PODCAST · news
Lever Time
by David Sirota
From LeverNews.com — Lever Time is the flagship podcast from the investigative news outlet The Lever. Hosted by the award-winning journalist, Oscar-nominated writer, and Bernie Sanders' 2020 speechwriter David Sirota, Lever Time features exclusive reporting from The Lever’s newsroom, high-profile guest interviews, and expert analysis from the sharpest minds in media and politics.
Episodes
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MONEYBOMB, Part 3: The Montana Plan To Kill Citizens United
A group of Montana activists is pushing a ballot initiative attacking Citizens United, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that granted corporations the right to spend unlimited money in politics. While Montana’s Republican Attorney General attempted to block the ballot initiative this week, the…
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MONEYBOMB, Part 2: The 28th Amendment (With Rep. Joe Neguse)
For 15 years, lawmakers have been trying — and failing — to overturn Citizens United, the landmark Supreme Court decision that allows corporations and billionaires to overrun our political system with money. Now, some Congressional Democrats are going big — by trying to enshrine campaign finance...
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MONEYBOMB, Part 1: JD Vance’s Supreme Court Plot
Most Americans want to overturn Citizens United v. FEC, the landmark 2010 Supreme Court decision that unleashed unlimited corporate spending on U.S. elections. But two new cases before the high court — including one spearheaded by now-Vice President JD Vance — are instead set to expand that…
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How Ticketmaster Made It Impossible To Sue Them
Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment have drawn the ire of consumers — and the Federal Trade Commission — for exorbitant ticket prices, misleading hidden fees, and shady resale tactics. But losing your right to sue Ticketmaster or join a class action lawsuit is now just a...
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Bari Weiss, CBS News, And The Conservative Media Takeover
While media giants cave to frivolous Trump libel lawsuits and muzzle late-night hosts who step out of line, CBS News’ parent company has announced that the billionaire-backed conservative provocateur Bari Weiss will be the network’s new editor-in-chief. Today on Lever Time, we’re going back in…
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The Zillow And Redfin Convenience Trap
Getting a home mortgage used to take weeks of phone calls and paperwork. Now, real estate search platforms like Zillow and Redfin offer comprehensive, nearly one-click homebuying. What are the hidden costs of trusting these industry giants with every step of the process? Today on Lever Time,...
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Are You On The FBI’s New Watch List? (With Ken Klippenstein)
Last week, President Donald Trump dramatically altered the U.S. government’s approach to domestic terrorism. NSPM-7, a little-noticed national security directive, expands the list of terrorism indicators to include any behavior that is deemed anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-capitalist…
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Executive Disorder (With Keith Ellison)
In the first nine months of his second term, President Donald Trump has filed more than 200 executive orders. State attorneys general are filing lawsuits to block the Trump administration’s blatant power grabs, but will our legal system prove strong enough to save American democracy? Today on…
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The Crime Crackdown Cop Out (With Alec Karakatsanis)
President Donald Trump says that U.S. violent crime has spiraled so far out of control that he needs to send troops into Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Memphis. But is that really true? Today on Lever Time, David Sirota speaks with Alec Karakatsanis, award-winning civil rights lawyer and author…
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The Giant Fireball That Could Save Us (With Bill McKibben)
Today on Lever Time, David Sirota talks with bestselling author Bill McKibben, who says the solar energy revolution has reached a tipping point and is now poised to reshape our world. Click here to learn about Sun Day, a nationwide action this Sunday, Sept. 21, to celebrate and advocate for solar...
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The Real Reason Jimmy Kimmel Was Pulled From Late-Night
First, they cancelled Stephen Colbert; now they’ve pulled Jimmy Kimmel off the air. The common denominator? Corporate power. On today’s episode of Lever Time, David Sirota talks with media-consolidation expert Craig Aaron and monopoly authority Matt Stoller about how media corporations are...
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Robert Reich Saw This Coming
Today on Lever Time, David Sirota speaks with Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary and economics professor, about what he’s learned from working in multiple presidential administrations, where he believes that American politics went wrong, and what the Democratic Party needs to do to save itself…
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We Must Stop This Civil War Before It’s Unstoppable
A message from David Sirota about recent violence and what we must do to stop it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Meet The Democratic Insurgents Fighting To Save Their Party
The Democratic Party is in a rut. Democratic voter registration has been steadily declining since 2018, and the party’s approval rating in some polls has dropped even lower than President Donald Trump’s. Feeling pessimistic? We have some good news. On this episode of Lever Time, David Sirota sits...
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Comrade Trump Seizes The Means Of Production
The United States government is taking a 10 percent stake in Intel, blurring the lines between capitalism and state ownership. While critics say it’s a dangerous power grab, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is praising President Donald Trump’s move. On this episode of Lever Time, David Sirota sits…
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The Grotesque Fruits Of Your Labor (With Evan Osnos)
As American workers are fighting for their basic needs, the country’s richest are getting richer — while inventing perverse new ways to spend and hoard their money. Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with “greed beat” journalist Evan Osnos, who explains why ultrarich oligarchs are…
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Trump’s Gerrymandering Plot To Steal The Election (With Rep. Lloyd Doggett)
As Trump presses states to redraw their district maps to favor Republicans, David Sirota gets the inside scoop from Texas Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett, who is on the frontlines of the gerrymandering war. Doggett this week announced a shocking act of self-sacrifice, jeopardizing his own...
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Ed Helms Exposes America’s Scariest Screw-Ups
On today's episode of Lever Time, comedian and writer Ed Helms (The Daily Show, The Office) takes David Sirota on a wild journey through some of history’s greatest screw-ups — from nuclear war near-misses to secret ice tunnels in Greenland to attempts to blow up the moon. Helms, who hosts the...
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Why Your Health Insurance Could Explode Next Year
Health insurance premiums for some Americans could increase by a whopping 66 percent next year. Why are insurers jacking up their rates? And why are Republicans killing off Biden-era subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, despite their overwhelming, bipartisan popularity? Could such efforts...
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Scene On Radio: Capitalism
Today, we’re sharing an episode from our friends over at Scene On Radio, the Peabody-nominated documentary podcast that asks big questions about who we are and how we got this way. This is the premiere episode of its season seven series, “Capitalism,” which explores the rise of the world’s…
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The Male Friendship Collapse (With Sam Graham-Felsen)
Men are struggling with friendships and feeling lonelier than ever. The male loneliness epidemic is seeping into many facets of life — including mental health, the economy, and American politics — but why are guys having such a hard time making and keeping friends? Today on Lever Time, David…
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Ari Aster Thinks You’re Being Manipulated
You might recognize director Ari Aster from his groundbreaking horror films like Hereditary and Midsommar. But Aster just dropped the scariest film of his career: Eddington, a dark COVID-19 comedy starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, and Emma Stone, about social media-driven polarization, gun...
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Are Corporations Spying On You To Raise Your Prices? (With Lee Hepner)
Delta Air Lines recently came under fire for announcing that artificial intelligence will be setting 20 percent of its ticket prices for its domestic flights by 2026. While Delta subsequently denied using the tech to engage in “personalized” price gouging, many airlines, big businesses, and data...
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Your 401(k) Is Billionaires’ Next Bailout Scheme
The Trump administration appears ready to sign an executive order that would allow private equity firms to prey on Americans’ retirement savings. What happens if Wall Street can suddenly tap into the trillions of dollars tucked away in 401(k) accounts? Today on Lever Time, David Sirota speaks…
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Trump’s New Merger Scandal Is Swampier Than Watergate
In a stunning reversal, the Trump administration just gave the green light to a major tech merger — and then fired two Justice Department lawyers who opposed it. Was corruption at play in the merger decision? Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with The Lever’s Luke Goldstein and UnHerd...
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How AI Is Taking Over The U.S. Government
The Trump administration just unveiled a sweeping AI Action Plan that aims to achieve global dominance in the industry. Hiding deep within the document? A previously rejected scheme to ban oversight of tech oligarchs and let artificial intelligence run wild. Today on Lever Time, producer Natalie...
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The Fight For Control Of Your Money (with Matt Stoller and Nathan Tankus)
President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell are dueling over interest rates set by America’s secretive central bank, the Federal Reserve. Is the Fed’s secrecy and independence good for the economy? Who should control the institution — the people, the president, or Wall Street?...
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Trump, Colbert, And The War On Truth (with David Enrich)
Why did CBS cancel Stephen Colbert’s show mere days after the company settled a lawsuit with Donald Trump? Are Trump’s lawsuits part of a larger movement to crush dissent? And which other billionaires, corporations, and politicians are trying to bully critics into silence? Today on Lever Time,...
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Why They’re Protecting Jeffrey Epstein’s Secrets (with Julie K. Brown)
Why is President Donald Trump’s right-wing voter base up in arms over Jeffrey Epstein? Which of the many conspiracy theories are based in truth? And what is Trump’s Department of Justice now trying to cover up? Today on Lever Time, David Sirota speaks with the award-winning investigative…
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8 Absurd Handouts Hiding In Trump’s Tax Bill (With David Dayen)
You’ve likely heard about the slashed health care for millions of Americans. Hospitals defunded. Massive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. But guess what? Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" is even more absurd (and devious) than you think. Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with…
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Why America Isn't Prepared For The Next Big Flood
Even before the deadly July 4th floods in Texas, the United States had a problem. Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with Lever reporter Freddy Brewster to discuss a technology that could help alert communities about flooding disasters — and the underlying political battle that's leaving...
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The Case For Calling Gaza A Genocide (With Shadi Hamid)
Since Israel launched its war in Gaza a year and a half ago in response to Hamas’s October 7 attack, Israeli armed forces have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in their quest to destroy Hamas. But more and more experts say what’s happening in Gaza isn’t just a war — it’s genocide. Today…
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Why Did Trump Rush To Pass The Tax Cut Bill? (With Josh Shapiro)
Why did Republicans rush their massive tax cut bill through Congress? What are they hiding? As the media focuses on specific provisions, David Sirota digs into the bill’s far-reaching consequences, warning it could reshape society for generations. He calls up an old friend, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh...
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Are We Closer Than Ever To Nuclear War?
Seventy-two minutes. That’s how long it could take from a country launching a nuclear weapon to global nuclear winter and the end of human civilization. If that’s not scary enough, the United States is right now involved in two proxy wars involving nuclear powers — one in Ukraine, and the other…
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Can Trump’s War Be Stopped?
Donald Trump just launched America into a war with Iran, and he’s done so without any authorization from Congress. A growing group of lawmakers says this is illegal and unconstitutional, and they are calling for an emergency session of Congress to force a vote to stop him. Sirota talks to U.S.…
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New York City Is About To Decide Democrats’ Future
Early voting in New York City’s mayoral primary race is well underway, and the rest of the country is watching. That’s because this year’s publicly funded city election is a battle for the future of the Democratic party, and the two frontrunners — a disgraced, corporate-backed Democrat and an...
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How Trump Launched His Own War In The Middle East
Just when it seemed the geopolitical horrors in the Middle East couldn’t get worse, Israel went from leveling Gaza to launching a war against Iran. The offensive started while President Donald Trump was pressing for an Iran nuclear deal that would limit the country’s capacity to build nuclear...
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Everything You Think About The Deficit Is Wrong
The national deficit usually feels like an abstract talking point: America’s permanent credit card bill that just keeps getting bigger, without ever coming due. But suddenly, our national debt has a real cost. As President Donald Trump’s proposed tax cuts threaten to add trillions to the deficit,...
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Big Tech’s Monopoly Money
There’s a new evil genius on Capitol Hill, one that privacy experts warn could empower tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to issue their own private currencies. The Senate is poised to pass the GENIUS Act, which would give so much free rein to such “stablecoins” that it could...
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Is This the End of DOGE?
He came in with a bang but is going out with a whimper. After his 24/7 role on Trump’s election stage and his high-profile rampage through the federal government, billionaire Elon Musk says he’s scaling back his work for the administration and ramping down his political spending. With his image...
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PREVIEW: What's Behind the Tax Revolt with Chris Hayes
As part of the Tax Revolt series, Arjun Singh appeared on the podcast "Why is this Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast" to breakdown the latest developments of Trump's tax cut, which recently passed the House. This is a preview of the discussion, for the rest of this conversation, download Why Is...
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Tax Revolt: The Pledgemaster
One of the most powerful Republicans in the country has been called a teddy bear. Grover Norquist, the head of the activist group Americans for Tax Reform, certainly doesn’t come across as an anarcho-capitalist power player. Recently, Norquist has waged a vendetta against “traitors” in the White...
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Tax Revolt: Voodoo Economics
Former President George H.W. Bush once thought supply-side economics was so ludicrous he deemed it “voodoo economics.” But that was before Ronald Reagan transformed the Republican Party into a trickle-down, tax-cutting cult. To follow in Reagan’s footsteps, Bush promised conservatives that he…
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Tax Revolt: Supply Side Santa Claus
How a small group of economists shaped Reagan’s tax policy and the future of the Republican party. This is Part 2 of Tax Revolt, a new miniseries from Lever Time revealing how free-market radicals hijacked American politics and set the stage for Elon Musk, DOGE, and Donald Trump’s presidency.…
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Tax Revolt: The Man Who Started the War on Taxes
In the 1970s, an eccentric anti-tax crusader launched a radical campaign to dismantle California’s tax system — a movement that still defines American politics today. This is Part 1 of Tax Revolt, a new mini-series from Lever Time revealing how free-market radicals hijacked American politics and...
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Trailer: Tax Revolt. Begins April 18
Listen to the 3-min trailer for Tax Revolt, a new limited series from Lever Time. Part 1 of 4 premieres April 18.Learn more at LeverNews.com/TaxRevolt Get ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content — and support independent journalism — by becoming a paid subscriber to The...
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UAW’s Shawn Fain On Trump’s Tariff-pocalypse
The president of one of America’s largest industrial unions made headlines last month when he declared that some of Trump’s tariffs are the beginning of the end of a trade policy that has harmed America’s working class. On this episode of Lever Time, David Sirota speaks to United Auto Workers...
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The Lost History of Trump’s Tariff War
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump unveiled his plans for far-reaching new tariffs on almost all imported goods entering the United States. The move has plunged the global economy into turmoil amid fears of a wider trade war and higher consumer prices. The tariffs are the culmination of a...
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This State Is For Sale
If you own a Fortune 500 business, you probably incorporated it in Delaware. The state has long been favored by corporate America, offering tax benefits and a bespoke, pre-Revolutionary War court system tailored to business needs. But now Delaware’s standing as the country’s top corporate haven…
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Trump’s Tuesday Night Massacre
In a special interview recorded just hours after his illegal firing, FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya speaks with David Sirota about Donald Trump’s unprecedented move to purge the Federal Trade Commission. Echoing Nixon’s infamous Saturday Night Massacre, Trump has fired both Democratic…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
From LeverNews.com — Lever Time is the flagship podcast from the investigative news outlet The Lever. Hosted by the award-winning journalist, Oscar-nominated writer, and Bernie Sanders' 2020 speechwriter David Sirota, Lever Time features exclusive reporting from The Lever’s newsroom, high-profile guest interviews, and expert analysis from the sharpest minds in media and politics.
HOSTED BY
David Sirota
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Lever Time have?
Lever Time currently has 213 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Lever Time about?
From LeverNews.com — Lever Time is the flagship podcast from the investigative news outlet The Lever. Hosted by the award-winning journalist, Oscar-nominated writer, and Bernie Sanders' 2020 speechwriter David Sirota, Lever Time features exclusive reporting from The Lever’s newsroom, high-profile...
How often does Lever Time release new episodes?
Lever Time publishes regularly with 213 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Lever Time?
You can listen to Lever Time on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Lever Time?
Lever Time is created and hosted by David Sirota.
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