This week’s bonus episode for our supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher on Patreon is Part I of the Gaslit Nation Social Media Workshop, designed for those who hate social media and miss the old Twitter. Organizer Rachel Brody, who works with various campaigns to help get out the vote and leading brands, joins us to share the landscape of social media today and how to leverage the power of your voice in a world that needs you.  Got questions about the  investigations and prosecutions of the Traitor-in-Chief? Join Gaslit Nation for a special live taping on Monday, February 12, at 12 pm ET, featuring Tristan Snell—the prosecutor who led New York State's case against Trump and Trump University, and the author of the new book Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully. An event link will be sent to our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level or higher on the day of the event. To join us, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Our regular Q&As will return in February, so be sure to send in your questions! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Show Notes: Replace Jay Jacobs: https://replacejayjacobs.com/

Terrell Starr from the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack joins the chat. As a follow-up to Andrea's recent debate with Olga Lautman of the Kremlin Files podcast on the accusations against Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis, Terrell gives his take. For the previous discussion, check out the show notes. What's new since that episode ran? The divorce records of Nathan Wade, a Special Prosectuor on the Georgia case, were unsealed, revealing...no Fani Willis. Why does this matter? It doesn't. None of this matters. It's a far-right hit job, orchestrated by Trump and his goon squad, to undermine the airtight case in Georgia.  For more on the investigations and prosecutions of the Traitor-in-Chief, join Gaslit Nation for a special live taping on Monday, February 12, at 12 pm ET, featuring Tristan Snell—the prosecutor who led New York State's case against Trump and Trump University, and the author of the new book Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully. An event link will be sent to our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level or higher on the day of the event. To join us, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: Fani Willis vs. Trump: The Nazis Strike Back https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/01/24/fani-willis-trump-nazis Unsealed original divorce documents don't mention Fulton County DA Fani Willis https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/unsealed-divorce-documents-do-not-mention-fulton-county-da-fani-willis The Fani Willis Scandal Is Bad—but It Doesn’t Change Her Case Against Trump https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/fani-willis-scandal-charges-against-trump/  

In this week's episode, Andrea and Terrell Starr from the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack discuss Jonathan Glazer’s chilling Holocaust drama, The Zone of Interest. They break down the gender politics of the "Queen of Auschwitz," past and present. They also fact check Donald Trump’s latest fascist campaign video aimed at energizing authoritarian voters, and share actions to take to build a better world. Later this week, watch out for a short episode where Andrea and Terrell discuss the disinformation campaign against Fani Willis. This far-right hit job, orchestrated by Trump and his goon squad, aims to undermine her airtight case in Georgia. For more on the investigations and prosecutions of the Traitor-in-Chief, join Gaslit Nation for a special live taping on Monday, February 12, at 12 pm ET, featuring Tristan Snell—the prosecutor who led New York State's case against Trump and Trump University, and the author of the new book Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully. An event link will be sent to our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level or higher on the day of the event. To join us, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! This week’s bonus episode for our supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher on Patreon will be Part I of the Gaslit Nation Social Media Workshop, designed for those who hate social media and miss the old Twitter. Organizer Rachel Brody, who works with various campaigns to help get out the vote and leading brands, joins us to share the landscape of social media today and how to leverage the power of your voice in a world that needs you. Our regular Q&As will return in February, so be sure to send in your questions! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Show Notes: Black Diplomats Substack: https://terrellstarr.substack.com/ Black Diplomats Podcast: https://www.blackdiplomats.net/ Song of the Month: 'I Don't Wanna Be Dismembered' by th’sheridans. You can find more of th'sheridans' music on all streaming platforms and on Bandcamp at thsheridans.bandcamp.com/ Submit Your Song!: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628 Opening Clip: https://twitter.com/VABVOX/status/1750013520333168971  TED Talk: “Your Creative Superpowers Can Help Protect Democracy” by Sofia Ongele https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPW5Zx3ntZo Check out Tristan Snell’s new book Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully https://bookshop.org/p/books/taking-down-trump-12-rules-for-prosecuting-donald-trump-by-someone-who-did-it-successfully-tristan-snell/20845381?ean=9781685891251 Trump ordered to pay additional $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll in defamation case https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trump-must-pay-additional-83-million-to-e-jean-carroll-in-defamation-case-jury-decides Psychologist of the Nazi mind: As the "Nuremberg psychologist," Gustave Gilbert had unfettered access to Hitler's leading henchmen. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/05/nazi-mind Trump’s Latest Fascist Campaign Video: https://twitter.com/ZaleskiLuke/status/1750371080357675420?t=xagoPov-ccYKR2gKy2WAjg&s=19  E. Jean Carroll Case: Judge Kaplan, to jurors: "My advice to you is that you never disclose that you were on this jury." https://twitter.com/eorden/status/1750998393910919556?t=T5hJpIv9kVS6_dVLkXjTYQ&s=19 Movie Trailer: Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-vfg3KkV54  

Remember this shocking story from the 2016 election? The Trump campaign gutted Ukraine aid in the official RNC platform. Today this is mainstream for the GOP, with McConnell folding on Ukraine aid. This is catastrophic for the US and the world.  The recent transformation of the GOP into the Party of Putin began gradually, with only a few in Congress, like former Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who the Kremlin considered an asset, according to the FBI. In 2018, current House Speaker Mike Johnson took tens of thousands of dollars in dark money campaign donations linked to a Russian oligarch close to Putin who was part of the larger Kremlin operation exposed in the Mueller Report. The oligarch is Konstantin Nikolaev, who bankrolled Kremlin spy/GOP honeypot Maria Butina, who was arrested as part of the Mueller investigation, after pretending to be in love with NRA/GOP operative Paul Erickson. After Mike Johnson got caught taking donations linked to Nikolaev and other Russians (Oops!), he gave it back. But it was part of a wider operation used by the Russians in countries around the world to entrench their power in, known as “the golden handcuffs.”  Johnson blames other extremists in his party, like concentration camp guard Marjorie Taylor Greene, for "slowing down" Ukraine aid. They're not slowing down aid; they're blocking it, to help their financial backers in the Kremlin win.  Johnson and Trump are part of the Kremlin's long game. They develop their assets, then spread their influence deeper and deeper. This began with a few fringe people, like Rohrabacher. Now it's mainstream. This is state capture. What happens if we lose our country? No place is safe. If you think things are bad now, the entire world will be forced to live under the Kremlin's mafia state: violence and terror win, deciding everything. No more laws and elections. Many Republicans watched in shock as the Kremlin hijacked their party. But it was Republican operations, like Citizens United, that helped Russian dark money entrench the Kremlin's influence in the United States. More Americans must wake up that the loss of Ukraine is also the loss of our democracy. What's happening in Ukraine and the U,S. is an ongoing crime of state capture. The KGB-style operation started decades ago with Trump as a Russian asset. Where will we be if we and our institutions don’t stop it?  Call your rep in Congress today to demand aid to Ukraine (202) 224-3121!  This week’s bonus episode includes Andrea sharing her own stories of navigating the misogynistic labyrinth of Hollywood, and why, despite some big wins for women and representation (Yay Lily Gladstone and America Ferrera! Boo for no Fantasia nomination for The Color Purple!), why the Barbie Oscar snub matters. Olga Lautman, a Russian mafia expert and the co-host of the Kremlin Files podcast, continues her conversation with Andrea about what America will look like if Trump, and Putin, win the 2024 election.  *** Mark your calendars! Tristan Snell, the prosecutor who led New York State's case against Trump and Trump University and the author of "Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully," will join Andrea for a live-taping of Gaslit Nation for our community of listeners on February 12 at noon ET. An event link will be sent to our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level or higher on the day of the event. We look forward to seeing you there! To join us, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: Call your rep in Congress today to demand aid to Ukraine (202) 224-3121!  CORRECTION: There appear to be no East Asian Barbies in the Barbie movie. There is a Southeast Asian Barbie played by Ritu Arya.  Mike Johnson's Campaign Contributions From Company Tied to Russia https://www.newsweek.com/house-speaker-mike-johnson-donations-russia-butina-1838501 2016 RNC Delegate: Trump Directed Change To Party Platform On Ukraine Support https://www.npr.org/2017/12/04/568310790/2016-rnc-delegate-trump-directed-change-to-party-platform-on-ukraine-support He’s a Member of Congress. The Kremlin Likes Him So Much It Gave Him a Code Name. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/us/politics/dana-rohrabacher-putin-trump-kremlin-under-fire.html Lover or cover? Maria Butina and the romance at the heart of an alleged Russian influence operation https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/lover-cover-romance-heart-alleged-russian-influence-operation/story?id=57437405 For ‘Barbie’ Fans Online, a Bitterly Ironic Oscar Snub https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/23/style/barbie-oscar-nominations-reactions.html Ryan Gosling Calls Out Oscars Over Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie Barbie Snubs: 'There Is No Ken Without Barbie' https://people.com/ryan-gosling-calls-out-oscars-over-greta-gerwig-margot-robbie-barbie-snubs-8548327 Why the ‘Barbie’ Oscars snubs are so enraging https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/23/opinions/oscars-snubbed-barbie-greta-gerwig-margot-robbie-stewart/index.html The True Story of Oppenheimer’s First Love, Jean Tatlock, And How She Shaped His Views https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/the-true-story-of-jean-tatlock-in-oppenheimer The Movie Wives Would Like a Word https://time.com/6336804/the-movie-wives-are-speaking/ Gina Davis documentary: This Changes Everything: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt5795282/

Mark your calendars! Tristan Snell, the prosecutor who led New York State's case against Trump and Trump University and the author of "Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully," will join Andrea for a live-taping of Gaslit Nation for our community of listeners on February 12 at noon ET. An event link will be sent to our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level or higher on the day of the event. To join us, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! *** Republicans have once again refused to stop Trump: Nikki Haley lost the New Hampshire primary, and the Trump Klan is moving ahead towards the GOP nomination. Why might that be? According to Harvard psychologist Martha Stout, author of "The Sociopath Next Door," one in twenty-five people are sociopaths. Trump’s cult has galvanized and emboldened them, unleashing a toxic sludge that threatens to drown our democracy. In this week’s episode, Andrea is joined by Olga Lautman, a Russian mafia expert and co-host of the Kremlin Files podcast, to discuss why Republicans are goose-stepping in line to support a shameless wannabe dictator, why the media continues to fail us and normalize this dangerous career criminal and Russian asset, and what can be done about it. Andrea and Olga also debate over the growing attacks against Fani Willis, the Fulton County, Georgia DA who built a strong case against Trump and his goon squad for trying to overturn our election in 2020. Michael Roman, one of the 18 co-defendants in her case and a professional GOP opposition researcher, is trying to get Willis removed, which would put the entire case in jeopardy. Without any evidence, Roman claims that Willis is in a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, a lawyer she hired to her team of prosecutors. (Who cares!) This is a clear case of disinformation warfare to help Trump once again escape accountability. While there’s nothing illegal done by Willis or Wade, this is the new “Hunter Biden’s laptop” – red meat for the Fox News echo chamber. Check the show notes for trusted sources that cut through the gaslighting against Willis, who must remain in her post.  As for who will actually stop Trump, that’s us and our Gaslit Nation phone banks this fall.  Show Notes: OPENING CLIP: Natasha Alford, author of American Negra, and anchor of The Grio https://twitter.com/SymoneDSanders/status/1747731236196614497?t=VhKn8V81n1j_qz6Hi-er6Q&s=19 NEW YORK TIMES: Trump Prosecutor in Georgia Seeks to Avoid Testifying in Colleague’s Divorce Case. Fani T. Willis was subpoenaed in the divorce case of a colleague she hired to manage the Trump prosecution in Georgia, with whom she is accused of having a romantic relationship. FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE: “The filing also stated that [Nathan Wade’s soon to be ex wife] Ms. Wade had ‘conspired’ with ‘interested parties’ in the Trump case ‘to annoy, embarrass and oppress’ Ms. Willis. It noted that Ms. Willis had been subpoenaed around the same time that Mr. Roman’s lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, filed motions seeking to unseal the divorce records and, in the Trump case, to remove the two prosecutors. The filing also said that Ms. Wade had acknowledged having an affair with a longtime friend of Mr. Wade’s, and that the couple had agreed their marriage was ‘irretrievably broken’ as early as 2017, before Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis had met.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/18/us/fani-willis-trump-georgia-prosecutors.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20240118&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta&regi_id=48614702&segment_id=155695&user_id=097a378032011d6e8be1570cdce0a176 Ruth Marcus in The Washington Post: Fani Willis's Gift to Trump: “As a legal matter, the allegations about a romantic relationship between Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis and the chief prosecutor in the election interference case against former president Donald Trump are irrelevant. Even if all the claims are true, they wouldn’t imperil the prosecution or justify dismissing the indictment, as one of Trump’s co-defendants is seeking.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/01/22/fani-willis-gift-trump/ 7 questions about the future of Fani Willis in the Georgia election interference case https://www.wabe.org/7-questions-about-the-future-of-fani-willis-in-the-georgia-election-interference-case/ Steve Bannon Thought Trump Had Early Dementia and Pushed to Remove Him, '60 Minutes' Producer Claims https://people.com/politics/steve-bannon-thought-donald-trump-had-early-stage-dementia-book-claims/ The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President - Updated and Expanded with New Essays https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-dangerous-case-of-donald-trump-37-psychiatrists-and-mental-health-experts-assess-a-president-updated-and-expanded-with-new-essays-updated-expande-/20868798?ean=9781250212863 AI Reveals Dementia in Trump Speeches https://thedemlabs.org/2024/01/20/ai-reveals-dementia-in-trump-speeches/ Trump co-defendant alleges Georgia DA and prosecutor in relationship but offers no proof https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/09/georgia-trump-case-fani-willis-relationship-prosecutor South Carolina natives Nikki Haley and Tim Scott's complicated history on display as they battle for GOP nomination https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/south-carolina-natives-nikki-haley-tim-scotts-complicated/story?id=104253045 The Sociopath Next Door by Harvard Psychologist Martha Stout https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-sociopath-next-door-martha-stout/15279323?ean=9780767915823

Thank you to everyone who joined the Gaslit Nation Social Media Workshop last week. What was supposed to be a one hour event lasted two hours! We look forward to publishing a recording of that soon, as Part I and Part II in early February. So if you missed the live event, you’ll soon have the recording and a helpful one-pager with an overview of social media strategies from Rachel Brody, the organizer who led the workshop.  To help connect our community in this hellfire year, we've introduced Community Chats for our Patreon listeners. Currently only on the Patreon app, it will soon be available on the web. Community Chats is a private group chat exclusively for our listeners on Patreon, another reason to join and support the show. Find more details at the top of our show notes!  This week's bonus show was inspired by a listener's question on our recent interview with historian Heather Cox Richard, author of "Democracy Rising." It builds on Heather's explanation of the economic conditions of the North and South on the eve of the Civil War, taking it a step further to look at the “Blue State” vs. “Red State” economic divide today, and what that may tell us about where our country is headed. Then Andrea and Terrell Starr from the Black Diplomats podcast and Substack discuss the recent non-scandal hospitalization "scandal" involving Lloyd Austin, comparing it to Hillary Clinton's non-scandal email "scandal,” highlighting how the media and Republican Party are determined to dehumanize and terrorize women and nonwhite people. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To get this and every bonus show, all episodes ad free, invites to exclusive events, and more, subscribe to the show at Patreon.com/Gaslit for as little as $5 a month!  Show Notes: Check Out Community Chats from Patreon: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/18855680408589-Join-community-chats  “American Civil War: Then and Now” https://www.patreon.com/posts/american-civil-93719050 Transcript of Heather Cox Richardson interview – Part I: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5be3e193506fbe475c2856f7/t/65672e9144317d4e6c728ef0/1701260945235/GaslitNation_20231129_Transcript_American-Civil-War_Then-and-Now.docx.pdf PBS: The Civil War and Emancipation https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2967.html The Civil War - An Introduction https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/overview.htm CHRONOLOGY-Who banned slavery when? https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL15614649/ Red States and Blue States Are Becoming Different Countries https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/12/opinion/red-blue-states-politics.html 2007 Study: Rich State, Poor State, Red State, Blue State: What’s the Matter with Connecticut? http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~gelman/research/unpublished/redblue11.pdf In almost every industry, red states have higher turnover https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/26/hiring-red-blue-states/ Washington Post Analysis - 2023: In almost every industry, red states have higher turnover https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/26/hiring-red-blue-states/ Which states gained the most high-income families, and which lost the most during the pandemic https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/10/12/us-high-income-family-migration/71148162007/   Chinese Mom Buys $6.5 Million New York City Apartment for 2-Year-Old https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/03/28/chinese-mom-buys-6-5-million-new-york-city-apartment-for-two-year-old/   Dear Black Americans: Please Move to the South. An argument for consolidating Black political power.   https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/18/opinion/reverse-migration-black-majority-states.html   A ‘New Great Migration’ is bringing Black Americans back to the South https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-new-great-migration-is-bringing-black-americans-back-to-the-south/

Hate social media? Miss the old Twitter? Want to raise your voice in 2024 for those who don’t have one? Join our social media workshop this Thursday, January 18th, at 8 pm ET! This virtual event will feature the tenacious Rachel Brody, an organizer working on social media strategy for various voter outreach campaigns, from Congressional to Latino voter outreach. Rachel also spearheads the diverse grassroots movement in New York to replace disastrous party chair Jay Jaycobs and will provide a quick update on that important movement to prevent New York from losing us the House again!   To attend our virtual events, get our episodes ad free, receive bonus shows, submit questions for our regular Q&As, and more, subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit!  ____________________ Not since the 2016 election has U.S. foreign policy been this consequential. We're experiencing serious 2016 vibes here at Gaslit Nation, when the Obama foreign policy team, including Biden and his advisors like Jake Sullivan, let Russia jack our democracy in front of their eyes. Now, they are allowing wannabe autocrat Netanyahu, a genocidal maniac, and close ally of Kushner and Putin, to pursue his long war to retain power after his failed coup to dismantle Israel's courts. If Biden and his foreign policy team are unmoved by the tens of thousands of Palestinians facing starvation—a slow, torturous way to die (see Andrea's film Mr. Jones)—then surely they must be concerned about their re-election chances and should finally demand a ceasefire. Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats podcast and Substack joins Andrea to discuss the crisis in Gaza and its impact on the 2024 election, what the GOP Iowa Caucus (Klan rally) truly represents, the moral inconsistency of U.S. as well as South African foreign policy, the potential role of Kushner surrogate Nikki Haley in the Trump regime, the historic role of Black women in saving America from itself, and more! This week's bonus episode discusses the economies of the civil war, past and present, and what they can tell us about the country's potential direction. The bonus show will also feature a continuation of Andrea's conversation with Terrell Starr. They discuss the recent Lloyd Austin non-scandal hospitalization "scandal" and compare it to Hillary Clinton's non-scandal email "scandal," highlighting how the media and Republicans are determined to dehumanize and terrorize women and nonwhite people. See you at the Social Media Workshop for People Who Hate Social Media this Thursday, January 18th, at 8 pm! Look out for a Zoom link posted on Patreon that morning for supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  

Coming soon for our Patreon community! Look out for a group chat feature for supporters to more easily connect with each other, and also a pinned post of recommended books from our listeners! Thank you to everyone who supports the show!  There was a crucial presidential election in Taiwan today as the fairly young democracy elected Vice President Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party to stand up to China’s threats. (Check our show notes: The Guardian has a colorful overview of the most consequential election since Taiwan’s first in 1996). No matter who won, China will continue to seek to annex Taiwan, dictator Xi having told Biden in their meeting in September that China and Taiwan will unify.  A troubling sign backs up his threat: Xi discovered that his military is as comically corrupt as Russia’s, with reports of missiles in China full of water instead of fuel. Xi is clearly learning from Putin's mistakes in Ukraine. China may be preparing to take advantage of a West stretched thin by conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, and with Iran-backed Houthis. Olga Lautman, a Russian mafia researcher and co-host of the Kremlin Files podcast, joins Andrea to discuss whether China is about to invade Taiwan.  The conversation includes the grievance politics of authoritarian movements, featuring a look at MAGA lapdog Elise Stefanik's dangerous appearance on Meet the Press. In that clip, featured in our show notes, Stefanik refers to the violent white supremacist terrorists who attempted to overthrow our democracy on January 6th as "hostages." Andrea and Olga discuss the dangers of this and the history of a Nazi camp on Stefanik’s Long Island. If Trump regains power, expect over 1,000 violent traitors to be pardoned on day one as he launches Project 2025 (his carefully planned mass purge of our government), making the world, not just our country, even more dangerous. This week’s bonus show includes Andrea answering questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. That discussion includes novels to read right now, how art by school children can help Ukraine, and more! If you didn’t hear your question answered this week, look out for it next week, as our Q&A continues. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Hate social media? Miss the old Twitter? Want to raise your voice for 2024 for those who don’t have one? Join our social media workshop this Thursday, January 18th, at 8 pm ET! This virtual event will feature the tenacious Rachel Brody, an organizer working on social media strategy for various campaigns, from Congressional to Latino voter outreach. Rachel also spearheads the diverse grassroots movement in New York to replace disastrous party chair Jay Jaycobs and will provide a quick update on that important effort to prevent New York from losing us the House again!   To sign up for our bonus episodes, attend our virtual events, submit questions for our regular Q&As, and more, support Gaslit Nation on Patreon.com/Gaslit  Show Notes: Clip:  Elise Stefanik refers to the "January 6 hostages" on Meet the Press: https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1744014556416905223 Nazis on Long Island: The Story of Camp Siegfried https://mjhnyc.org/events/nazis-on-long-island-the-story-of-camp-siegfried/ The Guardian: Inflatables, hip-hop rallies, and a missile alarm: Taiwan to vote in election that’s too close to call https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/12/taiwan-general-presidential-election-2024-voting-polls-results-dpp-kmt-tpp In a Setback for Beijing, Taiwan Elects Lai Ching-te as President Taiwan’s vice president, whose party has emphasized the island’s sovereignty, defeated an opposition party that favors reviving engagement with China. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/13/world/asia/taiwan-election-china-us.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20240113&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta&regi_id=48614702&segment_id=155235&user_id=097a378032011d6e8be1570cdce0a176 Xi told Biden at summit that China plans to reunify with Taiwan https://abcnews.go.com/International/xi-warns-biden-china-plans-back-taiwan/story?id=105815520 Why Taiwan is 2024’s first big election to watch https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2024/1/6/24026992/taiwan-china-president-war-xi-jinping-asia-semiconductors-chips US Intelligence Shows Flawed China Missiles Led Xi to Purge Army China missiles filled with water, not fuel: US intelligence Xi seeking to root out corruption, prepare military for combat https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-06/us-intelligence-shows-flawed-china-missiles-led-xi-jinping-to-purge-military?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=twitter

Every dictator dreams of living to a ripe old age and dying in power, leaving behind a worshipful cult to ensure their immortality. Putin’s disastrous war in Ukraine, which was supposed to take Kyiv in three days, may bring his end sooner than he thinks. There was already one violent coup attempt against him last spring, and there are signs of failing health and increasing delusion. As his war drags on, with more Russians forced into the meat grinder, or coming home wounded, armed, and angry, Russia is a powder keg. Is the West ready for the collapse of Russia? Will the country return to the chaos and car bombs of the 1990s? Will the statues of Stalin come down or be joined by ones to Putin? If the Kremlin is ripped apart by a succession battle, what will happen to the nukes? Olga Lautman, the Russian mafia expert and co-host of the Kremlin Files podcast, joins Gaslit Nation to forecast the collapse of Russia and why the West must get ready, especially for the sake of ensuring Ukraine prevails–for all of us. This week’s bonus show, exclusive to our supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher, answers questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. To our Patreon community, we look forward to seeing you at our Gaslit Nation Social Media workshop on January 18th at 8 pm EST, made especially for those who hate social media. Rachel Brody, a tenacious organizer who helps various campaigns with their social media strategy, will help lead the discussion and answer your questions. To get access to our January 18th social media workshop, subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit  Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! SHOW NOTES: Razom Call to Action – save Ukraine https://www.instagram.com/p/C12YBemup2G/ With Shutdown Looming, House and Senate Leaders Agree on Spending Levels Despite the deal, time is short to assemble and pass legislation putting the agreement in force before a Jan. 19 deadline. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/07/us/congress-spending-deal-shutdown.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20240107&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta&regi_id=48614702&segment_id=154521&user_id=097a378032011d6e8be1570cdce0a176 Putin’s ally Netanyahu helping him his war in Ukraine: https://twitter.com/CrisLeeMaza/status/1743296552561480140 Putin Quietly Signals He Is Open to a Cease-Fire in Ukraine Despite its bravado in public, the Kremlin has indicated its interest in striking a deal to halt the war — so long as it could still declare victory. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/23/world/europe/putin-russia-ukraine-war-cease-fire.html Russia must be held accountable over Ukraine – we should seize its assets Joseph Stiglitz and Andrew Kosenko https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/08/russia-ukraine-seize-assets-us-eu Putin’s $300bn Belongs to Ukraine https://cepa.org/article/putins-300bn-belongs-to-ukraine/ Pentagon didn’t inform Biden, White House for days about Austin’s hospitalization https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/06/pentagon-took-3-days-to-inform-white-houses-nsc-of-austins-hospitalization-00134176 "It's time to act": Biden calls for over US$60 billion in aid to Ukraine https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/01/8/7436292/ US Intelligence Shows Flawed China Missiles Led Xi to Purge Army China missiles filled with water, not fuel: US intelligence Xi seeking to root out corruption, prepare military for combat https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-06/us-intelligence-shows-flawed-china-missiles-led-xi-jinping-to-purge-military?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=twitter Military briefing: Russia has the upper hand in electronic warfare with Ukraine Both Kyiv and Moscow seek to bolster drone jamming capabilities as attacks mount  https://www.ft.com/content/a477d3f1-8c7e-4520-83b0-572ad674c28e Top 10 Trends for 2024 https://www.ft.com/content/9edcf793-aaf7-42e2-97d0-dd58e9fab8ea Extraordinary thread by Ruth Deyermond, Senior Lecturer, Dept of War Studies, King's College London. Russian and US foreign & security policy https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1741506057719951483.html

Dictators want us to think that the future is hopeless, that their cult of personality will last forever. Gaslit Nation exists to remind us that another world is possible. The experts we’ve brought on the show over the years have shown us how. In this special episode, we’re starting 2024 right, with a chorus of voices guiding us to envision the world we want to live in.  To start us off, Andrea is joined by Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats podcast to share their hopes for 2024, and how they plan to contribute to building the livable future they envision. Share your hopes for 2024 in the comments below or in an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com, and we may read your comments on the show! To our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level and higher, save the date for our January 18th 8 pm ET Quit Twitter Social Media Workshop. If you hate social media, if you miss Old Twitter before Apartheid Barbie Musk deliberately destroyed it, if you want to elevate your voice for those who need your solidarity and support, then this is the workshop for you! We’ll be joined by organizer Rachel Brody who helps various campaigns with their social media strategy and helps lead the statewide coalition to replace Jay Jacobs, the useless chair of the New York state Democratic Party who, from George Santos to Republican control of the House running through New York, has cost this country so much. This is an event not to miss! To get access, subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit  Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  

On a hot afternoon in the middle of summer in New York City, people gathered together at Caveat on the Lower East Side for a special live taping of Gaslit Nation with the RISK! Storytelling Podcast. This is Part II of Andrea’s discussion with comedian Kevin Allison, host and producer of RISK!, and a founding member of the groundbreaking comedy group The State.  The packed audience shared their insights and fears heading into 2024. One of the many indelible questions from the live Q&A raised this question: What happens if Trump wins? This discussion answers that and provides ways on how to avoid that tragedy for America and the world.  To our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level and higher, save the date for our January 18th 8 pm ET Quit Twitter Social Media Workshop. If you hate social media, if you miss Old Twitter before Apartheid Barbie Musk deliberately destroyed it, if you want to elevate your voice for those who need your solidarity and support, then this is the workshop for you! We’ll be joined by organizer Rachel Brody who helps various campaigns with their social media strategy and helps lead the statewide coalition to replace Jay Jacobs, the useless chair of the New York state Democratic Party who, from George Santos to Republican control of the House running through New York, has cost this country so much. This is an event not to miss! To get access, subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit  To get access to our January 18th social media workshop, subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit  Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

Author Peter Kurth takes the Gaslit Nation Self Care Q&A!  In the second part of this special interview, Andrea interviews Peter Kurth, author of American Cassandra: The Life of Dorothy Thompson, which helped inspire Andrea’s latest screenplay based on Thompson and her urgent lessons for us today. Gaslit Nation has always been a show that combines the power of art with fighting fascism, and this interview captures that call-to-arms.  To our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level and higher, save the date for our January 18th 8 pm ET Quit Twitter Social Media Workshop. If you hate social media, if you miss Old Twitter before Apartheid Barbie Musk deliberately destroyed it, if you want to elevate your voice for those who need your solidarity and support, then this is the workshop for you! We’ll be joined by organizer Rachel Brody who helps various campaigns with their social media strategy and helps lead the statewide coalition to replace Jay Jacobs, the useless chair of the New York state Democratic Party who, from George Santos to Republican control of the House running through New York, has cost this country so much. This is an event not to miss! To get access, subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit  To get access to our January 18th social media workshop, subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit  Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

Dorothy Thompson was the leading journalist of the 1930s and 1940s, considered as influential as Eleanor Roosevelt. After becoming the first foreign correspondent to be expelled from Germany by Hitler, Thompson advised President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, testified to Congress, and destroyed the public career of American aviator and Nazi medal-recipient Charles Lindbergh with the power of her pen. She crashed the 1939 Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden and heckled over 20,000 American Nazis until the police had to drag her out, and she warned the world relentlessly about fascism and its useful idiots in the U.S., like America First. Her warnings inspired her husband Sinclair Lewis, the first American to win the Nobel Prize for literature, to write It Can’t Happen Here, the now classic novel about the rise of an American dictator. That novel and Thompson’s 1941 essay for Harper’s “Who Goes Nazi?”, her macabre game on how to tell who among you at a dinner party would become a Nazi, went viral when Trump came to power in 2016.  In this special episode, Andrea interviews Peter Kurth, author of American Cassandra: The Life of Dorothy Thompson, which helped inspire Andrea’s latest screenplay based on Thompson and her urgent lessons for us today. Gaslit Nation has always been a show that combines the power of art with fighting fascism, and this interview captures that call-to-arms.  To our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level and higher, save the date for our January 18th 8 pm ET Quit Twitter Social Media Workshop. If you hate social media, if you miss Old Twitter before Apartheid Barbie Musk deliberately destroyed it, if you want to elevate your voice for those who need your solidarity and support, then this is the workshop for you! We’ll be joined by organizer Rachel Brody who helps various campaigns with their social media strategy and helps lead the statewide coalition to replace Jay Jacobs, the useless chair of the New York state Democratic Party who, from George Santos to Republican control of the House running through New York, has cost this country so much. This is an event not to miss! To get access, subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit  Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

In a year of hellfire, there were some signs of hope, including Ukraine moving closer to joining the European Union. Countless Ukrainians gave their lives for this, beginning with around 100 pro-democracy protesters killed by the riot police of Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainian Trump brought to power by longtime Kremlin operative Paul Manafort.  Even Viktor Orban, the wannabe strongman of Hungary, couldn’t stop Ukraine from moving closer to its long held and long sacrificed for European dreams. This special bonus show is a roast of Orban by Andrea and Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats podcast. Zelensky recently got into Orban’s face, reminding us again that he’s a streetfighter showing the world how to stand up to bullies. Watch the infamous video clip of that here. This international humiliation of Orban was followed by even more humiliation as EU leaders asked Orban to leave the room so they could unanimously vote on Ukraine moving forward in the process for membership. Orban left the room, and the vote passed. This lively discussion is a reminder that bullies can be contained.  To our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level and higher, save the date for our January 18th 8 pm ET Quit Twitter Social Media Workshop. If you hate social media, if you miss Old Twitter before Apartheid Barbie Musk deliberately destroyed it, if you want to elevate your voice for those who need your solidarity and support, then this is the workshop for you! We’ll be joined by organizer Rachel Brody who helps various campaigns with their social media strategy and helps lead the statewide coalition to replace Jay Jacobs, the useless chair of the New York state Democratic Party who, from George Santos to Republican control of the House running through New York, has cost this country so much. This is an event not to miss! To get access, subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit  Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  

While this news broke after we recorded this week’s episode, Gaslit Nation would like to congratulate the Colorado Supreme Court for being on the right side of history! With Trump disqualified from being on the ballot in Colorado, it’s now up to the Supreme Court, which Trump packed, to take up the case. However things go, it’s nice to finally see some justice for Trump’s massive treason, though small at this very late stage. Terrell Starr of the essential Black Diplomats podcast is back on Gaslit Nation to discuss the latest polling revealing a generational split in the Democratic electorate when it comes to Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas War, especially the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, and Israel’s widely documented unchecked war crimes. The discussion includes the path forward to resolve the conflict, lessons from Ukraine, and why the Far Left needs to be morally consistent when it comes to foreign policy and elevating the voices of regional experts. In this week’s bonus show, out later this week for our supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher, Terrell and Andrea discuss Zelensky vs. Orban and why Ukraine finally entering the European Union matters for security in Europe and the U.S. Orban is the darling of the America First crowd, but as Zelensky and the adults in the room of the E.U. showed, he’s just another scared “little man,” as the journalist Dorothy Thompson called the strongmen she covered, from Mussolini to Hitler to Stalin, during the 1930s. To our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level and higher, save the date for our January 18th 8 pm ET social media workshop. If you hate social media, if you miss Old Twitter before Apartheid Barbie Musk deliberately destroyed it, if you want to elevate your voice for those who need your solidarity and support, then this is the workshop for you! We will be joined by organizer Rachel Brody, who helps various campaigns with their social media strategy and leads grassroots efforts to replace Jay Jacobs, the useless chair of the New York state Democratic Party who has cost this country so much. This is an event you’re not going to want to miss! To get access to our January 18th social media workshop, make sure you’re subscribed on Patreon at the Truth-teller level or higher at Patreon.com/Gaslit   Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Show Notes: Opening Clip: From 2008 – Zbigniew Brezinki Schools Scarborough on Israel-Palestine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mk18af8z9Y Clip: Clarissa Ward on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza: https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1735169631189713238 Poll Finds Wide Disapproval of Biden on Gaza, and Little Room to Shift Gears https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/politics/biden-israel-gaza-poll.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20231219&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta&regi_id=48614702&segment_id=152980&user_id=097a378032011d6e8be1570cdce0a176 Clip: Exclusive: Highly classified binder went missing in Trump's final days in office https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04DwVPl__Eo The U.S. Is About To Make A Decision At The U.N. That Could Change Gaza's Fate A vote Tuesday underscores the importance and the struggles of the U.S. mission to the United Nations and its leader, veteran diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/united-nations-gaza-united-states-vote-linda-thomas-greenfield_n_6580ce95e4b036ecab463621 Politico Europe: “Hours into negotiations on opening accession talks with Ukraine, it was Germany's Olaf Scholz who came up with the solution. Scholz told Orbán that he could leave the room so other leaders could take an unanimous decision, two officials said.” https://twitter.com/POLITICOEurope/status/1735379878206144620 Brady Africk on Twitter: “European Union leaders "agreed to open accession talks with Ukraine after a surprisingly rapid climbdown from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who left the room to allow an unanimous decision." https://twitter.com/bradyafr/status/1735362081036157018 @CasualArtyFan: “Considering Norway’s defense budget is between 7-8 billion USD, this is a big deal, even if the aid is a combination military/economic.” https://twitter.com/CasualArtyFan/status/1734975728221815204 @United24media: “Kaja Kallas: We will support Ukraine militarily for at least 4 years with 0.25% of our GDP.” https://twitter.com/United24media/status/1735270699340566606 @michaeldweiss: "Ukraine had completed 80% of reforms required for the first step to membership talks, and was expected to complete with 100% expected by spring. Bosnia, the diplomat said, had completed just 20%." https://twitter.com/michaeldweiss/status/1735319778682712337  @michaeldweiss: "British officials have told their Ukrainian counterparts the country will focus on bolstering Kyiv’s maritime capabilities as part of the planned MoU, The Telegraph can disclose." https://twitter.com/michaeldweiss/status/1737098940535701970 The mystery of the missing binder: How a collection of raw Russian intelligence disappeared under Trump https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2023/12/politics/missing-russia-intelligence-trump-dg/ The Guardian: ‘Art helps us imagine a future we wish to remember’: the photographer finding art in a war zone Six months after the war broke out in Ukraine, Daoud Sarhandi-Williams headed to Kyiv to photograph the city’s street art – and discovered images that capture the hopes and fears of a city https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/dec/12/daoud-sarhandi-williams-ukraine-at-war-street-art-interview?utm_term=657c780436f711bacca0d69b694fb577&utm_campaign=ArtWeekly&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=artweekly_email

Sixteen year old Kalief Browder spent 700 days in solitary confinement over a backpack he didn’t steal, and traitor to his country, former FBI agent Charles McGonigal, only got four years in prison for being on the payroll of the Russian mafia. That and Putin’s end-of-the-year speech to Russians, promising to destroy and occupy all of Ukraine, are discussed in this week’s bonus episode.  Joining us for urgent insights into how to navigate this all-to-familiar time of growing fascism is media historian Ray Gamache, a leading biographer of Gareth Jones, the hero of Mr. Jones, the film inspired by Jones’ groundbreaking reporting on Stalin. Jones also reported from Hitler’s Germany, where he warned that Hitler and his “primitive” mobs of supporters were going to transform not just Germany, but the fate of Europe. Gamache is the author of Gareth Jones: Eyewitness to the Holodomor and Gareth Jones: On Assignment in Nazi Germany 1933-34 To our supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, send in your questions for our Q&As. We always look forward to hearing from you. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Join the conversation and get episodes ad free, invites to special events, and more by subscribing at Patreon.com/Gaslit!  Show Notes: Remembering Kalief Browder a Year After his Suicide and Why Rikers Island Should be Shut Down https://innocenceproject.org/remembering-kalief-browder-year-suicide-rikers-island-shutdown/ Ex-FBI counterintelligence chief sentenced to over four years in prison for work with Russian oligarch https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/14/politics/ex-fbi-counterintelligence-chief-sentenced-to-sentenced-to-over-four-years-in-prison/index.html US Senate report uncovers Louis Freeh's connections with Russia authorities https://news.err.ee/1125367/us-senate-report-uncovers-louis-freeh-s-connections-with-russia-authorities Putin says no peace in Ukraine until his goals are achieved https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/putin-year-end-news-conference-ukraine-1.7058841  

Sixteen year old Kalief Browder spent 700 days in solitary confinement over a backpack he didn’t steal, and traitor to his country, former FBI agent Charles McGonigal, only got four years in prison for being on the payroll of the Russian mafia. That and Putin’s end-of-the-year speech to Russians, promising to destroy and occupy all of Ukraine, are discussed in this week’s bonus episode.  Joining us for urgent insights into how to navigate this all-to-familiar time of growing fascism is media historian Ray Gamache, a leading biographer of Gareth Jones, the hero of Mr. Jones, the film inspired by Jones’ groundbreaking reporting on Stalin. Jones also reported from Hitler’s Germany, where he warned that Hitler and his “primitive” mobs of supporters were going to transform not just Germany, but the fate of Europe. Gamache is the author of Gareth Jones: Eyewitness to the Holodomor and Gareth Jones: On Assignment in Nazi Germany 1933-34 To our supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, send in your questions for our Q&As. We always look forward to hearing from you. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Join the conversation and get episodes ad free, invites to special events, and more by subscribing at Patreon.com/Gaslit!  Show Notes: Remembering Kalief Browder a Year After his Suicide and Why Rikers Island Should be Shut Down https://innocenceproject.org/remembering-kalief-browder-year-suicide-rikers-island-shutdown/ Ex-FBI counterintelligence chief sentenced to over four years in prison for work with Russian oligarch https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/14/politics/ex-fbi-counterintelligence-chief-sentenced-to-sentenced-to-over-four-years-in-prison/index.html US Senate report uncovers Louis Freeh's connections with Russia authorities https://news.err.ee/1125367/us-senate-report-uncovers-louis-freeh-s-connections-with-russia-authorities Putin says no peace in Ukraine until his goals are achieved https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/putin-year-end-news-conference-ukraine-1.7058841  

The Reagan Revolution and “greed is good” remain in full swing, ushering in a level of wealth inequality that surpasses the Gilded Age.  "Progressives, especially, must recognize that pres erving constitutional freedoms depends on winning the fight for economic liberties. Treating them as separate goals will ultimately mean losing out on both," writes Caroline Fredrickson, the former president of the American Constitution Society, the Democrats' answer to Leonard Leo's Federalist Society and his $1.6 billion war chest. You've probably never heard of the American Constitution Society, because they haven't been as effective. In September, Fredrickson wrote a damning piece for The Atlantic explaining why, taking herself and other Democrats to task for packing our courts with corporate-friendly judges under recent Democratic administrations, including the current one. It seemed enough for Democrats that a judge was a woman, nonwhite, and cared about protecting reproductive healthcare. As a result, for decades, our courts have become a rubber stamp for rolling back regulations and defying antitrust laws. Even the Biden-appointed antitrust Elizabeth Warren protégé Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission, has been powerless against the corporate defenders packed on our courts. Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Jesse Eisinger of ProPublica, author of The Chicken Shit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives, explains that to undo the Reagan Revolution, prioritize appointing judges who will uphold antitrust laws and protect unions. To be true allies to women and nonwhite people, who are harder hit by economic downturns, fight for economic justice as the foundation for social justice. The Democrats need to get clear on that and respond with a robust judicial appointment strategy immediately, while there’s still time.  This week’s bonus show, available for our listeners at the Truth-tell level and higher, will feature questions and comments from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Exclusively for our Patroen community at the Truth-teller level and higher, mark your calendars for the January 18th 8pm ET social media workshop to be held over Zoom–on how to kick our Twitter habit and use our social media voices for good in the world in 2024 and beyond–with organizer Rachel Brody of the movement to Replace Jay Jacobs, the disastrous chair of the New York state Democrats who cost us the House. We look forward to seeing you there! Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  To join the conversation and get your questions answered, as well as receive all episodes, including bonus shows, ad-free, sign up at the Democracy Defender level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit!  Show Notes: Brexit and Trump are the Same Crime: The Carole Cadwalladr Interview https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2019/4/15/brexit-and-trump-are-the-same-crime-the-carole-cadwalladr-interview Arron Banks may have been ‘used and exploited’ by Russia, court hears This article is more than 1 year old Journalist Carole Cadwalladr gives evidence as she defends her reporting on multimillionaire Brexit backer https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/17/arron-banks-used-and-exploited-by-russia-court-hears Try the Yuka App: Scan Your Shopping Cart With Yuka and Make Healthier Choices Are there carcinogenic red dyes in your canned soup, or is it just a little too salty? Yuka can tell you, but you may not like what you find. https://www.wired.com/story/yuka-app/ E.U. Reaches Deal on World’s First Comprehensive AI Rules https://time.com/6344628/eu-ai-rules-deal/ What I Most Regret About My Decades of Legal Activism By focusing on civil liberties but ignoring economic issues, liberals like me got defeated on both. By Caroline Fredrickson https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/federal-judiciary-biden-court-appointments/675336/  Republicans to meet allies of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán on ending Ukraine aid Hungarian appearance at two-day event part of Orbán’s transatlantic attempt to bolster Russia’s war https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/10/hungary-viktor-orban-republicans-ukraine-aid Want to Tax the Rich for Real? Pay Attention to This Supreme Court Case. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/10/opinion/supreme-court-wealthy-taxes.html Zelensky visits Washington in push for more Ukraine aid https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/zelensky-biden-visit-12-12-23/index.html

This experiment brings to mind more recent ones in Russia, where there were deliberate efforts to breed both aggressive and docile rats. One Gaslit Nation listener wondered if Russian botfarms are deliberately "engineering" (inciting) aggressive Americans and also docile ones in their disinformation warfare to further divide us. The theory suggests that docile and distracted Americans would be less likely to resist against the aggressive ones. Research into hybrid warfare points to distraction as a powerful tool of disinformation waged by foreign adversaries. (The West has its own history of this, using CIA-funded art and culture to directly challenge Soviet ideology. There's a great book that captures that time called The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters.) All that and more, including Venezuela’s threats to annex an oil-rich region of Guyana, which would worsen the refugee crisis on our southern border, is discussed in this week’s bonus episode. If you didn’t hear your question answered this week, look out for it next week as the Gaslit Nation Q&A continues! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Under Stalin, in their quest to build a Soviet utopia, the Bolsheviks turned to eugenics. With the goal of breeding humans with apes, they aimed to successfully prove Darwin was right and that religion was indeed the "opium of the masses." Their human-ape hybrids would be engineered to be a super species—communally driven, designed with positive traits to build a flourishing communist society. Needless to say, the experiment failed, and many chimpanzees kidnapped from Africa died in the process. Join the conversation by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit Show Notes: Get your ‘Tis the Season to Prosecute Treason T-shirt featuring an original design by Hamish Smyth! http://tee.pub/lic/_vLBHBoWkeg Nice Rats, Nasty Rats: Maybe It’s All in the Genes https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/25/health/nice-rats-nasty-rats-maybe-its-all-in-the-genes.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare Israel and Palestine: A Political Solution https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2023/10/18/israel-palestine-political-solution Kremlin says Putin is healthy, laughs off body double rumours https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/kremlin-rejects-speculation-that-putin-is-ill-uses-body-doubles-2023-10-24/ The Russian Government Once Funded a Scientist’s Quest To Make an Ape-Human Hybrid In 1926, a famed Russian biologist was “hell-bent” on creating an ape-human hybrid https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-russian-government-once-funded-a-scientists-quest-to-make-an-ape-human-hybrid-5043859/ Venezuela’s threats to annex most of Guyana draw international concern https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/12/07/venezuela-guyana-esequibo-map-border-dispute/ Distraction Helps Misinformation Spread. Thinking About Accuracy Can Reduce it. https://medium.com/jigsaw/distraction-helps-misinformation-spread-thinking-about-accuracy-can-reduce-it-a4e5d8371a85 Weapons of Mass Distraction https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Weapons-of-Mass-Distraction-Foreign-State-Sponsored-Disinformation-in-the-Digital-Age.pdf

The Supreme Court is at it again! This current season of the American Hunger Games, also known as a Supreme Court session, could be as disastrous for the American people and great for the far-right donor class since Citizens United. Here to help us make sense of the firehose of corruption coming out of the nation’s highest court is Jesse Eisinger, a senior editor and investigative reporter for ProPublica and author of "The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives." Eisinger edited and led the team of journalists who produced several investigations exposing the massive bribes— we mean, the totally unethical and impeachable financial entanglements of Republican-appointed justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. The discussion includes why Republicans build war chests to capture our courts for generations and why Democrats continue to have no strategy in response; why the DOJ let Wall Street off the hook for tanking our global economy and what that means for whether Trump and his co-conspirators will also get away with their crimes and corruption, and how to push back against elite criminal impunity in a time of historic income inequality—worse than the Gilded Age. This week’s bonus episode will answer questions from listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher on Patreon. Andrea will also share some colorful insights from someone who had to work with Russian oligarchs back in the car bomb 1990s in Russia. For our Patreon community, Mark your calendar for the January 18th, 8 pm ET social media workshop to help us get in gear for raising our voices as we head into another make-it-or-break-it election year for our democracy and, therefore, the world Want to join the conversation? Subscribe to join our community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit  Show Notes: Urgent call-to-action from Razom for Ukraine: Call your representative and ask them to pass supplemental funding for Ukraine. More info for taking quick action here: https://www.votervoice.net/RAZOMFORUKRAINE/Campaigns/107413/Respond How to Volunteer in Ukraine https://www.volunteeringukraine.com/ How to Visit Ukraine https://visitukraine.today/ Make a tax deductible donation to the Berliner Odessa Express https://www.we-aid.org/en/initiatives/berlinodessaexpress/ Short film by Rick Minnich on the Berliner Odessa Express: “We Are Here” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjzAsCG--6I Clarence Thomas’ 38 Vacations: The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-other-billionaires-sokol-huizenga-novelly-supreme-court Clarence Thomas Secretly Participated in Koch Network Donor Events https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-secretly-attended-koch-brothers-donor-events-scotus We Don’t Talk About Leonard: The Man Behind the Right’s Supreme Court Supermajority https://www.propublica.org/article/we-dont-talk-about-leonard-leo-supreme-court-supermajority   The Parallax View (Journalistic thriller recommended by Jesse Eisinger)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Parallax_View   Justice Samuel Alito Took Luxury Fishing Vacation With GOP Billionaire Who Later Had Cases Before the Court https://www.propublica.org/article/samuel-alito-luxury-fishing-trip-paul-singer-scotus-supreme-court   It’s Not Personal: Why Clarence Thomas’ Trip to the Koch Summit Undermines His Ethics Defense https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-koch-network-trips-disclosure-law-scotus   Citizens for Ethics: “Republicans are promising to unleash a whirlwind of 150 subpoenas on allies of Democrats if Senator Durbin moves forward with a subpoena of Harlan Crow in his Supreme Court ethics investigation. That threat just shows how powerful Harlan Crow really is.”  https://twitter.com/CREWcrew/status/1730195116663394757?t=-epurOECtmwyOyu6rjyEgQ&s=19   New Supreme Court Ethics Code Is Designed to Fail https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/new-supreme-court-ethics-code-designed-fail   Supreme Court conservatives seem likely to axe SEC enforcement powers https://www.npr.org/2023/11/29/1215931171/supreme-court-heard-arguments-in-a-challenge-to-the-secs-ability-to-fight-fraud   Behind the Scenes of Justice Alito’s Unprecedented Wall Street Journal Pre-buttal The Journal editorial page accused ProPublica of misleading readers in a story that hadn’t yet been published. https://www.propublica.org/article/behind-scenes-alito-wall-street-journal-prebuttal-editorial   Supreme Court’s SEC case ruling could ‘upend government as we know it’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYooyPcRNVc   Supreme Court Skeptical of Argument That Could Hobble Consumer Watchdog The justices heard a challenge to the way Congress funded the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau but seemed persuaded that it was constitutional. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/03/us/supreme-court-cfpb.html   Billionaires had a surprisingly bad day in the Supreme Court today https://www.vox.com/scotus/2023/12/5/23989306/supreme-court-wealth-tax-billionaires-moore-united-states-elizabeth-warren

Putin lost a longtime friend and confidant, the only American statesman he respected and admired. Why might these two have hit if off? War criminal Henry Kissinger, like Putin, was responsible for millions of deaths and backing some of the most brutal regimes in the world. The foreign policy establishment here in the U.S. and in Europe have blood on their hands for normalizing Kissinger, like Putin, for far too long.  For a refresher on Kissinger’s legacy, which was revealed to be even worse than previously known, listen to the Gaslit Nation spring 2023 interview with investigative journalist Nick Turse on his reporting for The Intercept into the generational trauma of Kissinger in Cambodia. Not content to prolong the Vietnam war, Kissinger spread the conflict to formally neutral Cambodia, helping bring to power the repressive Khmer Rouge. Add to that his enabling of genocides in East Timor and Bangladesh, as well as backing dictators and murder squads in Latin America. It’s obvious why he was also a fan of Trump. All this is to say, where were you when you first heard the news that Kissinger will no longer be advising other war criminals, and how did you celebrate?  Andrea shares a story of spotting Kissinger at a party while holding a throwable glass of wine in her hand, and why it’s important to celebrate the demise of war criminals–that’s how you build a culture to prevent future war criminals. The Patreon-only portion of this week’s bonus episode features comments and questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Topics range from turning our current rollercoaster of living history into the next Nineteen Eighty-Four, celebrating our acts of civil resistance, books to read to find your voice in the world, and more! To join the conversation, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit.  Show Notes: Henry Kissinger, responsible for millions of deaths, dies at 100 https://theintercept.com/2023/11/29/henry-kissinger-death/ Henry Kissinger: ‘If it were not for the accident of my birth, I would be antisemitic.’ https://forward.com/culture/470300/kissinger-at-100-if-it-were-not-for-the-accident-of-my-birth-i-would-be/ Alex Gibney Documentary: The Trials of Henry Kissinger https://www.amazon.com/Trials-Henry-Kissinger-Eugene-Jarecki/dp/B00A9IFSBY Kissinger on the Nixon tapes https://youtu.be/OKoqIqQ0E08?si=vV7uM8nNwyPiHoMI Kissinger, a longtime Putin confidant, sidles up to Trump  https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-kissinger-russia-putin-232925 Andrea’s celebratory tweet: What is the first thing Satan said to Kissinger? https://twitter.com/AndreaChalupa/status/1730055040985874722?t=UftX3tgzsaT9HQzlkzYbMw&s=19 Monty Python song “Henry Kissinger”: https://youtu.be/ABeGhyAD_DM?si=3t1FR3jsar78sqKv Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago A blueprint reviewed by The Times laid out the attack in detail. Israeli officials dismissed it as aspirational and ignored specific warnings. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-attack-intelligence.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Ck0.uBQX.Rdb-cCaQzu18&hpgrp=k-abar&smid=url-share

Trump and McConnell, turbo-charged by the war chest of the Federalist Society, packed the Supreme Court, and put in place far-right idealogues across 28-percent of our federal courts, reshaping our judiciary for decades to come. In a short time, Trump’s Mullahs on the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, killed Affirmative Action, and made gay marriage easier to challenge. (We’ll report more on their latest horrors, and how to protect ourselves, in upcoming episodes). States with elected governments that work to protect the public with sensible gun laws, environmental regulations, reproductive freedom, and other essential quality of life issues are all fair game to this Fox News Supreme Court. Will the Mullah Supremes drive the nation apart, and how will our union survive that along with an unchecked NRA, the Republican war on women/reproductive health care/LGBTQ+ people especially trans people/refugees/our environment, and democracy itself?  Heather Cox Richardson, America’s sweetheart, historian, and author of the new bestselling book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, provides historical context for our political crisis of today compared to the last time Americans seemed this divided. How close are we to falling apart as a nation, and what can or should be done to avoid this fate? Our discussion took place on September 19, and was not aired sooner due to the Israel-Hamas War. But the warnings and insights remain urgent.  Our opening introduction looks at the New York Times once again protecting Jared and Ivanka Kushner, the crime lords of the Trump White House, including the cash-grab pardon operation they ran especially in the final months as Trump plotted a coup to stay in power. One of the reporters on the story is unsurprisingly Maggie Haberman, whose mother Nancy Haberman works at Rubenstein PR, founded by the longtime publicist for Jared Kushner and his father Charles Kushner, a convicted con and disbarred attorney who also got a pardon from Trump, and was instrumental in helping other unsavory criminals get their own so they could go on crim-ing. This may sound incredible. But it’s all true. Check the show notes. This week’s bonus episode will look at the latest developments in the Isarel-Hamas war including famous anti-semite Elon Musk’s visit to Israel, Russia’s ongoing genocide in Ukraine and what must be done to stop it, and more. To support our show and get access to bonus episodes like our Make Art workshop, live virtual events like our January 18th social media workshop and wake for Old Twitter, and more, support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! ,  Want to join the conversation? Subscribe to join our community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit  Song feature for November is 'First They Came for the Queers' by Mr. Madam Adam. You can find more of Mr. Madam Adam's music on Apple Music, on Twitter @senorhettler, on Instagram @AdamEvansWest, and on TikTok @Iamadamadam. To all our artists out there, submit your song to be featured on Gaslit Nation here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628 Show Notes Get your ‘Tis the Season to Prosecute Treason T-shirt featuring an original design by Hamish Smyth and support the show! http://tee.pub/lic/_vLBHBoWkeg Make Art workshop: https://www.patreon.com/posts/make-art-video-93450936?cid=123025949 Heather Cox Richardson’s Book: Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America https://bookshop.org/p/books/democracy-awakening-notes-on-the-state-of-america-heather-cox-richardson/19685160?ean=9780593652961  Part I of the Interview with Heather Cox Richardson: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2023/10/04/kremlin-kaos-kaucus-heather-cox-richardson  A Troubling Trump Pardon and a Link to the Kushners A commutation for a drug smuggler named Jonathan Braun had broader implications than previously known. It puts new focus on how Donald Trump would use his clemency powers in a second term. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/26/us/politics/trump-pardon-braun.html Trump fundraiser, Kushner lawyer involved in effort to get pardon for tax evader The New York Times reported that to get a pardon for a California man, a real estate developer would make a "substantial" political contribution. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/trump-fundraiser-kushner-lawyer-involved-effort-get-pardon-tax-evader-n1250006 Report: Jared Kushner’s Lawyer Was Recruited to Help With a Suspected Bribe-for-Pardon Scheme https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/12/jared-kushner-lawyer-pardon-investigation Trump pardoned his son-in-law’s dad. Here’s what Charles Kushner did. https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-nw-charlie-kushner-pardoned-20201224-6dlgp6ukkzggznmlj7ah3mkg44-story.html Before Giving Billions to Jared Kushner, Saudi Investment Fund Had Big Doubts Before committing $2 billion to Mr. Kushner’s fledgling firm, officials at a fund led by the Saudi crown prince questioned taking such a big risk. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/10/us/jared-kushner-saudi-investment-fund.html SAUDI CROWN PRINCE BOASTED THAT JARED KUSHNER WAS “IN HIS POCKET” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told confidants that Kushner discussed the names of royal family members opposed to his power grab. https://theintercept.com/2018/03/21/jared-kushner-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman/ Joaquin Castro Calls for Investigation Into Whether Jared Kushner Shared Intelligence That Led to Khashoggi Killing https://www.newsweek.com/jared-kushner-jamal-khashoggi-saudi-arabia-mbs-killing-consulate-donald-trump-1179255 Jared Kushner advised Saudi prince on how to 'weather' Khashoggi slaying, report says https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/09/jared-kushner-advised-saudi-prince-after-khashoggi-murder-report-says/2257098002/ How Trump, Kushner covered up Kashoggi's murder and got rewarded - opinion https://www.jpost.com/opinion/how-trump-kushner-covered-up-kashoggis-murder-and-got-rewarded-opinion-685289 Jared and Ivanka made up to $640 million in the White House https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/jared-and-ivanka-made-up-to-640-million-in-the-white-house/#:~:text=Jared%20Kushner%20and%20Ivanka%20Trump,of%20financial%20disclosures%20by%20CREW. The Legacy (Jared and Charles Kushner repped by Howard Rubenstein)  https://nymag.com/news/features/57891/ Nancy Haberman works at Rubenstein PR: https://rubenstein.com/who-we-are/ “Donald Trump leaves the White House having appointed more than 200 judges to the federal bench, including nearly as many powerful federal appeals court judges in four years as Barack Obama appointed in eight. Trump, the nation’s 45th president, worked closely with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans to reshape the federal judiciary – particularly the appeals courts – for decades to come. Federal judges have lifetime tenure and typically remain on the bench long after the presidents who nominated them have left office.”  https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/01/13/how-trump-compares-with-other-recent-presidents-in-appointing-federal-judges/  

As a special THANK YOU to our Patreon community that keeps the showing going through these tough times, Andrea shares her “hot sauce” for making art. The core spice is this: Don’t be afraid to be interesting. Sometimes there might be a temptation to self-censor, to play it safe, to adhere to external pressures real or imagined. Instead, go within and create based on what’s true for you. That’s what the world needs from you now.  To use this guide, watch the video of the workshop, then read through the worksheet that outlines the step-by-step process: for Patreon subscribers you can find that worksheet linked here. Or you can listen to the guide as you would any podcast. Whatever works for you is what works!  As a follow-up to this workshop, we’ll gather in the new year for a live virtual event to talk through our projects, share ideas and insights, and support each other in our creative process. The goal is to protect our mental hygiene, enhance our intuition, and stay creative in a time of rampant gaslighting by idiotic destructive forces determined to demoralize us. We obviously won’t let that happen.  For any questions or to share notes on your own process, leave a comment below or write to Andrea at GaslitNation@gmail.com. To check out the first ever Gaslit Nation Make Art workshop, subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit. You’ll receive all episodes ad free, special invites, and more!  Show Notes: The Modern Myths: Adventures in the Machinery of the Popular Imagination https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-modern-myths-adventures-in-the-machinery-of-the-popular-imagination-philip-ball/18335535?ean=9780226823843 The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma [Includes insights on art therapy] https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-body-keeps-the-score-brain-mind-and-body-in-the-healing-of-trauma-bessel-van-der-kolk/6679040?ean=9780143127741 Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life Through the Power of Storytelling https://bookshop.org/p/books/storyworthy-engage-teach-persuade-and-change-your-life-through-the-power-of-storytelling-matthew-dicks/10952996?ean=9781608685486 Making Movies https://bookshop.org/p/books/making-movies-sidney-lumet/6730532?ean=9780679756606 The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-anatomy-of-story-22-steps-to-becoming-a-master-storyteller-john-truby/8050558?ean=9780865479937 101 Things to Learn in Art School https://bookshop.org/p/books/101-things-to-learn-in-art-school-kit-white/10523037?ean=9780262016216 Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You about Being Creative https://bookshop.org/p/books/steal-like-an-artist-10-things-nobody-told-you-about-being-creative-austin-kleon/6862462?ean=9780761169253 Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art https://bookshop.org/p/books/understanding-comics-the-invisible-art-scott-mccloud/228758?ean=9780060976255 A Map for Wild Hearts: How to Make Art Even When You're Lost https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-map-for-wild-hearts-how-to-make-art-even-when-you-re-lost-andrea-hannah/12045947?ean=9780578521725 Watch the documentary “Brooklyn Boheme” made by Gaslit Nation guest and Andrea’s mentor Nelson George: https://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-Boheme-Spike-Branford-Marsalis/dp/B007JRTVH0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=13DQ10MMZPBVU&keywords=brooklyn+boheme&qid=1700830612&s=instant-video&sprefix=brooklyn+boh%2Cinstant-video%2C336&sr=1-1 10 Must-Read Native American Authors https://bookriot.com/must-read-native-american-authors/

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum is back on Gaslit Nation in Part II of a discussion that spans what comes after Putin, why it seems like Russia is behind so much destabilization around the world, and why the Holodomor, Stalin’s 1933 genocide famine in Ukraine, matters today. Applebaum is the author of Gulag, Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism, and Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine, which cites survivor testimony that Andrea’s grandfather provided the U.S. Congressional investigation of the famine. That interview begins at 32:16 of this week’s episode.  While the Israeli government reportedly approved a deal for a limited hostage exchange with Hamas and a temporary pause, the opening commentary includes a look at Russia’s nodes in its war against the democratic alliance, including Musk and Thiel, Netanyahu’s extreme far-right coalition, and Hamas, and shares solutions on how to strengthen our national security against these 21st century threats. The opening discussion celebrates the Mother of Thanksgiving: poet, novelist, journalist, abolitionist Sarah Josepha Hale, and women on the frontlines everywhere campaigning for human rights. We see you, and we’re grateful for you. Thank you to everyone who does whatever they can, wherever they are, to strengthen our democracy.  This week’s bonus episode will be a special thank you to our Gaslit Nation community that keeps our show going through these difficult times, with another make-it-or-break-it year around the corner. To help sustain us, look out for the first-ever Make Art workshop publishing Saturday with a simple guide to follow at your leisure. We’ll follow up this workshop with a live virtual event in the new year for our community to gather together and share notes, ask questions, and sharpen our ideas. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To check out the first ever Gaslit Nation Make Art workshop, subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit. You’ll receive all episodes ad free, special invites, and more!  Show Notes: Get your ‘Tis the Season to Prosecute Treason T-shirt featuring an original design by Hamish Smyth here: http://tee.pub/lic/_vLBHBoWkeg Meet the “Mother of Thanksgiving:” Sarah Josepha Hale https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/meet-the-mother-of-thanksgiving-sarah-josepha-hale/ FINLAND: Anne Applebaum on Twitter: “Russia is throwing everything it has - bribery, propaganda, migrants, energy blackmail, hackers - at Europe and the US - with the clear (and often stated) intent of destabilizing Western democracies. When will we begin to take this challenge seriously?” https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum/status/1726527444532994342 Ukraine’s Foreign Minister on an Important Thread: “To those who have missed the previous 30 years, here is a short list of the results of negotiations with Russia that it never respected:” https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1724427557016043668 Anne Applebaum: “A year ago, Ukraine liberated Kherson. Since then, the Russians have not stopped attacking civilians there. If they can't own Kherson, they will destroy it. That's their attitude to all of Ukraine.” https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum/status/1723647754860147144 The West Must Defeat Russia Putin hasn’t given up his plans. He thinks Ukraine’s allies will lose interest. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/us-ukraine-support-putin-defeat/675953/ Anne Applebaum on Twitter: “Ukraine and its allies' record, so far is one of extraordinary success: Russia has left 50% of the territory it occupied early in the war, has 250k casualties, and lost billions in weapons. But that success is not permanent until Russia understands that it has lost.” https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum/status/1722972111184986398  Anne Applebaum on Twitter: “The accounts given by Ukrainians who have fled the occupied territories sound like accounts of people who escaped Stalin's Soviet Union” https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum/status/1725441272129654887 Timothy Snyder on Twitter: “A group of Russian nationals were able to donate to newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson's campaign in 2018 by funneling the money through a U.S. company." – Ewan Palmer, Newsweek” https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1725655210117202090 Fania Oz-Salzberger on Twitter: “Do you know what Israelis are fuming about tonight? #Hamas, #Hizbollah, @BBC, @GretaThunberg, for sure. But there’s more. It was disclosed today that in secretive haste, our government gave 56 million shekels to the Prime Minister’s bureau, 30 million of which are for renovating #Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem. 30 million shekels can suffice to build two brand new luxury villas. The country is at war, 239 hostages in Gaza, 125,000 Israeli evacuees from both the south and the north are squatting in hotels and relatives’ homes, myriads have lost their living, and massacre survivors cannot afford psychological treatment. But our Ceaușescus are renovating. This beggars belief.” https://twitter.com/faniaoz/status/1724856880487407884 I Have Never Been to This Israel Before https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/09/opinion/israel-hamas-war.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare Ruth Ben-Ghiat on Twitter: “Well Fascists and Communists often confined dissidents or inconvenient people in psychiatric hospitals, so here Trump goes again with his authoritarian threats.” https://twitter.com/ruthbenghiat/status/1725367194714849650 Jake Tapper on Twitter: “Elon Musk pushing unvarnished anti semitism at a time of rising antisemitism and violence against Jews” https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1724922127206273338 The White House May Condemn Musk, but the Government Is Addicted to Him Rarely has the U.S. government so depended on the technology provided by a single technologist with views that it has so publicly declared repugnant.  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/19/us/politics/elon-musk-white-house-pentagon.html?smid=tw-share  Peter Thiel Reveals His Contrarian Take on Energy and Climate The Trump adviser and Facebook investor strays outside the norm—including in cleantech.  https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/peter-thiel-reveals-his-contrarian-leanings-on-energy-climate Professor Michael E. Mann: “Thiel, Russia, Saudi Arabia all conspired in Musk's twitter takeover. An alliance of authoritarians/fascists and petrostates whose aim is no less than to destabilize democratic governance”  https://twitter.com/MichaelEMann/status/1634931469499117570 Ben Collins on Twitter: “Media Matters suit filed by Musk’s X Corp here. He single out a staffer, @ehananoki , when filing it.” https://twitter.com/oneunderscore__/status/1726761801168162825?t=aA7AES3t5cwGkFxjoNAPCA&s=19 Global warming to far exceed Paris targets without urgent action: new report https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/video/global-warming-far-exceed-paris-targets-without-urgent-action-new-report Argentina set for sharp right turn as Trump-like radical wins presidency  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/19/argentina-presidential-election-results-javier-milei/ Univision, the Spanish-language news giant, shifts its approach to Trump The presence of corporate executives at Mar-a-Lago raises alarm among Democrats, who are used to Latino media criticism of the former president’s policies  https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/14/trump-univision-biden-election/ Opening clip: https://twitter.com/AnandWrites/status/1725225486882587118 Young voters in Michigan call for a ceasefire: https://twitter.com/jadeegray1/status/1726804481156030750?t=QNbP1pyq_ObLSSCH_Xp6IQ&s=19 Carl Sagan lecture on climate change in 1990:  https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/s/GEyMxn0X0u   Elon Musk on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine  https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1723324517177561374 CNN’s Jake Tapper on Israel’s extreme far-right ruling coalition:  https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1724955462775251270

This important interview features Lisa Molomot and Jeff Bemiss, the filmmakers behind the extraordinary must-watch Peabody Award-winning film Missing in Brooks County about the immigration crisis in America deliberately engineered for maximum cruelty by both Republican and Democratic leaders over the years, creating the world’s deadliest border crossing. It does not have to be this way. In this discussion, you’ll hear common sense solutions, unmasking an entrenched genocidal culture that has gone unchecked for far too long. Learn more about this must-see film here: https://www.missinginbrookscounty.com/ We're running this interview again at the request of a Gaslit Nation listener who would like to share this interview and film with their Congressional representative, to demand an end to the "silent genocide" deliberately engineered on the U.S. southern border. We strongly urge you to talk to your representatives wherever you live to help build a culture of change.  An all new episode of Gaslit Nation will be out this evening, as usual. Thank you to everyone in our community of listeners who work to build a better world and sustainable future for everyone.   

Welcome to the George Santos Tribute Episode, lasting as long as his tenure in Congress.The Russian-linked Ponzi Scheme is on his way out. He lavishly spent campaign cash on his honeymoon in Las Vegas, spa treatments, luxury shopping sprees, Botox (he’s 35!), and the naughty fun time site OnlyFans. We have questions, mostly: Did his Russian-linked backers get their money’s worth by having major American embarrassment Santos in Congress? The answer is yes. On an oddly related note, super mogul Len Blavatnik, whom you're not allowed to call a Russian oligarch (or else he might sue you), owns Warner Music Group. The industry giant is developing a creepy and dangerous A.I.-generated Edith Piaf biopic. Blavatnik, whose cousin Andrea got into a screaming match with at the start of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, throws his money around, including to the Democratic Party and the Council on Foreign Relations. As explained in this episode, this is reputation laundering and influence peddling, given Blavatnik's well-documented ties to Putin’s court of oligarchs. Are you ready for this? Blavatnik is a longtime friend and business partner of notorious sanctioned “Putin wallet” Viktor Vekselberg in various oligarchy-type ventures like Rusal, Russia’s largest aluminum company owned by Oleg Deripaska, that thug who won the aluminum wars during the car bomb 1990s in Russia. (Paul Manafort was on the hook to Deripaska for a bunch of money in a media venture gone wrong, and made it up to him by running Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016…for free). Blavatnik’s friend/business partner Vekselberg has a seemingly unlucky cousin named Andrew Intrater, a financier who gave George Soros $625,000 to invest in a Florida based fund that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme. Despite losing all that money, Intrater went on to put his full trust in Santos by pumping his Congressional campaign full of cash. A campaign that turned out to be…you guessed it, a Ponzi scheme. It should be noted that longtime friends and associates Intrater, Vekselberg, and Blavatnik all gave heavily to Trump’s inaugural committee–otherwise known as a Russian victory lap.  This week’s bonus episode includes questions from listeners on topics ranging from white rage extremism and who’s tracking it, to how to stay hopeful during these dark times. If you didn’t hear your question answered this week, look out for it soon! Next week’s bonus episode will be the Make Art Workshop–a thank you to our community and a way for us to build up our resilience and fight back with joy. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Show Notes: Get your ‘Tis the Season to Prosecute Treason T-shirt featuring an original design by Hamish Smyth here: http://tee.pub/lic/_vLBHBoWkeg 68-percent of Americans support a ceasefire in Gaza https://www.reuters.com/world/us-public-support-israel-drops-majority-backs-ceasefire-reutersipsos-2023-11-15/ Israeli opposition leader says time has come to replace Netanyahu https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-opposition-leader-says-time-has-come-replace-netanyahu-2023-11-16/ Hamas leader being grilled on live TV and lying https://twitter.com/arash_tehran/status/1715354932595847322 Santos Won’t Seek Re-election After House Panel Finds Evidence of Crimes The findings, which were referred to prosecutors, are likely to prompt another attempt to expel the embattled congressman from the House. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/nyregion/george-santos-ethics-committee.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20231116&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta&regi_id=48614702&segment_id=150214&user_id=097a378032011d6e8be1570cdce0a176 A Soviet-Born Billionaire Is Buying Influence at US Institutions. Anti-Corruption Activists Are Worried. The Council on Foreign Relations is under fire for accepting Len Blavatnik’s gifts thanks to his tie to oligarchs and Russian corruption. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/10/council-on-foreign-relations-leonard-blavatnik-russia/ Music’s Mystery Mogul: Len Blavatnik, Trump and Their Russian Friends Len Blavatnik is not only a backer of films and potential buyer of a Hollywood studio but also reportedly on the fringe of the Russia probe thanks to GOP giving and links to oligarchs with ties to Putin. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/why-is-warner-music-group-owner-len-blavatnik-russia-probe-1150550/ How an Investor Lost $625,000 and His Faith in George Santos Andrew Intrater, a wealthy businessman, has been in touch with the S.E.C. about Mr. Santos’s dealings on behalf of a company accused in a Ponzi scheme. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/nyregion/george-santos-sec-intrater.html NY Fund Manager Linked to Russian Oligarch Invested Big With Santos. Now He Claims He Was Conned. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/01/george-santos-andrew-intrater/ A Putin-Friendly Oligarch’s Top US Executive Donated $285,000 to Trump The head of Viktor Vekselberg’s American affiliate helped finance Trump’s inauguration. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/08/a-putin-friendly-oligarchs-top-us-executive-donated-285000-to-trump/ ‘It’s shameful’: Russian-linked billionaires have given enormous sums of money to the West’s leading educational and cultural institutions https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/11/us/russian-oligarchs-philanthropy-ukraine-war-invs/index.html Oleg Deripaska: Putin ‘favourite’ with strong ties to UK politics https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/10/oleg-deripaska-profile-putin-britain  

Authoritarian voters cosplay Rambo on the U.S. Southern border, literally hunting refugees and denying them basic human rights. Our interview this week features Lisa Molomot and Jeff Bemiss, the filmmakers behind the extraordinary must-watch Peabody Award-winning film Missing in Brooks County about the immigration crisis in America deliberately engineered for maximum cruelty by both Republican and Democratic leaders over the years, creating the world’s deadliest border crossing. It does not have to be this way. In this discussion, you’ll hear common sense solutions, unmasking an entrenched genocidal culture that has gone unchecked for far too long. Who was first in line to carry out the Holocaust? The authoritarian voter next door. Survivors described how their neighbors turned on them, throwing rocks through their windows. That’s who Trump is appealing to, driving out people who have existed throughout history: longing for a strongman to crush their enemies, and put mouthy women, smug nonwhite people, those pesky gays, and don’t forget entitled refugees in their place. These are the “vermin” Trump scapegoats as he travels the country, amplifying Russian disinformation, and consolidating his base: the authoritarian voter next door.  Reality Winner, the patriotic whistleblower who confirmed extensive Russian hacking of our election systems after government officials tried to downplay it, has faced far harsher punishment than violent coup plotter Trump with his 91 criminal indictments. The American people see the threat to our democracy clearly, which is why they’ve built resilient grassroots power that ushered in yet another historic Blue Wave. The latest victory in a long list: Dauphin County, PA flipped to Democratic control for the first time in 100 years. We the People have done significantly more to protect our democracy than Merrick Garland’s DOJ.  Given the immense power we’ve shown, it’s time to abolish the Electoral College, a monument to slavery, and agitate for other reforms to modernize the United States government. Gaslit Nation is working on a special series on how to Trump-proof our democracy, protecting us and future generations from his massive cult that ensures succession is guaranteed. Even after Trump is gone, another cultist will take his place. So it’s time to expand our historic Blue Wave energy into overdue government reform. The nonsense press release from the Supreme Court pretending to care about ethics is not what we’re talking about.  As a thank you to our Gaslit Nation community on Patreon, look out the weekend after Thanksgiving for a special MAKE ART workshop in the form of a podcast that you can download and try at your own leisure. We’re all natural born artists, and this act of self-care and meaningful therapy reminds us that our voices matter and that we’re needed now more than ever. In his brilliant resistance pocket guide On Tyranny, historian Timothy Snyder urges us to be visible, and that visibility comes through creativity, as we use our voice for our collective good. The model of this has always been embedded in this show that has featured interviews with extraordinary artists like Nelson George, a writer of the hip-hop movement and Andrea’s longtime mentor, and filmmaker Oleg Sentsov who survived a Siberian prison by writing a novel, stories, and directing a film. Yes, art matters. Art is survival. And each of us, to navigate these civilization-making-or-breaking years ahead, can embrace our inner artist to create a sustainable, livable future together. Artists imagine and show that another world is possible. As Sentsov said on our show: Dictators die. Art is forever. Look out for that special MAKE ART workshop next week! To get access to that, bonus shows, all episodes ad free, and more, subscribe to join our community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit  This week’s bonus show will look at the latest in the Israel-Hamas war, troubling jumps in A.I., and answer questions from listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  If you’re in NYC, stop by 42 Second Avenue, between 2nd & 3rd Streets, to see a giant photograph of a “car cemetery” in Irpin, Ukraine, an area that suffered greatly during the early days of Russia’s total war genocide. The photographer is Phil Buehler, and more of his work can be seen here: https://modern-ruins.com/irpin-ukraine-please-dont-forget-us/ You can also join Andrea this Thursday at NYU to check out a talk by Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats podcast. Details here: https://twitter.com/terrelljstarr/status/1724146505001422925 Andrea joined Jennifer Taub, author of Big Dirty Money: Making White Collar Criminals Pay, on her podcast Booked Up. Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/andrea-chalupa-on-dictatorship-is-easy/id1651929984?i=1000634521344 SHOW NOTES: MUST WATCH: Missing in Brooks County by Lisa Molomot and Jeff Bemiss https://www.missinginbrookscounty.com/ MUST WATCH: John Oliver on the Israel-Palestine Conflict https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ9PKQbkJv8 Opening Clip: Trump in New Hampshire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE3S2_zWEIc Supreme Court Announces Ethics Code for Justices The decision comes after revelations about undisclosed property deals and gifts have intensified pressure on the court to adopt such a code. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/13/us/politics/supreme-court-ethics-code.html Supreme Court approval ratings at record lows, new Gallup poll shows https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/02/politics/supreme-court-record-lows-gallup/index.html In a Historic First, the Supreme Court Has Adopted a Code of Ethics The code, which does not include any enforcement mechanism, comes after ProPublica and other outlets disclosed that justices had repeatedly failed to disclose gifts and travel from wealthy donors. https://www.propublica.org/article/supreme-court-adopts-ethics-code-scotus-thomas-alito-crow FROM AXIOS: “Driving the news: In a Veterans Day speech in New Hampshire on Saturday, Trump vowed to "root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections." He then posted the same message on Truth Social, including the word "vermin" often used by Hitler and Mussolini to denigrate Jews and their political enemies. Trump went on to say that "the threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous and grave than the threat from within." The big picture: Trump's increasingly violent rhetoric — calling for a U.S. military leader to be executed, mocking a near-fatal assault on a congressional spouse, urging police to shoot potential shoplifters — has become a staple of his brand as he faces the threat of conviction in four different criminal cases.” https://www.axios.com/2023/11/13/trump-vermin-fascist-language-speech “The institutional right is screening a “pro-Trump army of up to 54,000 loyalists” that, if elected, Trump plans to use to unleash DOJ on his political enemies, create deportation camps for millions of immigrants, and generally turn his whim into law.”  https://twitter.com/MattGertz/status/1724037010183123157 We encourage you to check out the sponsor of this week’s episode:  Our listeners can go to HelloFresh.com/gaslitfree and use code “gaslitfree” for FREE breakfast for life! One breakfast item per box while subscription is active. Thank you so much for our sponsor, HelloFresh, America’s #1 Meal Kit 

This Election 2023 Super Special opens with a discussion on building unions, because the big takeaway is grassroots power is the most reliable power we have left. In a time of historic income inequality, which furthers the flames of fascism, we need to extend the Big Blue Wave energy into the growing rebirth of unions. Political and economic justice go hand-in-hand. For our Patreon community, there’s a deep dive on the election, and a special call to action for those who support the show and make Gaslit Nation possible. Thank you all so much! If you would like to hear the full episode, get all episodes ad free, join our community of listeners, and so much more, subscribe to support our independent journalism at Patreon.com/Gaslit.   With all the important races this year, we strategically set our sights on one goal: denying Youngkin a Republican majority in Virginia. Together we exceeded our expectations: we held the Senate, flipped the House, and helped elect the first trans woman to the Virginia state senate, and put Youngkin’s political future in doubt. There were headlines like this one from Politico following his major election night losses: “Glenn Youngkin’s white knight era is over.”  We supported grassroots infrastructure that could lead to Virginia being called early again on election night like it was in 2020. Sister District, the grassroots group we partnered with, made 43-percent of its candidates phone calls, and our Gaslit Nation phone bank with them was their largest to date of this election. Thank you to everyone who did whatever you could wherever you are. We're going to get through this dangerous crossroads together. What's clear is that the grassroots communities that formed in the original 2018 Blue Wave are still active. Now we need to help expand that energy into economic justice. That’s why this Election 2023 Special opens with an interview featuring longtime Gaslit Nation listener Brock Madden speaking with Jasmine Leli, the Buffalo, N.Y.-based Starbucks barista and member of Starbucks Workers United. Based in Seattle, Brock is looking to organize other restaurant workers like him to unionize. If you want to start a union and don’t know how or where to start, this discussion will inspire you to take action, no matter how small at first.  Thank you to Jasmine and Brock for this important conversation. If you’re in the Seattle area and would like to build with Brock, email him at huckleberry_98226@yahoo.com SHOW NOTES: CLIP: “Fraud Family!” Ivanka Kushner greeted by protesters at a New York courthouse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5LMNFfEmLo Nikki Haley Praises Ivanka Kushner https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1049681209553547266?t=ziSGT40B4wIDx0mtDVEMWg&s=19 Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase Presidential Power in 2025 The former president and his backers aim to strengthen the power of the White House and limit the independence of federal agencies. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/us/politics/trump-plans-2025.html “After GOP donors threatened to stop funding him for being unmarried, Tim Scott is now appearing publicly with who he says is his girlfriend named Mindy. He says they have been dating for ‘about a year or so.’” https://twitter.com/NoLieWithBTC/status/1722466341838369122 “NEW from @CAPAction 's @citizenwillis : Since Sunday, cable networks are airing 10x more coverage of Biden's polling than this story detailing Trump’s MAGA plot to weaponize the government against his political enemies. @CNN : 29x as much @FoxNews : 38x as much @MSNBC : 3x as much” https://twitter.com/CMSeeberger/status/1722380856520491467 “This may be the most important result tonight that most people have no idea about: solidifies D majority on the court that decided more Trump 2020 lawsuits than any other in the country, and that is very likely to hear major cases in 2024 related to voting rights and elections.” https://twitter.com/alex_burness/status/1722107803920204047  “Exit polling on Ohio issue 1 is showing broad support for abortion rights across demographics. More from @nbcnews here: https://nbcnews.com/politics/2023-elections/ohio-ballot-measures#exit-polls” https://twitter.com/Mike_Hixenbaugh/status/1722054516399395073 Mitch McConnell Will Not Go Gently Into the Senate Goodnight Even if the senator wanted to retire, there’s no way he’ll let Kentucky’s Democratic governor choose his replacement, even temporarily. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/why-mitch-mcconnell-wont-retire/ “The anti-trans stuff is unpopular even in large swaths of Trump country (let alone purple and blue states). The fact popularists wanted to compromise on this is further evidence of their preference to follow their own political preferences rather than attend to the evidence.” https://twitter.com/HeerJeet/status/1722050682700566942 “Glenn Youngkin’s white knight era is over. What will the next one be? Republicans want to see him become a proud dispenser of vetos. Others say it might be wise to chart a more conciliatory path.” https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/10/youngkin-political-future-virginia-election-losses-00126481 Brock Madden – Call to Action: https://www.tiktok.com/@broccoli618/video/7288050878915824938?_r=1&_t=8gP1kSODd8A Email Brock: huckleberry_98226@yahoo.com  

Congratulations to everyone who pitched in to help get out the vote! This night belongs to you and all those who voted to protect abortion in Ohio, protect Virginians from a Republican majority, protect the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and much more on a great night for democracy. This week's bonus episode will look at the election results, what they mean for 2024, and what to know about Trump's shadow network, Project 25, and answer questions from listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher.   One month has passed since the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack, and the Israeli leader who allowed it to happen after empowering Hamas, ignoring several credible warnings, is still in power, overseeing a historically brutal genocide. This episode looks at the Israel-Hamas war in the context of the global war of autocracy vs. democracy, including our own 2024 election. It once again calls for the immediate removal from power of Netanyahu, an important cog in the Trump-Putin global far-right movement that normalizes human sacrifice for power. Like Trump, Netanyahu wages war against the military and intelligence services, surrounds himself with a protective moat of extremists ready to commit violence on his behalf, and terrorizes the families of victims and hostages of October 7th. Let's be clear: Netanyahu's own record shows he doesn't care about the hostages—for more on that, read the show notes. Netanyahu wants and needs this war to stay in power, which means the war strategy itself cannot be trusted and must not be legitimized.   A political solution is the only way forward and can only begin with a ceasefire. To dismiss or gaslight over the issue of a ceasefire is to give longtime corrupt criminal Netanyahu good faith and legitimacy after he’s spent years trying to overturn democracy in Israel. For those distraught over the crisis in Gaza, this episode includes strategies to push the Biden foreign policy team, just as they had to be pushed on Ukraine, and makes the case for why, if we don't vote in 2024, former Interior Secretary and current House GOP Klansman Ryan Zinke, with his proposal to ban all Palestinians, is back in the White House, along with close Netanyahu co-conspirators the Kushners, and Trump, making Netanyahu even more powerful and dangerous.   To help the civilians impacted by the Israel-Hamas war, donate to Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children, incredible organizations doing urgent work in Gaza and the surrounding areas: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/ https://www.savethechildren.org/   Show Notes   “We are now in a situation where one child is killed every 10 minutes [in Gaza],” Jason Lee of Save the Children https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/02/israel-stikes-gaza-children-victims/   "Israel dropped almost as many bombs in Gaza in one week as the U.S. did in Afghanistan in one year -- the heaviest year. Gaza is 141 sq miles. Afghanistan is 252,071 sq miles." https://twitter.com/ericuman/status/1721342580565184559   "The United States provides the Israeli army with military and intelligence support, and is therefore required by the Geneva Conventions to ensure that bombing raids in Gaza do not breach international law." https://twitter.com/ericuman/status/1721343100830793928   Mairav Zonszein, Senior Israel-Palestine Analyst with the Crisis Group: "It is hard to understand Israel’s strategy in the West Bank as anything other than an effort to push Palestinians so far to the edge they have to burst back, which then provides pretext for Israel’s continued dispossession. My explainer on settler violence" https://twitter.com/MairavZ/status/1721936764183450058   Kurt Andersen thread analyzing United Nations death toll in Gaza: https://twitter.com/KBAndersen/status/1718021027727360436   Israel’s Hostage Families Feel Abandoned by Israel They feel trapped in a nightmare—and ignored by their government. https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/10/20/israels-hostage-families-abandoned-israel/   Netanyahu accused of planting allies in meeting with hostage families Relatives of people kidnapped by Hamas believe PM's allies were allowed in to rally support for decisive government action in Gaza invasion https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/10/16/netanyahu-accused-planting-allies-hostage-talks-invasion/   Families of Kidnapped Israelis Meet Netanyahu, Only to Find Unknown Family Boosting PM 'We need to stop this whiny behavior. We need to win the war,' said unverified relatives who appeared at the meeting between the hostages' families and the Israeli prime minister, and stirred an uproar amongst the others https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-16/ty-article/.premium/hostage-relatives-suspected-to-have-been-planted-in-meeting-with-pm-to-bolster-his-policy/0000018b-37af-dc99-a1db-3fefa6ed0000   ‘Our patience is up’: Hostages’ families blast government inaction at Tel Aviv rally Relatives of those held in Gaza say authorities aren’t updating them on negotiations, urge ministers to internalize what’s at stake and ‘take responsibility’ https://www.timesofisrael.com/our-patience-is-up-hostages-families-blast-government-inaction-at-tel-aviv-rally/   Many Israelis are furious at their government’s chaotic recovery efforts after Hamas attack https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/many-israelis-are-furious-at-their-governments-chaotic-recovery-efforts-after-hamas-attack   "My friend @maozinon parents were murdered by Hamas Oct 7th. I recorded a podcast episode with him to echo his message for a ceasefire and holding Netanyahu accountable, After the episode release, the offices where we recorded were broken into. The police is investigating." https://twitter.com/ShusterNoam/status/1721876199419621597   Netanyahu’s coalition isn’t built to last: Expect high sparks within and fragile prospects for Israel’s incoming government https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/netanyahus-coalition-isnt-built-to-last-expect-high-sparks-within-and-fragile-prospects-for-israels-incoming-government/   Zinke Introduces Bill to Expel Palestinians from the United States https://zinke.house.gov/media/press-releases/zinke-introduces-bill-expel-palestinians-united-states   Israel's Mobileye CEO urges that Netanyahu be replaced immediately https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-mobileye-ceo-urges-that-netanyahu-be-replaced-immediately-2023-10-29/   The election that led to Hamas taking over Gaza https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/24/gaza-election-hamas-2006-palestine-israel/   Netanyahu's Coalition Must Remove Him Immediately https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/editorial/2023-10-30/ty-article-opinion/netanyahus-coalition-must-remove-him-immediately/0000018b-7cf1-d0f6-afeb-7ef5b1670000

This is an excerpt of this week's bonus show. To access the full show, receive all episodes ad free, submit questions to our regular Q&As, access our back catalogue of bonus shows, join the conversation with our community of listeners, support our independent journalism, and more, subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit  In this coming week’s episode, expect a full deep dive into the latest devastation and expected fallout of the Israel-Hamas War, including the growing protests and polling against Netanyahu and why he must go now. And an important voice will join the show to explain how to build a union, especially when you’re up against corporate gaslighting and intimidation tactics. Today’s bonus episode is shaped by questions and comments from listeners subscribed at the Democracy Defender level and higher, including how opportunistic China benefits from the Israel-Hamas War and the nefarious Chinese connections to American protest group Code Pink, revealing a vast pro-China network on the global Left. China, Code Pink, and the sex trafficking network of Hefner-Epstein-Trump, and more are discussed in this week’s bonus show.  If you didn’t hear your question answered this week, look out for it next week, as the Gaslit Nation Q&A continues.   Dictators are dangerous for many reasons, especially because, as the social ills grow, they need a war to cling to power. Putin needed a war to maintain the status quo, and so did Netanyahu. In China, it’s increasingly dangerous for social media users to expose poverty or other crises, like youth unemployment or how difficult it can be for many to put food on the table. With US foreign policy stretched thin by the war in Ukraine and Israel-Hamas, now would be an opportune time for China, which has been aggressively building up its nuclear program and A.I. arsenal, to annex Taiwan, something Xi has been outspoken about since consolidating power in 2017. Technologically dominant groups get away with carrying out genocides. So a technologically dominant China would be a danger to the world.  Chatham House, the independent British think tank where in 1933 Gareth Jones shared his eye-witness account of the Holodomor, Stalin’s genocide-famine in Ukraine, invited Andrea to join a Twitter Live discussion this coming Wednesday November 8 at 10:30am EST. Catch that discussion by going to the Chatham House Twitter account at that time. And to help protect democracy in the US and reproductive healthcare in Virginia, join Andrea in making phone calls with Sister District now through Tuesday, election day. Sign up using the link at the top of the show notes. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Show Notes: Sister District & Partners National Phonebank! https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrict/event/387377/ Chatham House Twitter Live Space with Andrea Wednesday November 8 10:30am ET https://twitter.com/ChathamHouse China and US reportedly agree to rare nuclear arms control talks Talks expected on Monday would be first since Obama administration and follow visit to Washington by Wang Yi, Chinese foreign minister https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/02/china-and-us-reportedly-agree-to-rare-nuclear-arms-control-talks COVID might have come from a lab leak, says China’s former top scientist ‘Don’t rule out anything,’ former head of the Chinese CDC says. https://www.politico.eu/article/covid-mightve-come-from-a-lab-leak-chinas-former-top-scientist-says/ Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents Employees embedded with cybersecurity forces in Uganda and Zambia intercepted encrypted communications and used cell data to track opponents, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation https://www.wsj.com/articles/huawei-technicians-helped-african-governments-spy-on-political-opponents-11565793017 Why China’s Censors Are Deleting Videos About Poverty Xi Jinping says he has defeated poverty, but discussion of economic struggle is taboo, scrubbed from the internet and banished from the news. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/04/business/china-censorship-poverty.html A Global Web of Chinese Propaganda Leads to a U.S. Tech Mogul The Times unraveled a financial network that stretches from Chicago to Shanghai and uses American nonprofits to push Chinese talking points worldwide. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/05/world/europe/neville-roy-singham-china-propaganda.html China hawk says Beijing could attack Taiwan by 2024, bringing ‘war to the West’ https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/09/china-hawk-says-beijing-to-bring-war-to-the-west-take-taiwan.html Hugh Hefner Investigative Docuseries ‘Secrets of Playboy’ Gets More Episodes at A&E https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/secrets-of-playboy-hugh-hefner-1235197604/ What China wants from Israel-Hamas war https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-67237146 China blocks entry to WHO team studying Covid's origins This article is more than 2 years old Officials say visas not yet approved for World Health Organization delegation due to visit Wuhan https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/05/china-blocks-entry-to-who-team-studying-covids-origins Nuclear Talks With China Are Essential and Long Overdue https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/04/opinion/sunday/china-nuclear-weapons-russia.html New Pentagon report claims China now has over 500 operational nuclear warheads https://www.npr.org/2023/10/19/1207156597/new-pentagon-report-claims-china-now-has-over-500-operational-nuclear-warheads China is working on a weapon the US decided was too dangerous to exist What's worse than a nuclear missile? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/02/china-us-non-nuclear-icbm-ballistic-missile-defence-taiwan/ Nazis on Long Island: The Story of Camp Siegfried https://mjhnyc.org/events/nazis-on-long-island-the-story-of-camp-siegfried/

In this special discussion, Andrea is joined by experts from the Kremlin File podcast: Russian mafia specialist Olga Lautman and Monique Camarra, an instructor at the Department of Communication at the University of Siena in Italy. Together, they explore the intricate links between Russia and terrorist groups, tracing a history that dates back to the Soviet Union. This dark night of the soul slumber party discussion includes the emerging new Cold War, the historical hot conflicts of the first Cold War, and staying grounded as Russia floods the zone with gaslighting.  While Ukrainian intelligence claims Russia provides weapons to Hamas, what's undeniable is that Russia holds meetings with Hamas leadership, including last week in Moscow. Russian cryptocurrency has sent millions to terrorist groups, including $93 million to Islamic Jihad through a sanctioned Russian cryptocurrency exchange. Terrorism is on the rise, and Russia, with its extensive track record of training and supporting terrorists, lights the fire then offers itself up as the firefighter. This strategy has been consistent in the Kremlin's playbook, dating back to the Soviet era, involving dividing its adversaries all while portraying itself as a peacemaker—a tactic that too many on the Left continue to fall for. During the peak of ISIS, the Obama administration maintained a policy of working with Russia to combat ISIS together. Nevermind that ISIS fighters kept flocking from Russia. And Russia’s own terrorism killed or displaced countless civilians in Syria, Ukraine, and propped up the dictatorships of Venezuela and Cuba, as Russia’s operations tipped the scales of both the close Brexit vote and the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Now that the Israel-Hamas war threatens to expand into a larger regional war, with Syria, Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon, and now Yemen inflaming the conflict, Russia benefits from the growing destabilization in many ways. The war distracts from Russian war crimes in Ukraine as well as Russian and Iran-backed slaughter in Syria. It also threatens to divide and further delay support for Ukraine: Trump proxy House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to hold a vote for Ukraine aid. Once again, this is the latest coup by longtime Russian asset Trump.  Our hearts go out to the civilians who are suffering due to this ongoing war. Andrea and many others call for an immediate ceasefire, especially given the undeniable collective punishment on Gaza being carried out by Netanyahu’s government. For a deeper understanding of the pressing reasons for a ceasefire, listen to these recent episodes of Gaslit Nation: "Israel and Palestine: A Political Solution" and "Israel and Palestine: A Difficult Discussion."  This week's bonus episode will answer questions from subscribers at the Democracy Defender-level and higher on Patreon, with topics including Hugh Hefner and Jeffrey Epstein; the shady dealings behind the protest group Code Pink; and more! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  To join the conversation and our community of listeners, get bonus shows, all shows ad free, exclusive invites and more, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit.  Show Notes: Indivisible Statements on the Israel/Palestine Crisis https://www.indivisible.org/resource/indivisible-statements-israelpalestine-crisis Ending the War and Ensuring Human Security in Israel-Palestine: Five Recommendations https://cfde140b-3710-4a65-aa9a-48b5868a02dd.usrfiles.com/ugd/3ba8a1_1ac83b20f6c8431a94301ccafe3cb88d.pdf Russia gave captured US weapons to Hamas as a ploy to undermine Ukraine, report says https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-seized-us-weapons-to-hamas-ploy-damage-ukraine-report-2023-10 Hamas leaders arrive in Moscow as the Kremlin attempts to showcase its clout. The meetings with high-ranking members of the group that attacked Israel underscored how Russia is trying to present itself as an alternative platform for possible mediation. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/26/world/middleeast/hamas-russia-moscow.html Italian reporting on Russia and Hamas https://www.iltempo.it/esteri/2023/10/26/news/guerra-israele-hamas-russia-putin-armi-iran-delegazioni-spie-striscia-di-gaza-37338570/ The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad received part of a $93 million payment through the sanctioned Russian crypto-exchange company Garantex, the Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 13. https://kyivindependent.com/wsj-palestinian-militant-group-received-funds-from-sanctioned-russian-crypto-exchange/ Why are so many from this Russian republic fighting for ISIS? https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/many-russian-republic-fighting-isis What Russia Hopes to Gain From the Israel-Hamas Conflict https://time.com/6329850/hamas-gaza-russia-putin-israel/ Netanyahu’s Deal With Putin Goes Wrong https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/netanyahus-deal-with-putin-goes-wrong Why Netanyahu Must Go After the War, Israel Will Need a Two-State Solution He Cannot Deliver https://www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/why-netanyahu-must-go

Gaslit Nation Presents: The Bump in the Night by Jane Willis. Inspired by The Golden Arm. Produced by Eliza Smith. Starring Rachael Small and Darius Johnson. Happy Halloween! 

Despite his best efforts threatening the lives of Congressional colleagues and their families, Jim Jordan didn’t get to become Speaker of the House. Instead, his longtime protege and a major architect behind the Big Lie, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, is now third in line to the White House. Johnson answers to Jordan who answers to Trump. This essentially makes Trump third in line to the White House. Welcome to Trump’s latest coup.   In this week’s Q&A bonus episode, questions submitted by listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher are focused on the Israel-Hamas War. Many questioned the timing of Hamas’s sophisticated and well-planned terrorist attack. Why now? What role did Russia play? How does Matt Gaetz’s successful bid (so far) to stop Ukraine aid factor in?   Given that we have so much grief and anger to process these days, more than usual, look out for a deep dive podcast in November on the importance of making art and how to take steps to begin your life as an artist. Art therapy has proven invaluable for veterans grappling with PTSD and has never been more important as we process our collective grief. This special podcast will be in a workshop-style and will help those seeking guidance on nurturing their creative side. We all have one. And it’s needed now more than ever.   For the works cited in this week's bonus episode, look to the show notes below to find the relevant links and other resources.   To answer a request from a listener here on Patreon, below is a list of journalists and analysts covering the crisis as well as a list of book recommendations. Remain mindful that we’re in a time of rampant disinformation, fog of war, all compacted by trauma and our collective trauma of watching a brutal war break out. Consider reading widely to understand different perspectives, even those that may not align with your own. Mairav Zonszein, Senior Analyst at the International Crisis Group https://www.crisisgroup.org // https://twitter.com/MairavZ Hind Khoudary, a Palestinian journalist based in Gaza https://www.instagram.com/hindkhoudary/ Amira Hass, Haaretz correspondent for the Occupied Territories https://twitter.com/Hass_Haaretz Rula Jebreal, a Palestinian foreign policy analyst and visiting professor, The University of Miami https://twitter.com/rulajebreal Noga Tarnopolsky, Jerusalem based reporter who appears frequently on MSNBC https://twitter.com/NTarnopolsky Hend Amry, Libyan-American writer based in Qatar https://mastodon.social/@LibyaLiberty // https://www.instagram.com/libyaliberty/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D // https://twitter.com/LibyaLiberty Here’s a list of book recommendations from The Economist https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/10/18/the-israel-palestine-conflict-a-reading-list Show Notes: Opening Clip: https://twitter.com/HouseJudiciary/status/1717183190463336780?t=xMiSEhKoLuq6KCC4AxtcWQ&s=19   Critics Say Matt Gaetz's Nickname For New House Speaker Is Alarmingly On Point https://www.huffpost.com/entry/matt-gaetz-mike-johnson-nickname_n_653a32c5e4b011a9cf7c9dd3   The WWII Strategy Biden Can Use to Bypass Republicans on Ukraine https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/01/20/biden-ukraine-lend-lease-roosevelt-00077481   Drone attacks on American bases injured two dozen U.S. military personnel https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/drone-attacks-american-bases-injured-two-dozen-us-military-personnel-rcna121961   ‘Netanyahu Got All the Warnings,’ Says Former Head of Israeli Military Intelligence https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/10/24/amos-yaldin-israeli-military-intelligence-netanyahu-qa-00123099#:~:text=And%20Netanyahu%20got%20all%20the,is%20risking%20and%20weakening%20every   Ukrainian Jewish Enconter https://ukrainianjewishencounter.org/en/   The Long and Uncertain Journey of the Babyn Yar Memorial https://mjhnyc.org/blog/the-long-and-uncertain-journey-of-the-babyn-yar-memorial/   Theodor Herzl, a Life From Journalism to Zionism https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/movies/it-is-no-dream-documentary-on-theodor-herzl.html   Hamas operatives used phone lines installed in tunnels under Gaza to plan Israel attack over 2 years, sources familiar with intelligence say https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/24/politics/intelligence-hamas-israel-attack-tunnels-phone-lines/index.html   The history and fighting between Israel and Syria, explained https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/11/syria-israel-attacks-war-hezbollah/   Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service https://bookshop.org/p/books/zero-fail-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-secret-service-carol-leonnig/16898149?ean=9780399589034   Mairav Zonszein, Senior Israel-Palestine Analyst with Crisis Group: “18 days into this war, Israel has been bombing Gaza from the air relentlessly, and it’s unclear what, if any, gains it has made in its objective to dismantle Hamas (or return the hostages). There is scarce if any evidence that it is exacting meaningful losses on the group.” https://twitter.com/MairavZ/status/1716871137651798373   Bible and Sword: England and Palestine from the Bronze Age to Balfour https://bookshop.org/p/books/bible-and-sword-england-and-palestine-from-the-bronze-age-to-balfour-barbara-w-tuchman/7469883?ean=9780345314277   Interview with Vladislav Davidzon on meeting Ukraine’s first Jewish president and Ukraine’s work to confront its dark chapters of antisemitism https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2019/5/22/dirty-dirty-giuliani

After a five month absence from Gaslit Nation due to a family situation, Sarah has decided to leave the show. You can read her regular writing over at her new Substack. We all wish her well and look forward to her next book.  In this continuation of Gaslit Nation’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, Andrea shares her own hard learned lessons on how to hold space for a friend grieving over the crisis. This episode also includes a look at the Oslo Accords, an interim agreement that historically opened communication between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel’s government, and the years of violence that quickly followed, spiraling towards the growing mythology of Benjamin Netanyahu who built support through strongman rhetoric promising to keep Israelis safe. Insead, he weakened Israel. Netanyahu’s Trumpian playbook blasted opponents and the media as “FAKE NEWS!”, “THE DEEP STATE!”, “TRAITORS!”, and turned Israelis against each other. While being under investigation for corruption, Netanyahu brazenly tried to destroy the independence of the judiciary, leading to the largest protests in the country’s history. Now the majority of Israelis polled blame him for the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack, but the majority also believe he should resign after the war. That would incentivize Netanyahu to keep the war going to cling to power. Netanyahu must be forced to step down now, for the sake of any chance for peace.  Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum, author of Gulag: A History; Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine; and Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism joins Andrea to discuss the stakes in Ukraine and the threats to democracy here at home and around the world. This interview was recorded the Friday before the historic October 15 elections in Poland, bringing a democratic coalition to power to defeat a right wing Trumpian regime that packed the courts, turned state media into their own propaganda arm, banned abortion, and inflamed scapegoating against LGBTQ+ people and refugees. This episode was supposed to run two weeks ago, but was delayed due to the war. For Applebaum’s analysis on the Israel-Hamas war, read her brilliant piece in The Atlantic on her summer reporting trip to Israel on how Israelis rightfully saw Netanyahu as an existential threat. This week’s bonus episode will be inspired by questions submitted at the Democracy Defender level and higher on Patreon. To submit your questions, leave them in the comments or send them in a message. Join the conversation and receive ad free episodes, bonus shows, exclusive invites and other perks by subscribing at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Sign up here to join our Sister District & Gaslit Nation Halloween Phonebank for Virginia!: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/585389/ Show Notes: Inside the Oslo accords: a new podcast series marks 30 years since Israel-Palestine secret peace negotiations https://theconversation.com/inside-the-oslo-accords-a-new-podcast-series-marks-30-years-since-israel-palestine-secret-peace-negotiations-212985 The language being used to describe Palestinians is genocidal https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/16/the-language-being-used-to-describe-palestinians-is-genocidal I Negotiated Israel’s Hardest Hostage Deal. Here’s What’s Next in Gaza. “The United States still has a role to play. It should continue to pressure Qatar, which should give an ultimatum that if hostages are not released within, say, 24 hours, all of Hamas’s leaders will be expelled from Qatar, where many are based. I don’t believe that Qatar will agree to that — and certainly not without an Israeli cease-fire — but the American government and others have leverage over Qatar and it should be used.  There is still a small chance and a limited window of opportunity before the ground assault begins to attain the release of some of the hostages through this kind of agreement. After the invasion begins, it will depend on Israeli special forces to try to save them. Some will again see their homes; others may not.  At the other end of this war, I hope that the trauma and suffering we are all feeling on both sides of the conflict will spur us to figure out how to share this land that belongs to both Israelis and Palestinians. Maybe our collective suffering and pain can be channeled to focusing on how to live together rather than killing each other.  That will be a long process and cannot include the leaders on both sides who have brought us to where we are. We need a new generation of leaders with new vision, new hopes, new dreams and the ability to lead. I hope that many of the hostages, together with their families, will soon be able to join the voices calling for change.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/21/opinion/israel-hamas-hostage.html Hamas Leader Lies when pressed in TV interview: https://twitter.com/arash_tehran/status/1715354932595847322 Netanyahu’s Attack on Democracy Left Israel Unprepared: The prime minister brought about a situation in which all the options are bad. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/israel-democracy-judicial-reform-netanyahu-hamas-attacks/675713/ Biden’s Israel-Palestine Policy Could Cost Him the Election: The president’s blank-check support of Israel’s war on Gaza is alienating many of the Black and brown voters he needs to win reelection. https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/biden-israel-palestine-policy-election/ The End of Netanyahu: He sold Israelis a story about their safety. It turned out not to be true. “Israelis have good reason for their disillusionment. Seen in hindsight, the litany of Netanyahu’s failures is long. By his own admission, he purposely propped up Hamas as a counterbalance to the more moderate Palestinian Authority in order to keep the Palestinian public divided and prevent a negotiated two-state solution. In partnership with Washington, Netanyahu facilitated the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars from Qatar into Gaza in an attempt to buy quiet from Hamas. Intelligence officials now believe that some of this money was used to fund the group’s terrorism. Netanyahu also increased permits for Gazans to work in Israel; some of the permit holders may have provided intelligence used to plan the attacks. In 2011, the prime minister released more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners—including convicted mass murderers—in return for one Israeli soldier held hostage by Hamas. This decision encouraged further kidnapping attempts, culminating in the successful abduction of some 200 Israelis this month. One of the prisoners released in 2011 was Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza today.” https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2023/10/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-hamas-attack-failure/675722/?utm_source=threads&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_content=edit-promo “According to his opponents, his semi-authoritarian tendencies have relentlessly weakened the checks and balances of Israeli democracy. He has debilitated democracy’s gatekeepers, constantly accusing the “deep state” – the judicial system, the law enforcement agencies, the bureaucracy – of actively subverting him and framing him for crimes he never committed using the “fake news" media that he claims is out to get him. And his demagogic, divisive and often incendiary political language has posed a clear and present danger to Israeli democracy. If American readers find this eerily familiar, they're right.” https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2023/10/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-hamas-attack-failure/675722/?utm_source=threads&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_content=edit-promo ‘Biggest in Israeli History': Organizers Claim Half a Million Protesters Against Netanyahu's Constitutional Coup As a record 50,000 Israelis rallied in Haifa, and hundreds of thousands more across Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid slams the Netanyahu government's sole focus on 'crushing Israeli democracy' https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-03-11/ty-article/.premium/biggest-in-israeli-history-organizers-claim-half-a-million-protesters-in-tenth-week/00000186-d261-dfef-a3ef-d26d9bbc0000 Inside Biden's Gaza strategy https://www.axios.com/2023/10/21/israel-hamas-war-inside-bidens-gaza-strategy A Brief History of the Netanyahu-Hamas Alliance: For 14 years, Netanyahu's policy was to keep Hamas in power; the pogrom of October 7, 2023, helps the Israeli prime minister preserve his own rule https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-20/ty-article-live/american-mother-and-daughter-first-hostages-released-by-hamas-arrive-in-israel/0000018b-4b06-d1fd-a59f-ef9ff9ed0000 Experts say Hamas and Israel are breaking international law, but what does that mean? Since the latest explosion of violence began on October 7, both Israel and Hamas have been accused of breaking international law. As the terms “genocide”, “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” are used to describe the deadly acts carried out by both sides, FRANCE 24 takes a look at what these terms mean. https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231021-experts-say-hamas-and-israel-are-breaking-international-law-but-what-does-that-mean Human Rights Watch Condemns Israel’s Collective Punishment on Gaza, Urges Biden to Help Restore Aid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25zrL_I_4Cg Damning evidence of war crimes as Israeli attacks wipe out entire families in Gaza https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/10/damning-evidence-of-war-crimes-as-israeli-attacks-wipe-out-entire-families-in-gaza/ Civilians, civilian infrastructure, and health care facilities must be protected at all times https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/indiscriminate-violence-and-collective-punishment-gaza-must-cease#:~:text=MSF%20calls%20on%20the%20government,factions%20must%20establish%20safe%20spaces. Netanyahu Waging Campaign to Blame Israeli Military for Failure to Predict Hamas Attack, Defense Sources Say The Israeli prime minister appointed a new spokesman to liaise with military correspondents, an unusual move, with one source saying they'd heard he was defaming officers https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-22/ty-article/.premium/netanyahu-on-campaign-to-blame-idf-for-failure-to-predict-attack-defense-sources-say/0000018b-5688-d5d2-afef-d6fde37a0000 US intelligence report alleging Russia election interference shared with 100 countries https://www.axios.com/2023/10/21/israel-hamas-war-inside-bidens-gaza-strategy Opening clip: https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1716539683990114683 Oslo Accords clip: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/inside-the-oslo-accords-part-1-why-norway-was-in/id1550643487?i=1000627628956 Clip: Hear what Jenna Ellis said in tearful court speech https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/10/24/jenna-ellis-cries-court-guilty-plea-nc-vpx.cnn      

This is an excerpt of this week's bonus show. To access this, all bonus shows, get episodes ad free, exclusive invites, submit questions to regular Q&As, and more, subscribe to the show at Patreon.com/Gaslit  In this special interview, Lala Wu, a co-founder of Sister District, which builds political power in the states to protect quality of life and democracy from far-right extremism, joins Gaslit Nation to share her story and how to stop Posh Trump Glenn Youngkin who has carried out a voter purge in the lead-up to the big state elections in Virginia on November 7th. Wu explains why Virginia matters to all of us, how to stay motivated to take action even when everything feels hopeless, which candidates to pay attention to and why in Virginia, and the far-right’s playbook to help Youngkin get the majority he needs to ban abortion, rollback environmental protections, and more. Join our October 26 phone bank party with Sister District by signing up here – a quick training will be provided, along with some fun prizes!: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrict/event/585389/ The rest of this week’s bonus episode focuses on answers to questions from our listeners supporting the show at the Democracy Defender level and higher. That discussion includes how plagues have historically led to escalating the fight for greater equality in society and how that seems to be playing out now with the revitalization of unions, how the unchecked greed of the NRA and the Republican Party has normalized mass violence in America, and how Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been attacking Israel’s judicial independence to further his power, politically benefits from the current war and why he needs to go. If you didn’t hear your question answered this week, look out for it next week as the Gaslit Nation Q&A continues. For supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, submit your questions in the comments or send them in a private message on Patreon. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To answer a request from a listener here on Patreon, below is a list of journalists and analysts covering the crisis as well as a list of book recommendations. Remain mindful that we’re in a time of rampant disinformation, fog of war, all compacted by trauma and our collective trauma of watching a brutal war break out. Consider reading widely to understand different perspectives, even those that may not align with your own. Mairav Zonszein, Senior Analyst at the International Crisis Group https://www.crisisgroup.org // https://twitter.com/MairavZ Hind Khoudary, a Palestinian journalist based in Gaza https://www.instagram.com/hindkhoudary/ Amira Hass, Haaretz correspondent for the Occupied Territories https://twitter.com/Hass_Haaretz Rula Jebreal, a Palestinian foreign policy analyst and visiting professor, The University of Miami https://twitter.com/rulajebreal Noga Tarnopolsky, Jerusalem based reporter who appears frequently on MSNBC https://twitter.com/NTarnopolsky Hend Amry, Libyan-American writer based in Qatar https://mastodon.social/@LibyaLiberty // https://www.instagram.com/libyaliberty/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D // https://twitter.com/LibyaLiberty Here’s a list of book recommendations from The Economist https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/10/18/the-israel-palestine-conflict-a-reading-list Show Notes: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and other Democrats introduce bill for Supreme Court term limits https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-booker-blumenthal-padilla-introduce-new-supreme-court-term-limits-bill Evacuation orders by Israel to hospitals in northern Gaza are a death sentence for the sick and injured https://www.who.int/news/item/14-10-2023-evacuation-orders-by-israel-to-hospitals-in-northern-gaza-are-a-death-sentence-for-the-sick-and-injured Nowhere to Hide in Gaza as Israeli Onslaught Continues Residents and health authorities say that mosques, hospitals and schools are being targeted by airstrikes. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/10/world/middleeast/gaza-israel-airstrikes.html Previous instances of Israeli targeting schools, hospitals https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/10/16/israel-hamas-war-live-iran-warns-resistance-front-may-attack?update=2417538 Israeli court convicts Sara Netanyahu for misusing state funds https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/16/israeli-court-convicts-sara-netanyahu-for-misusing-state-funds Ukrainians irate as Sara Netanyahu throws bread on floor during Kyiv welcome https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5571794,00.html Doctors without Borders: MSF doctor Ghassan Abu-Sitta’s voice message to Arwa Damon after reaching Gaza’s Shifa hospital, where “thousands have flocked to and are sleeping on the grounds, between patient beds in the wards.” What he describes is horrific. “People are too afraid to bury their dead.” https://twitter.com/MSF_USA/status/1713396854711296310 Putin is helping Hamas to hurt the West https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/17/russia-israel-putin-hamas-gaza/ Hamas’ gift to Vladimir Putin https://www.politico.eu/article/hamas-gift-russia-vladimir-putin-international-crises-russia-israel-palestine/ Hamas says leadership visited Russia, met Sergey Lavrov A Hamas official has revealed that his movement "recently" visited Moscow and warned that the group's "patience is running out" with Israel. https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/03/hamas-says-leadership-visited-russia-met-sergey-lavrov

Speak, even when your voice shakes, and you feel like rage crying. This special episode provides greater historical context to Israel and Palestine, elevates voices on the frontlines of the humanitarian crisis, demands an immediate ceasefire and a united global democratic alliance to end the genocide of Palestinians, and amplifies the calls for a political solution.  The crisis cannot be solved militarily. The bombs raining down on the open air prison of Gaza is a genocide–another Nakba, the Arabic word for “catastrophe”–which in 1948 saw the brutal mass forced displacement of around a million Palestinians with the founding of Israel. We’re witnessing the long awaited war by indicted corrupt criminal and Putin ally Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving prime minister, desperate to cling to power, even if that means turning Israel into another theocratic dictatorship in the region. The racist, genocidal movement that assassinated former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin for signing the Oslo Accords, a path towards peace and potentially a two-state solution, brought Netanyahu to power. And now his government of Stephen Millers is determined to finish off Palestinians, mass-murdering several thousands, including a significant number of children.  Secretary of State Antony Blinken published a call for a ceasefire on Twitter, only to delete it after Republicans protested. That and more of the US response, what it means for the civilians on both sides of the conflict, the US election and more are discussed in this extra furious episode. This week’s bonus episode will include answers to questions submitted by listeners subscribed at the Democracy Defender level and higher, and a special on-the-ground look at the upcoming Virginia state elections and the recent voter-purge by Governor Glenn Youngkin. To get access to that, support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon by subscribing at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Show Notes: Audio Clips:  Ali Velshi on Israel’s apartheid of Palestinians: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKkjPtleWEU Israeli settler steals the home of a Palestinian woman in East Jerusalem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzO9KhXhiik Doctors without Borders: A doctor in Gaza https://twitter.com/MSF_USA/status/1713396854711296310 Watch Sands of Sorrow featuring Dorothy Thompson (1950) https://www.un.org/en/exhibits/page/watch-video-%E2%80%93-long-journey Former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger says that there is no military solution to Israel/Palestine: https://twitter.com/BBCr4today/status/1712482696700842096?t=eJ1GfsWrLzCoNDfj9o-tAg&s=19 A 19 year old survivor of the Hamas massacre blamed Netanyahu, demands a political solution: https://twitter.com/BenzionSanders/status/1713255988608848069 Israel’s Ambassador to the UK denies there’s a humanitarian crisis in Gaza: https://twitter.com/SaulStaniforth/status/1713811260662255910?t=R8v3bQH4QwP7K5Udf7ivgQ&s=19 Israeli journalist harassed in Tel Aviv for calling for peace: https://twitter.com/orlybarlev/status/1713323223218082255 Peaceful Israeli protest broken up by police: https://twitter.com/NTarnopolsky/status/1713311362242216151?t=qB2TwZzYQJ6IU4VdKQpQWg&s=19 Yuval Noah Harari on Christiane Amanpour https://twitter.com/amanpour/status/1712538821923885287?t=GgwX7j8W-Q09JJ7P3ZuZzA&s=19 Closing clip: An Israeli who lost his parents calls for an end to the war: https://twitter.com/helenachumphrey/status/1713747777195307130?t=tmxkpSAsINT2F5nEkRalzQ&s=19 The Middle East Crisis Factory: The Iyad El-Baghdadi Interview https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2021/4/8/the-middle-east-crisis-factory-the-iyad-el-baghdadi-interview Indicted Criminal Netanyahu Starts a War to Cling to Power https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2021/5/19/indicted-criminal-netanyahu-starts-a-war-to-cling-to-power Peter Beinart, NYT: “Most of Gaza’s residents aren’t from Gaza. They’re the descendants of refugees who were expelled, or fled in fear, during Israel’s war of independence in 1948. They live in what Human Rights Watch has called an “open-air prison,” penned in by an Israeli state that — with help from Egypt — rations everything that goes in and out, from tomatoes to the travel documents children need to get lifesaving medical care. From this overcrowded cage, which the United Nations in 2017 declared “unlivable” for many residents in part because it lacks electricity and clean water, many Palestinians in Gaza can see the land that their parents and grandparents called home, though most may never step foot in it.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/14/opinion/palestinian-ethical-resistance-answers-grief-and-rage.html Netanyahu Is Losing the War at Home Incompetence against Hamas and indifference to Israeli suffering has the public boiling over. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/10/in-the-israel-hamas-war-netanyahu-is-losing-at-home.html The Real Dividing Line in Israel-Palestine https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/israel-palestine-hamas-and-hardliners-against-peace-by-slavoj-zizek-2023-10?barrier=accesspaylog Israel is ordering Gazans to flee south. But they’re bombing us here too. Refugees from the north are already arriving in Khan Younis, where the missiles never stop and we’re running out of food, water, and power. https://www.972mag.com/gaza-flee-south-khan-younis/ Ukraine and Israel both must face a Russian foe https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/10/16/ukraine-and-israel-both-must-face-a-russian-foe/ The Massacre in Israel and the Need for a Decent Left https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/opinion/columnists/israel-gaza-massacre-left.html The Secrets Hamas Knew About Israel’s Military: Hamas gunmen surged into Israel in a highly organized and meticulously planned operation that suggested a deep understanding of Israel’s weaknesses. Here is how the attacks unfolded. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/13/world/middleeast/hamas-israel-attack-gaza.html Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza conflict https://cpj.org/2023/10/journalist-casualties-in-the-israel-gaza-conflict/ Israeli journalist Israel Frey attacked by far-right Israeli extremists in Tel Aviv for calling for an end to the war https://twitter.com/Ha_Matar/status/1713476098976047267?t=qmoRLraXDE8Ynm7OeSDVuw&s=19 6 Year Old Palestinian-American Boy Stabbed 26 Times by White Landlord https://abc7chicago.com/joseph-czuba-will-county-news-plainfield-murder-boy-stabbed/13921802/ 2022 Saw Highest Number of Palestinians Killed in West Bank by Israeli Forces Since Second Intifada https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-01-04/ty-article-magazine/.premium/2022-saw-highest-number-of-palestinians-killed-by-israeli-forces-since-second-intifada/00000185-7cf9-d464-a197-fefb0f290000 Hamas starting to 'understand the severity of their situation,' says negotiator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg6LzfDHg3U How False Testimony and a Massive U.S. Propaganda Machine Bolstered George H.W. Bush’s War on Iraq https://www.democracynow.org/2018/12/5/how_false_testimony_and_a_massive Channel 4 News: "Where is people's humanity?" Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf has shared his mother-in-law’s “last video” from Gaza, as Israel warns Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza ahead of an anticipated ground offensive. https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1712791120357236821?t=4_iUv0ESF6AFKB7TMQQrTg&s=19 Daniel Adamson @danielsilas Some of the most measured voices I’m hearing on here, the ones who seem most serious about ending this agony, seem to come from Israelis whose loved ones have just been murdered or abducted by Hamas. Some examples… https://twitter.com/danielsilas/status/1712601486935421077?t=1hPscVI9w--Vc4VdX7YytQ&s=19 FIGHT DISINFORMATION: Comprehensive ongoing list of the most prevalent viral imagery of Syria falsely attributed to the Israel-Gaza war. This image is of child victims of the Assad regime's gas attack against Eastern Ghouta a decade ago, not Israeli or Gazan victims of war. https://twitter.com/KareemRifai/status/1712934425489534989 Israeli settler’s attempt to justify forcible takeover of a Palestinian home sparks online anger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9q9PDBsDe8 From 2003: U.S. stays steadfast in support of Abbas https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/09/IHT-us-stays-steadfast-in-support-of-abbas.html CIP Calls for Truce in Israel-Hamas Fighting to Allow for Humanitarian Relief. See our full statement below: https://twitter.com/CIPolicy/status/1713594164183486549/photo/1 Iyad El Baghdadi on Twitter: This message was written by a Palestinian to a Jewish friend. Then that Jewish friend passed it on to Palestinians friends. I don't know the person who originally wrote it. And now I'm passing it on to you. As the rhetoric becomes genocidal, root yourself in humanity. Pass it on. https://twitter.com/iyad_elbaghdadi/status/1713236580914041300 In 1996, Netanyahu became Israel’s youngest prime minister, running on a platform against flailing peace attempts, especially the Oslo accords that gave some limited autonomy to the Palestinians. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/20/benjamin-netanyahu-becomes-longest-serving-israeli-pm Explainers:  The origins of the Hamas-Israel war explained | ABC News Australia https://youtu.be/zsNj8DiJv-A?si=JowVDyLzjmzU9xIy Let’s Talk About the Israel-Palestine Conflict | The Daily Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeZ4yXyzUG0 Revealing the history behind Hamas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUtYF0V0reg From 2017: Mapping Middle East Peace Possibilities https://www.wsj.com/graphics/twostate/

If you’re feeling heartbroken over the suffering in Israel and Gaza, consider supporting some of these humanitarian organizations: https://www.npr.org/2023/10/13/1205235922/help-israel-gaza-humanitarian-organizations This is an excerpt of this week's bonus show. To listen to the full episode, get all episodes ad free, invites to exclusive events, submit questions for regular Q&As, and more, subcribe on Patreon by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit. It’s been a week since the Hamas terrorist massacre targeting Israeli civilians, followed by Israel dropping 6,000 bombs on Gaza in a matter of days. The cruel PR spin of Israel calling on civilians to leave Gaza only puts more lives in danger. It was never about helping the civilians, as Israel’s bombing of that so-called “exit route” shows, as reported on by MSNBC.  Many Israelis grieving over the loss of their loved ones call for peace, and protests grow against Netanyahu and his government whose extremist chaos and genocidal political movement left Israeli civilians vulnerable to Hamas’s attack. Netanyahu finally got the genocide and mass displacement of Palestinians that he wanted, but at what cost to him, Israel, and the world? Our collective grief and anger make conversations about this extraordinarily tragic time, the countless loss of innocent lives on both sides of the war, incredibly difficult. In this conversation, Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats podcast joins Andrea to discuss how to protect your relationships when talking about global tragedies, including setting and enforcing boundaries when needed. The discussion includes a look at U.S. foreign policy in relation to Russia, ending on a check list of protecting your mental health while engaging online. There’s no video for this bonus show as the discussion was a spontaneous continuation of the emotional public episode, and the video feature had already been turned off. Apologies for that.  If you have children or work with children, below is a list of resources on how to address this news and tragedies in general with young people:  Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News (Child Mind Institute) https://childmind.org/article/helping-children-cope-frightening-news/ Explaining the News to Our Kids (Common Sense Media) https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/explaining-the-news-to-our-kids?overridden_route_name=entity.node.canonical&base_route_name=entity.node.canonical&page_manager_page=node_view&page_manager_page_variant=node_view-panels_variant-csm_blog&page_manager_page_variant_weight=-6 Talking to Kids About Violence (National Association of School Psychologists) https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-safety-and-crisis/school-violence-resources/talking-to-children-about-violence-tips-for-families-and-educators  How to talk to your children about the violence in Israel and Gaza (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2023/10/11/1205017249/how-to-talk-to-children-violence-israeli-palestinian-gaza-hamas Show Notes: How to help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza https://www.npr.org/2023/10/13/1205235922/help-israel-gaza-humanitarian-organizations Israeli Air Force Says It Has Dropped 6,000 Bombs on Gaza https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip/card/israeli-air-force-says-it-has-dropped-6-000-bombs-on-gaza-QK1aSnupiGqytMVO86PU People in Gaza describe living through bombings with no way to escape https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/people-in-gaza-describe-living-through-bombings-with-no-way-to-escape MSNBC: 70 killed after Israeli strikes hit three convoys of evacuees trying to leave northern Gaza. https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1712911792106602608 Israel Must Not React Stupidly If this is Israel’s 9/11, it can learn from America’s mistakes. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/israeli-government-response-hamas-attack-gaza-9-11-lessons/675622/ Victoria Brownworth @VABVOX: Veteran Israel-Palestine reporter @NTarnopolsky tells @MSNBC calls for Netanyahu to resign are rising, that families of the hostages feel abandoned by the PM and there is a protest of more than 1k people outside the Israeli Defense Ministry. https://twitter.com/VABVOX/status/1713183956097548446

“What do you mean ‘Hamas paratroopers’? Hamas doesn’t have paratroopers.” That was the reaction of someone first learning the news of this weekend’s terrorist attack across Israel, the worst mass-murder of Jews since the Holocaust. In this important discussion, Andrea is joined by Terrell Starr, host of the Black Diplomats podcast, who recently visited the West Bank and produced a series on Iran–a terrorist regime that reportedly helped in the planning of Hamas’s widespread attack.   In this conversation, we share our grief and anger for civilians in Israel and Gaza. We were already living in a time of collective grief before Hamas’s atrocities this weekend and their ISIS execution terror videos. And now things have escalated with serious ramifications for the region, the world, and yes, the US election. The discussion includes what Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremists in government have in common with Trump’s extremists; how the war in Israel will galvanize Trump’s base that supports Israel as a means to fulfill a prophecy ushering in the apocalypse; and how lessons in aiding Ukraine can help inform how to help Israel and Palestine meaningfully work towards a two-state solution.   The show notes for this week’s episode are a collection of trusted sources and voices helping us make sense of this tragic time and its complex history. Our bonus episode will be Andrea and Terrell sharing how to have difficult conversations about world events while trying to remain friends, how to protect mental health during a time of mass trauma and grief, and how to sustain conversations online in a way that protects yourself and your community. It also includes hard lessons learned from mistakes in US foreign policy, in relation to Russia, over the last ten years. Next week’s bonus episode will be a deep-dive Q&A so keep your questions coming. To get access to that, support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon by subscribing at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!   Show Notes: How to Help Victims of the Israel-Gaza War https://time.com/6322238/how-to-help-israel-gaza-war-victims/   Anne Applebaum: "this government, which is the worst government in the history of the state of Israel, led by a corrupt, dysfunctional, and egoistic man who sees only himself—Benjamin Netanyahu—failed us." An extraordinary survivors' story: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/amir-tibon-how-his-family-survived-hamas-massacre/675596/   "The current government of Israel is not a partner for any constructive plan in the region. It is overwhelmed by ultra-nationalistic and messianic ideas, lack of experience, and inferior intellectual capacity." https://time.com/6322046/israel-after-hamas-attack/   Louis Fishman, Associate Prof Brooklyn College; Author of Jews and Palestinians in late Ottoman era: Turkish: “For months experts in the Israeli media warned that this gov was ignoring the growing security threat as a result of the pushback to Netanyahu’s judicial coup; they said Israel was losing its military superiority as more people refused serving in the reserves. Now we are here.” https://twitter.com/Istanbultelaviv/status/1711521792945516716   Mattia Nelles, German Ukraine analyst: Yair Golan, the former Israeli left Wing MP, is a true hero 👇 https://twitter.com/gadishamia/status/1711240299987562977   Amir Tibon @amirtibon Diplomatic Correspondent for Haaretz Newspaper, Israel to Josh Hawley: “What a cynical move. Shame on you Senator. Iran is sending drones to Ukraine and guns to Gaza, to murder Ukrainians and murder Israelis. God help us if USA cant support both countries against this brutal anti-democratic axis. Glad Biden is in charge.” https://twitter.com/amirtibon/status/1711597411007627510   Israel massed troops in the West Bank. Then Hamas attacked from Gaza. https://wapo.st/3rC42FT   Lisa Goldman: “The Israeli media now confirming that the gov't did receive clear warnings from Egyptian intelligence about the imminent attack that occurred on October 7. The PM's office initially issued a flat denial after the first report, but then did an about face and admitted it.” (Source: Channel 13 Hebrew) https://twitter.com/lisang/status/1711824708746838214   Kurt Andersen: “Until now I hadn’t really known of this piece of the recent history, the Netanyahu governments’ de facto alliance with Hamas, intended to prevent a real Palestinian state and 2-state solution. This is the distinguished @haaretzcom journalist Gidi Weitz.” https://twitter.com/KBAndersen/status/1711527406383558834 // https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-09/ty-article/.premium/another-concept-implodes-israel-cant-be-managed-by-a-criminal-defendant/0000018b-1382-d2fc-a59f-d39b5dbf0000   My 62-year-old Dad Fought Hamas Terrorists to Free My Family. The Israeli State Failed Us https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-08/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/my-62-year-old-dad-fought-hamas-terrorists-to-free-my-family-the-israeli-state-failed-us/0000018b-1068-dcc2-a99b-15794b0d0000   Israel's new far-right: Who is Itamar Ben Gvir? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OplM9oNmTfQ   Palestinians scramble for safety as Israel pounds sealed-off Gaza Strip to punish Hamas https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-airstrikes-hostages-bf6c42f84526c4d9416978c8effd932a   Save the Children director: 'Everyone is seeking shelter' in Gaza https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/perspective/20231010-save-the-children-director-everyone-is-seeking-shelter-in-gaza   The bombs raining down on Gaza from Israel are beyond scary, beyond crazy https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/10/10/the-bombs-raining-down-on-gaza-are-beyond-scary-beyond-crazy   What to know about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/10/what-is-the-humanitarian-situation-in-gaza   Iran Helped Plot Attack on Israel Over Several Weeks https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25   Trial of the Century: Revisiting the Dreyfus affair. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/28/trial-of-the-century   The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin: ‘He never knew it was one of his people who shot him in the back’ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/31/assassination-yitzhak-rabin-never-knew-his-people-shot-him-in-back   Netanyahu's Supreme Court overhaul effort seen by protesters as threat to Israel's democracy https://www.cbsnews.com/news/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-supreme-court-60-minutes-transcript/   Are Netanyahu’s legal troubles behind push for judicial change? https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/24/are-netanyahus-legal-troubles-behind-push-for-judicial-change   Why Evangelicals Love Israel https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-evangelicals-love-israel Half of evangelicals support Israel because they believe it is important for fulfilling end-times prophecy https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/05/14/half-of-evangelicals-support-israel-because-they-believe-it-is-important-for-fulfilling-end-times-prophecy/   Jerusalem embassy: Why Trump's move was not about peace https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44120428   Max Seddon of FT: Putin finally makes his first comments on the Israel-Palestine war. He says it's "a clear example of the failure of US policy in the Middle East" for not "taking the core interests of the Palestinian people into account" and working to create an independent Palestinian state. https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/1711721613610324242   Olga Lautman: What a ridiculous NYT article. Zero mention that for decades Russia supports Hamas, has extremely close relations w Hezbollah, works alongside Hezbollah to murder countless Syrians, and supplied weapons for many decades. Why is NYT waiting for condolences from the Kremlin?https://twitter.com/OlgaNYC1211/status/1711708594872226243   Lisa Rubin: In my head, I keep seeing one video over and over: A woman, who appears to be teenaged, being dragged by her hair into a truck and wearing sweatpants that are entirely soiled in the crotch. 1/ https://twitter.com/lawofruby/status/1711515444979306825   Noga Tarnopolsky: No, Vladimir Putin's silence on the attack by Hamas shows that Netanyahu made a catastrophic strategic error by thinking he was Putin's friend. As @YadlinAmos said all along. https://twitter.com/NTarnopolsky/status/1711704721050804319   The Russia-Iran axis is fomenting war in the Middle East https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/10/09/the-russia-iran-axis-is-fomenting-war-in-the-middle-east/   Trump’s Overrated Peace Plan Helped Enable the Horrors in Israel and Gaza https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-overrated-peace-plan-helped-enable-horrors-in-israel-gaza   Vice News: An Iranian teenage girl has been hospitalised after a reported attack in the Tehran Metro by the country’s so-called “morality police.” Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights said Armita Geravand, 16, lost consciousness after being assaulted at a metro station on Sunday. https://twitter.com/VICENews/status/1709605211310903745   Elon Musk’s X Cut Disinformation-Fighting Tool Ahead of Israel-Hamas Conflict https://www.theinformation.com/articles/elon-musks-x-cut-disinformation-fighting-tool-ahead-of-israel-hamas-conflict   US increases pressure on Ukraine to do more to counter corruption https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/03/politics/us-ukraine-pressure-counter-corruption/index.html   BOOK RECOMMENDATION: House of Bush, House of Saud The Secret Relationship Between the World's Two Most Powerful Dynasties By Craig Unger  https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/House-of-Bush-House-of-Saud/Craig-Unger/9780743253390

Check out the video version on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18gEu4hJc8ZpoIafeB5Pgg Get this and all shows ad free, bonus episodes, submit questions to our regular Q&As, join the conversation, and more by supporting our independent journalism on Patreon at Patreon.com/Gaslit  This week's bonus episode is available to all given that it provides important updates on Cop City, an issue that's the Standing Rock of the 2024 election and has serious ramifications for our democracy. Thank you to Patreon supporter Jennifer whose question inspired this discussion. Jennifer asked: "Can you talk about Cop City in the context of our global authoritarian shift. Have you seen this in other countries and do you expect it to grow?"   The opening discussion is the Fox News Tea livestream from Thursday afternoon, in case you missed it. While this episode is available to all, our Patreon community receives both the audio and video ad free, and supports our independent journalism. Thank you so much! And we're working on a fun festive surprise for both you and Merrick Garland to be announced soon. :)   We're working on organizing a social media workshop for our community here on Patreon featuring various experts in community organizing as well as the arts and media who have found new life on other platforms post-Elon Musk's deliberate destruction of Twitter. If there's anyone you're following on a platform that is not Twitter who has been helpful to you, providing insights, inspiration, community, drop their social media account in the comments and we'll consider reaching out to them to see if they might be willing to chat with our community here to provide guidance. Twitter was a real community power center, which is why the far-right elites had to destroy it, and starting over elsewhere can feel daunting and demoralizing. It's going to be a process, which will include still using Twitter for now, and expanding our presence elsewhere, including through fun events and collaborations.   Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! Hope you’ll join Andrea at the October 26 6pm ET phonebank party with Sister District to stop Posh Trump Glenn Youngkin from getting the state power he needs to ban abortion. RSVP here: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrict/event/585389/    Show Notes:   2019: Over 380,000 gallons of oil spill from Keystone pipeline in North Dakota. The amount of oil spilled could fill half an Olympic-sized swimming pool. https://abcnews.go.com/US/380000-gallons-oil-spill-keystone-pipeline-north-dakota/story?id=66683075   Dakota Access Pipeline protests - Key Moments In The Dakota Access Pipeline Fight https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/22/514988040/key-moments-in-the-dakota-access-pipeline-fight   Future of controversial Dakota Access pipeline's river crossing remains unclear https://www.npr.org/2023/09/08/1198492185/dakota-access-pipeline-river-crossing-environmental-review   The U.S. Supreme Court last year refused to take up an appeal of the tribe's lawsuit over the pipeline. The tribe first filed the lawsuit in 2016. Thousands of people gathered and camped near the pipeline's river crossing for protests that lasted months and sparked hundreds of arrests in 2016 and 2017. More than 830 criminal cases resulted from the protests. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/federal-officials-leave-future-of-dakota-access-pipelines-river-crossing-unclear-in-draft-review   Great video: What is Copy City? https://twitter.com/cwebbonline/status/1709317070264172703   Important must-read article: Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ Neighbors Have No Voting Rights to Stop It https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-10-04/-cop-city-referendum-aims-to-repeal-planned-atlanta-police-training-center   ‘Watershed moment’: activists speak out about ‘Cop City’ conspiracy charges The same law used to charge Donald Trump is being wielded against protesters in a historic prosecution of 61 defendants https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/25/atlanta-cop-city-conspiracy-charges-activists?CMP=share_btn_tw   It’s spreading: Gov. Lee breaks ground on $415M Multi-Agency Law Enforcement Training Academy in Nashville https://www.wsmv.com/2023/09/27/gov-lee-breaks-ground-415m-multi-agency-law-enforcement-training-academy-nashville/   Atlanta "Cop City" protester killed by officers had 57 gunshot wounds, autopsy finds https://www.cbsnews.com/news/atlanta-cop-city-manuel-paez-teran-autopsy/   A New Front Line in the Debate Over Policing: A Forest Near Atlanta ttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/us/cop-city-atlanta-police-training.html   Image Credits for Video: Main Video Image Thumbnail: https://twitter.com/mccaslid/status/885682362838855680/photo/1 Standing Rock protest: https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2017/02/13/standingrock_calexandra_nov24_25_custom-ad586b1cab843509f48c6bc418a6e07c475900c0-s1200-c85.webp Cop City: https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/03/multimedia/03nat-copcity-top-qbfj/03nat-copcity-top-qbfj-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp Officer Farva: https://www.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/171/1712892/3377019-maxresdefault.jpg Pepper Spray Cop: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/Uc_Davis_Pepper_Spray_Incident.jpg Peaceful activist shot 57 times by police: https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/03/multimedia/03nat-copcity-2/03nat-copcity-dippy--02-pgzl-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp Cop City Protests: https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/03/multimedia/03nat-copcity-3/03nat-copcity--01-wpzq-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp

It’s a government shutdown by another name! Accused sex trafficker, proud January 6 insurrectionist, and Kremlin shill Matt Gaetz makes Russian state TV gleeful by leading the Kremlin Kaos Kaucus (KKK) by blocking much-needed aid to Ukraine and overthrowing Kevin McCarthy as speaker for trying to do a Ukraine deal with the Democrats. You may remember McCarthy as that guy who admitted Putin pays Trump, yet went on to support him and his MAGA death cult, earning his place in history as the first speaker to be ousted. Gaetz’s Kremlin disinformation antics are part of a larger operation serving the Republican Party’s dark money backers that include dirty Russian-linked financing that helped elect George Santos, the Koch political network that wants to drop sanctions against Russia to protect their profits, and the PayPal mafia like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel that deliberately destroyed Twitter, an organizing space for activists and journalists, in a unified bid to weaken American democracy and usher in dictatorship. Yes, this is all happening, and none of it is normal.  The KKK in Congress makes America look like an unreliable ally and demoralizes Ukrainians fighting and giving their lives to stop Russian imperial fascism. When they scream on the House floor about the national debt, what they really mean is protecting their corporate backers’ record profits, historically and criminally low taxes, and wealth hoarding at the expense of the public good. This is Reagan’s Revolution ideologically aligned with Putin’s court of oligarchs: Greed is good and the firehose of corruption and scandal ensures they live above the law. As history shows, our courts are the anecdote when Congress is gridlocked. Unfortunately, Biden’s judicial appointments were stalled this year as Senator Dianne Feinstein and her enablers refused to let her retire with dignity, tarnishing her legacy by slowing down Biden’s appointments for months. If people weren’t getting rich off of Washington being broken, it would have been fixed by now. The great Heather Cox Richardson, historian and author of the latest must-read book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, stops by Gaslit Nation to give us insight on how we got here and what to do about this dangerous crossroads in our nation’s history. Needless to say Andrea and Heather geek out over Ulysses S. Grant!   This week’s bonus episode will include a livestream on Patreon and on Instagram (to help wean us off of Twitter – the largest Russian disinformation outlet in the world, according to the European Union). That will take place on Thursday at 4pm ET – Patreon subscribers should look out for a link posted shortly before we go live, or join for free on Instagram. The topic will be some disturbing tea spilled about Fox News and how the sausage gets made there, according to a former insider. If you would like to support our independent journalism, get our episodes ad free, bonus shows, special invites, our archives, and more, subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Check out HelloFresh, our sponsor for this week’s episode. Go to HelloFresh.com/50Gaslit and use code 50gaslit for 50% off plus free shipping! Show Notes: Save the date! Thursday October 26 6pm - 8pm ET we’re getting together with Sister District for a virtual phonebank to get out the vote in Virginia to prevent Posh Trump (Glenn Youngkin) from banning abortion. Signed copies of the Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! will be given out to three attendees as a thank you to our community. Sign up here, selecting the October 26 6pm ET phonebank to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrict/event/387377/?utm_source=2023-natlpb-gaslit Feeling festive? Send us a 5-page or less Halloween-themed radio play about the Kushners and other ghouls we’re up against and how to defeat those monsters. We’ll turn one of the scripts we receive into a radio play to run on Halloween! Send your submissions to gaslitnation@gmail.com by October 18th!  Opening clip: Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas calling out the show trial in the House of Hunter Biden and President Biden https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1707464799209070665 Ben Collins of NBC News: What was Elon Musk’s strategy for Twitter?https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/was-elon-musks-strategy-twitter-rcna118490  Putin’s Next Target: U.S. Support for Ukraine, Officials Say https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/02/us/politics/putin-ukraine-spy-united-states.html#:~:text=American%20officials%20said%20they%20are,conspiracy%20theories%20with%20new%20technologies.  House majority leader to colleagues in 2016: ‘I think Putin pays’ Trump https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/house-majority-leader-to-colleagues-in-2016-i-think-putin-pays-trump/2017/05/17/515f6f8a-3aff-11e7-8854-21f359183e8c_story.html Trump suing ex-MI6 officer who alleged he was ‘compromised’ by Russian security service https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/28/trump-suing-ex-mi6-officer-who-alleged-he-was-compromised-by-russian-security-service First on CNN: DOJ officially decides not to charge Matt Gaetz in sex-trafficking probe https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/15/politics/matt-gaetz-justice-department/index.html Rep. Matt Gaetz Speaks Out For 1st Time Following Sex Trafficking Investigation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZJdqwam0fs Seventeen year old Eric Willoughby stands up to Republican gerrymandering in North Carolina https://twitter.com/HC_Richardson/status/1708139641499435151?t=oy8Tp1lbc_GbBAtwkKfKGw&s=19 Secretary of State Antony Blinken launches music diplomacy initiative in the White House by performing with his band https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1707230831528620109 Trump’s Fraud Trial Starts With Attacks on Attorney General and Judge https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/02/nyregion/trump-fraud-trial-letitia-james.html Tristan Snell on Twitter about Trump’s fraud case https://twitter.com/TristanSnell/status/1708908759655792899?t=KrBUdTPZLGfQISCq1kWmrA&s=19 Steve Bannon threatens to throw Merrick Garland in prison for life https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1708941399217827865?t=sW_CUa7D5vN2M1Vi4BtFLg&s=19 The far-right goes after Taylor Swift for being anti-Trump and registering voters https://twitter.com/mikefreemanNFL/status/1707164874608869395?t=71nxtwb6evwFKnb7j4BZmw&s=19 https://twitter.com/oneunderscore__/status/1707163480715899087?t=wJS9tRH7mkt_d3mi_N6Fdw&s=19 Gaetz: "We're proud of the work we did" on Jan. 6 https://www.axios.com/2022/01/06/matt-gaetz-jan-6-capitol-riot Gaetz showed nude photos of women he said he’d slept with to lawmakers, sources tell CNN https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/01/politics/matt-gaetz-photos-women/index.html Biden has appointed more federal judges than any president since JFK at this point in his tenure https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/08/09/biden-has-appointed-more-federal-judges-than-any-president-since-jfk-at-this-point-in-his-tenure/#:~:text=President%20Joe%20Biden%20has%20appointed,from%20the%20Federal%20Judicial%20Center AOC leads call for federal ethics investigation into Clarence Thomas https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/12/aoc-democrats-federal-investigation-clarence-thomas Pro-Russian politician wins Slovakia’s parliamentary election https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/01/world/slovakia-election-pro-russia-robert-fico-win-intl-hnk Kenneth Roth on Twitter: A European Union study of six social-media platforms in Poland, Slovakia and Spain "finds that Twitter has the highest prevalence of disinformation." The main source is "Russia’s disinformation operation [which] is a ‘weapon of mass manipulation.'" https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/1708032306265378870

This is an excerpt of Gaslit Nation's bonus show. To get access to this, our episodes ad free, our archives, live events, and more, support our independent journalism by subscribing at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Thank you to everyone who braved a stormy night of torrential rain to attend the recent live taping of Gaslit Nation featuring historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the bestselling book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, and Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman of the Kremlin Files podcast. This week's bonus episode includes the live Q&A with our audience, kicking off with Olga's theory...what if Prigozhin is still alive? In the introduction, Andrea shares two powerful films that are essential viewing, especially heading into 2024. Disinformation aims to divide and dehumanize. The anecdote to that is to stay human and center the human beings caught in the middle of powerful forces. So be sure to check out these two powerful films. One is a drama, The Swimmers, about two Syrian girls who dream of swimming in the Olympics for Syria, and instead have to escape the war, taking the dangerous journey to Europe by sea where they use their swimming training to pull their raft full of refugees for hours to shore after the boat's motor fails. It's an extraordinary story of resilience and gives important insight into the refugee crisis politically dividing Europe, inflaming the Russian-backed far-right. The second film is a Peabody Award-winning documentary called Missing in Brooks County. Like Ava DuVernay's 13th exposes the white supremacy cult of political and legal violence that built the prison industrial complex, Missing in Brooks County lifts the veil on the dystopian nightmare of the U.S. Southern Border, deliberately engineered for mass murder. And of course Elon Musk, Apartheid Barbie, made headlines this week in relation to both refugee crises. First, he was slapped on Twitter by the German government which clapped back at him for calling out their rescue efforts of refugees who take the perilous journey by sea to escape unimaginable danger and hardship at home. Then he pulled a disinformation stunt by visiting the U.S. border, called by a recent United Nations report the deadliest border crossing in the world. Musk, Trump, and Putin are all part of a global far-right movement to consolidate the world's racists, to chip away at democracy, to scapegoat victims of fascism and mafia state greed, and bring autocrats to power through incitement of political violence. We're seeing that same KKK terror on Staten Island where mobs of people continue to terrorize refugees by blasting intrusive lights and blaring car horns and more at a refugee center. We're not going to let them win. We're fighting back by building political power and growing our community beyond Apartheid Barbie's Twitter. You can join Andrea, J. Smith-Cameron and people across the country by supporting all important state races like the upcoming Virginia state elections -- more info here: https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/zjrhpjw/State-Fair And be sure to follow Gaslit Nation on the new socials we're building as we ramp up for 2024 and reclaim our democracy.  Finally, on Thursday October 5th at 4pm EST, Andrea will spill some tea on Fox News after speaking with a former insider, and record that in a special live stream available both on Patreon for our supporters and also Instagram Live. Look out for a Patreon post sent straight to your inbox for how to watch that stream as it goes live this coming Thursday. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Instagram @GaslitNation: https://www.instagram.com/gaslitnation/ Threads @GaslitNation: https://www.threads.net/@gaslitnation Gaslit Nation’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GaslitNation  Mastodon @GaslitNation: https://mastodon.social/@GaslitNation  Gaslit Nation’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gaslitnation5288 Gaslit Nation’s Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gaslit_nation Spoutible @GaslitNation: https://spoutible.com/GaslitNation Post at @GaslitNation: https://post.news/@/GaslitNation Gaslit Nation on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/  

Our song for September is 'The Cost of Living' by PrisonPenPal. Check out more of their music here: https://soundcloud.com/wot-not-718138294 To have your music featured on the show, submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-d_DWNnDQFYUMXueYcX5ZVsA5t2RN09N8PYUQQ8koq0/edit?ts=5fee07f6&gxids=7628  To receive all of our episodes ad free, get exclusive invites, access our archives and more, join our community of listeners by supporting our independent journalism at Patreon.com/Gaslit  HyperNormalisation was first coined by Russian-born anthropologist Alexei Yurchak in his book Everything was Forever, Until It Was No More. (It also inspired the Adam Curtis docuseries by the same name).  The term describes the final years of the Soviet Union when the system was failing, everyone knew the system was rotted from within by greed and corruption, yet people carried on, the broken system becoming the new normal. When our government can easily be shutdown by a Kremlin-backed, proudly fascist party, while its leader continues to call for violence, walking free after having tried to violently overthrow our government, and disinformation echo chambers on the far-right and far-left openly mock and attack the victims and targets of that fascism, America has reached HyperNormalisation. And the priority of the business elite is to protect their immorally low-tax rate and hoard their wealth, following in the footsteps of those who helped bring Hitler and Pinochet to power.  Elon Musk’s X has become the biggest outlet of Russian disinformation, according to the EU. That’s “mission accomplished” for the American far-right and its Russian backers. Formerly reliable so-called “resistance” accounts on Twitter that once led the way combating Trump and Putin have succumbed to self-censorship and catering to Musk’s oppressive algorithms like they’re an authoritarian regime. This causes them to fall silent on ringing the alarm on the stakes to all of us for stopping Russia’s genocide in Ukraine, LGBTQ+ rights that are being scapegoated through genocidal rhetoric, and more. You know things are bad when even Ralph Nader is ringing the alarm of fascism and wants to campaign for the Democrats!  Since the beginning of the show, the focus has been on grassroots power–the most reliable power we have left. Together, we made 15,000 phone calls to get John Fetterman into the Senate, and he’s leading the way against corruption and greed. To maintain your courage and stay grounded in the truth, check out the Gaslit Nation Action Guide. You can also join Andrea, J. Smith-Cameron, and people across the country in State Fair, a grassroots group with the States Project organizing for the upcoming Virginia election to stop Posh Trump Youngkin from winning a majority in Virginia’s state government and banning abortion.  In this episode, you’ll hear an excerpt of the August 5th live taping of Gaslit Nation at Caveat in NYC with the Risk! Storytelling podcast by comedia Kevin Allison of the iconic comedy group The State, which launched the comedic geniuses Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, David Wain, and many more. Thank you to everyone who came out! We hope to do more live tapings closer to the election.  This week’s Q&A will feature the audience questions at the live taping featuring historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the bestselling book Strongmen: Mussolini to Present, and Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman of the Kremlin Files podcast. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  Show Notes: We encourage you to check out the sponsors of this week’s episode:  Cozy Earth provided an exclusive offer for our listener’s today. Up to  35% off site wide when you use the code “GASLIT" https://cozyearth.com/ Want to join the conversation? Subscribe to join our community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit  Join Andrea, J Smith-Cameron, and people across the country in the grassroots group State Fair to help protect Virginia from Posh Trump and his rightwing agenda https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/zjrhpjw/State-Fair Opening Clip of Tim Gurner: https://twitter.com/FinancialReview/status/1701440109948887057 U.S. Accuses Amazon of Illegally Protecting Monopoly in Online Retail https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/26/technology/ftc-amazon.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20230926&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta&regi_id=48614702&segment_id=145764&user_id=097a378032011d6e8be1570cdce0a176 Biden speaking at the UAW picket line https://www.c-span.org/video/?530728-1/pres-biden-joins-uaw-picket-line-michigan Musk’s X Is Biggest Outlet of Russia Disinformation, EU Says https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-26/eu-faults-musk-s-x-in-fight-against-russia-s-war-of-ideas?srnd=undefined#xj4y7vzkg Ralph Nader wants to help Democrats win https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/26/ralph-nader-joe-biden-election/ The Kushner Family is Cozying Up to Nikki Halely https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/07/the-kushner-family-is-cozying-up-to-nikki-haley  Republicans Lead Race for Private Equity’s 2024 Dollars https://www.wsj.com/articles/republicans-lead-race-for-private-equitys-2024-dollars-ba152e12?page=1 @JStein_WaPo: “Hard to find a quote that better summarizes how Obamanomics =/= Bidenomics” https://twitter.com/JStein_WaPo/status/1706747404756635815 @AriDrennen: “Michael Knowles claims trans kids are the number one thing in voters' minds in the 2024 election and that GOP candidates should focus on that instead of "bread and butter, dinner table issues" https://twitter.com/AriDrennen/status/1706754511581147292 Ukrainian oligarch Pavel Fuks has been linked to Russian Intelligence, employed Giuliani and has newly reported ties to Trump Tower in NYC https://newstracs.com/ukrainian-oligarch-pavel-fuks-has-newly-reported-ties-to-trump-tower-in-nyc/2023/09/18/ The antidote to civilisational collapse: An interview with the documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis on his docuseries HyperNormalisation https://www.economist.com/open-future/2018/12/06/the-antidote-to-civilisational-collapse Elie Mystal on Twitter: “Good job, Merrick Garland. Your weakness has orchestrated the indictment of a private citizen trying to overcome drug addiction so Republicans can try to hit a bank shot off of him to his loving father, all because you were afraid of looking "political" to Fox News viewers.”  https://twitter.com/ElieNYC/status/1702384315806466475 Hunter Biden claims in lawsuit that Rudy Giuliani hacked his data https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/26/hunter-biden-rudy-giuliani-lawsuit-laptop-00118112 Follow-up on last week’s bonus episode:  “Even back in the 1850s, when an immigrant arrived who was sick, they would be sent to Staten Island to get better. And even back then, the residents of Staten Island didn’t much like being forced to take immigrants who they didn’t particularly want,” Anbinder told me. “We tend to idealize our own immigrant ancestors and think they’re different than immigrants today. But what you find when you look at the 400-year history of immigrant New York is that every generation of immigrants comes to New York for the same reasons, has the same experiences, is hated by the people who are already in New York, and yet always they end up succeeding. And so every group is despised for a time, but every group ends up becoming an accepted New Yorker. We just forget that, generation after generation after generation.” Source:The Biggest Lesson of the Migrant Crisis https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/09/the-biggest-lesson-of-the-migrant-crisis.html  

This is an excerpt of Gaslit Nation's weekly bonus episode. To listen to the extended version, receive all episodes ad free, exclusive event invites, and join the conversation, support the show at Patreon.com/Gaslit.    The average bedtime for children is around 8pm. Late into the night, well past that hour, angry mobs honk and scream into bullhorns outside a migrant shelter on Staten Island. Their rioutous harassment, meant to terrorize the newly arrived aslym seekers that include children, can be heard in homes far up the street. This goes on night after night.   In this extra pissed off bonus episode of Gaslit Nation, Andrea explains how disinformation worsens the migrant crisis, why Republican crony Mayor Eric Adams with his Russian mobbed up pals is the worst person for this moment of crisis in New York City, and how Merrick Garland continues to empower corruption in America that profits off the demise of our democracy.   Unfortunately, the Hunter Biden investigation makes it nearly impossible for President Biden to replace Merrick Garland (though he should immediately!). But that would be seen by the hand-wringers in the Democratic Party establishment as feeding the far-right’s echochamber. As the clip of the recent Garland hearing in this episode shows, the DOJ was called on by Democratic members of Congress to investigate Clarence Thomas for being on the payroll of Nazi memorabilia enthusiast and far-right mega-donor Harlan Crow. When pressed on that matter, you can hear and/or see for yourself in the clip how Garland sounds dismissive, almost annoyed, like he doesn’t grasp the urgency–because he doesn’t. The latest bombshell investigation by ProPublica, out yesterday, exposes how Thomas worked fundraisers for a group that regularly took cases before him at the Supreme Court. (Look out for our interview with ProPublica’s Jesse Eisinger about their damning investigations into Thomas, Alito, and what can be done about elite criminal impunity. Eisinger led the investigation of former Manhattan DA Cy Vance, Jr. who prevented indictments of Ivanka and Don Jr. for felony fraud after receiving a campaign donation from a Trump family lawyer).   Finally, the second half of this week’s bonus episode includes the live audience Q&A with Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats podcast reporting from Kyiv. The audio of the first question was removed by request due to the personal nature of the matter: overcoming workplace abuse. If you or someone you know is struggling with an abusive workplace or related issues – whether it's in a corporation, a small business, or a partnership – seek legal help immediately. Contact your state’s local bar association for lawyers willing to do pro bono work or a free consultation. In a time of great economic uncertainty, people are increasingly vulnerable to workplace abuse, whether financial, emotional, or both, and being exploited – so get the help and support you need by taking a meeting with a lawyer to know your rights. You will be glad you did.   Question for our audience: Given the Nazi viper den of Twittrer, and the harmful abuse there targeting vulnerable communities, what are some other social media sites that you’re increasingly turning to and find helpful? Let us know in the comments!   Show Notes:   Everything you can do today to help asylum seekers in NYC https://nygroove.nyc/how-to-help-asylum-seekers-nyc/   Chaos in Staten Island: NYC protesters arrested trying to stop busses carrying migrants https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4oCBycM0RY   Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before House Judiciary Committee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83nn4uq2Teo   Garland hears first real Democratic criticism from Rep. Cori Bush [Search article for Cori Bush’s name] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/live-blog/merrick-garland-testimony-trump-hunter-biden-live-updates-rcna105680   Latest ProPublica Investigation: Clarence Thomas Secretly Participated in Koch Network Donor Events https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-secretly-attended-koch-brothers-donor-events-scotus   AOC leads call for Federal ethics investigation: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/12/aoc-democrats-federal-investigation-clarence-thomas   ‘So Much Suffering:’ What Migrant Children Carry to New York https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/16/nyregion/nyc-migrant-crisis-mental-health.html#:~:text=Of%20the%20more%20than%20110%2C000,towering%20in%20their%20emotional%20complexit   Senate Finally Breaks Tommy Tuberville’s Blockade—Kind ofhttps://www.thedailybeast.com/senate-finally-breaks-tommy-tubervilles-blockadekind-of   Trump Nazi https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/NYPICHPDPICT000026871283.jpg?resize=1536,1063&quality=75&strip=all   Neo-Nazis Gloat as Florida Becomes a Magnet for Hate https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/neo-nazis-thriving-florida-ron-desantis-1234824505/   Clarence Thomas’ 38 Vacations: The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-other-billionaires-sokol-huizenga-novelly-supreme-court   Merrick Garland’s Eyes Wide Shut https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2021/6/9/merrick-garlands-eyes-wide-shut

Welcome to the recording of the live taping of Gaslit Nation featuring historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the bestselling book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman, co-host of the Kremlin Files podcast, and reactions from our live audience. We recorded this episode at P&T Knitwear in New York City. Thank you to everyone who came out on a torrential rainy night. We hope to do another live event closer to the election.  In this episode, we discuss whether Putin and Trump are winning and how to stop them; how to navigate the hellscape during a time of cults on the far-right and far-left; why are Americans having Ukraine fatigue even though Russian fascism helps prop up the Republican Party threatening our own democracy, and how to build a livable future even when everything feels especially demoralizing and overwhelming. The live audience Q&A will run as an upcoming bonus episode. Thank you to everyone who joined the conversation!  This week’s bonus episode is the live audience Q&A featuring Terrell Starr reporting from Ukraine during the recent virtual live taping of Gaslit Nation. That discussion includes how to stand up for yourself at work when you’re being exploited and gaslit; what to do when those around you don’t understand the urgency of the moment; and more! Thank you to everyone who keeps Gaslit Nation going especially during these difficult times. We could not make our show without you! Want to join the conversation? Subscribe to join our community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit  We encourage you to check out the sponsors of this week’s episode:  Cozy Earth provided an exclusive offer for our listener’s today. Up to  35% off site wide when you use the code “GASLIT" Look out for upcoming interviews with Heather Cox Richardson sharing lessons from American history, her new book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, and the original Nazi hunter – Andrea’s boyfriend Ulysses S. Grant. We’ll also be joined by Jesse Eisinger, a Senior Editor at ProPublica and author of The Chickenshit Club Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives. Jesse is on the team exposing corruption on the Supreme Court and uncovered that former Manhattan DA Cy Vance, Jr. failed to charge Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. in a fraud case.   

Quick reminder: This Monday 9/18, Andrea will be in discussion with historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the bestselling book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, and Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman of the Kremlin Files podcast to discuss the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! and how to defeat Trump and Putin. Copies of the book signed by both Andrea and Sarah will be available at the event, which will be held at P&T Knitwear on the Lower East Side at 7pm. Our Patreon community can join Andrea starting at 6pm for free N95 masks and a signed Mr. Jones poster. Details here: https://ptknitwear.com/events/29217 In this special and personal call to action, Andrea shares her story on why it’s important to interview someone you love while there’s still time: “On New Year's Day, we had to rush someone in my immediate family to the hospital. Since then, their health has been in decline as they battle two terminal illnesses. In February, I produced a list of questions for interviewing them on camera, to preserve their history as a treasured family keepsake, but life got in the way, and I waited too long to conduct the interview. When I finally managed to sit down with them for the interview, their health had declined to the point where they could no longer sit through more than 30 minutes of conversational talking. As they continue their treatments, we continue to do what we can as a family for our loved one as they bravely face the hardest battle of their life. Don’t make the mistake I did. Make time to interview those you love as a celebration of your love and the family you were lucky to have been born into and/or the family you were lucky to make. We all need each other. No one gets through these times alone.” Here are the list of questions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dR-rDSmQUFJCDxF9veqcVrxObOhP41uv6orogKGnGIY/edit?usp=sharing This week’s bonus episode is a response to a comment on last week’s bonus show on why Biden Must Declare a Climate Emergency. You can find that here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/88983043 (There’s a free excerpt wherever you get your podcasts). That bonus episode created a lot of discussion among our listeners on Patreon, including one who commented that we’re inevitably headed towards mass violence. Are they right? And what does that mean and how can it be avoided? This deserves a much larger discussion, and we appreciate your comments.  Sarah joins this week’s bonus episode to answer questions from our listeners. Our supporters on Patreon at the Truth-teller level and higher can submit their questions in the comments section or by sending a private message on Patreon. Subscribe today to join the conversation: Patreon.com/Gaslit  Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you. To join the conversation and our community of listeners, get bonus shows, all shows ad free, exclusive invites and more, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit 

A special reminder! This coming Monday September 18th at 7pm at P&T Knitwear on the Lower East Side, Andrea will join historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the bestselling book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, and Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman of the Kremlin Files podcast for a special in-person live taping of Gaslit Nation. A select few copies of the Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! signed by both Andrea and Sarah will be available at the event. Get them while supplies last! Event details are here. For Patreon supporters, there will be a special meet-up at 6pm just for you that includes FREE N95 masks and signed Mr. Jones posters – details to come! To join our community on Patreon, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit  In this special live taping of Gaslit Nation, journalist Terrell Starr reports from Kyiv, Ukraine on what his life is like living among drones, missile attacks, bomb sirens, and the amazing bars and restaurants of Ukraine. The defiance of life among Russia’s death and destruction sustains people as they carry on with their days, many wounded and now disabled, as Terrell describes, and facing nuclear threats and the aftermath of the massive dam explosion. Terrell and Andrea discuss the GOP’s latest Kremlin disinformation smear of Biden with their impeachment show trial heading into 2024 to help Russian asset Trump, why the G20 summit in India watered down its statement of support for Ukraine, why Elizabeth Warren gives us hope by taking on Elon Musk who was recently praised by Putin after it was revealed he sabotaged Ukraine’s efforts to liberate Crimea, a cesspool of repression under Russian occupation. All that and more are discussed in this look at the threat of autocracy in the US and beyond.  The live audience Q&A with compelling questions and comments from our listeners will run next week as a bonus episode. This week’s bonus show includes a Q&A of Sarah answering questions from our listeners. To have your questions answered, send us a private message or drop them in the comment section below. Thank you to everyone who supports the show, especially during these difficult times. We could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  We encourage you to check out the sponsors of this week’s episode:  Cozy Earth provided an exclusive offer for my listener’s today. Up to  35% off site wide when you use the code “GASLIT Go to HelloFresh.com/50gaslit and use code 50gaslit for 50% off plus 15% off the next two months!  Show Notes: Opening Clip: https://twitter.com/lizbrownkaiser/status/1701630833398821106 Russia’s Putin praises Elon Musk as an ‘outstanding person’ and ‘talented businessman’ https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/12/russias-vladimir-putin-praises-elon-musk-as-an-outstanding-person.html Senator Warren demands an investigation into SpaceX after Musk blocked Ukraine from extending the Starlink network near Crimea. https://twitter.com/OstapYarysh/status/1701592112246997228 Christopher Steele on India funding Russia’s genocide in Ukraine https://twitter.com/Chris_D_Steele/status/1701309978215067959 Anne Applebaum on Elon Musk sabotaging Ukraine’s efforts to liberate Crimea https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum/status/1701282864011121024 In time of war, Russia turns up aggression on transgender citizens https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/10/russia-outlaws-transgender-citizens/ US behind more than a third of global oil and gas expansion plans, report finds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/12/us-behind-more-than-a-third-of-global-oil-and-gas-expansion-plans-report-finds?CMP=share_btn_tw  

This is a free excerpt of this week's bonus show. To access the full discussion, our archives, receive all episodes ad free, invites to events like our live taping and audience Q&A with Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats podcast this Tuesday at 12pm ET, subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher and join our community of listeners who sustain much-needed independent journalism. Become a member today: www.Patreon.com/Gaslit    Should we drop out of society and organize mass orgies given the state of the world? That and more are discussed in this week's bonus episode.   This discussion was inspired by a question from our Patreon community and is an urgent argument for why Biden must declare a climate emergency, especially if he wants to boost his poll numbers. Gen Z is voting in larger numbers, running for office, building grassroots organizing machines, and they're demanding their elected leaders ensure a livable future. Biden will drive out the vote of an increasingly influential Gen Z by declaring a climate emergency, and at the same time energize a new generation of leaders to help strengthen and protect our democracy. It's not up to Gen Z to save us, but it is up to us to listen to Gen Z. Biden did just that by rolling back oil leases to protect pristine wilderness. Now it's time to hyper-speed a renewable energy revolution by declaring a climate emergency. The latest research by the Cassandras of the climate crisis like James Hansen, the former NASA scientist who testified to Congress in 1988 that we were headed towards collapse, warn that the heating of the planet is accelerating.   Declaring a climate emergency is urgently needed national security and foreign policy. The sooner we achieve a post-oil world, the sooner we put gas station dictatorships like Russia and Iran out of business. China, another major producer, buys cheap oil from Russia, financing its genocide in Ukraine, while Iran provides killer drones slaughtering civilians. To defund these repressive mass-murdering regimes, expand the transition to renewable energy with executive emergency powers. The Department of Defense elevated climate change as a national security priority, because if we don't move faster the world will become ungovernable. The fascist far-right trying to overthrow our democracy is deeply embedded with Big Oil like the Koch political network, as discussed in our interviews with Anne Nelson, author of The Shadow Network, and historian Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains. Making fossil fuels obsolete defunds the shadowy backers of America's far-right threat, supported in a global fascist alliance by oil producer Russia. Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Vivek Ramaswamy, and other Kremlin mouthpieces are just the lobbyist puppets of the fossil fuel industry.   Even if the Supreme Court were to strike down or curb efforts by Biden to unlock executive emergency powers for meaningful climate action, the court's far-right Republican majority would be met with backlash at the voting booth, as we saw in the 2022 midterms. A Roe v. Wade blue wave ensured Democrats kept the Senate and that Republicans only got a fragile majority in the House, defying historical trends of the president's party losing badly in midterm elections. People left, right, and center are terrorized by the reality of extreme fires, hazardous smoke, and killer super storms. The horrifying new normal of the climate emergency breaks through far-right disinformation machines like Fox News, with young Republicans demanding action on climate change and traditionally conservative farmers working with the federal government on climate crisis projects. The very real fears and destruction of the existential threat we all live with now is a unifying moment that a president must meet by declaring a climate emergency. Morally it's the right thing to do and long past time.   Leadership at the top and at all levels of government must speed up the renewable energy revolution. Biden has led on uniting the democratic alliance against Russia, and bold leadership bringing us closer to a post-carbon world will defund Russia's war machine. And his re-election will be guaranteed if he energizes Gen Z's grassroots base by giving civilization a fighting chance. There's still time, but only if we unite against "feel good" pledges and demand bold executive action now.   You can contact the White House by sharing this essay or your own arguments, and raise your voice on social media demanding a climate emergency. Contact your local reps in your state government, too. Local changes can trickle up. There's more info and ways to take action below from the Sunrise Movement: Millions of young people: @POTUS end fossil fuels Biden: *cancels all remaining oil and gas leases in the Arctic Refuge and protects 13 million acres in the Western Arctic* It's clear he's listening. Demand that he declare a climate emergency next ⬇️ https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt/status/1699888163467219004 Announcements: Tuesday September 12 at 12pm ET – Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats podcast will join a special live taping of Gaslit Nation. A link to join that virtual event will go out to our Patreon community at the Truth-teller level and higher on the morning of the event. Join the conversation in our audience Q&A! Monday September 18th at 7pm ET at P&T Knitwear – Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, the author of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, and Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman will join me, Andrea, to discuss the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! It’s free. There will be a special meet up at 6pm before the event for our Patreon community. I will have N95 masks for those who need one. Come say hi! Here's the event link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/andrea-chalupa-presents-gaslit-nation-a-live-podcast-recording-tickets-699829909097 Show Notes:   James Hansen: There Is a Lot More Warming in the Pipeline (Summary of Report) https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/12/25/2143836/-James-Hansen-There-Is-a-Lot-More-Warming-in-the-Pipeline   Peer & Public Review of James Hansen’s “Global Warming in the Pipeline” http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2023/Peer+PublicReview.21July2023.pdf   MUST READ: James Hansen Op-Ed: President Biden’s Legacy http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2022/BidensLegacy.08August2022.pdf   VIDEO: Global Warming in the Pipeline - Discussion by Climate Emergency Forum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-ArA_xYxfs   ‘We are damned fools’: scientist who sounded climate alarm in 80s warns of worse to com https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/19/climate-crisis-james-hansen-scientist-warning   Steve Bannon Saw the ‘Monster Power’ of Angry Gamers While Farming Gold in World of Warcraft https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/07/steve-bannon-world-of-warcraft-gold-farming.html   Steve Bannon Targeted 'Incels' Because They Are 'Easy to Manipulate,' Cambridge Analytica Whistleblower Says https://www.newsweek.com/steve-bannon-targeted-incels-manipulate-cambridge-analytica-whistleblower-christopher-wylie-1468399?utm_campaign=NewsweekTwitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter   Climate change: More than 3bn could live in extreme heat by 2070 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52543589  

Special announcements:  Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats podcast will join Gaslit Nation Tuesday September 12th at 12pm ET for a live taping – get your ticket by subscribing at the Truth-teller level or higher and join the conversation in the chat! The access link will be sent exclusively to our Patreon community the morning of the show. Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit  Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of the bestselling book Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, and Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman of the Kremlin File podcast, will join Andrea at a special in person live taping of Gaslit Nation Monday September 18th at 7pm ET at P&T Knitwear on the Lower East Side. Patreon supporters can join Andrea for an exclusive early meet up at 6pm ET for signed Mr. Jones posters. Free N95 masks will be available at the event.  In this super caffeinated episode, Andrea breaks down the recent news on the climate crisis exposing Burning Man and America’s Grover Norquist crisis; the classic authoritarian story of business elites fueling the rise of Nazis – this time by flocking to Florida for the tax breaks; how Twitter helped Saudi Arabia target and destroy the lives of activists; the apparent self-censorship on Twitter as people make moral compromises to try to game the Big Brother algorithm by avoiding issues Elon Musk works against like Ukraine and trans rights – Gaslit Nation sees you!  J. Smith-Cameron, “Gerri” on Succession and the star of theater, film, and TV, shares an important call-to-action to protect quality of life and democracy in Virginia in the impending state elections there, which will help determine which party wins the electoral college in 2024. To join J. and Andrea at State Fair, their States Project giving circle, for events to reach voters in Virginia, sign up here. Our efforts helped a grassroots victory flip the Pennsylvania state House from Republican to Democratic control, helping protect the integrity of the vote there in 2024.  Finally, Daniel Squadron, a former New York state Senator, and Melissa Walker, a novelist and activist, of the States Project join Gaslit Nation to expose the far-right machine fueling “Posh Trump” Glenn Youngkin, the Governor of Virginia and a potential presidential candidate who would bring a dog whistler-version of Trumpism to the White House.  This week’s bonus episode will be a special Q&A answering questions from our Patreon community. To have your question answered and join the conversation, support the show by subscribing at the Truth-teller level or higher. Your subscription sends every episode ad free to your inbox and gives you full access to our archives, including all bonus episodes, and supports independent journalism during this critical time. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation – we could not make the show without you!  Gaslit Nation will remain on Twitter, but would like to expand to other platforms to break our dependency on Apartheid Barbie’s “authoritarian town square.” Follow us here and let’s continue the conversation – more platforms will be added and developed soon:  Threads @GaslitNation  Instagram @GaslitNation  Facebook @GaslitNation Mastodon @GaslitNation  YouTube @GaslitNation Tiktok @GaslitNation Spoutible @GaslitNation  Post at @GaslitNation  BlueSky  @GaslitNation (Jack Dorsey betrayed us before by selling us out to Elon Musk, he’ll do something like that again. Dorsey also let the Saudis use Twitter to hunt down dissidents according to a chilling lawsuit against Twitter).    Show Notes: Join Andrea and J Smith-Cameron at our giving circle State Fair to help protect democracy in Virginia this fall. More info here: https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/zjrhpjw/State-Fair Americonned: Organize, Fight, Win https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2023/07/12/americonned?rq=Americonned Twitter accused of helping Saudi Arabia commit human rights abuses https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/04/twitter-saudi-arabia-human-rights-abuses Teen and mom plead guilty to abortion charges based on Facebook data  ttps://techcrunch.com/2023/07/11/teen-and-mom-plead-guilty-to-abortion-charges-based-on-facebook-data/ “We Didn’t Find Genocide in Ukraine,” UN Commissioner Erik Møse Says https://gwaramedia.com/en/we-didn-t-find-genocide-in-ukraine-un-commissioner-erik-mose-says/ Is Twitter Censoring LGBTQ+ Content? What We Know, What We Don't https://www.newsweek.com/twitter-lgbtq-censor-censorship-elon-musk-1792139

"To a life ideal. To the belief in loyalty, to the belief in comradeship, to the conviction that nothing comes of any relationship except through the sacrifice of the unimportant; to the belief that there is something in you greater than you – some passion for truth; some destiny to be the medium for that truth; some call to be the expression of the discontent and the aspiration of your country…To that I swear loyalty"   --The journalist Dorothy Thompson in a letter to her soon-to-be husband Sinclair Lewis who would go on to write It Can't Happen Here inspired by her urgent reporting on the rise of the Nazis, both abroad and at home   This is an excerpt of Andrea Chalupa taking the Gaslit Nation Self Care Q&A. To hear the entire bonus show and gain access to the archives of bonus epsiodes, never miss a show, receive every episode ad free straight to your inbox or RSS feed, join a community of listeners, and receive exclusive invites and more, subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit.    Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! 

Acclaimed science fiction author, activist, and journalist Cory Doctorow stops by Gaslit Nation to discuss life’s important issues: A.I., combating corporate greed, and the art and times of Taylor Swift. Doctorow is the author of several books that capture the age, including his latest novel Red Team Blues. His other works include the nonfiction on monopoly and creative labor markets Chokepoint Capitalism; How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism; the Little Brother series for younger readers; the graphic novel In Real Life; and the picture book Poesy the Monster Slayer. Doctorow was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2020.  In our bonus episode, for Patreon supporters who keep our show going, Doctorow takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. We invite you to share your own inspiration with our community! Take the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A by leaving your answers in the comments section or send them in an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of your responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?  

In our bonus episode, acclaimed science fiction author, activist, and journalist Cory Doctorow takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. To hear the full bonus episode and get access to all bonus shows and more, support our independent journalism by joining our community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit -- thank you to everyone who supports the show!   We invite you to share your own inspiration with our community! Take the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A by leaving your answers in the comments section or send them in an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of your responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

Acclaimed science fiction author, activist, and journalist Cory Doctorow stops by Gaslit Nation to discuss life’s important issues: A.I., combating corporate greed, and the art and times of Taylor Swift. Doctorow is the author of several books that capture the age, including his latest novel Red Team Blues. His other works include the nonfiction on monopoly and creative labor markets Chokepoint Capitalism; How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism; the Little Brother series for younger readers; the graphic novel In Real Life; and the picture book Poesy the Monster Slayer. Doctorow was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2020.  In our bonus episode, for Patreon supporters who keep our show going, Doctorow takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. We invite you to share your own inspiration with our community! Take the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A by leaving your answers in the comments section or send them in an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of your responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?  

That familiar refrain at Gaslit Nation: So many traitors, so little time. Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis made the time for a sweeping, detailed indictment of Trump and 18 others in his Kremlin Klown Kar for trying to overturn the will of the people of Georgia. You can read the annotated indictment here. And we finally got RICO! Charged with being the crime boss that he is, Trump faces a minimum of five years in prison if found guilty of racketeering.   RICO is historically used to break up organized crime as one of the indicted, Rudy Giuliani, knows very well. Trump's longtime friend and former lawyer Giuliani used RICO to go after the Italian mafia in New York City, which made room for Trump's longtime benefactors: the Russian mafia and their easy, endless supply of money. The Idiot Sons Don Jr. and Eric have even admited the Trump family's businesses depended on Russian money.   In this fourth (and counting?) Trump Indictment special, Andrea discusses some of the red flags, some reasons for hope, and what's next as a Russian mafia asset continues to run for president as Russia wages war against the democratic world, carrying out horrific war crimes and genocide in Ukraine.   For those in New York City, join Andrea, Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman, and historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, the author of the bestselling book Stronmen: Mussolini to the Present, for a special live taping of Gaslit Nation on Monday September 18th at 7pm at the independent bookstore P&T Knitwear. There will be no livestream, unfortunately, but we'll run the episode soon after on Gaslit Nation. Patreon donors can join Andrea for a special in-person meet-up at 6pm before the event -- details to be sent out soon on Patreon! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit for more info! Thank you to everyone who supports the show and makes our independent journalism possible. We could not make Gaslit Nation without you!   Show Notes:   Opening clip of Fani Willis https://twitter.com/girlsreallyrule/status/1691458842239148032   Sean Hannity clip of Paul Manafort https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-turns-to-paul-manafort-to-defend-new-trump-georgia-charges   Trump’s 4 indictments, ranked by the stakes https://www.vox.com/trump-investigations/23832341/trump-charges-prison-time-sentence-indictments   Rudy Giuliani, who pioneered the use of RICO when he was a US attorney, just got indicted on RICO charges https://www.businessinsider.com/rudy-giuliani-indicted-georgia-trump-rico-2023-8   I asked 11 legal experts if Trump’s lawyer obstructed justice https://www.vox.com/2018/3/29/17174042/trump-pardons-manafort-flynn-mueller-probe   Paul Manafort’s Book Deal May Breach His Plea Agreement https://www.justsecurity.org/79799/paul-manaforts-book-deal-may-breach-his-plea-agreement/

In our bonus episode, Josh Chin and Liza Lin, authors of Surveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control, take the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. To hear the full bonus episode and get access to all bonus shows and more, support our independent journalism by joining our community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit -- thank you to everyone who supports the show!   We invite you to share your own inspiration with our community! Take the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A by leaving your answers in the comments section or email GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of your responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

Investigative reporters Josh Chin and Liza Lin, authors of the chilling book Surveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control, share important insights into China's dictatorship, the Western companies cashing in on its surveillance state, how technology helps China carry out the Uyghur genocide, and what can be done about "dictator tech." With China determined to win the A.I. "space race," what does that mean for the rest of the world?   Based in Seoul, Josh Chin is the Deputy Bureau Chief of China for the Wall Street Journal. An award-winning investigative journalist, Chin was expelled from China for his reporting. Based in Singapore, Liza Lin, also an award-winning investigative journalist, covers data use and privacy for the Wall Street Journal. She previously worked for Bloomberg News.   In our bonus episode, for Patreon supporters who make our show possible, Josh Chin and Liza Lin take the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. We invite you to share your own inspiration with our community! Take the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A by leaving your answers in the comments section or email GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of your responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

Cindy Cohn, the Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and host of the podcast How to Fix the Internet, takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. To hear the full bonus episode and get access to all bonus shows and more, support our independent journalism by joining our community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit -- thank you to everyone who supports the show!    We invite you to share your own inspiration with our community! Take the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A by leaving your answers in the comments section or send them in an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of your responses on the show!   Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

In The United States vs. Donald J. Trump, Special Counsel Jack Smith hits Trump and Trump alone with four charges of trying to violently overthrow our democracy and install himself as dictator. Read the 45 page indictment of the 45th president here. The case has randomly been assigned to Judge Tanya Chutkan who famously told Trump," Presidents are not kings." She also has a record of appropriate tough sentencing of January 6 insurrectionists, another Black woman on the frontlines of protecting our democracy, and doing so at much personal risk to herself and her family. This mini-episode was recorded before the reports of a possible active shooter today at the U.S. Capitol, a chilling reminder of our nation's slow moving civil war, as recent Gaslit Nation guest Jeff Sharlet appropriately calls it.   For those who want to go back in time to see Gaslit Nation's own indictment of Trump's violent coup attempt, read the transcript or listen to our January 13, 2021 episode Clear Intent, laying out Trump's clear intention to overthrow our democracy, something prosecutors must now prove in court in order to send Trump to prison where he belongs.   To celebrate the indictment and hang out in my first event since before the pandemic (it's been awhile!) come to Caveat this Saturday August 5th at 4pm EST or join by livestream to listen to me and comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast in conversation about the making of the Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! Our Patreon community can use the promo code "JudgeLacky" (ahem, Aileen Cannon!) to get a discount on tickets for in person and livestream access, and attendeeds can receive a signed Mr. Jones film poster using the secret password "Duranty Tucker Carlson Circle of Hell" (so I know who the Gaslit Nation Patreon supporters are!) I'll have ten to give as thank you gifts to our community. Hope to see you there! Order your tickets here: https://www.caveat.nyc/events/gaslit-nation-presents-dictatorship-its-easier-than-you-think--8-5-2023   Show Notes:   Opening clip: https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1686505896656932864   Closing clip: https://twitter.com/benwikler/status/1686505237505294336   Read the Trump indictment text charging him with 4 counts related to the 2020 election and Jan. 6 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-indictment-full-text-read-2020-election-charges/   Trump tried to organize a military coup: https://twitter.com/andygawt/status/1686646404427436032   Trump's three indictments: Stormy Daniels payout, classified documents and Jan. 6 riot https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2023/08/01/all-three-trump-indictments-explained/70486445007/   Can Trump Still Run for President if He Is Convicted? https://www.nytimes.com/article/trump-investigation-conviction.html   Trump draws judge who gave harshest Jan. 6 sentences and warned him "presidents are not kings" https://www.salon.com/2023/08/02/draws-gave-harshest-jan-6-sentences-and-warned-him-presidents-are-not-kings/   Judge who's criticized Capitol insurrection to hear Trump's challenge to House subpoena of presidential records https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/10/19/politics/tanya-chutkan-trump-records-lawsuit/index.html   CNN Poll: January 6 hearings haven’t changed opinions much, but most agree Trump acted unethically https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/26/politics/cnn-poll-january-6-trump/index.html

Join Andrea and Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast and an original member of the comedy group The State on Saturday August 5th at 4pm EST at Caveat on the Lower East Side in NYC -- in person or by livestream -- to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! Details here: https://www.caveat.nyc/events/gaslit-nation-presents-dictatorship-its-easier-than-you-think--8-5-2023   Corporate surveillance is its own kind of dictatorship. Big Brother is watching, and trying to harvest as much data as possible about you. In this enlightening discussion, Cindy Cohn, the Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and host of the podcast How to Fix the Internet. shares how corporate surveillance works, what we can do to protect ourselves, how to build a better internet, the overreach of technology used on the U.S. border, the Silicon Valley gold rush of surveillance tech including from Peter Thiel, and more! We may be up against powerful forces, but leaders like Cohn are fighting back.   In our bonus episode, for Patreon supporters who keep our show going, Cohn takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. We invite you to share your own inspiration with our community! Take the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A by leaving your answers in the comments section or send them in an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of your responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why? This conversation was recorded late April 2023. The Supreme Court case referenced ruled that social media companies are not responsible for users' posts.

Hi All! Hope you're enjoying The Future of Dictatorship summer series. If you're in NYC or looking for a good time in person or by livestream, join me and comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast on Saturday August 5th at 4pm EST at Caveat on the Lower East Side in NYC for a special dark night of the soul slumber party-style chat about the power of storytelling. Details here on how to join us in person or on the livestream. If you're a Patreon supporter, head over to Patreon at Patreon.com/Gaslit to get a discount code for ordering tickets.  Signed copies of the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! can be ordered at the event, and I'll be personally giving away 10 signed copies of the Mr. Jones film poster. Hope you can join me and celebrate this rare Gaslit Nation Night Out!  To help protect election security in New York state, which will determine control of the U.S. House, join me in this urgent call to action by sending a letter with the push of a button to officials in New York, telling them not to allow ATM-style voting machines that do not provide peace of mind when it comes to election security. Copy/paste or click on this link for more information and to send the letter: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-expressvote-xl-certification-in-new-york-3?source=direct_link& 

Sarah Kendzior, author of the bestselling books They Knew, Hiding in Plain Sight, The View from Flyover Country, and of course Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think!, takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Challenge.   And don’t forget that Andrea will join comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a special live event at Caveat in New York City on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation book Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To get a ticket to that event in person or to watch the livestream, visit this website. Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!   To submit your own answers and give inspiration for ways to recharge as we run our marathon together to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

The song you just heard at the top of the show was 'Last Gasp of the Dinosaurs' by Arthur Loves Plastic. You can find more of Arthur Loves Plastic's music on Soundcloud at soundcloud.com/arthurlovesplastic This is Part II of our discussion with Douglas Rushkoff author of the must-read Team Human and Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires. Rushkoff is an author and documentarian on the frontlines of understanding how technology and tech billionaires are impacting our lives and the world. His twenty books also include the bestsellers Present Shock, Throwing Rocks and the Google Bus, Program or Be Programmed, Life Inc, and Media Virus. His films include the PBS Frontline documentaries Generation Like, The Persuaders, and Merchants of Cool. He won the Marshall McLuhan Award for his book Coercion, and the Media Ecology Association honored him with the first Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity. For more on his indispensable work visit his website.  In our bonus episode, Rushkoff takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. To submit your own answers and give inspiration for ways to recharge as we run our marathon together to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show!  And don’t forget that Andrea will join comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a special live event at Caveat in New York City on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation book Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To get a ticket to that event in person or to watch the livestream, visit this website. Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!  Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire  What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why?  Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces?  Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

Hi All! Hope you're enjoying The Future of Dictatorship summer series. If you're in NYC or looking for a good time in person or by livestream, join me and comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast on Saturday August 5th at 4pm EST at Caveat on the Lower East Side in NYC for a special dark night of the soul slumber party-style chat about the power of storytelling. Details here on how to join us in person or on the livestream. Signed copies of the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! can be ordered at the event, and I'll be personally giving away 10 signed copies of the Mr. Jones film poster. Hope you can join me and celebrate this rare Gaslit Nation Night Out! 

Douglas Rushkoff, documentarian and author of the must-read books Team Human, Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires, and the Marshall McLuhan Award-winning book Coercion, takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A.   Andrea will join comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a special live event at Caveat in New York City on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation book Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To get a ticket to that event in person or to watch the livestream, visit this website. Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event! To submit your own answers and give inspiration for ways to recharge as we run our marathon together to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

Billionaire Bunkers are a stunning exercise in self-delusion, as the books of our next guest show. In this inspiring conversation with Douglas Rushkoff, author of the must-read Team Human and Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires, the topics range from how to be a respectable prepper to how to raise good humans and whether A.I. is coming for our jobs and our minds.   Rushkoff is an author and documentarian on the frontlines of understanding how technology and tech billionaires are impacting our lives and the world. His twenty books also include the bestsellers Present Shock, Throwing Rocks and the Google Bus, Program or Be Programmed, Life Inc, and Media Virus. His films include the PBS Frontline documentaries Generation Like, The Persuaders, and Merchants of Cool. He won the Marshall McLuhan Award for his book Coercion, and the Media Ecology Association honored him with the first Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity. For more on his indispensable work visit his website.  In our bonus episode, Rushkoff takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. To submit your own answers and give inspiration for ways to recharge as we run our marathon together to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show!  And don’t forget that Andrea will join comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a special live event at Caveat in New York City on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation book Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To get a ticket to that event in person or to watch the livestream, visit this website. Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!  Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire  What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why?  Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces?  Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

Dave Pederson, screenwriter-producer of Americonned, and the producer of the Oscar nominated film “Super Size Me”, and the Cannes Award winning “The Third Wave," takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A Here is the trailer of their powerful must-watch film.   For our next Gaslit Nation live taping, join Andrea and comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a show at Caveat in New York on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To join in person or virtually, reserve your ticket here! Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!   To submit your own answers and share inspiration for ways to recharge as we together run a marathon to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

Welcome to the Gaslit Nation Presents: The Future of Dictatorship. To start things off, we’re looking at how technology is worsening the income inequality crisis in America and what to do about it.   For that, meet this week’s guests, the brilliant minds behind the must-watch documentary Americonned, inside America’s income inequality crisis as told through the heroic grassroots power to unionize at Amazon in an age of A.I. and automation. The film’s director-producer is Sean Claffey, who has worked in the film industry on feature films, documentaries, and commercials for 25 years, and the writer-producer is Dave Pederson, the producer of the Oscar nominated film “Super Size Me”, and the Cannes Award winning “The Third Wave.” Here is the trailer of their powerful must-watch film.   In our bonus episode, Dave Pederson takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. For our next Gaslit Nation live taping, join Andrea and comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a show at Caveat in New York on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To join in person or virtually, reserve your ticket here! Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!   To submit your own answers and share inspiration for ways to recharge as we together run a marathon to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

Welcome to Gaslit Nation Presents: The Future of Dictatorship. Our special series running all summer long features leading voices on the front lines of understanding A.I., corporate surveillance, silicon valley greed, and more. The dictator’s playbook remains the same over time, as we show in our graphic novel Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think!, but the technology they have at their disposal keeps changing. We set out to understand what innovations in Chinese surveillance are being developed with the help of Western companies; what can be done to protect ourselves from corporate surveillance and Silicon Valley greed; will A.I. and automation take away more of our jobs and what can be done about it; how do we face an uncertain future together and build the world we want for ourselves and future generations? All those questions and more are discussed in The Future of Dictatorship, only on Gaslit Nation. 

Science journalist and bestselling author David McRaney, author of the books How Minds Change and You Are Now Less Dumb, takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A.  For our next Gaslit Nation live taping, join Andrea and comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a show at Caveat in New York on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To join in person or virtually, reserve your ticket here! Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!   To submit your own answers and share inspiration for ways to recharge as we together run a marathon to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

It’s Independence Day! There’s no better way to celebrate than standing up to a bully. Whether it’s a twice-indicted Russian mafia asset running for president, or his cult of violent white supremacists, there’s no shortage of bullies running amok these days. Science journalist and bestselling author David McRaney, author of the books How Minds Change and You Are Now Less Dumb, shares his research on how to handle a situation where the person you're talking to insists on an alternative reality, using that to try to gaslight, intimidate, and, in a word, bully.   At Gaslit Nation, one of the questions we often get from our listeners is how to help loved ones lost to a disinformation cult, like QAnon and Trump's Big Lie. From harassing election workers to overwhelming school board meetings to disinformation merchants challenging actual experts to debates (“Debate me, bro!”), the Bannon strategy of flooding the zone with shit has ensnared people, separating families and friends. McRaney shares his surprising insights on how to reach people and provide an empathetic space for them to find their way back. For more on this topic, listen to Gaslit Nation's discussion with cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich, who recommends a slightly approach. Both discussions are essential guides for navigating this time of rampant disinformation and toxic political cults.   In our bonus episode, McRaney takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. For our next Gaslit Nation live taping, join Andrea and comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a show at Caveat in New York on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To join in person or virtually, reserve your ticket here! Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!   To submit your own answers and share inspiration for ways to recharge as we together run a marathon to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?

The Supreme Court is a cesspool of corruption with three members appointed by a Russian mafia asset. It's also treated in America like a sacred priesthood above the law, allowing Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito to profit from deep pocketed far-right megadonors. The Fox News majority of the Supreme Court has stripped our country of essential rights, condemning people to die from lack of reproductive healthcare with the overturning of Roe v. Wade; allows businesses to proudly discriminate, furthering a genocidal scapegoating culture that drives the Republican Party and its base; struck down student loan debt forigiveness while corporations benefit from the same types of programs and more; and destroyed Affirmative Action for nonwhite people -- the white and rich like Jared Kushner will continue to buy their way into the Ivy League.   These seismic Supreme Court rulings are the bountiful harvest of a far-right long game in America played over decades, as we discussed in our 2022 series Rising Up from the Ashes: Cassandra and Other Experts on Rebuilding Our Democracy. Most notably, historian Nancy Maclean who wrote Democracy in Chains, journalist Anne Nelson who wrote Shadow Network, LGBTQ+ civil rights lawyer Chase Strangio of the ACLU, and Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy of the podcast Boom Lawyered described a far-right long game with zero strategy in response from the Democratic Party. That and our first three episodes examining the 2016 election as a crime scene explain how we got here.   Now what to do about it. The best strategy we have so far to climb out of this black hole of corruption is to stay engaged locally with local races, local candidates and to call out and help clean up corruption where we live; invest in local media; contribute to mutual aid; and demand immediate and urgent judicial reforms from our elected federal leaders.   For that, Senator Edward Markey has reintroduced legislation to expand the Supreme Court, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has introduced legislation for term limits on Supreme Court justices -- both have backing from establishment Democrats and should be fought for by the grassroots. For more on yet another devastating Supreme Court Hunger Games Spring, Elie Mystal, as always, brilliantly sums up what's at stake in his piece on the destruction of affirmative action in The Nation: "The Supreme Court Has Killed Affirmative Action. Mediocre Whites Can Rest Easier."   Show Notes:   You're invited to a Gaslit Nation night out August 5th in NYC to celebrate the launch of Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! Details here.   REUTERS: Reparations: Where slavery’s descendants stand https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-slavery-lawmakers/   REUTERS: Slavery’s Descendants The ancestral ties to slaveholding of today’s political elite https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-slavery/   2022 series Rising Up from the Ashes: Cassandra and Other Experts on Rebuilding Our Democracy. https://twitter.com/gaslitnation/status/1513518421090185222?lang=en  

Putin is weak and getting weaker. In this special live taping of Gaslit Nation, Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman, who has a long history of investigating and exposing the Russian mafia state’s active measures in the U.S. and Europe, joins Andrea to discuss where things are headed in Russia’s escalating power struggle, what it means for Ukraine, and how the world needs to start preparing for a post-Putin Russia.  “Putin is finished,” Olga warns in this urgent discussion. Putin may be forced into retirement in a dacha on the outskirts of Russia or “die in his sleep,” with Shoigu or another tool of the Russian security forces becoming the new strongman. Prighozin’s attempted military coup was the inevitable escalation of growing tensions between warring factions, but as Olga points out, the siloviki–the ruthless, imperialistic, genocidal security forces–are in charge, and always have been, even during the collapse of the Soviet Union. They are the kingmakers, and it’s clear that they want Putin gone. Prigozhin served a purpose of striking Putin with a fatal blow, and the months ahead will continue to weaken him as Russia continues to lose an unwinnable war in Ukraine.  Our bonus episode this week includes our extended audience Q&A at our live taping, with a focus on Russia’s influence campaigns in U.S. elections. As mentioned in this week’s show, there’s going to be a special live taping of Gaslit Nation held in New York City at the Lower East Side venue Caveat, hosted by Kevin Allison of the popular and provocative storytelling podcast RISK! on Saturday August 5th at 4pm EST. The discussion will include the making of the brand new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think!, and include an opportunity to order signed copies. For tickets to join the event in person or wherever you are by watching the livestream, get your tickets here! 

Where is Putin? No one has seen him lately other than a short video of Putin looking uncharacteristically tense addressing the nation, calling out a military coup against him that killed around a dozen Russians in his military. Putin's longtime operative, the Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the private military army Wagner (named after Hitler's favorite composer!) has turned into Putin's Frankenstein monster. When you have an in-house coup guy, expect him to turn his coup skills on you eventually, especially when he, like the rest of the ruthless oligarchs around you, smell blood in the water. Prighozin's coup attempt is the greatest domestic challenge launched against the Kremlin since the fall of the Soviet Union, and the succession fight over who takes over from the increasingly weak Putin is far from over.   In this brief summary, Andrea gives some of the highlights of the dramatic events of the weekend, and discusses where the Kremlin succession battle may be headed, and what it means for Ukraine and others caught in the middle. For a deep dive discussion, join our special live taping of Gaslit Nation this coming Tuesday June 27 at 12pm EST with Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman, where we'll discuss whether Russia is headed towards a civil war, if and when Putin might be disposed of, and how his agents are active abroad in their fascist war against the democratic alliance. To get access to that, receive your ticket to the live taping by supporting the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon, and cancel anytime. A link to the virtual event will be sent to your inbox via Patreon the morning of the event.   Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  

In this week's Gaslit Nation Bonus Q&A, Sarah answers questions from our listeners, including sharing a personal story about her impressions from her 2017 trip to Hungary as Orban, a hero of the Republican Party, tightened his grip on crushing democracy there. We'll be back with an all new Q&A next week, so if you didn't hear your question answered this week, look out for it next week, as our Q&As continue! To submit your questions, subscribe to the show at the Democracy Defender level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit, and to join our live-taping on Tuesday June 27 at 12pm EST with Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman, be sure to subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher to get access to the virtual show link on the morning of the event.  Thank you to everyone who supports the show! We could not make Gaslit Nation without you! 

Gaslit Nation has been vindicated, and it sucks to be vindicated about the deadly inertia of a mafia state accomplice! After two years of describing obvious inaction on obvious crimes and being assured by an army of bot-brained propagandists that Merrick Garland is fighting the good fight but Must Keep Silent for Reasons You Will Understand in Time, we have new confirmation that, no, he’s just a terrible Attorney General! And that Lisa Monaco, the deputy attorney general, is equally bad! In this episode we discuss the Washington Post expose “FBI resisted opening probe into Trump’s role in Jan. 6 for more than a year”, dig into the background of Monaco (for more background on Garland, listen to our enormous archive of treasonous complicity), and talk about what Biden should do next. Happy Pride Month! For the second part of this episode, Andrea interviews Lindz Amer who is back on Gaslit Nation to discuss their new must-read book Rainbow Parenting Your Guide to Raising Queer Kids and Their Allies. From their author bio: “Lindz Amer created Queer Kid Stuff—an award-winning original LGBTQ+ educational webseries for all ages—that has reached millions of families. They perform at libraries, schools, and theaters all over the world spreading queer joy and working on numerous projects that bring queer and trans representation into mainstream children's media. In 2019, they gave a viral TED Talk on the importance of talking to kids about gender and sexuality. They currently write for preschool television and also host the parenting podcast Rainbow Parenting, as well as Activist, You! for kids featuring interviews with youth activists.” Check out Rainbow Parenting today!   Our bonus episode is our usual Q&A of questions from Patreon subscribers at the Democracy Defender lever or higher, and is available to listeners at the Truth-Teller lever or higher. If you asked a question and we haven’t answered it yet, don’t worry – we are getting through the backlog this month. Sarah took a couple weeks off due to a family emergency but is back so we will both have everything answered by the end of June. Next week June 27 12pm EST will be a live-taping of Gaslit Nation featuring Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman. To sign up for that, support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher to receive a link to join the virtual event on the morning of the show! Thank you for your support of Gaslit Nation!   Show Notes: FBI resisted opening probe into Trump’s role in Jan. 6 for more than a year https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/06/19/fbi-resisted-opening-probe-into-trumps-role-jan-6-more-than-year/ Susan Rice reportedly told the White House cyber team to 'knock it off' when they floated options to combat Russian meddling https://www.businessinsider.com/susan-rice-told-white-house-cyber-team-to-knock-it-off-on-combatting-russian-meddling-2018-3 Trump's Little Moscow: "63 Russians spent $98.4 million buying condos in Trump-branded luxury towers in Sunny Isles. Another 703 units in the seven Trump buildings had been purchased by limited liability companies, LLCs, that mask the owners’ identities." https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2019/10/18/six-trump-towers-later-kitschy-sunny-isles-becomes-moscow-by-the-sea-fred-grimm/ Russia Sought to Kill Defector in Florida https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/19/us/politics/russia-spy-assassination.html?campaign_id=190&emc=edit_ufn_20230619&instance_id=95515&nl=from-the-times&regi_id=48614702&segment_id=136134&te=1&user_id=097a378032011d6e8be1570cdce0a176

Welcome to another Gaslit Nation Greatest Hits! We remind you once again that Trump is a traitor to our country who built his Trump Family Ponzi scheme of a House of Cards with the help of Russian blood money, as the Idiot Sons Don Jr. and Eric have admitted. Which foreign adversaries profited off of Trump's stolen documents and when will Jared and Ivanka be investigated and indicted for their roles in obstruction justice, given that they ran the pardon operation that saw the Kremlin Klown Kar (Manafort, Bannon, Flynn) all pardoned? Giulani was allegedly selling pardons with Trump for $2 million each -- did Jared and Ivanka profit from that operation as well? The answer is likely yes!   This is an excerpt of this week's bonus episode for Patreon subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher. To listen to this and all bonus episodes, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Gaslit Nation will be back with a new bonus episode next week answering questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show. We could not make Gaslit Nation without you!   

Gaslit Nation comes full circle! Our new graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! was released today, on the same day longtime Russian mafia asset Donald Trump was finally arrested on federal charges of espionage. The A.I. overlords writing the simulation we’re all stuck in certainly have a festive spirit!   If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy, including for a young person in your life, check out this endorsement for the book and the show from historian Timothy Snyder, the New York Times bestselling author of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century: “Everyone who wants to grow up in a healthy democracy should know about Gaslit Nation.” We agree! Which brings us to this week’s big news. We’re going to record a Trump Federal Arrest Super Special, out Friday, featuring Sarah back on the show to share her insights and predictions on what’s next as the Trump criminal circus plays out heading into 2024.   Today’s episode puts on trial celebrated war criminal Henry Kissinger, a villain of history who kept popping up like a Where’s Waldo? in our research for Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To walk us through some of his latest reporting unearthing the horrors Kissinger committed, investigative journalist Nick Turse stops by Gaslit Nation. Terse is a contributing writer for The Intercept, covering national security and foreign policy, and the author of the books Next Time They’ll Come to Count the Dead: War and Survival in South Sudan; Tomorrow’s Battlefield: U.S. Proxy Wars and Secret Ops in Africa; and Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam. He is also the managing editor of TomDispatch.com.   This week’s bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher on Patreon, will be the full episode of our Trump Federal Indictment Super Special, which we’ll share a free excerpt of wherever you get your podcasts. If you’re not already a part of our community of listeners, be sure to sign up at the Truth-teller level or higher to get access to the live taping of Gaslit Nation on June 27 at 12pm EST featuring Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman answering your questions about the Trump indictments, the Russian elites civil war, Russian spy networks in the West, and more! The show link will be sent straight to your inbox on the morning of the event for Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller level or higher so be sure to subscribe today to support the Gaslit Nation! Thank you to everyone supporting independent journalism, especially in these uncertain times! We could not make the show without you!

This was recorded Thursday June 8 to react to the toxic smoke and what it means for our civilization. It also includes a discussion of the anticipated federal Trump indictment before the big news broke late Thursday. There will be more on that in next week's episode!  Did you celebrate the long awaited federal indictment of Trump? That's perfectly fine to do, even if history has shown Trump has gotten away with decades of corruption, and our legal system favors the rich. At the very least, Trump may be knocked out of the presidential race with the help of the indictments, and they're reportedly throwing him into a rage. But the long term outlook requires caution. That, Tucker Carlson's dark Twitter video, George Santos' bail woes, how to help a loved one sucked into a cult, and more are discussed in this week's bonus episode for our listeners subscribed at the Truth-teller level and higher on Patreon. To join our community and submit questions to our regular Q&As, sign up and support the show at Patreon.com/Gaslit!  

This week’s special episode opens with a news round-up, asking once again–who paid $500,000 to bail George Santos out of jail, and what do they expect in return? Nikki Halely’s genocidal hate speech against trans people gets fact-checked. (Halely is reportedly the Kushner’s horse in the race in their attempt at a comeback.) Mike Pence formally announced he’s running for president, presenting an opportunity on the debate stage to talk about that time Trump’s violent mob chanted, “Hang Mike Pence!”  At the top of the show, there’s a special highlight of Russia’s explosion of a dam in the southern Ukraine region of Kherson, flooding the homes of thousands of people as well as drowning a zoo. To explain the stakes for Ukraine and the world in its existential struggle against Russia’s genocidal invasion, Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch drops by Gaslit Nation. Ambassador Yovanovitch was targeted by the dark web of corruption driven by Trump and Rudy Giuliani. She shares her harrowing story in her inspiring memoir Lessons from the Edge, out now in paperback with a new afterword.  Got questions? We got answers! This week’s bonus episode out Friday will provide a deep dive on the news, point to where things are headed, and answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. To submit your questions and get access to bonus shows, live events and our full back catalog of bonus episodes, be sure to subscribe to Gaslit Nation on Patreon! We’ll be back with a live taping of Gaslit Nation on Tuesday June 27 at 12pm EST with Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman. If you’re signed up at the Truth-teller level or higher, look out for a link sent to your inbox the morning of the event on how to join. We look forward to seeing you there and invite you to drop your questions in the chat!  Show Notes: Opening clip of George Santos: https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1666151233780871168 Listen: Trump tells associates to ‘get rid of’ U.S. ambassador to Ukraine https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/01/25/trump-yovanovitch-video/ Yovanovitch: Any Concerns With Alexandra Chalupa 'Would Have Been Handled Here' | NBC News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxeo57ZXXWg US life expectancy problem is ‘bigger than we ever thought,’ report finds https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/06/02/us-life-expectancy/70272442007/ Nikki Haley Blames Trans Visibility for Teen Girls' Suicide Ideation https://www.advocate.com/politics/nikki-haley-dylan-mulvaney Former counsel to Mike Pence testifies at Jan. 6 committee hearing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0nF9x7XaNY The Russian invasion of Russia continues: https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum/status/1665446051564617730 Ukraine far-right expert Anton Shekhovtsov’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/anton.shekhovtsov Putin deep fake video: https://twitter.com/mjluxmoore/status/1665704948187668488 Tara Reade Exiles Herself to Russia https://twitter.com/JayinKyiv/status/1664083722902052865  

This is an excerpt of a Gaslit Nation bonus episode. To access this and the full back catalogue of bonus episodes, special event invites, and more, subscribe to the show on Patreon by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit   The Gaslit Nation Q&A is back! But first, some announcements. We're having another live taping of Gaslit Nation with Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman on Tuesday June 27th at 12pm EST. For our Patreon subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher, on the morning of the event, a link will be sent straight to your inbox from Patreon on how to join -- it's as easy as clicking on the link. We invite you to drop questions in the chat!   And as a thank you to our community, running every month, all year long, we're selecting a Patreon subscriber every month to receive a copy of Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! The listener chosen for May 2023 is Joel Farran. Thank you for all of your support for the show, Joel! Thank you to everyone who keeps Gaslit Nation going, especially during these uncertain times. There would be no Gaslit Nation without you!   In this Q&A bonus episode, the discussion includes QAnon being a confession by the Republican Party that is riddled with pedophiles and other criminals, why we need to follow the findings of the 1968 Kerner Commission Report, and why the Secret Service is a ticking time bomb. If you didn't hear your question answered this week, look out for it next week, as the Gaslit Nation Q&A continues! And apologies for the late night bleariness heard in this episode, it was a late night recording once the kids were asleep. :)   Show Notes:  Secret Service under scrutiny ahead January 6 committee's final report https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKuLOYlJQNk The dangerous secrets inside the Secret Service, and how the agency has been shortchanged https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO1W4JygWQc Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service https://bookshop.org/p/books/zero-fail-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-secret-service-carol-leonnig/16898149?ean=9780399589034 The 1968 Kerner Commission Got It Right, But Nobody Listened https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/1968-kerner-commission-got-it-right-nobody-listened-180968318/ Rep. Katie Porter in conversation with Larry Wilmore at Live Talks Los Angeles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8uRg7XqQ-I&t=1601s                

This conversation was recorded May 24, 2023 as a Gaslit Nation live taping and includes at the end a Q&A of questions dropped in the chat by our audience. Thank you to everyone who joined us!   Can Florida, and with it, the rest of our democracy be saved? Or is Florida destined to be an authoritarian cesspool under Brooks Brother Viktor Orbán – Ron DeSantis? In this special solution-rich episode of Gaslit Nation, author David Pepper discusses his latest book Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American.   David shares important lessons from the upset of Jacksonville’s mayoral race; why Florida’s Democratic Party State Chair Nikki Fried could give DeSantis a run for his money, and we discuss how Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota have their acts together while New York’s Democratic Party remains stuck under Jay Jacobs who handed the House to Kevin McCarthy, bringing the American and therefore the global economy to the brink. (Elections have consequences, which is why Jay Jacobs must be replaced – join the movement here!)   If you’re stuck in a so-called blue state like New York that’s failing due to machine politics and complacency, or if you live in a fascist-gerrymandered hostage state known as a red state, this discussion has concrete steps you can take to empower your community. Local elections are the frontlines of our democracy, no matter where you live. And none of us are in this battle alone. Thank you to everyone who joined our live taping with David Pepper. Be sure to check out his book Saving Democracy. If you would like to join a future live taping of Gaslit Nation, be sure to support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher. And to submit questions for our regular Q&As, sign up at the Democracy Defender level or higher. We’ll be back with an all new Q&A this coming Friday so stay tuned! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!   Show Notes:   Our May song feature is “Paper Thin” by Confusions. You can find more of Confusions' music on Bandcamp at confusions.bandcamp.com   To submit your song to the Gaslit Nation Make Art Challenge, send us your music here. Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who joined the live taping with Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman and Polish artist and activist Kasia Babis who illustrated the Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! Here is the Q&A with Olga where we answered questions dropped in the chat. Before you press play, be sure to first watch this CIA recruitment video for Russians as it's brought up in the Q&A by a member of the audience.   Next week we're running an inspiring interview with author David Pepper on his new book Saving Democracy, a guide for every citizen. Look out for an all new Gaslit Nation bonus episode answering questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. And let us know who you would like us to do a live taping with in the future!   Thank you to everyone for supporting the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To join our community of listeners and get access to bonus episodes, invites to live tapings, and more, subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Welcome to our special live taping of Gaslit Nation! Thank you to everyone who joined us and asked such profound and moving questions in the live Q&A. It was a replenishing joy to hear from you. Thank you so much to the great Kasia Babis, a renowned illustrator and activist in Poland who created the visual world of the Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! available now on pre-order, and out everywhere starting June 13. If you haven’t met the book’s rascally narrator yet, Judge Lackey, see him at work by watching the book’s fun animated trailer.   Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman also joined the live-taping to discuss whether Putin’s days are numbered (they are!), who will replace him (someone worse?), and whether the Freedom of Russia Legion liberating Russian towns and villages inside Russia from Putin’s dictatorship is real (it appears so!), and what it all means. Will Putin use nukes, especially as Ukraine’s spring offensive gets underway? What should the world’s response be to Putin going nuclear?   We're having another live taping Wednesday May 24 at 2pm EST with David Pepper on his new book Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American.  You can get access to that by subscribing to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher -- details will be sent out to those subscribers on how to join the live taping the morning of the event. Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit    Our bonus episode this week will be the Q&A of our live taping. We’ll be back with an all new Q&A answering questions submitted by our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. To submit your questions or to get access to the bonus episodes, and our full back catalog of bonus episodes, be sure to subscribe to the show on Patreon to keep us going! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!   Show Notes:   Ilya Ponomarev clip: https://twitter.com/GwarWorin/status/1660748853111410688   Freedom of Russia Legion Twitter https://twitter.com/legion_svoboda

Ralph Blumenthal, the longtime New York Times reporter who got U.F.O.'s on the frontpage of the "Paper of Record"  joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the government's secret X-Files. He is the author of several books, including The Believer: Alien Encounters, Hard Science, and the Passion of John Mack, the children's book UFOhs, as well as several books on the mafia and Nazis, making him the ideal Gaslit Nation guest! This is an excerpt of an upcoming special two-part episode with Blumenthal on the nature of U.F.O.'s, what the current and potential findings mean for humanity, and the corporations believed to be monitoring research into U.F.O.'s closely for potential profit opportunities and there doesn't seem much that the shadowy government sectors allowing this will do to protect against that. Look out for more of this interview soon! For now, we couldn't wait to share this excerpt as a bit of fun as we gear up for next week's two live tapings.   This coming Tuesday May 23rd at 1:30pm EST, Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins Gaslit Nation for a live taping followed by an audience Q&A. The next day Wednesday May 24th at 2pm EST David Pepper, the author of Saving Democracy, joins Gaslit Nation for a live taping to answer questions about how to defeat the fascist threat, especially in so-called "red states." If you're subscribed to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher, check your inbox for details on how to join each event the morning of that event. Joining the live tapings will be as easy as clicking on a link!   Gaslit Nation will be back with an all new Q&A next week answering questions from subscribers at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Keep your questions coming! We always enjoy hearing from you!   Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! If you would like to join our community of listeners and get access to all bonus episodes, including our back catalogue and event invites, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit

Sports Illustrated cover model George Santos was arrested for fraud! This week’s episode processes the shock over that news, and asks the all important question of who in their right mind would post a $500,000 bond to bail out George Santos, and what are they getting in return? Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and Santos is the smoke of a larger corruption ushering in fascist kleptocracy.   In this week’s episode, Andrea is joined by old friend of the show Terrell Starr of the essential podcast Black Diplomats. Sarah is taking a step back from the show to deal with a family situation, as she has shared on Twitter. In this episode, Terrell and Andrea discuss the Durham Report, Nikki Haley and her pals the Kushners clawing their way back to the White House to steal more from the American people, and the inspiring resilience of the Ukrainian people facing off against Russia’s genocide.   Next week’s live taping of Gaslit Nation on Tuesday May 23rd at 1:30pm EST will feature Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman who grew up in Brighton Beach and, instead of becoming a Trump Crime Family accomplice, co-founded an anti-corruption NGO in Europe, Institute for European Integrity. There will be a second *newly added* live taping on Wednesday May 24th at 2pm EST featuring David Pepper to discuss his new book Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American. To join those events, be sure to subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher, and look out for the details sent to your inbox on the morning of May 23rd then again on May 24th.   A new bonus episode comes out this Friday answering questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!     Show Notes: Pre-order our book! Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think!  George Santos clip: "I wanna be remembered as somebody who stood up to everybody in the time of adversity...I want people to look and say, look, times might be tough, but there was always George Santos...I think it takes a lot of resilience to go through what I've gone through." https://twitter.com/AccountableGOP/status/1655681052491276290 Craig Harrington of Media Matters for America on Jake Tapper on the Durham Report https://twitter.com/Craigipedia/status/1658207831483465732 Sarah Kendzior on The Saturday/Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart https://twitter.com/weekendcapehart/status/1657373968884547586 NEW AUDIO: Rep. George Santos tells a "joke" about a "room full of Jews.” https://twitter.com/TheBeatWithAri/status/1656424125890457603 How an Investor Lost $625,000 and His Faith in George Santos https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/nyregion/george-santos-sec-intrater.html Sanctioned-Oligarch-Connected Andrew Intrater’s GOP Donations Go Beyond Just George Santos https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/01/sanctioned-oligarch-connected-andrew-intraters-gop-donations-go-beyond-just-george-santos/ Private equity investor identified as political contributor allegedly duped by George Santos https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/politics/andrew-intrater-private-equity-investor-santos/index.html#:~:text=Intrater%20has%20financially%20supported%20Santos,Federal%20Election%20Commission%20records%20show New York Attorney Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Money Laundering to Promote Sanctions Violations by Associate of Sanctioned Russian Oligarch https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-attorney-pleads-guilty-conspiring-commit-money-laundering-promote-sanctions Associate of Sanctioned Oligarch Indicted for Sanctions Evasion and Money Laundering https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/associate-sanctioned-oligarch-indicted-sanctions-evasion-and-money-laundering Break the Chain Between Russian Oligarchs and Managers, and You Break Everything https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/21/opinion/russian-oligarchs-wealth-managers.html “They Think Very Highly of Nikki”: The Kushner Family Is Cozying Up to Nikki Haley https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/21/opinion/russian-oligarchs-wealth-managers.html The Alexandra Chalupa Interview https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2019/6/22/the-alexandra-chalupa-interview

We discuss the fascist fantasy of CNN's Klan rally, what it means for our democracy, where things are headed, and what to do about it. This is an excerpt of this week's bonus show for our Patreon subscribers. To join our community of listeners and get access to weekly bonus episodes, events, and other fun perks, subscribe at Patreon.com/gaslit to help keep our show going. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation -- we could not make this show without you. 

Join us May 23rd Tuesday 1:30pm EST for a live taping of Gaslit Nation and audience Q&A! If you're subscribed on Patreon at the Truth-teller level or higher, you'll receive a guest link the morning of the event to join us. Thank you to everyone who supports the show!   What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches toward CNN to be born? Well, I think we all know the answer to that. This week we describe the foot-soldiers of criminal impunity that have arisen in the wake of the Trump presidency and the unpunished attempted coup. We start with Daniel Penny, who murdered homeless man Jordan Neely on the subway and was coddled and protected by politicians and the media. We go on to discuss domestic terrorist Mauricio Garcia, who murdered eight people in Texas after immersing himself in neo-nazi movements.   We also discuss the horrific fact that snuff videos and extremely graphic images are circulating online, distributed with intent to desensitize the population to violence. We examine the root causes of the crisis – lax gun laws, institutional apathy toward suffering (especially throughout the mass death of covid), failure of federal officials to respond to a right-wing, white supremacist movement that has been building since 2008 and accelerated dramatically during the Trump era, and a media/political system that wants you to accept violent extremism as normal. Do not accept it!   Andrea concludes with the latest on Russia’s war on Ukraine, a dramatic week which included drones launched at the Kremlin, and at its historical precedents as “Victory Day” comes around at a time when Putin is feeding his own population into a Stalinesque meat grinder. We have switched the day of our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and above, to Friday! This gives us time to discuss news stories that break after we record, so for the latest on Trump being held liable in court and more, listen in. We will also answer questions from Patreon subscribers at the Democracy Defender level or higher.   We know times are tough – that’s why every other media company is going out of business! But that’s also why independent news is all the more important. Gaslit Nation is funded entirely by its Patreon subscribers, which is how we are able to speak our minds without fear. Please support us and keep independent journalism going!   Show Notes:   Cover-up King Bill Barr's recent C-SPAN interview: https://twitter.com/AccountableGOP/status/1654565277961449473   Historian Timothy Snyder on how Ukraine suffered the greatest casualties from the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union and why that matters today https://twitter.com/Biz_Ukraine_Mag/status/1655639502667276301   Run, Rabbit, Run -- a message from Ukraine to Russia from August 2022 on the eve of liberating large regions from Russian occupation. Is history about to repeat with the coming spring counteroffensive? https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1565037514888560641    The Unemployment Gap Between Black and White New Yorkers Is Widening - The New York Times (nytimes.com)   What to know about the Allen mall shooter’s reported extremism | The Texas Tribune   How do you become “white” in America? - The Correspondent

Jeff Sharlet is the author of the new book Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, and the New York Times best-selling author or editor of eight books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, which led to the must-watch Netflix docuseries The Family. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper’s; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He currently teaches the art of writing as a professor at Dartmouth College. In this week's bonus episode, Sharlet takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A to share what art, music, books, and documentaries and other things he recommends to help process the times we live in.   We will be back with an all new bonus episode Q&A next week. For subscribers at the Democracy Defender level and higher, submit your questions to be answered in an upcoming episode! Thank you so much for your support of the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To join our community on Patreon and help keep the show going, sign up here: Patreon.com/Gaslit 

With political violence on the rise in America, along with disinformation, mainstream propaganda and the consolidation of media under conservative ownership, the scapegoating of LGBTQ+ people, women, and nonwhite people, and the weaponization of government in several Republican-led states, are we headed towards a civil war?   In this week's episode, Andrea interviews Jeff Sharlet, the author of the new book Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Sharlet is also the author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, that launched the must-watch Netflix series of the same name, that takes viewers into the dark heart of corruption known as the National Prayer Breakfast, and how it's used as a tool for the extreme religious right to consolidate power. In Undertow, Sharlet takes readers on a cross-country roadtrip to show how we're in a slow-motion civil war, and provides ways to confront this dangerous crossroads, including lessons from Civil Rights leader and artist Harry Belafonte.   Sharlet is the New York Times best-selling author or editor of eight books. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper’s; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He currently teaches the art of writing as a professor at Dartmouth College. In our bonus episode, out later this week for Patreon subscribers at the Truth-teller level or higher, Sharlet takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A to share what art, music, books, and documentaries and other cultural resources that he recommends to help process the times we live in. We will share a free excerpt of that for all listeners wherever you get your podcasts.    We'll be back with an all new Gaslit Nation episode next week, along with our regular Q&A bonus episode for Patreon subscribers. For supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, submit your questions to be answered in an upcoming bonus episode. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation and keeps our show going! To join our community of listeners, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit

Next week we're running an interview with Jeff Sharlet, the author or editor of several best-selling books, including The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, which led to the must-watch Netflix docuseries The Family. Sharlet is out with a new book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War.   This weeek's Q&A discussion includes updates on wannabe mass-shooter Discord Traitor Bro, otherwise known as Jack Teixeira; springtime for Putin -- all the things currently going wrong in Russia's ongoing genocidal invasion of Ukraine and what to look out for next; the consolidation of media under far-right ownership, and preserving our free speech in the digital sphere, and more!   If you didn't hear your question answered this week, look out for it soon as the Gaslit Nation Q&A continues. And for our listeners at the Democracy Defender level or higher, keep your questions coming. We always enjoy hearing from you. Thank you all for your support of the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To join our community on Patreon, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit        

This week we take a look at the slate for 2024, including recently declared candidate President Biden, career criminal seditionist Donald Trump, Marianne Williamson, Robert Kennedy Jr, and possibly two more Republicans – the faltering Ron DeSantis, and the demonic Tucker Carlson, who recently was set free from his Fox News hellscape to possibly run for office. We contemplate a Carlson run, examine the Fox News lawsuit, and discuss the gutting of investigative reporting and the demise of cable news in general. At the end of the show, we debate about how Biden is doing and what he should be doing – not to win, but to fulfill his campaign promises and serve the American people, which is his job! We also discuss the Kremlin’s latest moves into Sudan and the operations of the Wagner Group: the brutal band of professional mercenaries that has been active in Ukraine, Syria, and other regions the Kremlin seeks to drag into their sphere of influence. We discuss the history of Russia’s efforts in Africa and how Obama official Susan Rice helped paved the road for the current disaster. We also discuss what it means that Rice is finally leaving the Biden administration. Every week we do a bonus episode for our Patreon subscribers. We’ve decided to start releasing them later in the week because we often have extra topics we don’t get to in the main show. So this week, stay tuned for some extra Gaslit Nation as well as the answers to our listener Q&A! To submit a question, join at the Democracy Defender level or higher. To listen to the bonus episode, join at the Truth-Teller level or higher. Gaslit Nation is one of few podcasts that is free to all and that keeps all of our episodes archived online in transcript form. This is important as news websites continue to go under or paywall their content. We are under no corporate control and are funded entirely by our listeners. Help keep Gaslit Nation going by joining us on Patreon! Show Notes: Submit your song for the Gaslit Nation Make Art song series. Sign up here.  Clip: CNN on Russia in Sudan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQapgnGwLBw Clip: Tucker Carlson’s Disinformation on Ukraine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG8uLFHJWVE Clip: Tucker Carlson defending child rap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr1WnL070hc Clip: Don Lemon on Vivek Ramaswamy https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1650563196795641871 Russia is plundering gold in Sudan to boost Putin’s war effort in Ukraine https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/29/africa/sudan-russia-gold-investigation-cmd-intl/index.html South African Border War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Border_War Putin’s Private Army Accused of Raping New Moms on Maternity Ward https://www.thedailybeast.com/wagner-group-mercenaries-accused-of-raping-new-moms-on-maternity-ward-in-central-african-republic Rex Tillerson Is Running the State Department Into the Ground https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/04/rex-tillerson-is-running-the-state-department-into-the-ground-215677/ Shot 5-year-old girl in head: Prisoners from Wagner confess to killing children in Bakhmut and Soledar https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/shot-5-old-girl-head-120100855.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGXtXRZip4dbSPAHNmLau_eGyS6S7xX-IinzOlzTLPpPy3-l3wG6eay7o8myxP5i28E8fZizEV8BGjVpahNPC7atwhHDmKZ3TW1BrXK61L-dcbn-4rhyGe13jPFFCHDz2qvF_0rJdTovCObPDC-xNvAPsbVNwe8ziFnxRstM3KUj Xi Condemns Killings in African Nation Where Russian and Chinese Interests Compete https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/20/world/europe/central-african-republic-russia-china.html Airman Shared Sensitive Intelligence More Widely and for Longer Than Previously Known https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/us/politics/jack-teixeira-leaks-russia-ukraine.html “Stunning”: Reporters who uncovered Matt Gaetz evidence baffled after DOJ drops sex trafficking case https://www.salon.com/2023/02/16/stunning-reporters-uncovered-matt-gaetz-evidence-baffled-after-doj-drops-trafficking-case/ Ukraine war: US to provide long-range missiles in latest aid package https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64518532 The changes at CNN look politically motivated. That should concern us all https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/24/the-changes-at-cnn-look-politically-motivated-that-should-concern-us-all ‘He’s Making Up a World He Wants to Attack’: How Vivek Ramaswamy Became a Right-Wing Culture Warrior https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-making-of-a-conservative-culture-warrior Don Lemon Ousted From CNN in Move That Left Him ‘Stunned’ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/24/business/media/don-lemon-cnn.html Wagner in Sudan: What have Russian mercenaries been up to? (yahoo.com)

Another week, another set of traitors that somehow our (compromised) national security institutions were not able to catch in time! This week we take a look at Jake Teixeira, a traitor who leaked classified intelligence documents on Discord and became the new mascot of the far-right, and “Donbass Devushka”, the pathetic online persona of a former Naval official and all-around asshole from New Jersey named Sarah Bils. These two are just the latest iteration of a broader online propaganda initiative, ongoing for over a decade, to weaponize intelligence against Ukraine on behalf of the Kremlin and its American right-wing backers.   We look at the long history of intelligence failures that have led us to the point that a bunch of randos in a Discord forum are more in tune with intelligence than our politicians, who behave like characters in a reality TV show. We discuss the lack of accountability from the FBI and DOJ and the complicity of seditionists like Marjorie Taylor Green who recite their little lines in tandem with their task masters. We discuss Wagner Group and other terrorist outlets attacking Ukraine, as well as the slow-moving war itself, and Andrea again implores the US government to give Ukraine the military equipment that it needs so the war will actually end – and the only way it can end with a chance of peace for the world is with a Ukraine win.   For our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and higher, we answer questions from our subscribers about AI and fascism, why Americans don't protest like the French, the Tennessee legislature and the protests, Clarence Thomas, NC Dem turncoat Tricia Cotham, who should primary Biden, the fading career of DeSantis, and more! And if you join at the Democracy Defender level or higher, you can join us at our live show for our upcoming graphic novel Dictatorship – It’s Easier Than You Think, which will be out June 13! The live show will be May 23 at 1:30 EST.   Gaslit Nation is an independent podcast made possible entirely by our Patreon community, so please consider joining and getting extra features and more!   Show Notes:   News clip on Discord Bro Leaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFZo2t11AsM   Trump/Tucker clip: https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1645954118551322626   Italian PM clip calling out Kremlin shills: https://twitter.com/KyivPost/status/1639206906786103296   Donbass Devushka clip: https://twitter.com/jabuttee/status/1646547974858653699   Social-Media Account Overseen by Former Navy Noncommissioned Officer Helped Spread Secrets https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-media-account-overseen-by-former-navy-noncommissioned-officer-helped-spread-secrets-a4b5643b   UPDATED: Feds Investigating Former Sailor Behind Pro-Russian ‘Donbass Devushka’ Accounts https://news.usni.org/2023/04/17/feds-investigating-former-sailor-behind-pro-russian-donbass-devushka-accounts   Nexta on Sarah Bils, Russian Disinformation Grifter: https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1647729855587385347   A Russian Disinformation Empire in Oak Harbor, Washington https://malcontentment.com/a-russian-disinformation-empire-in-oak-harbor-washington/

This week's discussion includes recommendations for trusted sources on Ukraine and Russia; the slowdown in the Senate as Dianne Feinstein refuses to retire, endangering our democracy by not showing up for work which impairs Democrats' ability to confirm judges to balance out Trump and McConnell's court-packing; and how A.I. risks worsening our fascism crisis.   We cover all this and more. If you want to hear the full episode and submit your questions for our regular Gaslit Nation Q&As, subscribe to the show on Patreon.com/Gaslit and never miss an episode! You will not have access to every episode of Gaslit Nation unless you subscribe! Join our community of listeners today!  

We're doing a live taping of Gaslit Nation on May 23 at 1:30pm EST. Make sure you're subscribed to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher to get access to that special live event to celebrate the launch of our book Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think!   It’s been a busy week for nazis, neo-confederates, and crimelords – and for the people fighting them! We start out this week by discussing the ProPublica article on corrupt SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas and his Hitler swag loving backer, Harlan Crow. Sarah gives a lot of background into their relationship, including 1) allegations of sex trafficking by Crow’s brother and his ties to a client of Jeffrey Epstein 2) Thomas’s ties to GOP sex trafficking and blackmail cases in the 1980s including the Franklin Scandal 3) the combination of bribes and blackmail GOP elites use to keep their judges and reps in line 4) and how the media exposed Thomas’s corrupt relationships long ago, but officials refused to act!   Then we discuss the heartening news out of Tennessee, where representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson refused to accept their expulsion on baseless grounds, shone a light into the Tennessee legislature’s corruption, gave fuel to a national protest movement, and got reinstated into office with a global platform. We discuss the protests and large voter turnouts in gerrymandered hostage states like Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and how this may indicate a bigger anti-authoritarian movement in America to come.   Then Andrea details what was in those classified documents found on a Minecraft Discord server (seriously), what they mean for Russia’s war on Ukraine, and what Ukraine still needs to win the war: the global democratic alliance must make up its mind if it wants Ukraine to win the war, then give Ukraine what it keeps asking for to win the war: ATACMS (long range missiles) and F-16s.   We released our weekly Patreon bonus episode -- a special on violent feuds among the Kremlin’s elites -- earlier than usual so if you are a subscriber at the Truth-Teller level or higher, be sure to check that out. We will be back next week with our usual Q&A, so keep your questions coming! Gaslit Nation is 100% listener supported, so please consider signing up on Patreon to keep this show possible!   Pre-Order Gaslit Nation’s first book! Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250781000/dictatorshipitseasierthanyouthink   Clarence Thomas Secretly Accepted Luxury Trips From GOP Donor — ProPublica   Friendship between Thomas and Crow Triggers Controversy -- Again - The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times (typepad.com)   Justice Thomas Reports Wealth of Gifts - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)   What Really Goes On At Bohemian Grove (grunge.com)   Clarence Thomas: Our Freakazoid Supreme Should Overturn Himself (nickbryantnyc.com)   Tennessee Republicans’ Power Grab Has Been in the Works for a Long Time | The New Republic   Trammell Crow Jr. Named in Human Trafficking Case (dallasexpress.com)   Trammell Crow Jr: Billionaire linked to Sarah Ferguson accused of financing US sex trafficking ring (telegraph.co.uk)   The Paid Pundits Defending Clarence Thomas And His Billionaire Benefactor (levernews.com)   Where does the Tennessee House Speaker actually live?  

Need a laugh? American fascists Elon Musk and Matt Taibbi are fighting each other over on Twitter. Meanwhile, in Russia, the fascists are fighting each other, including the recent bombing of a Russian propagandist in a cafe owned by Prighozin, the founder of the Wagner Group, Russian mercenaries named after Hitler's favorite composer. We know there's a lot of horror to discuss in America right now -- the KKK political lynching in Tennessee, the Texas court ruling against the abortion pill, a possible Trump indictment out of Georgia, and more. We will discuss all of that and more in next week's episode. For now, we're tracking the escalating civil war among Russia's ruling elites and what it means for the war in Ukraine, Putin's fate, and how China may be playing a role.   This episode was recorded Monday April 3rd. It's an excerpt of our bonus episode. To sign up to hear all of our shows and submit questions to our regular Q&As, join our community of listeners at Patreon.com/gaslit 

Fifty years after he was first investigated by the Department of Justice, Donald Trump has finally been indicted…for a crime for which the statute of limitations may have run out. On Tuesday, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg announced 34 charges of falsifying business records in 2017. It is possible there are extenuating circumstances that make the case still timely – we will have to see. Regardless of what transpires, it does not change the big picture: Trump is guilty of a multitude of atrocities against the American people and he and his backers pose a clear and present danger. We review the details of the Stormy Daniels case and the other crimes for which he should be charged, among them, sedition, abuse of the pardon power, obstruction of justice, rape, election interference, racketeering, and much, much more – and we note the terrible precedent it sets that crimes affecting national security and public safety (like, say, fomenting a violent coup!) go unpunished, opening the door for a successor to commit them. We discuss the media’s continued role as a PR outlet for Trump and the loss of publicly available archives that make it easier for the public to forget his other crimes. We also break down why Bragg was the first prosecutor to finally indict him when so many others – Mueller, Garland, Comey, Vance, etc – have failed, and speculate on what will happen in other state and local investigations. There is a LOT to unpack in this episode so be sure to tune in! For our bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and higher, we answer questions from our Patreon subscribers on secessionist movements, the media outlets stoking civil war, whether Trump poses a flight risk, how 1980s militias and crime cults shape today’s politics, and much more! We have another bonus dropping later this week so make sure to sign up. Patreon members now have the opportunity to win a free copy of our upcoming graphic novel Dictatorship – It’s Easier Than You Think! We will be giving away one copy each month to a subscriber selected at random. Gaslit Nation is a 100% independent podcast made possible by listener support. If you like us, please spread the word, as we are shadowbanned on Musk’s Twitter and often cannot even post links to our own show! Happy indictment day! SHOW NOTES: Opening clip: https://twitter.com/brenonade/status/1641555295926099969?s=20 Closing clip of Comedian Michael Rapaport confronting Marjorie Taylor Greene https://twitter.com/MovieEv/status/1643321452400197632?t=AOSICEsvfZlVLpInMOrvrg&s=19 Twitter is convinced Melania Trump looks 'scared to death' as she meets Vladimir Putin https://finance.yahoo.com/video/twitter-convinced-melania-trump-looks-184142266.html Mueller referred evidence of 14 other potential crimes to federal officials. Only two of them are publicly known https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/mueller-evidence-14-potential-crimes-only-two-publicly-known.html Mueller She Wrote on Twitter on Trump Indictment Originating from Mueller Investigation:  https://twitter.com/MuellerSheWrote/status/1641620212066967552?t=hMmwg-URW82BOM5sR4QIBA&s=19 Donald Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury on more than 30 counts related to business fraud https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/30/politics/donald-trump-indictment/index.html?utm_source=twcnnbrk&utm_content=2023-03-31T00%3A17%3A15&utm_term=link&utm_medium=social Trump loses bid to narrow rape accuser E Jean Carroll’s defamation case https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-e-jean-carrol-defamation-b2310975.html New York Young Republicans Statement on Trump Indictment: https://twitter.com/AndreaChalupa/status/1641876783409553429 Viktor Orban, the Ron DeSantis of the European Union, released a statement of support for Trump on Twitter, writing: “Keep on fighting, Mr. President! We are with you.” https://twitter.com/PM_ViktorOrban/status/1642819156880785408/photo/1 Ricky Vaughn Indictment: https://twitter.com/EDNYnews/status/1641902845413711874  PEN America on Ricky Vaughn Indictment: https://twitter.com/PENamerica/status/1641983670465486848 Trump faces 4 investigations. Here’s where they stand https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/your-guide-to-all-of-the-investigations-into-trump Donald Trump Faces Several Investigations. Here’s Where They Stand. https://www.nytimes.com/article/trump-investigations-civil-criminal.html Donald Trump Has Been Indicted. Don’t Get Your Hopes Up. | The Nation Inside the government’s racial bias case against Donald Trump’s company, and how he fought it - The Washington Post  

Obviously we discuss the Trump indictment in this week's bonus episode. We also discuss whether the mainstream media wants and would profit from a civil war in America. Our discussion comes from questions submitted by listeners of our show. To submit your quesitons and to hear our bonus shows and never miss an episode of Gaslit Nation subscribe on Patreon.com/gaslit

In a classic American road trip tale, Sarah went on vacation hearing that indictments for Trump were imminent, turned off the news for a week, and came back to the very unindicted Trump holding a fascist rally in Waco. Why, it’s almost like the legal pundit class lying to the American people for eight years was lying yet again! This is accountability theater, nothing more. And it’s profoundly dangerous. This week, we discuss the lack of indictments for Trump, the many crimes that he should be indicted for, the idiocy that the Stormy Daniels case of all things is where officials are focused, and the DOJ’s failure to combat domestic terrorism and transnational organized crime. Sarah gives a long history lesson about the Oklahoma City bombings and predecessor cases like the Fort Smith Sedition Trial of 1988, and Andrea discusses gun violence and the organized political oppression of LGBTQ communities that has been on the rise for the last few years. We also discuss Trump’s confessional flaunting about his relationship with the IRS, which backs up reporting Sarah did in HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT four years ago, and the Trump camp’s use of political violence to intimidate Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. And of course we detail Merrick Garland’s failure to address any of these ongoing crises. In our bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher, we answer questions submitted by our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. This week’s Q&A includes the pressing question and its many implications: Does Putin have a body double? For more and to support the show, sign up on Patreon to join our community of listeners and support independent journalism.  We also have an exciting announcement – we co-wrote a book! And it’s a graphic novel! About dictators! Currently listed in the humor section of Amazon! DICTATORSHIP – IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK will be published on June 13 and it is available for preorder now. We take you on a world historical tour of dictators, how they got in power, how they stayed in power, and how to get them out. This is the first Gaslit Nation book and we will be giving more information on special signed copies for Patreon subscribers. Stay tuned! Our featured song for March 2023 is “Nickel and Dime” by Sofia Echegaray. You can find more of Sofia's music on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sofia-echegaray If you would like your music featured on Gaslit Nation, submit a song here.

Does Putin have a body double? This debate matters as it reveals a growing civil war among Russia's elite. We answer this and more questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher on Patreon. To join our community of listeners and submit your own questions, subcribe to the show by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Dictators and aspiring tyrants want us to be demoralized, to be bullied psychologically into submission. Bullies are always surprised when people resist and fight back. The 2022 Midterms were a historic time of fighting back: the first major elections since the violent attempted overthrow of our democracy. People showed up and organized in record numbers, denying Trump's Big Lie and the America First fascist movement the victories they needed to steal the electoral college in 2024. Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are all protected by elected public servants who believe in democracy, and that's thanks to voters and organizers who refused to be intimidated. In this week's special episode, we highlight four Gaslit Nation listeners who worked hard to protect our democracy in the midterms, some volunteering as far as Ukraine.   In this inspiring conversation, you'll meet Dr. Nicole Speer, a recently elected member of the Boulder City Council who manages a brain imaging research facility at the University of Colorado. She shares her story of running for office and how others can do the same. You'll also hear from Hugh Stempfley of Illinois who trained as an election judge alongside his grandson, and shares their story of two generations on the frontlines of protecting our democracy. Jed Holtzman of San Francisco is active in his community advocating for policies and other actions to urgently protect our civilization from man-made climate change and his advice on why text-banking is a great way to pitch in, even if you only have an hour to spare. And finally, you'll meet entrepreneur Isaac Flanagan who left his comfortable home in Colorado to bring desperately needed humanitarian supplies to the frontlines of Russia's genocidal invasion of Ukraine, even while helping get out the vote in the U.S. midterm by calling voters in a California swing House district. We thank everyone who helped get out the vote in these and all elections. Our democracy depends on you, even though it shouldn't. Thank you to everyone who works hard to protect our democracy and shows why we always say: grassroots power is the most reliable power we have left.   In our bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher, we cover the International Criminal Court at The Hague that just indicted war criminal Putin -- an arrest notice that makes Putin a wanted man in well over 100 countries. We also touch on the potential Trump indictment which noticeably isn't coming from the DOJ. We also answer questions submitted by our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show and keeps our civic-action community and independent journalism going. We couldn't make this show without you!  

Mass-murdering genocidal maniac and proud Russian imperialist and cult of Stalin worshipper Vladimir Putin has been indicted by the International Criminal Court at The Hague. This means there are 123 countries, including every European Union nation, that is legally obligated to arrest Putin should he step foot on their soil. It also means there's no going back to business as usual with Russia as long as Putin is in power.  The ICC indictment and Putin's disasterous war put a big target on Putin's head. Fellow war criminal Igor Girkin who oversaw the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to openly critize Putin, telling him to "shut up" and accuses him of using a body double while the real Putin hides behind long tables. The in-fighting among Russian elite continues, threatening Putin's grip on power. He should stay away from windows and tea parties. Will an indictment of Trump, Putin's favorite asset -- a multi-decade investment via laundered dirty Russian money -- be next? This week's bonus episode, excerpted here, opens with a discussion of the Putin indicment and the potential for a Trump indictment. We go on to answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. To submit questions to our regular Q&As, and join our community of listeners, subscribe and support our independent journalism by signing up at Patreon.com/Gaslit 

It looks like the Libertarians of Silicon Valley suddenly love government when they need the government to bail them out. Socialism for the mega-rich, taxes and fascism for the rest of us. In this week’s episode, we delve into the fantasy hellscape of Peter Thiel, his investments in surveillance tech and A.I. that would give aspiring autocrats like him unstoppable power; Dictator Xi of China as a warning of what could happen to the United States if the Silicon Valley Libertarian Fascist Brigade usher in Big Brother 2.0, why Democrats aren’t doing more to stop them (because some are cashing in!). Thiel’s allegedly instigated banking collapse comes at an opportune time. Rattling the economy when the 2024 presidential elections are around the corner will drive economic anxiety and uncertainty at a time when Democrats need to defend the White House. This will pave the way for a wannabe fascist dictator like Ron DeSantis, the Viktor Orban of Florida, who is using the kind of anti-gay laws Putin used to consolidate power in Russia. DeSantis just gave an interview to Walter Duranty of Fox News, telling Tucker Carlson that supporting Ukraine in the face of an existential genocide from a modern day Hitler is not in the U.S. interests, which means he’s secured Russia’s help in the upcoming election. In our bonus episode, we answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. This week’s discussion includes why we should keep an eye on Russia’s threat of invading Moldova (again!) to open up a new front to seize Ukraine; how to hold onto hope and push back against corruption; and how to organize one’s life to be creative and productive despite the hellscape we find ourselves in, and a fun story about a recent run-in with Hillary Clinton, possible Gaslit Nation listener? If you want to keep Gaslit Nation going and support the show, join our community of listeners on Patreon to get access to weekly bonus shows, ask us anything in our regular Q&As, and join live events. We couldn’t produce the journalism the world needs without you!  Show Notes: Opening clip: https://twitter.com/jonsarlin/status/1634712724117794817 Closing clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU1kS2jUpnY Formal Reprimand of Rep. Frank Is Urged by House's Ethics Panel https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/20/us/formal-reprimand-of-rep-frank-is-urged-by-house-s-ethics-panel.html A lot of people heard what Barney Frank said about the new banking law. Few knew he works for a bank. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/05/24/a-lot-of-people-heard-what-barney-frank-said-about-the-new-banking-law-few-knew-he-works-for-a-bank/ GOP blames Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse on ‘ESG’ policies. Here’s what to know. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/03/14/svb-esg-woke-investing/ Congress just approved a bill to dismantle parts of the Dodd-Frank banking rule https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/congress-just-approved-bill-dismantle-parts-dodd-frank-banking-rule-n876516 Ron DeSantis says backing Ukraine is not in the U.S. interest, a sign of a GOP divided https://www.npr.org/2023/03/14/1163363579/desantis-trump-ukraine-republican-split Congressional Stock Trading - If You Don’t Know, Now You Know | The Daily Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7Vyyc6YCKk Dozens in Congress beat stock market in 2022 despite downturn on Wall Street: analysis https://nypost.com/2023/01/06/dozens-in-congress-beat-stock-market-in-2022-analysis/      

This is an excerpt of our Gaslit Nation bonus episode where we answer questions submitted by our listeners. To submit your own questions and to get access to our bonus episodes and never miss a show, subscribe on Patreon. You won't hear every episode of Gaslit Nation unless you subscribe at Patreon.com/Gaslit 

This week Gaslit Nation is running an audiobook excerpt from Sarah’s book THEY KNEW: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent. We are running this excerpt now because we are appalled by the pundits and politicians proposing “national divorce”. We want you to understand the conspiracy of kleptocrats behind it. Theirs is not a grassroots initiative, it’s an organized attempt of plutocrats to shake you down by pushing civil war and hardening facile definitions of “red” and “blue” states. Sarah wrote THEY KNEW in 2021 and it is horrifying to see the plots described years ago attempt to come to fruition. This does NOT mean that the victory of the treasonous plutocrats is inevitable. It means we the people must fight back, and the best way to fight back is with the truth. We do not want Americans to fall for opportunistic and destructive rhetoric, and therefore we are warning you of what they are trying to accomplish and what will happen if they succeed.  Our message is coming to you from the state of New York and from the state of Missouri – two states that are purple, purple like a bruise. Gaslit Nation will return next week will our usual breakdown of current events. For our thoughts on ongoing issues like Russia and China’s alliance, the war on Ukraine, and the lack of accountability from the DOJ and other agencies, listen to our Patreon bonus episode. Every week we do a Q & A with our listeners and additional commentary. You can access this episode and an archive of hundreds of past episodes by joining at the Truth-Teller level or higher. Gaslit Nation is made possible solely by our listeners and Patreon subscribers. If you like the show, tell a friend or leave a review. If you’d like to ensure we can keep the show going, join us on Patreon! We thank you for your support.

This is an excerpt of this week's bonus episode where we explain how there's no honor among thieves, especially when they're jointly furthering the imperialist ambitions of autocracy around the world and trying to steal land and steal rights. To hear every episode of Gaslit Nation, subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon by joining our community of listeners at Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Every now and again you need to step back and look at the big picture, and then you see that the big picture is a mirror reflecting a void with a mirror reflecting a void with a mirror…hey, welcome to the Gaslit Nation AI Apocalypse Special!  We have a lot of things to get out of our system, apparently, before The System claims us as its own, and they include: artificial intelligence, the death of the news industry, the struggle to survive multiple collective traumas at once, Sigmund Freud and his nephew Edward Bernays and their dual creation of psychological warfare and public reactions, “the death eaters that prop up the dancing clown of Trump”, child labor and the bipartisan leaders that defend it, the brutal backlash to the social movements of the last decade, nepo babies and purchased merit, weird facts about Hitler, how Trump’s pardons tell you everything you need to know about who really controls America, and the ceaseless desire of our officials to crush progressive policies that help people.  We will cover Fox News and the origins of covid and all the other breaking news stories next week, don’t worry. That slow-moving soap opera of corruption will still be there! What we tried to figure out in this episode is how to find truth in an era of digital media manipulation, informational voids, and shattered community. Because we’re living this life, not just writing about it. It is tough to break news when the news breaks us! For our Patreon bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-Teller level or higher, we answer questions from our beloved listeners! Topics include: DOJ corruption; environmental disasters; Saudi Arabia, Russia, and transnational crime; Matt Gaetz; Kamala Harris; Seymour Hersh, Ukraine, and much more! Sign up at the Democracy Defender level or higher to send in questions and at the Truth-Teller level to listen to the show and get access to hundreds of past bonus episodes. Gaslit Nation survives solely because of our listeners! We are shadowbanned in the current Twitter era and could use help spreading the word about our show. If you like it, tell a friend and leave a review! And consider joining our Patreon to keep us going. Thank you for your support! Show Notes: Our new unofficial Gaslit Nation theme song, 'Don't Be an Asshole' on our Twitter page and in the show notes for this episode on our Patreon page. You can find more of Andrew and the Spirit House's music on Bandcamp at andrewjonesandspirithouse.bandcamp.com. I have no mouth and I must scream (wjccschools.org) President Trump Commutes Sentence of Sholom Rubashkin – The White House (archives.gov) Sholom Rubashkin: the inside story of how a kosher meat kingpin won clemency under Trump | CNN Politics Rubashkin Cleared of Child Labor Charges - Tablet Magazine (21) Sarah Kendzior on Twitter: "@revmagdalen In 2017, Pelosi successfully petitioned Trump for the prison release of a man who ran a farm using migrant slave labor, including child labor. Workers were raped and had limbs amputated. Look up Agriprocessors; the horror stories are endless. Excerpts below: https://t.co/sFJYblSLsT" / Twitter 

In this week's Gaslit Nation bonus episode, we answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher, including how to save the DOJ in a time of elite criminal impunity. To get access to this and every episode of Gaslit Nation, subscribe to the show on Patreon by signing up the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon. You will not hear every episode unless you subscribe. Join our community of listeners today: Patreon.com/Gaslit 

It has been one year since Russia launched its escalated invasion of Ukraine that has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of Ukrainians displaced, exiled, or kidnapped. We have been covering the Kremlin’s genocidal ambitions and how Ukraine has been used as a petri dish for operatives to experiment with attacks on democracy since we launched Gaslit Nation in 2018. This brutal escalation was a long time coming -- and Ukraine knew it, which is why Ukrainians were able to fend off Russian invaders while the West offered only belated and limited support. We discuss what’s changed since February 2022, what Ukraine still needs to win, Biden’s recent visit, and the geopolitical consequences of the war for the rest of the world. We also discuss the importance of US territorial integrity and sovereignty as insurrectionists here seek to divide and conquer in a way reminiscent of (and often financially backed by) Kremlin operatives. The rest of our episode is an interview with Ukraine expert Yana Prymachenko of Princeton University. From the university’s website, “A native of Ukraine, Yana Prymachenko received her Ph.D. from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. She was a research scholar at the Institute of History of Ukraine from 2003 to 2022. She joined the faculty at Princeton as Visiting Scholar in the fall of 2022. Her research interests vary greatly, ranging from the Soviet culture in the 1920s-30s, the history of the Second World War, the memory politics in Russia and Eastern Europe to the study of Soviet propaganda and informational wars.” For our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level or higher, we answer questions sent in by our listeners! We discuss whether Merrick Garland’s failures are a feature or a bug, what to do when good causes get hijacked by bad actors, the continued attacks on LGBTQ Americans, the discrepancy between Biden’s foreign and domestic policies, and much more! Gaslit Nation is funded entirely by listeners and we need your support to survive. If you appreciate what we do -- and would like bonus episodes and other perks – please join us on Patreon. Thank you! Show Notes: Join Andrea on Saturday February 25 at an upcoming virtual event to commemorate the one year anniversary of Russia's imperialist re-invasion of Ukraine. She will be joining the all civic group "The Media and Democracy Project" for a streamed screening of my film "Mr. Jones" and have a "Q and A session" afterwards. They will discuss the film, what role the media plays in defending against disinformation and authoritarianism - and what we can all be doing to support BETTER media.  Sign up for the event by going to the website: TINY.CC/mrjones Admission is FREE Suggested donation to the Kyiv Independent - as we need to support "media AND democracy" in Ukraine (and here in the US). In Taking Crimea, Putin Gains a Sea of Fuel Reserves https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/world/europe/in-taking-crimea-putin-gains-a-sea-of-fuel-reserves.html Imperfect allies and non-state actors: Lessons from the 1991 no-fly zone in Iraq https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/05/28/imperfect-allies-and-non-state-actors-lessons-from-the-1991-no-fly-zone-in-iraq/  

Our Gaslit Nation Q&A is back! This week we answer questions from listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher about the Norfolk Southern train derailment and explosion in East Palestine, Ohio; what stood out to us in the State of the Union address in terms of what comes next; the GOP's ongoing scapegoating of LGBTQ people and what can be done about the far-right's law-warfare, and more.  You won't get every episode of Gaslit Nation unless you subscribe to our show on Patreon. To sign up and get access to our bonus episodes, join our community at Patreon.com/gaslit

This week’s episode is dedicated to the environmental disaster in East Palestine, Ohio and its political causes and ramifications. As you have heard – or possibly have not heard, since there was an attempt to bury this story early on – on February 3, a massive derailment of a freight train containing hazardous chemicals led to the release of toxic chemicals in the Ohio town of East Palestine, in the surrounding region in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and perhaps even further afield. We do not know, because state and federal officials have refused to give forthright information about this preventable disaster. Our hearts go out to the people of the region and to the country as a whole, for we are all held hostage to this plutocracy and the broken political system it props up.   We discuss the Trump administration’s destruction of railroad regulations and the Biden administrations’ refusal to reinstate them – which led to Biden union-busting in December as railroad workers begged futilely for sick days and safer conditions. Many workers warned of this precise disaster. The American people can see what’s happening – left, right, and center – and unfortunately, with few exceptions, officials on the left, right, and center are keeping the truth about the extent of the disaster from the public. We discuss the ramifications of gutted local media, social media networks that hide information with algorithms, and cable networks that look the other way. We also review the decades of corporate greed and horrific labor policies that led to the Chernobyl of Ohio.   On a related note, we discuss the appointment of Jeffrey Zients, an investment banker with a history of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, as Biden’s new chief of staff. The appointment of Zients, who was responsible to a large extent for Biden’s disastrous covid policies in 2020 and 2021, could not have come at a worse time. Zients joins a team of eugenicist advisors who believe that one’s worth is solely determined by how much you contribute to the economy – and who believe that if you are elderly or disabled, your life lacks utility to the point of worthlessness. (We wish we were exaggerating, but they say this openly.) This is a terrifying time to be surrounded by, as the Ukrainians say, “oligarchs who see the people as the shit they grow their money in”. We are REFUSING to be ruled by them and believe the first step is to speak truth to power and document the crimes.   Our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level or higher, is on UFOs! You know, those objects in the sky that the US government is giving us the play-by-play on while they dodge the tragedy in Ohio. We discuss China spy balloons, Project Blue Beam, and much more! We then do our weekly Q&A, answering questions sent in by our Patreon subscribers at the Democracy Defender level or higher. Topics include Erik Prince, threats to poll workers, why the Democrats choose snark over serious prosecution, and much more. Gaslit Nation is a 100% independent podcast – our Patreon subscribers keep us going! Your support allows us to continue taking on these topics and we appreciate your support and our community of listeners!   Show Notes:   Zoom screening of Mr. Jones on February 25 followed by Q&A with Andrea. Sign up for the event by going to the website: TINY.CC/mrjones. Admission is FREE Suggested donation to the Kyiv Independent - as we need to support "media AND democracy" in Ukraine (and here in the US).   Opening clip: https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1625155991724605440   Closing Clip: https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1625277554910273537   The Freight Rail Labor Dispute Was Never About ‘Sick Days’ (vice.com)   Rail Companies Blocked Safety Rules Before Ohio Derailment (levernews.com)   Zeke Emanuel on Twitter: https://t.co/c1yEfz2dMG   The Corporate Past of Jeffrey Zients - The American Prospect   Ohio woman finds chickens dead, questions chemical release from train https://www.wdtn.com/news/ohio/ohio-woman-finds-chickens-dead-questions-chemical-release-from-train/   Animals are sick and dying after Ohio train derailment https://www.wtrf.com/ohio/animals-are-sick-and-dying-after-ohio-train-derailment/?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=socialflow   Elon Musk: We're Curbing Starlink's Use in Ukraine to Prevent WWIII https://www.pcmag.com/news/elon-musk-were-curbing-starlinks-use-in-ukraine-to-prevent-wwiii?taid=63ea57b105dea00001f6d1c9&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Manual&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook   Tad Devine and Yanukovych work in Ukraine:  https://twitter.com/rachelweinerwp/status/1022594989702959104   ‘Sadness in the whole forest’: family of Cop City activist killed by police seeks answers https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/12/cop-city-manuel-paez-teran-family-mourns   Eric Feigl-Ding thread on the Norfolk Southern chemical explosion:  https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1625155991724605440   American life expectancy is now at its lowest in nearly two decades https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/22/1144864971/american-life-expectancy-is-now-at-its-lowest-in-nearly-two-decades

We discuss one of our favorite topics: UFOs! What are the mystery objects shot down by NORAD? We have some ideas...You can get access to this bonus and every episode of Gaslit Nation by supporting the show at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon by joining the community of listeners at Patreon.com/gaslit: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

This is an excerpt of this week's bonus episode where we discuss Biden's State of the Union and the GOP troll factory in the House and what comes next for the civil war tremors driven by Trump's Kremlin Klown Kar, otherwise known as the January 6 insurrectionists. We also answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender tier and higher on Patreon about Havana Syndrome, how to organize deep dive research when uncovering corruption, FBI traitor Charles McGonigal, and more! To submit questions and listen to our bonus episodes, receiving every episode of Gaslit Nation straight to your inbox, join our Patreon community by signing up at Patreon.com/gaslit for this and more: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit   Show Notes: The Curious Case of 'Havana Syndrome' https://www.npr.org/2023/01/25/1151421770/the-curious-case-of-havana-syndrome

We at Gaslit Nation like to think big picture, so like a pair of melting clocks in a desert wasteland we shall force your memory to persist! This week, we look back at the last two years and come to a terrible realization: Trump lost, but the coup won.  Among the points of evidence for this claim: 1) The seditionists and insurrectionists who plotted the coup now control the House of Representatives 2) Trump remains free and running for POTUS 3) Radical right-wing SCOTUS made possible by Trump is tossing out fundamental rights and overruling the public will 4) The US is the first country to not prosecute its own coup plotters, thanks to Merrick Garland’s DOJ 5) Other coup abettor officials, like Christopher Wray and Louis DeJoy, remain in office despite their betrayal 6) We still don’t know key details about the 1/6 attacks – like who that lady planting bombs was -- and neither the DOJ nor the Jan 6 committee members are in any hurry to provide them 7) The GOP launched an attack on civil rights, called it a “culture war”, and liberal officials surrendered in advance. And there’s more where that came from! We ask and answer key questions, like “What the actual ****?” and “What can be done?” Tune in and find out! Our Patreon bonus this week will be an analysis of Biden’s State of the Union address followed by Q & A with our Patreon subscribers. We are recording on Wednesday and will release the episode later in the week. To send us a question and get an in-depth answer, subscribe at the Democracy Defender level or higher; to get a weekly bonus episode and other perks, subscribe at the Truth-Teller level or higher. Gaslit Nation is a 100% independent podcast, and the only reason we have that freedom is because of supporters like you. If you appreciate what we’re doing and would like to keep it going, please consider subscribing on Patreon! Show Notes Join the virtual February 25 7:30pm screening of Mr. Jones followed by a live audience Q&A with Andrea to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s total war invasion of Ukraine: https://www.mobilize.us/mediademocracyproject/event/548495/  

Hey DOJ – quit writing and start indicting! This week we discuss the ongoing grotesque trend of former officials writing books about all the crimes they didn’t solve instead of actually protecting our country while in office. This is a long-brewing crisis going back to the days of John Bolton and James Comey, and its latest iteration is Mark Pomerantz, another lawyer lackey timing his “tell-all” for maximum profits and minimum democracy. We discuss how NDAs block the public from vital info and how the publishing industry has created an incentive for officials to remain silent about – or even participate in -- state crimes. We continue to discuss the case of Charlie McGonigal – the indicted FBI official who was secretly working for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska –  in the context of a broader look at corruption in the so-called “department of justice.” We examine the factors that contribute to this crisis including insularity, elitism, and nepotistic networks. We also destroy the myth that authoritarianism and law are two separate categories and that expertise on one negates knowledge of the other. Mafia states are in fact dependent on the judiciary, which functions as the cage bars of autocracy. If you understand how the judicial system works in a typical kleptocracy, the Biden and Trump DOJs will strike you as familiar. This is why the “legal pundits” polluting our airways with savior syndrome myths are not only vapid, but, over time, dangerous, as they destroy public expectations of good governance. We also discuss the difficulty of parenting during this era of flagrant injustice. It’s Merrick Garland’s DOJ, but our children will have to live in its aftermath. For our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller lever or higher, we answer questions from our listeners. Among the topics covered are Fani Willis and the Georgia investigation, what happens if Trump is indicted, Ron DeSantis lackey Christina Pushaw, and the debt ceiling crisis. We will answer ANYTHING so please join on Patreon and send us your questions! Gaslit Nation is 100% independent. Our independence is what makes it possible to address topics most media outlets avoid. We thank you for your support and for keeping us going! Show Notes: The Broken Film – a documentary about genocides. For more information, including the trailer, visit the website: https://www.thebrokenpromisefilm.com/ Manhattan Prosecutors Begin Presenting Trump Case to Grand Jury https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/nyregion/trump-stormy-daniels-grand-jury.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur National Progressive PAC Plans To Back Manhattan DA Candidate Alvin Bragg With $1 Million Cash Infusion https://gothamist.com/news/national-progressive-pac-plans-back-manhattan-da-candidate-alvin-bragg-1-million-cash-infusion Read the Full Text of Mark Pomerantz’s Resignation Letter  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/nyregion/mark-pomerantz-resignation-letter.html

Welcome to the Gaslit Nation Q&A! We answer questions from our listeners subscribed at the Democracy Defender level and higher on Patreon. To access this and all episodes of Gaslit Nation, support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe. Join our community here: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

Welcome to the Gaslit Nation Q&A! We answer questions from our listeners subscribed at the Democracy Defender level and higher on Patreon. To access this and all episodes of Gaslit Nation, support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe. Join our community here: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

Gaslit Nation has been studying Russian oligarch-aiding FBI traitors since our podcast launched in 2018, and what did we get for our diligent efforts? Yet another traitor! This week we discuss the indictment of Charlie McGonigal, the former top counterintelligence official in the New York field office who was secretly working for mega-oligarch Oleg Deripaska while pretending to investigate him. (You may remember Deripaska from our classic T-shirt slogan “You can’t make a deal with the guy who won the aluminum wars in the car bomb 1990s in Russia, you just can’t.” Rolls right off the tongue!)   We analyze the McGonigal case in the context of familiar Gaslit Nation topics – the top heads of the FBI who went on to work for the Russian mafia, how James Comey betrayed America to serve Semyon Mogilevich, the strange behavior of the FBI and the media during the 2016 election, the partnership between Deripaska and Paul Manafort, the partnership between Deripaska and Mitch McConnell, the desire of McConnell to make Merrick Garland head of the FBI as all this illegal activity was transpiring, and how the McGonigal case and general FBI treason affects Russia’s war on Ukraine. This episode was recorded during our second ever Gaslit Nation Live Event and we thank everyone who showed up for this historic occasion!   For our bonus, which will be out on Friday, we answered a LOT of questions from our Patreon subscribers! You can listen to our Q & As if you subscribe at the Truth-Teller level or higher, and you can send in your own question and get it answered in depth by subscribing at the Democracy Defender level or higher.   Times are tough in media, politics, and life and we are VERY grateful to you for keeping our show going! While other sites put up paywalls, we have kept our weekly Gaslit Nation episodes free and provided free transcripts to keep it as accessible as possible during this information war. We also have been able to retain and pay the same small staff of four people for nearly five years. Thanks to you all for supporting truly independent media, please keep it coming!   Show Notes:   Our opening song was “We Can't Breathe” with music by Rayna Zemel & Chief Wakil, and lyrics by Chief Wakil & Kelli Wakili. You can find Rayna on Instagram @rayzemel and @wintersrockentertainment, and on Soundcloud at soundcloud.com/rayzemi.   Correction to live taping: Special Counsel John Durham didn't indict computer scientists, only a cybersecurity lawyer in regards to the Trump-Alfa Bank allegations: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/us/politics/trump-alfa-bank-indictment.html   Charles McGonigal Named Special Agent in Charge of the Counterintelligence Division for the New York Field Office — FBI   Former Senior F.B.I. Official in New York Charged With Aiding Oligarch https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/23/nyregion/fbi-money-laundering-charles-mcgonigal.html   Former senior FBI official accused of working for Russian he investigated https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/01/23/mcgonigal-deripaska-indictment-fbi/   Russian Oligarch and Associates Indicted on U.S. Sanctions Charges https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/us/politics/russian-oligarch-sanctions-citizenship.html   Trump Server Mystery Produces Fresh Conflict https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/us/politics/trump-alfa-bank-indictment.html   Here’s How Donald Trump’s Paul Manafort Helped Create Chaos In Ukraine https://www.thedailybeast.com/heres-how-donald-trumps-paul-manafort-helped-create-chaos-in-ukraine   Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska & his links to British politicians - BBC Newsnight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziKUzn-5UcU   Trump Server Mystery Produces Fresh Conflict https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/us/politics/trump-alfa-bank-indictment.html   Want to Understand President Obama's Foreign Policy? https://www.huffpost.com/entry/want-to-understand-presid_b_6834540   Billionaire mogul with Russia ties emerges as major donor to Hochul, numerous pols https://nypost.com/2022/03/06/billionaire-mogul-with-russia-ties-emerges-as-major-donor-to-hochul/   U.S. Politicians Can't Stop Taking Len Blavatnik's Money https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2019/10/21/u-s-politicians-cant-stop-taking-len-blavatniks-money/

Welcome to a series we're now doing called the Florida Super Special. Since the state of Florida has had such a big impact on the hellscape we now find ourselves in, setting things off with helping bring George W. Bush and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to power in 2000, this may be our first Florida Super Special, but it won't be our last. In this bonus, you'll hear just some of the ways Russian intelligence is keeping the FBI busy in Florida, and what that might mean for the 2024 presidential election which might see Russian asset Trump anoint DeSantis as his successor.   For those who want to buy a ticket to the Gaslit Nation Live Taping and Live Audience Q&A this coming Tuesday January 24 at 12pm ET, you can do so by supporting the show at the Democracy Defender level or higher on Patreon.com/gaslit -- you can always cancel or switch back to your current support tier once the taping is done. We'll send out the Zoom details Tuesday morning to subscribers on Patreon at the Democracy Defender level or higher. The Zoom link goes live at 11:45am ET where early birds can hear Sarah and Andrea plan that week's show before hitting the record button at noon ET. We'll post the video of the episode (but not the Q&A) for subscribers to the Truth-teller level and higher. We're not posting the video of the Q&A of the live taping since some participants prefer not to be shown and would like to protect their privacy, which we understand. So come join us, if you can, on Tuesday!    

Join Gaslit Nation for a live taping January 24 at 12pm EST and stay for the live Q&A. Get tickets by supporting the show at the Democracy Defender ($10) or higher on Patreon by visiting Patreon.com/Gaslit. Join fifteen minutes early, at 11:45am EST, to see Sarah and Andrea put together the show before hitting the record button!    ***   For a month, we at Gaslit Nation have been pulling together disparate strands in the saga of Biden and Trump and the classified records found in each of their homes in order to weave you the tapestry of horrors we present on today’s program! At heart, this is not a story about Biden or Trump, but about the DOJ enabling elite criminal impunity in order to protect the secrets of broken institutions…like the DOJ itself. We break down the Biden documents and the new special counsel, the differences between Biden’s case and Trump’s, how the House GOP plans to weaponize the case and how the DOJ seeks to equivocate in order to weasel out of enforcing accountability, what a Biden impeachment trial would look like, whether Biden will pull a Nixon and resign, and what various successors should look like if he quits or decides not to run again in 2024. We remain in dangerous times and it is critical to look at the big picture threats.   Many of those threats coalesce around one state – Florida! For our special weekly bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level or higher, Andrea breaks down the history of Florida’s political corruption. (Don’t worry, Kathy Hochul watchers – she’s planning a New York sequel soon.) We also answer questions sent in from our subscribers at the Democracy Defender level or higher. If you are subscribing at that level, you are invited to a live Gaslit Nation taping on Tuesday January 24 at noon EST! We give more information about how that will work in today’s show, and we will post more online, so stay tuned.   Gaslit Nation remains an entirely independent show, which is why we’re able to do deep dives on topics other outlets are not allowed to touch. (Or are too afraid to touch!) We are extremely grateful to you for making this possible. If you appreciate what we do, please consider subscribing on Patreon to get bonus features and to keep Gaslit Nation going. Thank you!  

America has a new leading export – sedition! Globe-trotting unpunished coup-plotter Steve Bannon and his elite operatives have moved their operation to Brazil, attempting to violently unseat democratically elected president Lula. Meanwhile, ousted dictator Jair Bolsonaro has taken up residence in Florida, the home base of unpunished mafiosos from around the world! We discuss the events in Brazil, how much more effective Lula’s response was to their attacks than the Biden administration has been to 1/6, and how the DOJ’s refusal to hold criminal elites accountable has created a global national security crisis. We also discuss the continuing downfall of Congress, which has become less of a governing body than a gathering place for social media addicts attempting to build political personality cults. These reality TV show wannabes exist not to pass policy or protect the American people but to follow the path of the departed Donald Trump, a celebrity/criminal/politician hybrid cheered on by an army of “people” indistinguishable from bots. We also discuss the cliquish and cultish behavior in the Democratic party that has served only to strengthen the GOP’s fascist agenda. We also praise the rare officials who are exceptions to this behavior – new California Senate candidate Katie Porter, for one. Never forget that congresspeople are public servants and they work for you, not the other way around!  For our bonus episode, available on Patreon, we talk more about Brazil and about the contrived chaos in the House last week, in which Kevin McCarthy staged a feud with the Seditious Caucus in order to frame himself as a “moderate”, which he is not! We also answer questions from our listeners about covid lies and buried statistics, the failures of the DOJ and the January 6 committee, and much more. You can listen to this bonus by joining at the Truth-Teller level, and send us questions to answer in depth by joining at the Democracy Defender level or higher. Democracy Defenders are also invited to participate in our special live taping of Gaslit Nation on January 24! So sign up today, and we will see you soon – we could not make this show without you!

Our opening clip is from a November 2022 video of Steve Bannon, serial violent coup-plotter. It was put out by Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of defeated former Brazillian president Jair Bolsonaro, who visited Florida in November, meeting with Bannon and Trump. His father is currently in the suburbs of Orlando. Florida is a growing hotbed of the global fascist movement. For the full discussion and to receive our weekly bonus episodes, subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won't hear every episode unless you subscribe to the show: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

This is an excerpt of our January 6 anniversary special. For the full discussion, which includes the GOP chaos in the House of Representatives and our usual Q&A where we answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher, and to access all episodes of Gaslit Nation, sign up at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe. Thank you so much to everyone who supports the show. Join our community of listeners here: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit *** Another year around the sun and coup mastermind Donald Trump still walks around free in his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida, a foreign adversary’s paradise of stolen state secrets. And yet he’s still allowed to run for president.   Now Trump’s many accomplices in Congress who helped fuel the incitement to violence that nearly overthrew our democracy on January 6 are currently raking in fundraising dollars from their Trumpian cult base as they proudly prevent the House of Representatives from getting to work. The dysfunction of the far right extremists that now control the Republican Party is by design and decades in the making, as we discuss in our spring 2022 series with leading experts on confronting fascism.   The Trump rally that deliberately killed people on January 6, 2021 can now hold up the House of Representatives, raising alarms about the US once again on the global stage, jeopardizing the essential functioning of a major branch of government, and showing our global allies, at a time when we’re at war with Russian facism determined to undermine democracies around the world, that the US is not a reliable ally, that the US is plagued by political instability.   Putin’s greatest assets aren't just Tucker Carlson and the GOP. It’s the utter lack of accountability for the Kremlin Klown Kar that carried out their treasonous conspiracy on January 6 two years ago and continues to threaten our democracy once again from the House floor.   Let January 6 now be known as Merrick Garland Day as he's the one condemning us to a ground hog's day of attempted coups as the ones tasked with protecting us remain scared of their shadows or paid off in the shadows.   Show Notes:   Our initial reaction to January 6, 2021 captured here: https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/1610641793913159680   Matt Gaetz friend handed 11-year prison term in US sex trafficking case https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/02/matt-gaetz-friend-joel-greenberg-sex-trafficking   Judge scolds Justice Department for its slow investigations at hearing for Rep. Matt Gaetz’s convicted associate https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/30/politics/joel-greenberg-matt-gaetz-investigation-hearing/index.html   It’s Unclear Whether the Justice Dept. Will Take Up the Jan. 6 Panel’s Charges https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/19/us/politics/jan-6-trump-justice-dept.html   The feds say they're in for the long haul in the Jan. 6 investigation. There is a time limit. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/feds-say-long-haul-jan-6-investigation-rcna61728

Welcome back to the fifth year of Gaslit Nation and the fiftieth year of the quest for Donald Trump’s tax returns!  This week we discuss a panoply of government criminals and their dirty donors, ranging from newly minted oligarch cash receptacle “George Santos” (or whatever his name really is) to fellow recipients of mafia money in Congress (sadly it’s nearly everyone) to Trump’s half-century free ride from the IRS (because, again, they’re all in on it!) to the backers of Putin and Netanyahu’s wars (again it’s the same network enabling the crimes!) We also discuss the chaos and corruption that will ensue under a GOP House, the disturbing rhetoric of new Democratic House Minority Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, and give an update into Putin’s war on Ukraine. We come fully armed with receipts and discuss what this entrenched corruption means for American democracy in the year 2023, a year in which Congress may have lost its illusions but has not found its soul. We discuss the lackluster release of Trump’s tax returns and stress the urgent need for release of his returns going back to the 1970s, which is when he allegedly made a pact with the US government to not pay taxes for thirty years in return for unnamed favors. (Read about it in Sarah’s book HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT which is having a $2.99 Kindle sale.) We are recording our weekly bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level or higher, on Wednesday to mark the second anniversary of the January 6 attack on the Capitol and the continued inaction of Merrick Garland’s DOJ to hold the organizers accountable. We will also be answering your questions so please keep them coming! If you subscribe to Gaslit Nation at the Democracy Defender level or higher, you can ask us anything you want and we will answer it in depth! Subscribers at that level are also invited to a live Gaslit Nation taping on January 24! Stay tuned for more details and thank you for your continued support of the show – we could not make it without you. Show Notes: Russian Oligarch’s Cousin Funneled Cash to N.Y. Politician https://www.thedailybeast.com/republican-george-devolder-santos-got-cash-from-andrew-intrater-cousin-of-russian-oligarch-viktor-vekselberg Conservatives turn to a new message: ‘God bless the Ukrainian people’ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/27/conservatives-cpac-ukraine/ Here's the first evidence Russia used Twitter to influence Brexit https://www.wired.co.uk/article/brexit-russia-influence-twitter-bots-internet-research-agency Scrutiny mounts over tech investments from Kremlin-connected expatriates https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/12/19/russia-expatriates-links-probed/ The Russia Investigations: Another Oligarch Becomes Embroiled In The Imbroglio https://www.npr.org/2018/05/12/610466404/the-russia-investigations-did-a-nice-oligarch-pay-trump-s-lawyer Russian Oligarch’s Cousin Funneled Cash to N.Y. Politician https://www.thedailybeast.com/republican-george-devolder-santos-got-cash-from-andrew-intrater-cousin-of-russian-oligarch-viktor-vekselberg Moscow Heat: George Santos and His Moscow Trips https://petestrzok.substack.com/p/moscow-heat?r=1pz15w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Russians getting seized off the street by police to go fight in Ukraine https://twitter.com/Laurie_Garrett/status/1609668327525203969 Firm Tied to Russian Oligarch Made Payments to Michael Cohen https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/us/politics/michael-cohen-shell-company-payments.html A tiny paper broke the George Santos scandal but no one paid attention https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/12/29/north-shore-leader-santos-scoop/ GOP operative convicted in scheme to funnel Russian money into Trump campaign https://www.axios.com/2022/11/18/trump-campaign-jesse-benton-russia $858,000,000,000 - by Judd Legum - Popular Information SBF and the Injustice Democrats - by Max Berger (substack.com) Republican George Devolder-Santos Got Cash From Andrew Intrater Cousin of Russian Oligarch Viktor Vekselberg (thedailybeast.com) The Ties That Bind: Ehud Barak’s Business Network - CTech (calcalistech.com) ‘Israel today, Israel tomorrow, Israel forever,’ Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says at NY rally – Mondoweiss  

The 1930s are back! But this time, we're fighting dictators, wannabe dictators, and their propagandists on cable TV and social media platforms. Since the 1930s have returned, super-charged with new tech weapons, we should bring some of the heroes of the 1930s back, too. Enter historian Deborah Cohen, the author of Last Call at the Hotel Imperial, a riveting look at the generation of leading journalists who risked everything to rage against the machine.    Some of the journalists she highlights in her book are sadly not as remembered as they should be today given that they helped win the war against the Nazis on American soil. One of the journalists in particular is Dorothy Thompson, a one-woman crusade against Hitler who she originally laughed off in her 1931 interview. Hitler never forgot it and suspended her Twitter account, we mean, kicked her out of Germany, once he took over. Thompson went on to confront the Republican isolationist Congress, Charles Lindbergh, Henry Ford, and the rest of the America First KKKlown Kar with her fierce independent journalism and moral clarity, even getting kicked out of the Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden. We bring back these heroes to see what inspiration and other lessons we need for today.    In our very special bonus episode, we let loose on what TV shows and films we're watching to self-care and why. Television is something that we both take seriously, for different reasons, as we share in this discussion which covers a lot of ground on the importance and impact of culture in a time of encroaching autocracy. Let us know what shows you're watching and why in the comments section. To make sure you never miss an episode of Gaslit Nation, subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher. And to submit questions to our regular Q&As and get access to exclusive events and more, subscribe at the Democracy Defender level or higher. Discounted annual memberships are available. Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!    We'll be back with an all new episode and Q&A next week. Until then, we wish you and your family a Happy New Year!    *** You're invited to a live taping of Gaslit Nation January 24 12pm EST followed by a live audience Q&A. Tickets can be purchased by subscribing at the Democracy Defender level or higher -- look out for the Zoom link which will be sent out thirty minutes or so before the event. Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!  

Subscribe today to access all episodes of Gaslit Nation by signing up at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

How does the world stop a genocide? How will Russia's war in Ukraine end? Why should Americans, or anyone around the world, care about Ukraine today? Historian Timothy Snyder, who recently produced a viral YouTube series by simply putting his lectures online of his class teaching the making of modern Ukraine, returns to Gaslit Nation. Snyder is our first three-time guest, making him Rufus to our Bill and Ted in this most not excellent adventure.    Snyder is the author of several bestselling books, including Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America, and the resistance pocket guide On Tyranny with an audio guide that has been updated to include Russia's current war against Ukraine and democracies worldwide -- On Tyranny: Expanded Audio Edition Updated with Twenty New Lessons from Russia's War on Ukraine.      If you want to join Professor Snyder in helping Ukraine, donate to his anti-drone defense fund here. Every little bit helps.    In this week's bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers, we answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher about Executive Order 14067 -- the Biden administration's attempt to reign in cryptocurrency, the special counsel Jack Smith, taking action on book banning, and more. Our Q&A was recorded before the big news abou the January 6 Committee's historic referral to the DOJ of criminal charges against Trump, but we'll be back with an all new episode and bonus episodes of Gaslit Nation in the new year. Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! To help independent journalism and get acces to every episode of Gaslit Nation and live events, subscribe today or sign up for an annual membership for a discount.    *** You're invited to a live taping of Gaslit Nation January 24 12pm EST followed by a live audience Q&A. Tickets can be purchased by subscribing at the Democracy Defender level or higher -- look out for the Zoom link which will be sent out thirty minutes or so before the event. Thank you to everyone who supports the show -- we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!

Subscribe today to access all episodes of Gaslit Nation by signing up at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! There'll be scary ghost stories, and tales of the glories of war criminals from long, long ago! This week’s Gaslit Nation tells two stories. One is about the imprisoned Russian mercenary arms trader who enabled the most brutal people in the world for decades only to be freed in a trade for an American basketball player and released to his homeland to likely help carry out logistics in an imperial war. The other story is about a hammer-wielding maniac and his girlfriend – a “nudist activist” imprisoned for child abuse who roamed the US drugging people while her siblings immersed themselves in sex cults, artificial intelligence and the occult, with one of them single-handedly reviving the Freemasons of San Francisco before going on to work for the Trump and Biden administrations.  This is because life in America is fine and normal, and everything is normal and going to plan, and we should not be at all alarmed because clearly our institutions have got it under control! Anyway, this episode of Gaslit Nation – a deep dive into war criminal Viktor Bout and then into Paul Pelosi attacker Dennis DePape and his girlfriend, Gypsy Taub, and her family – is a series of strange tales to share around the fire this holiday season. That’s because we are living in a real-life scifi dystopia. Might as well record it before Elon Musk inserts a chip in our brains and replaces it with his own! For our weekly bonus episode, available to Gaslit Nation subscribers at the Truth-Teller level or higher, we discuss crypto and attacks on democracy, book banning, Jack Smith's backstory, the Hunter Biden laptop fiasco, the MeToo backlash, and more. If you are a subscriber at the Democracy Defender level or higher, stay tuned because you are invited to a special live taping of Gaslit Nation on January 24! Details to come. Thank you to everyone who subscribes to our podcast and keeps it going. We know economic times are tough and we very much appreciate your support – we could not make this show without you! Show Notes Galore!  Arms dealer Bout seeks new U.S. trial, hires Ashcroft law firm (yahoo.com) See Every Stock Trade Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Husband Has Made Since 2021 (businessinsider.com) Lawmakers Unlikely to Be Banned From Trading Stocks, at Least for Now (businessinsider.com) RELIGION AND SEX / The Immoral Majority / Finding sexual ethics in the godless masses (sfgate.com) Jerry Garcia Family Clinic MASONIC PAPERS by W.Bro. Dennis V. Chornenky - President, Masonic Restoration Foundation. (freemasons-freemasonry.com) Women's Temple LLC :: Minnesota (US) :: OpenCorporates Fundraiser by Diana Soline : Please help my Ukranian family! (gofundme.com) Freemasons charter new San Francisco lodge - San Francisco Business Times (bizjournals.com) Initiation, Mystery and Salvation: The Way of Rebirth by Bro.Dennis Chornenky 32° (freemasons-freemasonry.com) Dennis Chornenky | Presidential Innovation Fellows Optum's Chief AI Officer: AI is Driving Value-Based Care Improvements | HealthLeaders Media Victor Ivan Chornenky, PhD - Marquis Who's Who Milestones (marquiswhoswho.com) taub.pdf (squarespace.com) Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer swapped for Griner? Blacklisted Russian Tied to Iraq Deals

Subscribe today to access all episodes of Gaslit Nation by signing up at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

Subscribe today to access all episodes of Gaslit Nation by signing up at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

Important call to action: Contact your rep in the U.S. House and your two Senators in Congress to demand that they urgently pass financial support for Ukraine before the end of the year. Here are more details on the big budget showdown in Congress, and here's how to contact your reps in Congress. Simply say: "Make sure you pass all the funding before the end of the year that Ukraine needs to defend itself. Don't let the new Republican House hold aid to Ukraine hostage." Thank you!   We’re back! After a two-week break in which several decades of horrific breaking news occurred, Gaslit Nation is back with the rundown on all the developments that happened in our wake. The GOP took the House, Trump announced he was running again and called to terminate the constitution, neo-Nazis and white supremacists carried out terrorist attacks and public sphere takeovers, workers were screwed over yet again by the Biden administration, and mafia state enabler Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to do the work that he is too cowardly and complicit to do himself. Wow!   We start the episode by reviewing the career of new special counsel Jack Smith, who is already being heralded as a savior by the same group of ding-dongs who worshiped Comey, Mueller, Vance, Garland and other failures. We feel somewhat sorry for Smith for attracting a following of freaks who embellish his resume in order to create yet another cult of bureaucracy. We debunk some of their propaganda claims and take a closer look at Smith’s last place of work – the “ghost court” of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. We hope Smith learned from the “ghost court” that justice delayed is justice denied, and we wish him luck as he works within an institution, the DOJ, that hired him to run out the clock. Gaslit Nation endorses Jack Smith going rogue and actually serving his country!   We then move on to the drip-drip-drip of Matt Taibbi’s “Twitter Files”, which could be called the poor man’s Wikileaks if it weren’t being done in partnership with the richest man in the world on the social network owned by the richest man in the world. There are serious issues raised in Taibbi’s work that should be investigated – state control over social media, nepotism and national security – but this is an inane way to go about it. We also discuss the broad attempt to recreate the social media landscape of 2014-2016 in anticipation of Trump’s attempt to become Cosa Nostra Grover Cleveland, what’s changed since then, and what’s in store for the future.   Our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth Teller level or higher, will run later this week, since it is our reaction to the Georgia runoff election, which is happening as I type. Hopefully we will be ruminating on what a Warnock win means. We also plan to discuss the new Congress in general, and answer some of your Q & A questions as well. Gaslit Nation is 100% independent and survives only through Patreon support, so please consider joining so that we can keep reporting and you can get bonus features and more!   Show Notes: Pass a Law: The Tanya Chalupa Interview (Andrea's Mom!) https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2019/4/5/gaslit-nation-featurette-pass-a-law?rq=Tanya%20Chalupa   The US government is considering a national security review of Elon Musk's $44 billion Twitter acquisition, report says. If it happens, Biden could ultimately kill the deal. https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-elon-musk-twitter-deal-government-national-security-review-report-2022-10   Netanyahu touts friendship with Putin in new billboard https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-another-league-netanyahu-touts-friendship-with-putin-in-new-billboard/   Stormy Daniels says Trump told her 'you remind me of my daughter' after she spanked him with a magazine https://www.businessinsider.com/stormy-daniels-trump-ivanka-daughter-2018-3   At least 6 killed at July 4 parade in Highland Park, heavily Jewish suburb of Chicago https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/national_news/at-least-6-killed-at-july-4-parade-in-highland-park-heavily-jewish-suburb-of/article_200e05ba-fbcd-11ec-b187-df061eecec19.html

We're doubling your chances to receive a signed copy of Sarah's latest book They Knew and a Mr. Jones film poster. Join us for our final phone bank of 2022 as we make calls to get out the vote in Georgia with Indivisible to keep Reverend Warnock in the Senate where he belongs and to defeat Herschel Walker, a puppet of GOP fascism. Every phone call we make matters, because every vote matters. So come join us December 5th Monday -- election eve! -- at 5pm to 7pm EST. We will select *two volunteers* to receive the book and movie poster. Sign up here: https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vc-mrpz0qHtVTZtq2ouaDYLF1XgnQc2Or

Important reminder! We’re phone banking with our friends at Indivisible for Reverend Raphael Warnock who we need to keep in the Senate, because he’s a good person; Dems need a 51 majority in the Senate to have a stronger hand negotiating with the ruthless GOP/Manchin/Sinema; and we cannot normalize bonkers Herschel Walker in the Senate for six years. And finally, the Senate map is abysmal for Dems in 2024 so we must ensure Warnock wins the December 6th Georgia runoff to stand a chance of keeping the Senate majority. Join us at any or all of the below phone banks. We’re selecting one volunteer at each event to receive a signed copy of Sarah’s new book They Knew and a Mr. Jones film poster! Sign up here: Thursday, December 1st 6:00pm - 8:00pm ET Monday, December 5th 5:00pm - 7:00pm ET Historian Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon's voice is an important one in the frontlines of fact-checking the Kremlin's disinformation war against the West. Her research spans the Black experience in the Soviet Union as well as the Holodomor, Stalin's genocide famine in Ukraine. As you can tell in this interview, Andrea is really excited to finally talk to her for the show.   In the interview, Kimberly makes connections between the Russian far-right and American far-right, the genocidal history that led to Russia's current war, and why should people around the world care about Ukraine. This year marks the start of the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, an urgent reminder to stay vigilant of Russian aggression. As Kimberly points out, looking away, especially as we enter winter, will only embolden a terrorist state that is waging war not just on Ukraine but democracies worldwide.    In this week's bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher, Sarah and Andrea discuss Trump running for president again after a long history of committing crimes out in the open, the dreaded Moore vs. Harper case the Supreme Court theocrats agreed to hear on December 7th which may be a wreckingball against our democracy and what to do about it should the worst come to pass, and Sarah's must-hear reaction to Merrick Garland's decision to appoint a special counsel instead of indicting Trump for no shortage of crimes. Thank you to everyone who helps keep Gaslit Nation going by subscribing to the show on Patreon. We couldn't make Gaslit Nation without you!  

Subscribe today to access all episodes of Gaslit Nation by signing up at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

Important reminder! We’re phone banking with our friends at Indivisible for Reverend Raphael Warnock who we need to keep in the Senate, because he’s a good person; Dems need a 51 majority in the Senate to have a stronger hand negotiating with the ruthless GOP/Manchin/Sinema; and we cannot normalize bonkers Herschel Walker in the Senate for six years. And finally, the Senate map is abysmal for Dems in 2024 so we must ensure Warnock wins the December 6th Georgia runoff to stand a chance of keeping the Senate majority. Join us at any or all of the below phone banks. We’re selecting one volunteer at each event to receive a signed copy of Sarah’s new book They Knew and a Mr. Jones film poster! Sign up here: Thursday, December 1st 6:00pm - 8:00pm ET Monday, December 5th 5:00pm - 7:00pm ET Comedian Jena Friedman has a long career in stand-up comedy and production, which has often earned her harrassment online from the MAGA crowd and Kremlin trolls. In this interview, Andrea discusses the role of comedy in a time of dictatorship, who's afraid of a good abortion joke?, Jena's 2016 election night live TV moment that still earns her hate messages, and how far comedy has come, or not, for women, whom Christopher Hitchens once declared are inherently not funny.   We're grateful for the fearless comedy of people like Jena working on the frontlines of white male patriarchy grievance and their culture wars. If you like Gaslit Nation, check out Jena's series True Crime Story: Indefensible on the Sundance Channel and AMC+ streaming, available on Amazon, YouTube, and several other places here. Indefensible pulls back the veil on legal warfare and corruption in America in the style of The Daily Show, Jena's old stomping grounds where she worked as a producer. Also, check out her stand-up comedy on reproductive healthcare, violence against women, and other lighthearted subjects called Lady Killer, streaming on Peacock.    In our bonus episode for our Patreon subscribers, Sarah and Andrea discuss the disinformation war in Elon Musk's battle against Twitter and why he spent $44 billion on the site now, especially as his chaos endangers an important plaform that has brought so many of us together in the fight for our democracies and against global corruption. That's a conversation not to miss as it puts our struggles here in the US in greater perspective. Sign up to access that and our full back catalogue of bonus episodes by signing up at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon. Thank you all for your support of the show and for keeping our independent journalism alive in a time of emboldened far-right oligarchs.

Subscribe today to access all episodes of Gaslit Nation by signing up at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

Important announcement! We’re phone banking with our friends at Indivisible for Reverend Raphael Warnock who we need to keep in the Senate, because he’s a good person; Dems need a 51 majority in the Senate to have a stronger hand negotiating with the ruthless GOP/Manchin/Sinema; and we cannot normalize bonkers Herschel Walker in the Senate for six years. And finally, the Senate map is abysmal for Dems in 2024 so we must ensure Warnock wins the December 6th Georgia runoff to stand a chance of keeping the Senate majority. Join us at any or all of the below phone banks. We’re selecting one volunteer at each event to receive a signed copy of Sarah’s new book They Knew and a Mr. Jones film poster! Sign up here:   Saturday, November 19th 3:00pm - 5:00pm ET with special guest David Pepper, author of Laboratories of Autocracy  Thursday, December 1st 6:00pm - 8:00pm ET Monday, December 5th 5:00pm - 7:00pm ET It’s been one week since the midterms and, as of now, it looks like the Democrats won the Senate but lost the House – or, shall we say, threw the House away. We look at the hard-fought wins and highly preventable losses of a party full of honest voters and dirty power brokers -- specifically the Pelosi Vichy Democrats and DCCC chair Sean Patrick Maloney, who, along with heirs to the Cuomo corruption ring, was responsible for the Democrats losing New York and therefore the House itself. This was not a loss but a forfeit, and what these Vichy Democrats are trying to forfeit is our future. This conversation on Democratic wins and losses turned into a broad and emotional discussion on racism, regional stereotyping, media bias, the pandemic, and the future that America’s young people deserve. As Sarah said in a previous episode, the difference between the GOP and the Democrats is that the GOP will kill you but the Democrats will let you die. America’s young people do not deserve a future designed by a geriatric crime cult and its octogenarian enablers. There are so many good people out there – you among them! – and none of you deserve this. We want to make that abundantly clear because as soon as they call the midterms for the GOP, the Democratic politicians will tell you it was your fault and the media will try to convince you that you wanted it all along. Don’t listen! Stay strong and follow your moral compass; you will find it in your heart. In our bonus episode, Andrea answers questions from our subscribers at the Democracy Defender level and higher about where do we go from here, how to talk to your children and deal with your own anxiety in a time of fascism, and whether Putin’s corruption has weakened Russia’s nuclear arsenal like it has his dysfunctional military in Ukraine. Never miss an episode of Gaslit Nation by subscribing at the $5/month Truth teller level or higher on Patreon, or join our regular Q&As and live events by supporting our independent journalism at the Democracy Defender level or higher. Thank you to everyone who helps keep our show going!  Show Notes The Inside Story of Sean Patrick Maloney’s Face Plant in New York https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/11/sean-patrick-maloney-new-york-red-wave-dccc-house.html New York Democrats urge Hochul to push out the state party chair. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/nyregion/new-york-democrats-urge-hochul-to-push-out-state-party-chair.html

Subscribe today to access all episodes of Gaslit Nation by signing up at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

By the time you read this, the polls will have closed, but the election will not have ended – and our battle for a free and sovereign United States of America goes on. In this episode, Andrea and Sarah blow off steam that has accumulated over the very difficult year of 2022, in which we lost our bodily autonomy, contended with a relentless pandemic, and saw ever more clearly the complicity of our institutions as the US became the first country in history to memory-hole a coup and let a career criminal coup plotter run for office again like a Cosa Nostra Grover Cleveland.   Generally we at Gaslit Nation do not hold back, but there is a time and a place to fully cut loose, and we decided that time was immediately after the polls closed – since this is still a battle between a flawed Democratic party tethered to a Vichy leadership and a GOP that is an apocalyptic death cult. What the two parties have in common is that they will blame us, regular Americans, for everything that goes wrong, while hitting us up for money and telling us to drop dead. We are fed up – and yet we refuse to bow down. So listen to our overview of how we got to this moment, as we rage, rage, rage against the dying of the light! (For those wondering, we will continue to rage, rage, rage on Twitter too – we’re not going anywhere!)   We were also provided some evergreen advice from Dakota Hall as the executive director of the Alliance for Youth Action—the first Black and Indigenous leader of the organization—and former executive director of the Alliance’s Wisconsin-based affiliate Leaders Igniting Transformation. The Alliance for Youth Action grows progressive people power across America by empowering local young people’s organizations to strengthen our democracy, fix our economy, and correct injustices through on-the-ground organizing. For this week’s bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and higher, we answer questions submitted from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. We will answer anything so keep sending in your questions! Gaslit Nation is a fully independent podcast, which gives us the ability to speak honestly and to investigate subjects that many outlets avoid. For us to keep going, however, we need to maintain our financial support. If you’ve learned from our show or appreciate what we do, please consider becoming a Patreon member and joining our community. If you need a place to go to after leaving Twitter, consider subscribing to our Patreon for as low as $1/month – manually select that amount to join our community of listeners!: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

If you have a young person in your life, take them to vote, and if they're voting for the first time do something special to mark the big occasion. That's the advice of this week's special guest. Here is an excerpt of our interview with Dakota Hall, the executive director of the Alliance for Youth Action—the first Black and Indigenous leader of the organization—and former executive director of the Alliance’s Wisconsin-based affiliate Leaders Igniting Transformation. The Alliance for Youth Action grows progressive people power across America by empowering local young people’s organizations to strengthen our democracy, fix our economy, and correct injustices through on-the-ground organizing.  If you're receiving this message before 4pm EST on November 7th, election eve, there's still time to join our phone bank with Indivisible for Mandela Barnes for U.S. Senate and Lauren Underwood for the U.S. House in Illinois. We're selecting one person at the phone bank to receive a signed copy of Sarah's new book They Knew and a Mr. Jones poster. Mandela Barnes himself will join the phone bank so don't miss it! RSVP here: https://twitter.com/gaslitnation/status/1587816319872811008

Important reminder! Come join our phone bank Monday November 7th -- election eve! -- at 4pm EST with Indisvible for Mandela Barnes for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin and to re-elect Lauren Underwood to the U.S. House in Illinois. One volunteer who attends Monday's phone bank will be selected to receive a signed copy of Sarah's new book They Knew and a Mr. Jones poster. Mandela Barnes will join the Zoom meeting at the start of the phone bank so don't miss it! Sarah and Andrea were on MSNBC Sunday morning talking to host Ali Velshi about the far-right threats to our democracy and what must be done to protect our country from sliding into autocracy. You can watch the clip here, and RSVP to Monday's phone bank here!   And now, for an important message to our community about our decision to stay on Twitter and why we think you should, too. For those subscribed to our show on Patreon, we're working on a way to add Discord on Patreon just for our community of listeners and will keep you updated on that shortly!  Where else would you like to connect with Gaslit Nation online? Let us know in the comments on this Patreon post! Thank you!   

We're very excited to announce that Mandela Barnes is going to speak at our phone bank for his U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin on Monday November 7th -- election eve! -- at 4pm EST. Join us and our friends at Indivisible Illinois as we make calls to get out the vote in Wisconsin and also for U.S. House super-star Lauren Underwood in Illinois. Every phone call we make matters, because every vote matters. And remember: at the event, we're selecting a volunteer to receive a signed copy of Sarah's new book They Knew and a Mr. Jones poster. That could be you! Listen to our quick reminder of why Ron Johnson, the Kremlin's "useful idiot" in the Senate, needs to go. Sign up here to RSVP.

It’s November – the beginning of the end, the end of the beginning. We at Gaslit Nation have been through this such a long long time, just trying to kill the pain, and we have mitigated it somewhat together. And now we enter a new phase, where the key digital platform that allowed documentation of the crimes of the powerful and literally made our show possible – Twitter – is being steamrolled by a billionaire shitposter. (We are refusing to cede our ground and will remain on Twitter despite Musk; for more on that, listen to our Patreon bonus episode.)   The attempted destruction of Twitter arrives in the midst of waves of political violence: the bludgeoning of Paul Pelosi, violent threats nationwide to poll workers and election officials, and the continuation of the election day “bloodbath” promises that criminal elites have been making for years – and the DOJ is letting it happen. We are dreading the midterms and the violence that will very likely follow; we mourn the violence that is here and the corrupt enablers in government who refused to take action when it really mattered, years ago, when we still stood a chance. Never forget that this all could have been prevented: what’s predictable is preventable. They made their choice, and we made ours. We discuss the landscape of streamlined political violence and then provide some last minute updates to our midterms coverage. Vote early, if you can.   Gaslit Nation needs support! If you like our show, spread the word, because we are on our own and may be impacted by the Twitter takeover. Gaslit Nation is entirely funded by our audience. If you appreciate the work we’ve been doing these past six years, consider joining at the Truth-Teller level and getting bonus episodes every week. You can also join at the Democracy Defender level to ask us a question and get it answered in a weekly Q & A. (We are working through your questions now, if you’ve submitted one, and we’ll have a new Q & A next week.)   Also stay tuned for special election episodes that we will run next week depending on the condition of the proto-fascist hellscape! And please be good to each other in this dark November – everybody needs somebody, no you’re not the only one…   Show Notes: Company Backed by J.D. Vance Gives Platform for Russian Propaganda https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/us/politics/jd-vance-peter-thiel-rumble.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&fbclid=IwAR0iMuBP9JtMDIVZ2k3U92G2gx-W1Zh2yH0MWc7y0H777R_gQrs2PcK7x1A

Subscribe today to access all episodes of Gaslit Nation by signing up at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit

In the spirit of Ted Lasso, we're leaving it all on the field this make it or break it election for our democracy. The polls are within the Margin of Effort: every single outreach we make to voters matters, because every single vote matters. In this interview with CA-27 U.S. House candidate Christy Smith, a longtime advocate for education who began her public service career as P.T.A. mom, we discuss how things are different in 2022 compared to when she ran for office against far-right extremist Republican Mike Garcia in 2020, where she lost by only 333 votes.   We're getting Smith over the finish line. Join our phonebank party Sunday October 30th 2pm EST with Swing Left and special guest Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman. This is an event you're not going to want to miss! RSVP here!

Welcome to the Gaslit Nation 2022 Halloween Extravaganza!   Thank you to all who entered our radio play contest. For future consideration, we're keeping your plays on file, in the dusty old filing cabinet in the haunted basement of our creepy old mansion on a hill surrounded by a graveyard of Ted Cruz's self-respect. So there's always a chance your play may be produced next election cycle! And keep your entries coming! We always love peering into the brains of our listeners. [Insert evil laugh!]   Now without further ado...   Join Gaslit Nation to Get Out the Vote (GOTV)! Trainings included, helping democracy guaranteed! Let’s plant seeds of hope together! At each event, we're picking a volunteer to receive a signed copy of Sarah's book They Knew and a signed Mr. Jones poster. October 28th Friday 4pm to 6pm Eastern Time — Phonebank with Indivisible for U.S. Senate Candidate John Fetterman in Pennsylvania. RSVP here! October 30th Sunday 2pm to 5pm Eeastern Time — Phonebank with Swing Left for Christy Smith for California's 27th Congressional District. She lost last time around by only 333 votes! RSVP here! November 7th Monday 4pm to 6pm Eastern Time — Phonebank with Indivisible for U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin and U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood in Illinois. RSVP here!

Join Gaslit Nation to Get Out the Vote (GOTV)! Trainings included, helping democracy guaranteed! Let’s plant seeds of hope together! At each event, we're picking a volunteer to receive a signed copy of Sarah's book They Knew and a signed Mr. Jones poster. October 28th Friday 4pm to 6pm Eastern Time — Phonebank with Indivisible for U.S. Senate Candidate John Fetterman in Pennsylvania. RSVP here! October 30th Sunday 2pm to 5pm Eeastern Time — Phonebank with Swing Left for Christy Smith for California's 27th Congressional District. She lost last time around by only 333 votes! RSVP here! November 7th Monday 4pm to 6pm Eastern Time — Phonebank with Indivisible for U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin and U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood in Illinois. RSVP here! The 2022 midterms are coming soon, but we at Gaslit Nation are still dealing with the unresolved business of 2016! That includes Brexit, which has produced yet another wanker in the revolving door prime minister shambles that has been going on for the last six years. We share our doubts that a guy worth more than King Charles has the interests of the common man in mind and extend our sympathy to our British listeners.   Back in the states, the midterms are heating up – and “heating up”, in modern American parlance, means new coup plots are being hatched, new insurrectionists are volunteering to be vote counters, and new upstanding citizens are being threatened with death or prison for the crime of…voting. And what is Merrick Garland, who vowed to protect the elections, doing about it? As usual, nothing! His free pass to the January 6 attackers have left us wary of more post-election violence to come, and the admin’s refusal to protect voting rights leaves us concerned about the ability of our fellow Americans to cast their ballot. That said, we encourage you to vote! We are disillusioned but yes we are voting, and we are having several GOTV events and get-togethers this week.   Then special guests drop by Gaslit Nation: Chloe Maxmin, a state senator in Maine, the youngest woman ever elected, in 2018, to Maine's House of Representatives, and her campaign manager Canyon Woodward. Together, Maxmin and Woodward are the authors of Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why Our Future Depends On It. They walk us through their battle-hardened lessons on winning in a rural conservative district, and how to build progressive infrastructure in rural America to protect our democracy election cycle after election cycle. Join their community work at DirtRoadRevival.com.    For our Patreon bonus, available to subscribers at the Truth-Teller level or higher, we continue to answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher about corruption, freedom, and the fight to carry on in tough times. We will likely be doing extra bonus episodes in the weeks following the midterms, so if you’re not signed up at the $5/month level already, please do so! Our regular weekly episode is and will always be free, and that is because of listeners like you. We know these are tough economic times, and we are feeling the pinch as well, so we are particularly grateful for your support!

Subscribe today to access all episodes of Gaslit Nation by signing up at the Truth-teller level or higher. You won’t hear every weekly episode unless you subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/gaslit