Deconstructed (private feed for danielespier@gmail.com)

What Trump’s Second Term Could Mean for the Middle East

On this week's Deconstructed, the Drop Site News team gathered to discuss what we know about how Donald Trump might handle Israel and what that will mean for war with Iran; who might lead the State Department; and the broader dynamics of the Middle East. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

Lever Time: Will The Cheneys Win Or Lose The Election For Dems?

We're sharing a special bonus episode of The Lever's flagship podcast, Lever Time, founder David Sirota and award-winning screenwriter and director Adam McKay discuss Democrats’ bid to win over GOP voters by repeatedly touting endorsements from former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney. Critics say the move could alienate swing-state voters, but others say it’s a shrewd gambit to attract disaffected Republicans. McKay’s Oscar-nominated film Vice is widely considered the definitive biopic of Dick Cheney.Subscribe to Lever Time wherever you listen to podcast or visit LeverTimePod.com to hear more episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

Introducing Master Plan: Legalizing Corruption

This week we’re sharing an excerpt of the first episode of The Lever's new investigative series Master Plan, which was recently named a must-listen by The Guardian and Apple Podcasts.In each episode of Master Plan, The Lever’s David Sirota and his team of journalists expose the secret scheme that legalized corruption for the wealthy. With the help of never-before-reported documents, they look back at where this plot began, how it is accelerating in the 2024 election - and how it can be stopped. In this epic tale, you’ll learn things you never knew about icons like President Richard Nixon, Senator Mitch McConnell, Fox News founder Roger Ailes, and Supreme Court justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito. You’ll learn how their master plan to legalize corruption affects you and your family - and undermines American democracy today. Listen now to the full first episodes of Master Plan and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

Project 2025 Roots Date Back Half a Century

More than 50 years ago, lawyer Lewis Powell penned a letter to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce arguing that the American business community must take political power and must use it "aggressively and with determination — without embarrassment and without the reluctance." President Richard Nixon would go on to appoint Powell to the U.S. Supreme Court. This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks to David Sirota about his new investigative podcast series, Master Plan, that examines how corporate corruption took root in American politics.Transcript coming soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

REBROADCAST PLUS Price Controls: An Inflation Solution That Doesn’t Screw Workers

On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a speech in North Carolina outlining her economic platform, including a federal ban on price gouging, expanded tax credits, and more. The proposal to tackle corporate price gouging has sparked significant pushback from both the establishment wing of the Democratic Party and various factions within the Republican Party. About a year ago, we spoke with economist James Galbraith on the back porch of his Vermont childhood home, where he was raised by John Kenneth Galbraith—one of the 20th century's leading policymakers and thinkers on government regulation of prices. Today, we’re revisiting that conversation, which originally aired on July 7, 2023.James K. Galbraith is a professor of government and business relations at the University of Texas at Austin. Galbraith has an extensive history of working in government, including as executive director of the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress and an economist for the House Banking Committee. Galbraith joins Ryan Grim to discuss the implementation of price controls by the U.S. government, how it brings down prices, how the Biden administration has used it and could use it more, and how Galbraith’s father — economist and politician John Kenneth Galbraith — was instrumental in setting price controls during World War II. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.