From LeverNews.com β 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 Leverβs newsroom, high-profile guest interviews, expert analysis, ideas and opinions from the sharpest minds in media and politics.
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Angie Nixonβs Battle Cry Against Corporate Power
Season 7 Β· Episode 46
Friday, October 23, 2026 β’ Duration 39:57
Last month, U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon, a member of the Working Families Party and Democratic Socialists of America, spoke at the nationβs largest annual conference of Black political power and called out one of the eventβs corporate sponsors. Lever columnist Morgan Harper attended the conference and noticed that Nixon was not alone β after years of quietly accepting corporate cash, some Black leaders are starting to push back against its influence. But will that shift in rhetoric help Democrats win at the polls, especially in a deep-red state like Florida, where millions are being spent to defeat Nixon?Β
Today on Lever Time, Morgan Harper sits down with Florida state Rep. Nixon (D) to discuss why sheβs refusing corporate PAC money in her campaign against Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Gov. Ron DeSantisβ hand-picked appointee; why she believes challenging corporations and billionaires is essential to building more political power for Black voters; and why sheβs confident that working-class voters in Florida are ready for democratic socialism.
You can read Morgan Harperβs essay here and more Lever reporting about Angie Nixon here.
BIG NEWS: Weβre thrilled to announce that Lever Time received a 2026 Signal Award in the Activism, Public Service & Social Impact category β and thanks to supporters like you, Lever Time also won the Listeners' Choice award. As thanks, weβre offering a one-time discount for paid subscriptions. Click here to get 50% off ad-free episodes for life.
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Introducing Conversations From The Frontlines: Real Talk, Real Change
Season 7
Friday, October 23, 2026 β’ Duration 03:00
Conversations From The Frontlines is a show about how social change actually happens - not just the issues making headlines, but the people organizing on the ground and doing the work to create lasting change. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Tim Walz Warns That Democrats Can Win And Still Lose
Season 7 Β· Episode 45
Friday, October 16, 2026 β’ Duration 44:42
With the midterms less than a month away, some pundits and polls suggest Democrats have the election in the bag. But is that really true? David Sirota travels to Minnesota to speak with someone who knows the danger of election complacency and overconfidence: Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.
Today on Lever Time, weβre airing David Sirotaβs full conversation with Walz. They discuss the choices that led to a 2024 presidential defeat for the Democrats, from the partyβs stance on the genocide in Gaza to Kamala Harrisβs decision to campaign with Republican Liz Cheney. Ahead of the 2026 midterms, what can we learn from his experience? Does Walz believe the Democrats stand a chance? And what happens if the Democrats win and fail to deliver on their promises?
Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at β levernews.com/joinβ .
To leave a tip for The Lever, β click hereβ . It helps us do this kind of independent journalism.
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The Elon Musk Film You Need To See Before The Midterms
Season 7 Β· Episode 44
Friday, October 9, 2026 β’ Duration 01:00:47
Musk, a deep-dive investigative documentary about the worldβs richest man, premieres this weekend, less than a month before the midterms. Maybe you havenβt heard about it β until recently, most major social media platforms declined to run paid promotions of the documentaryβs trailer, citing rules on political content. What are Musk and Big Tech so afraid of?
Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with the filmβs creator, Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney, to discuss the documentaryβs shocking revelations. They explore Muskβs evolution from Democratic darling to Trump crony, his deadly approach to Tesla technology, his new U.S. government role planning the βfuture of war,β and his influence on the 2026 midterm elections.Β
We also have some big news: Lever Time has been named a finalist in the 2026 Signal Awards! But we need your help β please click on this link here and vote for Lever Time. Itβs totally free and only takes a few minutes. The voting deadline is October 15. Thanks for all your support!
Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join.
To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism.
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Introducing βYou Might Be Right:β Can We Trust What the Polls Say About the 2026 Midterms?
Season 7 Β· Episode 43
Monday, October 5, 2026 β’ Duration 52:56
Today weβre sharing a special episode from You Might Be Right, the chart-topping politics podcast from the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee. It was recently named a βmust-listenβ by both NPR and Spotify.
Each episode, former Tennessee Governors from both sides of the aisle Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam tackle timely conversations about government and policy. At a time where mainstream news reverts to shouting matches, and most political commentary generates more heat than light, You Might Be Right is a great place for even-keeled conversations about tough topics.
Today, weβre sharing their recent episode where they decode the real forces driving voter behavior in 2026. From kitchen-table anxieties about affordability and health care to deepening fears about public safety, the Governors sit down with Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson and Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg to unpack the data behind the headlines and reveal what candidates on both sides are getting right, and wrong, as they sprint toward Election Day.
For more episodes like this, make sure to follow You Might Be Right on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. And tell them we sent you.
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How AI Could Wipe Out Our Brains Before Our Existence
Season 7 Β· Episode 42
Friday, October 2, 2026 β’ Duration 55:39
Anthropicβs leaked IPO documents show the company had a net loss of $42 billion in 2025 and still insists that its technology could pose a βcatastrophic or existential risk to humanity.β Itβs either the most honest risk disclosure or the most effective marketing scheme in corporate history. So which is it?
Today on Lever Time, David Sirota explores a few less obvious AI risks β cognitive surrender, pseudo-productivity, and βapproval bombingβ β with Cal Newport, author and computer science professor at Georgetown University. Newport has spent years cutting through technology hype. He says tech CEOs genuinely believe AI could end the world, but what if that never happens and we must learn to coexist? How do we live alongside this tech without destroying ourselves?
Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join.
To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism.
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Whatβs Hiding In The Paramount Merger Settlement
Season 7 Β· Episode 41
Thursday, September 24, 2026 β’ Duration 36:33
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other Democratic attorneys general just settled their lawsuit blocking Paramount Skydanceβs $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The merger is now set to create one of the worldβs largest media companies and put CNN and CBS News under the control of David Ellison, son of billionaire and Trump ally Larry Ellison. Bonta says the settlement is a victory β but whatβs really in the dealβs fine print?
Today on Lever Time, Natalie Bettendorf sits down with former FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya and antitrust legal expert Lee Hepner to explore whatβs hiding in the merger settlement, why California Gov. Gavin Newsom βchickened outβ on the matter, and what it all means for the future of our news and entertainment.
You can read more Lever reporting on the merger here.
Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join.
To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Tech Oligarchs Gain From AI Doomerism
Season 7 Β· Episode 40
Thursday, September 17, 2026 β’ Duration 01:19:44
The AI apocalypse is here, but itβs not what you think. Last week, former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon warned online that βthe people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.β
The fallout sent shockwaves across the country β but how legitimate is Coxonβs warning? Should we fear AI agents going rogue and threatening humanity, or are these safety concerns a cover for something even more ominous on the horizon?Β
Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with two of the most astute observers of this situation: tech critic Ed Zitron and Matt Stoller of the American Economic Liberties Project, to discuss why something feels off about this latest wave of AI panic.
Editorβs note: An uncut video of this interview was published earlier this week, exclusively to our paid subscribers. β Upgrade nowβ to gain full and early access to all The Lever has to offer.Β
Check out Zitronβs newsletter, Whereβs Your Ed At, and his podcast, Better Offline.
Read Stollerβs essay about the recent AI panic and check out his newsletter, BIG.
Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join.
To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism.
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Dan Osborn Knows Why Democrats Keep Losing Nebraska
Season 7 Β· Episode 39
Friday, September 11, 2026 β’ Duration 01:02:47
Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats almost two to one in Nebraska, and the few elected Democratic politicians in the state overwhelmingly lean conservative. But like the rest of the country, Nebraska is feeling the strain of soaring prices, data center buildouts, and Trumpβs tariffs. Is the state ready for a change?
Today on Lever Time, David Sirota visits rural Nebraska to meet Dan Osborn, the former union president and political independent who is challenging Sen. Pete Ricketts, the Republican son of a billionaire, for his Senate seat. In a state where βDemocratβ is a dirty word, could Osbornβs populist campaign become a blueprint for breaking free from a dysfunctional two-party system?
Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at levernews.com/join.
To leave a tip for The Lever, click here. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism.
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How Troy Jackson Can Put Collins' Career On The Chopping Block
Season 7 Β· Episode 38
Thursday, September 3, 2026 β’ Duration 30:46
Maineβs Sen. Susan Collins (R) has won five elections in a row, and a Democrat has not won a United States Senate seat in the state since 1988 β but polls suggest Mainers have reached a breaking point. Theyβre tired of corruption and inaction from establishment politicians in Washington, D.C., and theyβre clamoring for change.Β
Troy Jackson, a fifth-generation logger who spent nearly two decades as a state legislator, says heβs ready to shake things up. After populist insurgent Graham Platner dropped out of the race in July, Maineβs Democratic Party tapped Jackson as its new candidate.
Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with Jackson to ask: why havenβt Democrats won a U.S. Senate seat in Maine in 38 years? Why does Collins keep winning? Whatβs changed in Maine over the last three decades, and why does he believe he can finally topple the stateβs longtime Republican senator?
Get ad-free episodes, bonus content and extended interviews by becoming a member at β levernews.com/joinβ .
To leave a tip for The Lever, β click hereβ . It helps us do this kind of independent journalism.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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