Industry Offers Rich Offenders a Path to TrumpChinese billionaire who has fathered more than 100 children hopes to have dozens of U.S.-born boys to one day take over his business Jill Scott's 'Pressha' Hits No. 1 at R&B RadioFollow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram.

422: Bought, Sold, and Silenced

A tech billionaire makes a $108 billion push to continue the conservative takeover of traditional media, Kansas orders trans residents to surrender their driver’s licenses on one day’s notice, and at the BAFTAs, a racial slur interrupts a celebration of Black artistry.NewsA Father, a Son and Their $108 Billion Push for Media MoguldomKansas Orders Trans Drivers to Surrender Licenses With One Day’s Notice Anti-blackness is the Grammar of the World: The BAFTAs and the AfterMathFollow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram.

421: Survival of the Richest

Middle-class Americans are increasingly selling their own plasma to keep pace with an economy that keeps taking more than it gives, election officials in Georgia find fraudulent ballot applications tied to a PAC backed by Elon Musk, and international travelers are skipping the United States as ICE and aggressive border enforcement make visiting America feel less like a vacation and more like a risk.NewsWhy the United States Is Seeing an Ongoing Tourism Slump Turns Out There Was Voter Fraud in Georgia—by Elon MuskMiddle-class Americans are selling plasma to keep up with rising costsFollow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram. 

420: Dignity In Demand

Advocates outline a concrete roadmap to dismantling ICE, new data shows Black defendants in San Diego are increasingly steered toward life-without-parole charges, and a reminder that being bougie and Black isn’t a trend but a legacy.NewsA clear roadmap to ending ICE starts with what we can demand today.In San Diego, the racial divide in charges that can lead to life without parole has grownBeing Bougie & Black: Then, Now & AlwaysFollow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram.

419: Black History in Real Time

Republicans unveil the most extreme federal voting restrictions proposed in modern history, Tennessee officials are accused of quietly propping up a payday lender’s failed sports betting operation, and scholars warn the U.S. may be entering the early stages of genocide against trans Americans.NewsNew GOP anti-voting bill may be the most dangerous attack on voting rights ever How a Tennessee Official Kept Advance Financial’s Sports Betting Company AliveExperts Warn U.S. in Early Stages of Genocide Against Trans Americans Follow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram.