Episodes
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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.
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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 Democratsâ 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 itâs a shrewd gambit to attract disaffected Republicans. McKayâs 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.
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Episodes manquant?
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This week weâre 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 Leverâs 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, youâll 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. Youâll 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.
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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 â 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.
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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 Galbraithâone of the 20th century's leading policymakers and thinkers on government regulation of prices. Today, weâre 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 Galbraithâs father â economist and politician John Kenneth Galbraith â was instrumental in setting price controls during World War II.
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On June 28, 2009, democratically elected Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted by a military coup. In response to Zelaya's push for a poll to gauge public interest in constitutional changes, the Honduran Supreme Court ordered the military to arrest him. He was then sent to Costa Rica in his pajamas.
The coup led to nearly 13 years of right-wing rule, marked by collusion with drug trafficking organizations, widespread privatization, violence, repression, and a significant migrant exodus. During this period, the Honduran left organized a strong resistance movement. In 2022, Xiomara Castro, Zelayaâs wife and a leader of the anti-coup resistance, was elected president, signaling a major shift in the country's history.
In this episode of Deconstructed, Zelaya sits down for an exclusive interview with journalist José Olivares to discuss the 15th anniversary of the coup, the ensuing resistance movement, the right-wing and drug trafficking organizations' control, and the U.S. government's role and influence. Host Ryan Grim and Olivares delve into Zelaya's interview, recent developments in Honduran history, and present the full Spanish-language interview with Zelaya.
Deconstructed is a production of Drop Site News. This program was brought to you by a grant from The Intercept.
To read the full English-language transcript of Zelaya's interview, visit DropSiteNews.com or TheIntercept.com.
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On Thursday evening, Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican Partyâs nomination for president of the United States. As he accepted the nomination, the crowd erupted in chants of âTrump, Trump, Trump!â This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks to Emily Jashinsky, his co-host on âCounter Points,â on Thursday afternoon, before Trumpâs acceptance speech. Jashinsky joins from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They discuss Trumpâs vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance; the âNew Rightâ taking hold of the Republican Party; and what the New Rightâs vision is for the country, from tariffs to immigration, and LGBTQ+ rights, foreign policy, and education policy.
Full transcript at The Intercept.
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Dmitri Mehlhorn is among the most powerful Democratic funders and operatives working inside what can roughly be called the partyâs establishment. Heâs also been one of the most ardent defenders of Joe Biden as the best Democratic nominee to beat Donald Trump in November. This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks to Mehlhorn about why heâs committed to Biden at a moment when more are calling for him to abandon his candidacy.
Find full transcript at The Intercept.
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At the end of July, Venezuelans head to the polls to elect a new president, with NicolĂĄs Maduro seeking another six-year term. This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks with Venezuelan Foreign Minister YvĂĄn Gil Pinto, who was in New York for a U.N. debate on unilateral sanctions. Fresh from visits to China and Russia, where he engaged with BRICS alliance leaders, Pinto discusses Venezuela's bid to join this coalition aimed at countering Western economic dominance. They delve into the impacts of sanctions from the Trump and Biden administrations on Venezuela's economy and migration crisis, and the battle over Citgo, a U.S.-based oil company acquired by the country in 1990. Grim also questions Venezuela's human rights record.
Find full transcript at The Intercept.
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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In a conversation he didnât know was being recorded, embattled Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito shared his private belief that his movementâs battle with secular forces in the country was a zero-sum contest of irreconcilable values.
âOne side or the other is going to win,â Alito says in secretly recorded audio. Alito was speaking at a reception for the Supreme Court Historical Society last Monday evening. "I mean, there can be a way of working â a way of living together peacefully, but it's difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things that really can't be compromised. It's not like you can split the difference.â
Alito was responding to a question from Lauren Windsor, a progressive advocacy journalist and activist who regularly records conversations with Republicans and conservative movement leaders.
Windsor is my guest on Deconstructed this week. Weâre publishing the secret audio in partnership with Rolling Stone.
Windsor, who is making a documentary called âGonzo for Democracy,â which will be out in the fall, reminded Alito that she had spoken with him a year earlier at the same event and wanted to ask him the same question. âWhat I asked you about was about the polarization in this country, about, like, how do we repair that rift?â she asked.
âAsking questions of judges, these are the most discreet people in public life. Thereâs a huge amount of secrecy around the Supreme Court decisions around justices,â Windsor tells Grim. âIâm asking the questions to try to expose true intent. And given that none of the justices will go to Congress, will make their views more publicly known, I feel that itâs of intense public interest to find out whether their decisions are guided by personal religious convictions that really have no place in our public life.â
Find full transcript at The Intercept.
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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Canada has a vaccine injury support program that has paid out more than CA$11 million to claimants; Ross Wightman was among its first recipients. This week on Deconstructed, Wightman shares his story with Ryan Grim. Days after receiving an AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in 2021, Wightman began to experience pains unlike he had ever experienced before. He was eventually diagnosed with Guillain-BarrĂ© Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the bodyâs nerves. Grim and Wightman talk about his journey and support network, and whether new reporting from the New York Times about people who have experienced side effects from Covid vaccines signals a shift in serious media attention to concerns.
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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In the weeks after October 7, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee took aim at members of Congress who expressed vocal opposition to Israelâs attacks on Gaza. Focusing on the so-called Squad, the Israel lobby is spending millions to push out members of Congress they view as a threat to the U.S.âIsrael relationship. But Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., among the Squad members who called for an early ceasefire and whom AIPAC had been hoping to take out, cruised to victory in April. Now the lobby groupâs sights are set on Rep. Jamaal Bowman in New Yorkâs 16th Congressional District and Rep. Cori Bush in Missouriâs 1st Congressional District. This week on Deconstructed, Justice Democrats Usamah Andrabi and Alexandra Rojas join Ryan Grim to discuss their organizing efforts to counter campaigns taking aim at progressive members of Congress.
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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âThere were kids in the ICU that had bullet wounds to the chest or bullet wounds to the head,â Dr. Mohammed "Adeel" Khaleel recounts the harrowing scenes from his recent medical mission in Gaza to Ryan Grim on Deconstructed this week. An orthopedic spine surgeon hailing from Dallas, Texas, Khaleel witnessed firsthand the crushing toll on human life amid the rubble of decimated hospital infrastructure. Despite the overwhelming challenges, Khaleel highlights the unwavering dedication of medical personnel committed to providing whatever aid they can through the devastation. He returned back to the U.S. with a message from patients and doctors in Gaza: âDon't forget us.â
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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Today, weâre sharing the re-launch of The Leverâs flagship podcast Lever Time. In this weekâs episode, David Sirota and senior podcast producer Arjun Singh discuss the 2024 presidential election, and the Democratic Partyâs efforts to prevent a primary challenge to President Biden.
Since 2008, Democratic Party leadership have worked to suppress primary challengers and support incumbent politicians. Itâs not uncommon to see the party intervene in a primary on behalf of their preferred candidate in congressional and presidential races. That mentality was on full display during the 2024 Democratic primaries, where the DNC worked with its state affiliates to ensure that, in some cases, Bidenâs two primary challengers didnât even appear on the ballot.
Given Bidenâs consistently low approval ratings and now palpable anger over his handling of the war in Gaza, it raises the question: did the party intentionally prevent a proper primary from taking place because they wanted to suppress any challenges to Biden?
Sirota and Singh unpack Bidenâs popularity, and look back at what happened in the 1980 Democratic primary, when Democratic senator Ted Kennedy challenged incumbent president Jimmy Carter.
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âNone of us benefit from a burning planet,â says activist and documentarian Astra Taylor on this weekâs Deconstructed. Taylor and Leah Hunt-Hendrix join Ryan Grim to discuss their new book, âSolidarity: The Past, Present, And Future of a World-Changing Idea.â Delving into the philosophical depths of solidarity, they trace its origins back to ancient Rome and explore its relevance in today's interconnected world.
Focusing on transformative solidarity, they highlight its potential to bridge diverse experiences and causes, offering a unified approach to address the multifaceted crises we face. Taylor, a co-founder of the Debt Collective, a union of debtors, and Hunt-Hendrix, co-founder of progressive philanthropy networks Solidaire and Way to Win, draw on their experience to underscore the necessity of transformative solidarity in movement building.
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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A recent Gallup poll found that 29 percent of respondents said neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden are fit for the job. To unpack how voters are feeling about the two candidates, this week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim is joined by Anat Shenker-Osorio, a returning guest, messaging expert, and host of the podcast âWords to Win By.â Together they dig into what she's been hearing from voters in swing states disillusioned by both parties and the whole electoral process.
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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Meta â Facebook and Instagram's parent company â refuses to provide evidence refuting widespread reports that it's censoring Gaza-related content on its platforms. This week on Deconstructed, technology reporter Sam Biddle joins Ryan Grim to discuss his recent reporting on the efforts of Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to press Meta for specifics.
Grim and Biddle dig into debates blaming the horrifying images coming out of Gaza for turning young people against the war. "When people see images of horrific bloodshed," Biddle says, "when they see bodies blown apart by bombs, that's upsetting to most people. There doesn't have to be any ideology attached." They also dive into how pressures to sanitize Israel's war is being used to ban TikTok, and how X, formerly known as Twitter, is profiting off of government surveillance.
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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Chanting âpower and food,â demonstrators have filled Cubaâs streets in recent days. This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim delves into the complexities of Cubaâs current economic crisis with AndrĂ©s Pertierra, a historian of Latin America and the Caribbean. They discuss the various factors deepening the crisis and driving people to the streets, from the half-century-long U.S. embargo on the island, its own economic policies, pandemic-related destabilization, and sanctions the Trump administration imposed and the Biden administration kept in place. Pertierra is in the fifth year of his Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and hosts âOrĂgenes: A Cuban History Podcast.â
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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Haitiâs Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been compelled to resign as armed gangs tighten their grip on the nation's capital, seizing control of police stations, the main international airport, and freeing thousands of prisoners. This week on Deconstructed, researcher and writer Jake Johnston, who has spent more than a decade reporting on Haiti, joins Ryan Grim to discuss the latest wave of violence hitting the country and the events that led to it. Johnstonâs new book, âAid State: Elite Panic, Disaster Capitalism, and the Battle to Control Haiti,â details how U.S. and European goals have continuously undermined the nationâs governance and economy. Johnston is also the senior research associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research where he leads Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watch.
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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The U.S. State Department this week congratulated Pakistan's new prime minister on assuming power, following elections that were marred by widespread allegations of rigging, voter suppression, and violence targeting supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan. On a special crossover episode of Intercepted and Deconstructed, hosts Murtaza Hussain and Ryan Grim discuss the aftermath of Pakistan's February 8 election, as well as growing calls inside the U.S. to hold Pakistan's military-backed regime accountable for its ongoing suppression of democracy. Hussain and Grim also discuss U.S. interests in the region, and the historical ties between the Pakistani military and its supporters in Washington.
If youâd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.
And if you havenât already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review â it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at [email protected].
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