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Air Date 2/23/2024 2024 is already shaping up to be even more of a disaster than expected. The causes for anxiety are many and varied, leaving many of us with questions. We generally try to avoid topics and commentaries that lean into the realm of pure speculation but today we decided to lean all the way in to answer your most pressing questions. What about Biden's support of Israel? What about his age? Should he be replaced at the Democratic Convention? How likely is Trump to do the horrible things he promises? And what about his court cases? Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Biden GENOCIDE COMPLICITY US Court Backs ICJ - Breaking Points - Air Date 2-1-24 Krystal and Emily discuss a US court ruling Biden may be complicit in genocide after the ICJ's ruling against Israel. Ch. 2: Moral Failure Democrats Urge Biden to Chang

Air Date 2/20/2024 "Luddite" should never have become the epithet that it is as the Luddites were never afraid of or opposed to technological advancement, they only opposed the exploitation of workers and the degradation to society that came with the unfair distribution of the benefits of the targeted technology. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The New Luddites - SHIFT - Air Date 2-14-24 Activists are fighting back against generative AI and reclaiming a misunderstood label in the process, says Brian Merchant in a new piece for The Atlantic. Ch. 2: Being a Luddite Is Good, Actually ft. Jathan Sadowski - Left Reckoning - Air Date 5-29-21 Jathan Sadowski (@jathansadowski) of the This Machine Kills (@machinekillspod) podcast repairs our sabotaged understanding of the legacy of the Luddites. Ch. 3: Why this top AI guru think

Air Date: 2-19-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda and Deon discuss: - how augmented reality and the Apple Vision Pro affects the human brain  - how algorithms are changing and flattening our culture - how to take back your life from algorithmic choices REFERENCES: The Vision Pro's scary side effect Why Tim Cook Is Going All In on the Apple Vision Pro We’ve Forgotten How to Use Computers Have Algorithms Ruined Our Culture? How to Take Back Your Life From Algorithms   Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 2/17/2024 The debate over education has been derailed from the legitimate concerns of the past focused on the downfalls of No Child Left Behind and Common Core policies into a cul-de-sac of ignorance over opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and the teaching of critical race theory. Not to mention the new McCarthyism that has sprung up to squash any criticism of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: How to Dismantle the Anti-DEI Machine - At Liberty Podcast - Air Date 2-9-24 Free speech on campus, book bans, education gag orders, the overturn of affirmative action, the resignation of former Harvard president Claudine Gay. All of these issues center on one hot-button topic: DEI. Ch. 2: Fighting Back Against The GOP’s War On College w. Bradford Vivian Part 1 - The Major

Air Date 2/13/2024 The entire political system has lurched to the right on immigration as Democrats adopt the talking points of the Republicans and the MAGA Republicans put Trump's election chances over the policies they claim to support. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: ‘Basically a cult’: Trump's MAGA Republicans slammed for vowing to block immigration reform bill - The ReidOut with Joy Reid - Air Date 2-5-24 MAGA Republicans have vowed to block the latest immigration reform bill, while also saying immigration is a crisis and immediate threat. Donald Trump’s influence over MAGA Republican elected officials regarding immigration is discussed Ch. 2: Democrats Fully Embrace Trump’s Immigration Narrative - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 2-9-24 Ch. 3: Republican CALLS OUT Trump By Name Over Outrageous Border Li

Air Date 2/10/2024 Continuing to tell the stories of those directly impacted by abortion bans is important to demonstrate the extreme stances taken by anti-choice politicians but we also look ahead to potential ways the situation could be made even worse as well as efforts to relieve the suffering. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Texas Abortion Laws Cruel Outcomes - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 12-16-23 The results of overturning Roe have reached their awful, logical conclusion. Ch. 2: Post-Roe America 5. Culture of Silence - The Nocturnists - Air Date 10-19-23 In episode 5 of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America we talk about the culture of silence around reproductive health in medical spaces, and how breaking that silence is our only hope for reclaiming our reproductive freedom. Ch. 3: Texas Abortion Laws Cruel Outcomes Part 2 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 12-16-23 Ch

Air Date 2/7/2024 Loneliness is an epidemic that long-predates the COVID lockdowns that only made things worse but it's not primarily cultural or even technological in origin. The issue largely has to do with how our built environment is designed and then social and technological aspects compound the problem. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Surgeon General discusses health risks of loneliness and steps to help connect with others - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 5-2-23 The U.S. Surgeon General declared a new public health epidemic in America, loneliness. A new report finds loneliness can have profound effects on mental health as well as heart disease, stroke and dementia. Ch. 2: Our Loneliness Epidemic is Infrastructuralized - Studio Leonardo - Air Date 6-2-22 The infrastructure in the US is one of the main culprits for our l

Air Date: 2-6-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The impacts of the myth of the model minority - Haley and Ramaswamy Denying America's racism as they both experience and use racism during the Republican primary race BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the full Bonus Shows! + No Ads!) REFERENCES: Vivek Ramaswamy and the lie of the “model minority” Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy Can’t Escape GOP Racism Scholars worry Haley and Ramaswamy's race-blindness helps GOP advance "white supremacist worldview" Jake Tapper Confronts Nikki Haley About Saying U.S. Is Not ‘Racist’ Nikki Haley, MAGA and the Confederacy: Time to purge these myths   Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 2/3/2024 We attempt to understand as many of the interlocking elements as possible in the current Middle East conflicts sparked most prominently by the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: From Red Sea to Iran, Will Israel's Gaza Assault Spark Wider War - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-17-24 For a look at where all this is headed, we speak with journalist Spencer Ackerman, who says it's "the most dangerous moment for the Middle East" he has witnessed in over 20 years of covering war and security. Ch. 2: Houthis Are Not Iranian Proxies Helen Lackner on the History & Politics of Yemen's Ansar Allah - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-1-24 Helen Lackner, author of several books on Yemen, describes the history of the Houthis, the political landscape in Yemen, and debunks the idea the group is contr

Air Date: 1-28-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Boardgames Ritual - Making kids cry buy taking their phones away at school - Making kids sad by never buying them phones in the first place REFERENCES: It Sure Looks Like Phones Are Making Students Dumber Schools don't want kids on cellphones. Is banning them the solution? Birmingham head calls for ban after pupils 'in tears' when phones confiscated The Schools That Ban Smartphones I Won’t Buy My Teenagers Smartphones   Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 1/26/2024 In an election year where, more than ever before, democracy itself is on the ballot, there is less democracy happening in the lead-up to the election than at any time in recent memory. And with two profoundly disliked candidates running, the supporters of democratic ideals have a hard uphill push ahead of them. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Democratic Strategists Have Their Heads In The Sand - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-24-24 Semaphor's Dave Weigel talks to Sam about what happened during the 2024 Iowa Caucus. Ch. 2: Bidenomics Continue To Worsen For Young Adults - The Ring of Fire - Air Date 1-21-24 The Biden administration keeps telling us that the economy is humming along, but for young Americans, things are getting worse. Ch. 3: Is Biden Trying to Lose - The Humanist Report - Air Date 1-18-

Air Date 1/23/2024 The recent discovery of hundreds of bodies buried behind a jail in unmarked graves sparks a renewed discussion about the futility and counter-productiveness of our system of incarceration and the context of our history that has brought us to this point. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript Join our Discord community! Related Episodes:  #1313 Why Prison Abolition is not Nearly as Scary as it Sounds SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Families in disbelief after hundreds of bodies found buried behind Mississippi jail - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 1-10-24 The discovery of 215 bodies buried in unmarked graves behind a jail outside of Jackson, Mississippi, has left a community in disbelief. The families are angry they were never notified of the deaths and how their loved ones are buried Ch. 2: The Most Infamous Jail in America - Olurinatti - Air Date 3-29-23 Bail reform is essential in the fight to close horrible pre-trial detention centers like

Original Air Date 12/3/2022 Today, we take a look at the mega-companies that touch all of our lives and the monopolistic practices that have been developed to keep power and wealth concentrated with the few while the rest of us get screwed. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Tech Monopolies - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 6-13-22 John Oliver discusses tech monopolies, and how to address the hidden harm they can do. Ch. 2: How Ticketmaster Is Destroying Live Music - More Perfect Union - Air Date 10-19-22 Ticketmaster is destroying live music. Their scam fees now cost as much as 78% of a ticket. They control the events, the venues, and even the artists. There’s a movement pushing the Justice Department to take on its monopoly. Cory Doctorow breaks it down. Ch. 3: Corporate Greed Is Causing Inflation But The Rich Blam

Air Date 1/17/2024 It is evident that the immigration debate is more about acquiring raw power than about immigration as demands from the Republican Party change along with whatever strategies they feel are most likely to get Republicans elected and in the age of Trump, that means the most draconian, harmful and, ultimately, pointless demands to date. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Beginning Monroe and Migration Part 1 - Under the Shadow - Air Date 1-9-24 In the second half of the episode, we meet migrants walking North toward the United States on the edge of Central America. A very real manifestation, right now, of the never-ending impact of US intervention in Latin America. Ch. 2: Rep. Greg Casar on GOP’s Hard-Line Immigration Demands in Ukraine Funding Request - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-13-23 As negotiation

Air Date: 1-15-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - why one of the last isolated tribes in the world desperately wants to stay that way - why we know that women also hunted, counter to what all the male archeologists would have us believe  REFERENCES: Why Uncontacted Tribes Want to Stay Uncontacted They choose to live in isolation—but the world won’t leave them alone The Mission Documentary The Theory That Men Evolved to Hunt and Women Evolved to Gather Is Wrong Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 1/13/2024 The Supreme Court began to lose its legitimacy in the eyes of many when President Obama wasn't allowed to fill the open seat left by the death of Antonin Scalia but, in truth, the scandal and manipulation of the nation's highest court go back much, much farther than that. However, in a bygone age, scandal was handled much differently than today, putting our current state of disfunction and hyper-partisanship into sharp focus. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Ralph explains the need for resignations and reform on the Supreme Court - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 12-30-23 I think they are reaching a point—the six-justice majority— of

Original Air Date 1/7/2023 Today, we take a look at the criminal charges against Donald Trump that the January 6th Committee has referred to the DOJ but examine them through the lens of past presidential crimes that have gone unpunished from Nixon to George W. Bush Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: No One Is Above The Law - Calls Grow for Trump to Be Charged to Avoid Another Coup Attempt - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-20-22 We speak with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a scholar of fascism and authoritarianism, and Robert Weissman, president of the advocacy group Public Citizen. Ch. 2: Historian Meets Watergate Prosecutor On The Right (And Wrong) Kinds Of President Part 1 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 12-28-22 Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and Jill Wine-Banks, MSNBC legal analyst and forme

Air Date: 1-7-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the little bit of Paganism that's in all of us - the Christian priests who want to reform the church through psychedelic mushrooms REFERENCES: The Return of the Pagans God, Magic Mushrooms, and Me Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 1/5/2024 As the war in Gaza drags on, accusations of genocide by Israel have been filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice and we are reminded that the tactics and technology that Israel develops and tests against Palestinians are sold around the world. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! Related Episodes: #1584 Israel's Political Upheaval, Supreme Court Power Struggle, US Support, and the Normalization of Apartheid #1589 War in the Holy Land: Context Behind the Atrocities, Crimes Against Humanity, and the Possible Escalation #1591 Broken News: Understanding traditional media and social media reporting on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza #1592 Israel and Palestine are less complicated than you think SHOW NOTES Introduction: In Gaza and Israel, side with the child over the gun Ch. 1: Israels Push to Expel

Air Date 1/2/2024 Trump's greatest impact has been to bring the fringes of the conservative movement into the center and, by strongly courting the Evangelical Christian vote, helped accelerate the Christian Nationalist movement to merge religion with patriotism Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: A Threat to Church and State - Confronting Christian Nationalism - Air Date 9-9-23 In this episode, we’ll hear from experts, authors, and theologians who will help articulate what Christian Nationalism is, what it’s not, and why it’s a a threat to both the church and democracy. Ch. 2: How Trump Is Dividing The Evangelical Church - Fresh Air - Air Date 11-29-23 Journalist Tim Alberta grew up in a conservative, republican, evangelical church, where his father was the pastor. He wanted to know why so many evangelical Christians had