Lever Time

Graham Platner’s Revolution Hits The Road

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

David Sirota buckles up for a drive through rural Maine with the Senate candidate that the Democratic establishment doesn’t want — but can't affor...

The Untouched Power That Could Stop The Iran War

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Congress has the power to stop Trump’s unpopular war in Iran — but lawmakers have never used it before. Their excuse? An obscure immigration case ...

Tom Steyer Opposed Single-Payer Health Care. Now He’s Running On It.

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, California Democrats killed CalCare, a proposed single-payer health care bill. Will the state ever achieve its dream of universal health ca...

Tax Day Could Be Easy. They’re Fighting To Make It Hard.

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tax Day sucks — confusing forms, piles of receipts, and expensive tax prep software. But it doesn’t have to be this way. A simple fix called retur...

Why Is AI Afraid Of This One Guy? (With Alex Bores)

09 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Right now, Big Tech is mobilizing a network of super PACs with more than $100 million in the bank to influence the 2026 midterm elections. Their numbe...

Why Congress Won't Stop Hijacking Air Travel

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Hours-long TSA lines, air traffic controller shortages, and skyrocketing flight prices. Deadly crashes, failing safety regulations, and international ...

Why Is The FBI Buying Your Location Data? (With Sen. Ron Wyden And Sean Vitka)

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this month, FBI Director Kash Patel admitted under oath that the FBI has been buying Americans’ location information from data brokers, side...

How Did The President Gain The Powers Of A King?

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Lever Time, we’re sharing an excerpt from our investigative series Master Plan: The Kingmakers. In this new season of our award-winning...

Did Iran Just Launch A Shadow War On American Soil? (With Shane Harris)

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When American bombs dropped on Iran, a mysterious shortwave radio station began broadcasting a list of numbers in Farsi across the globe. Reminiscent ...

Who Sold America On The Iran War? (With Hooman Majd & Ryan Grim)

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On February 28, the United States and Israel began bombing Iran — with no congressional declaration, public debate, or clear endgame. For those who ...

The Court Disarmed Trump’s Tariff Weapon. Who Will Pay?

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump’s tariffs were illegal, striking a blow to his favorite geopolitical strategy. The de...

He Sent One Email. Then Federal Agents Came To His Door.

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In October, a Philadelphia man emailed an attorney for the Department of Homeland Security, criticizing a government policy. Hours later, federal agen...

A Message From David Sirota About The Lever's Master Plan

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

An important message about the future of The Lever's Master Plan podcast, from our host, David Sirota. ⁠Become A Paid Subscriber To The Lever⁠...

When Disaster, Inc. Comes To Town

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, setting off a chemical disaster. Politicians and lawyers promised...

What Tech Wants: God In The Machine

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

While one tech CEO warns that artificial intelligence could “destroy all life on Earth,” other industry giants have declared war on rules that cou...

What Tech Wants: Crypto Reign Of Terror (with Jacob Silverman and Molly White)

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 2024, the cryptocurrency industry spent more than $130 million to influence elections nationwide. Their campaign donations and lobbying efforts tur...

What Tech Wants: The San Francisco Experiment

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 2022, nonprofit neighborhood groups, backed by Silicon Valley billionaires, helped recall a progressive district attorney in San Francisco. What ha...

Wall Street Banned Parents From Recording Kids Hockey. We Changed That.

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As private investment companies encroach upon youth sports, how does that hurt the players — and their families? As Lever reporter Luke Goldstein di...

Introducing On NOTUS: Steve Scalise on How to Avoid Making Conflict Personal

02 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re sharing a special episode from our friends at On NOTUS, which was recently featured by Semafor and POLITICO as a must-listen podcast...

Are We Trapped In Meaningless Jobs? (With Rutger Bregman)

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are we wasting our talents on meaningless jobs? Should our career choices reflect our morals? Author and historian Rutger Bregman thinks so. He argues...

It’s Not An AI Bubble. It’s A Black Hole.

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

2025 has been a tremendous year for the artificial intelligence industry. Stock prices for AI companies skyrocketed, soaring beyond expectations and p...

Parenting Advice From The World’s Worst Mom

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As parents, we’re told homicidal maniacs, drug peddlers, and creeps are lurking in every shadow, waiting to grab your children. But is that true? Is...

Enshittification Nation (With Cory Doctorow)

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From flying to online shopping to using social media, everything seems to be getting worse. It’s all — pardon our language here — shittier. Acc...

Can Trump Still Hide The Epstein Files?

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. House just voted to force the Trump administration to release every document it has on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his powerfu...

MONEYBOMB, Part 6: Did A Federal Judge Sink Super PACs? (With Larry Lessig)

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Maine overwhelmingly voted last year to end Super PACs. A federal judge blocked the ballot measure — but left a kill switch inside the ruling. Larry...

MONEYBOMB, Part 5: Why Populism Is Now Centrism (With Adam Bonica)

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time in the Citizens United era of billionaires and corporate money buying U.S. elections, change may be afoot. This week, Democrats cam...

MONEYBOMB, Part 4: How Zohran Mamdani Beat Citizens United

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of the closely watched New York City mayoral race, everyone is looking for a lesson from progressive Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani’s rise ...

BONUS: An Exclusive Interview With Graham Platner

01 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, in a special live interview, David Sirota sat down with Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.  Platner is a military veteran and oyster ...

MONEYBOMB, Part 3: The Montana Plan To Kill Citizens United

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A group of Montana activists is pushing a ballot initiative attacking Citizens United, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that granted corporations the ...

MONEYBOMB, Part 2: The 28th Amendment (With Rep. Joe Neguse)

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For 15 years, lawmakers have been trying — and failing — to overturn Citizens United, the landmark Supreme Court decision that allows corporations...

MONEYBOMB, Part 1: JD Vance’s Supreme Court Plot

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most Americans want to overturn Citizens United v. FEC, the landmark 2010 Supreme Court decision that unleashed unlimited corporate spending on U.S. e...

How Ticketmaster Made It Impossible To Sue Them

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment have drawn the ire of consumers — and the Federal Trade Commission — for exorbitant ...

Bari Weiss, CBS News, And The Conservative Media Takeover

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

The Zillow And Redfin Convenience Trap

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Getting a home mortgage used to take weeks of phone calls and paperwork. Now, real estate search platforms like Zillow and Redfin offer comprehensive,...

Are You On The FBI’s New Watch List? (With Ken Klippenstein)

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, President Donald Trump dramatically altered the U.S. government’s approach to domestic terrorism. NSPM-7, a little-noticed national secur...

Executive Disorder (With Keith Ellison)

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the first nine months of his second term, President Donald Trump has filed more than 200 executive orders. State attorneys general are filing lawsu...

The Crime Crackdown Cop Out (With Alec Karakatsanis)

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, an...

The Giant Fireball That Could Save Us (With Bill McKibben)

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Real Reason Jimmy Kimmel Was Pulled From Late-Night

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

First, they cancelled Stephen Colbert; now they’ve pulled Jimmy Kimmel off the air. The common denominator? Corporate power. On today’s episode of...

Robert Reich Saw This Coming

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today on Lever Time, David Sirota speaks with Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary and economics professor, about what he’s learned from working in ...

We Must Stop This Civil War Before It’s Unstoppable

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A message from David Sirota about recent violence and what we must do to stop it.

Meet The Democratic Insurgents Fighting To Save Their Party

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Democratic Party is in a rut. Democratic voter registration has been steadily declining since 2018, and the party’s approval rating in some poll...

Comrade Trump Seizes The Means Of Production

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The United States government is taking a 10 percent stake in Intel, blurring the lines between capitalism and state ownership. While critics say it’...

The Grotesque Fruits Of Your Labor (With Evan Osnos)

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As American workers are fighting for their basic needs, the country’s richest are getting richer — while inventing perverse new ways to spend and ...

Trump’s Gerrymandering Plot To Steal The Election (With Rep. Lloyd Doggett)

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As Trump presses states to redraw their district maps to favor Republicans, David Sirota gets the inside scoop from Texas Democratic Congressman Lloyd...

Ed Helms Exposes America’s Scariest Screw-Ups

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 histo...

Why Your Health Insurance Could Explode Next Year

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 R...

Scene On Radio: Capitalism

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Male Friendship Collapse (With Sam Graham-Felsen)

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Men are struggling with friendships and feeling lonelier than ever. The male loneliness epidemic is seeping into many facets of life — including men...

Ari Aster Thinks You’re Being Manipulated

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You might recognize director Ari Aster from his groundbreaking horror films like Hereditary and Midsommar. But Aster just dropped the scariest film of...

Are Corporations Spying On You To Raise Your Prices? (With Lee Hepner)

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Delta Air Lines recently came under fire for announcing that artificial intelligence will be setting 20 percent of its ticket prices for its domestic ...

Your 401(k) Is Billionaires’ Next Bailout Scheme

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration appears ready to sign an executive order that would allow private equity firms to prey on Americans’ retirement savings. Wh...

Trump’s New Merger Scandal Is Swampier Than Watergate

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a stunning reversal, the Trump administration just gave the green light to a major tech merger — and then fired two Justice Department lawyers wh...

How AI Is Taking Over The U.S. Government

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration just unveiled a sweeping AI Action Plan that aims to achieve global dominance in the industry. Hiding deep within the documen...

The Fight For Control Of Your Money (with Matt Stoller and Nathan Tankus)

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell are dueling over interest rates set by America’s secretive central bank, the Federal ...

Trump, Colbert, And The War On Truth (with David Enrich)

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 m...

Why They’re Protecting Jeffrey Epstein’s Secrets (with Julie K. Brown)

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

8 Absurd Handouts Hiding In Trump’s Tax Bill (With David Dayen)

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve likely heard about the slashed health care for millions of Americans. Hospitals defunded. Massive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Bu...

Why America Isn't Prepared For The Next Big Flood

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Fred...

The Case For Calling Gaza A Genocide

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 thousa...

Why Did Trump Rush To Pass The Tax Cut Bill?

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why did Republicans rush their massive tax cut bill through Congress? What are they hiding? As the media focuses on specific provisions, David Sirota...

Are We Closer Than Ever To Nuclear War?

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 civilizat...

Can Trump’s War Be Stopped?

22 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

New York City Is About To Decide Democrats’ Future

20 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 publi...

How Trump Launched His Own War In The Middle East

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

Everything You Think About The Deficit Is Wrong

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The national deficit usually feels like an abstract talking point: America’s permanent credit card bill that just keeps getting bigger, without ever...

Big Tech’s Monopoly Money

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Is This the End of DOGE?

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 feder...

PREVIEW: What's Behind the Tax Revolt with Chris Hayes

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 develop...

Tax Revolt: The Pledgemaster

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Re...

Tax Revolt: Voodoo Economics

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Former President George H.W. Bush once thought supply-side economics was so ludicrous he deemed it “voodoo economics.” But that was before Ronald ...

Tax Revolt: Supply Side Santa Claus

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

Tax Revolt: The Man Who Started the War on Taxes

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1970s, an eccentric anti-tax crusader launched a radical campaign to dismantle California’s tax system — a movement that still defines Amer...

Trailer: Tax Revolt. Begins April 18

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

UAW’s Shawn Fain On Trump’s Tariff-pocalypse

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 beginn...

The Lost History of Trump’s Tariff War

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump unveiled his plans for far-reaching new tariffs on almost all imported goods entering the United States. The move...

This State Is For Sale

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you own a Fortune 500 business, you probably incorporated it in Delaware. The state has long been favored by corporate America, offering tax benefi...

Trump’s Tuesday Night Massacre

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a special interview recorded just hours after his illegal firing, FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya speaks with David Sirota about Donald Trump’s un...

Big Tech’s Forever War

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does Donald Trump have what it takes to challenge Big Tech? Despite the elevation of Silicon Valley billionaires and insiders within his administratio...

Do Democrats Have A Game Plan?

08 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Deluzio, a young Democratic representative from western Pennsylvania, just penned an unorthodox op-ed in The New York Times urging Democrats to ...

The Planet is Heating Up Whether You Care or Not

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are extreme weather events becoming normalized? Over the past few months, devastating wildfires have scorched Los Angeles, and Hurricane Helene left a...

Is It Still Safe To Fly?

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A Delta flight flipping over while landing in Toronto. A missing commuter plane in Alaska. A medical transport jet crash in Philadelphia. A catastroph...

RFK’s Beef With Big Food

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was just confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, overseeing the nation’s food and health standards. He’...

Trump’s Tariff War Explained

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump is implementing sweeping tariffs to ostensibly tighten border security and crack down on the fentanyl trade. The moves include ...

Elon Musk’s Hostile Takeover

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk has bought his way into the Trump administration and is now busy muscling his way into every federal agency. But the unelected billionaire w...

American Chaos Is Trump’s Plan

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has been president for less than two weeks, and the government is already in chaos. Amidst a flurry of executive orders, Trump suspended ...

The Supreme Court Case That Got Us Here

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fifteen years ago this week, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling that fundamentally changed American politics —  In a 5-4 judgment in Citiz...

Oligarchy Now

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump is back — and this time, he’s bringing corporate America. Trump’s decisive victory in November sent a shockwave through corporate C...

How America Created Cities Built To Burn (Part 2)

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Los Angeles is infamous for its sprawling urban landscape that has prioritized low-density housing, often at the behest of the state’s powerful real...

The L.A. Fires And The Uninsurable Earth (Part 1)

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Los Angeles fires pose huge questions about the future of life in America: Where is it safe to live? How can you protect yourself from such disast...

MAGA’s Civil War Over Immigration

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the holidays, when President-elect Donald Trump said he would appoint an Indian-American immigrant to serve in the White House, key members of Tr...

Editor's Choice: The NBA Is Monetizing A Public Health Crisis

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lever Time is taking a break this week, but we'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Today, we wanted to re-air one of our favorite episodes ...

How Marvel Helped Sell Us Forever Wars

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Iron Man hit theaters in 2008, it didn’t just launch the wildly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe — it also, with the Pentagon’s help, b...

Sirota: The Health Care Crisis Is The Democracy Crisis

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

David Sirota reflects on the shocking murder of United Health CEO Brian Thompson and the surge of public anger it unleashed against America’s broken...

Why America Is Mad As Hell About Health Care

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Amid the shocking assassination of a health insurance executive and an upswell of anger towards the country’s fragile health care safety net, the he...

Trump, Magic, and Misdirection

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

President-elect Donald Trump’s penchant for exaggeration has pushed the boundaries of how elected officials communicate with the public. Trump’s c...

The Democrat Who Warned Us (w/ Rep. Dean Phillips)

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a special Lever Time post-election bonus episode, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) details how he was nearly excommunicated from the Democratic Party a...

The Secret Recordings Netanyahu Wants Censored

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Arjun Singh interviews Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney about The Bibi Files, a new documentary he produced that uncovers explosive new police foot...

Welcome To The United States of Crypto

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

No matter what, the cryptocurrency industry was going to win the election. After spending hundreds of millions to influence politicians in both partie...

How Democrats Can Win Back The Working Class

08 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump easily won reelection with the help of voters who were once considered bedrocks of the Democratic base. In this election, the former pres...