Air Date: 6-11-2025

Following the 2023 attack and counterattack between Israel and Hamas which brought the simmering conflict into the mainstream of American politics, we're now living with the opportunistic weaponization of antisemitism being used as a pretext to crack down on anti-Israel protests and universities that just aren't teaching a Trump-aligned curriculum. Meanwhile, genuinely inexcusable antisemitism is being either condemned or excused by Israel supporters based more on political affiliation than the danger posed to Jews.

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: I Am Not Your Pawn - Rabbi Sharon Brous | Purim 5785 - IKAR - Air Date 3-8-25

KP 2: U.S. Jewish Anti-Zionism - Against the Grain - Air Date 4-2-25

KP 3: Who Are ‘JINO Jews’ and Why Do Conservatives Hate Them? - Zeteo - Air Date 3-6-25

KP 4: “Nothing Can Justify It”: Journalist Gideon Levy Reacts to Killing of Israeli Embassy Staffers in D.C. - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-22-25

KP 5: CNN Attempts To Make 'Free Palestine' Offensive - The Rational National - Air Date 5-23-25

KP 6: The Antisemitism Panic Part 1 - matt bernstein - Air Date 5-30-25

(00:50:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On why violence makes for a terrible theory of change

DEEPER DIVES

(00:59:36) SECTION A: FREE SPEECH

A1: He Helped Define Antisemitism; Now He Says the Term Is Being Weaponized - Amanpour and Company - Air Date 5-1-24

A2: Noem Makes WILD Claims About "Hamas Agents" At Harvard - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 5-23-25

A3: Harvard professor hits back at Trump administration - LBC - Air Date 5-24-25

(01:28:03) SECTION B: WEAPONIZATION

B1: How the weaponization of antisemitism is becoming a grave threat to freedom of speech in America - AYMAN - Air Date 4-26-25

B2: Ex-Education Dept. Official: Trump Is Dismantling Agency as He Weaponizes It Against Gaza Protesters - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-13-25

B3: Why the U.S. is pausing all student visa interviews - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 5-28-25

B4: The Antisemitism Panic Part 2 - matt bernstein - Air Date 5-30-25

(01:59:28) SECTION C: INDEFENSIBLE

C1: Palestinian BABIES are the ENEMY - Israeli politician - Owen Jones - Air Date 5-23-25

C2: Investigators say man used makeshift flamethrower in attack on pro-Israel group in Boulder - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 6-3-25

(02:11:29) SECTION D: BACKFIRE

D1: The ‘Bullsh*t’ of Bill Maher — Gianmarco Soresi on Israel, Antisemitism, and ‘Anti-Woke’ Comedy Part 1- Zeteo - Air Date 5-5-25

D2: The Redefining of Antisemitism | Gianmarco Soresi | Stand Up Comedy - Gianmarco Soresi - Air Date 10-20-24

D3: The ‘Bullsh*t’ of Bill Maher — Gianmarco Soresi on Israel, Antisemitism, and ‘Anti-Woke’ Comedy Part 2 - Zeteo - Air Date 5-5-25

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: A metal placeholder with the Star of David on it resting between two pages of the Torah. Credit: “Star of David emblem” via Ri_Ya, Pixabay | Pixabay license

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Air Date: 6-8-25

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Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:

• The right’s attack on free speech and academic freedom
• Trumponomics, men, and tradwives
• The lessons to learn about culture wars from the fight for gay marriage
• How the internet and Trump force us to live in and re-litigate the past
• How the left can avoid Trump’s culture war traps

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REFERENCES:

Trump’s Attack on Harvard Marks a New Phase in the Culture War - New York Magazine

There’s No Trumponomics Without the Tradwife - New York Magazine

To Stop Losing the Culture Wars, Learn From Gay Marriage - Jacobin

I Can’t Believe We’re Still Arguing About This - The New York Times

Democrats Can Avoid Trump’s Culture-War Traps - Jacobin

SOLVED! SONG! “Rob You Blind” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #11: “Culture War Distractions While the Oligarchs Rob You Blind” (June 8, 2025)

TAKE ACTION:

Write to the DNC

June 14th - “No Kings” Nationwide Day of Action

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Produced by:

Jay! Tomlinson

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Air Date 6/6/2025

Today, Trump's administration is doing everything in its power to end the era of educational dominance the US has enjoyed for decades. The simple fact that explains the change is that democracy used to be valued across the political spectrum while todays Republican Party is authoritarian and understands that an educated public is a public that demands democracy while an uneducated public is much easier to manipulate and oppress.

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: How Trump has reshaped the federal workforce - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 5-29-25

KP 2: As Trump cuts funding, researchers look for opportunities outside the U.S. - Soundside - Air Date 4-21-25

KP 3: Anti-Science Mugging on the Right and the Ascent of American Anti-Intellectualism - Citations Needed - Air Date 5-28-25

KP 4: Trump's Dark Age Admin is 'attacking the foundations of empirical knowledge', journalist says - MSNBC Reports - Air Date 5-28-25

KP 5: Trumps Rants about Harvard Get Darker as He Loses a Big One in Court - The Daily Blast - Air Date 5-29-25

KP 6: Prof Jason Stanley Trump is targeting the three pillars of democracy as he follows fascist playbook - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 6-1-25

KP 7: Worse Than McCarthyism Historian Ellen Schrecker on Trumps War Against Universities & Students - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-30-25

KP 8: Tanya Clay House on Freedom to Learn, Danaka Katovich on Attacks on Activists - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-2-25

(01:00:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR 

On what will fill the gap left by anti-intellectualism

DEEPER DIVES

(01:07:27) SECTION A: ANTI-SCIENCE

(02:27:53) SECTION B: ANTI-HIGHER EDUCATION 

(02:56:38) SECTION C: ANTI-PUBLIC GOODS 

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: An illustrated image of an arm and hand holding up a protest sign with an image of a brain on it.

Credit: “brain icon mind thinking” via Mohamed_hasan, Pixabay | Pixabay license

Original Air Date: 12-8-2023

Neoliberalism has created a lot of economic suffering and insecurity in addition to weakened social ties over the past few decades. And now, in what may be the most devastating result of the ideology yet, neoliberalism may be leading much of the world toward fascism bolstered by legitimate grievances about economic precarity which are coopted by the false promises of right-wing populism.

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Far-right extremism on the rise around the globe - The ReidOut with Joy Reid - Air Day 11-28-23

Ch. 2: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23

Ch. 3: Argentina's Trump? Far-Right Javier Milei Wins Presidency with Echoes of Past Dictatorship - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-21-23

Ch. 4: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 2 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23

Ch. 5: Media Coverage of the Trump Movement is Missing Vital Context - On the Media - Air Date 11-29-23

Ch. 6: 'Democracy on a Knife's Edge' Far-right electoral victories in Argentina, Holland; Trump threatens Insurrection Act - The Bradcast - Air Date 11-28-23

Ch. 7: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 3 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23

Ch. 8: Media Coverage of the Trump Movement is Missing Vital Context Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 11-29-23

Ch. 9: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 4 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23

Air Date: 6–2-25

Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:

• The role of art in political movements and moments under capitalism
• The problems with the Democratic Party that go far beyond Biden
• The Democrats’ gerontocracy that is literally dying and allowing Trump legislation to pass
• Our response to the latest DNC Executive Committee Meeting (held May 29th in Little Rock, AR)

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REFERENCES:

Don’t Expect Art To Save Us - Current Affairs

To Be a Consumer of Culture Means Living in a Hostage Situation - Slate (from 2023)

The Problem Goes Well Beyond Biden - Current Affairs

The Democratic Party Is Literally Dying - The Nation

Inside the Democrats’ Reboot - Time

The DNC Executive Committee Meeting via Progressive Hub

SOLVED! SONG! “Push” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #10: “The Old Guard is Dying” (June 2nd)

TAKE ACTION:

Write to the DNC

June 14th - “No Kings” Nationwide Day of Action

Find your Indivisible group - or start one

Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Join our Discord Server

Reach us via Signal:

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Produced by:

Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Contact me directly at [email protected]

Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 5/30/2025

Given the overwhelming weirdness of Trump and his malfeasant style of governance, it would be perfectly understandable for casual observers to believe that his signature piece of legislation, weirdly named in reality the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," was itself also likely to be pretty weird; a potential departure from usual Republican Party policy priorities. In reality, what's weird is how deeply normal it is: take from the poor and give to the rich while letting corporations get away with murder.

Full Show Notes

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: All the president's side hustles - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-15-25

KP 2: 'Met Gala of pay-for-play' Trump crypto dinner is brazenly corrupt, says Hayes - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-22-25

KP 3: Historian Julian Zelizer Trump's corruption is the worst ever seen in the White House! - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 5-13-25

KP 4: Analyst Trump's Middle East Trip Isn't For Peace. It's a Turn Towards Fighting China - BreakThrough News - Air Date 5-16-25

KP 5: Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is Baloney - The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich - Air Date 5-17-25

KP 6: Trump-GOP Tax Bill Cuts Medicaid, SNAP To Give Handouts To Billionaires Part 1- The Majority Report - Air Date 5-20-25

KP 7: Trump Castrated the Courts! Big Beautiful Bill ENDS Constitutional Protection Against Dictatorship - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-20-25

(00:55:49) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On why seeing is not believing and how that helps Republicans

DEEPER DIVES

(01:02:25) SECTION A: CORRUPTION

(01:45:05) SECTION B: BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL

(02:19:13) SECTION C: IMPACT

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS 

Description: Composite image depicting Trump giving a speech at a podium with his hands out and an image of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s face in a circle over his shoulder. Text over the image reads “THE BIG CRUEL STUPID BILL”

Credits: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Photo credit: “President of the United States Donald J. Trump at CPAC 2017 February 24th 2017” by Michael Vadon, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Darkened overlay and text and image overlays | “Mike Johnson”  by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped into circle with darker overlay

Air Date 5/27/2025

Slippery slope arguments persist because good ideas taken to extremes become bad ones. Eugenics exemplifies this—often starting with good intentions.

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: The movement that inspired the Holocaust - Alexandra Minna Stern and Natalie Lira - TED-Ed - Air Date 3-10-22

KP 2: MAHA's Soft Eugenics - Conspirituality - Air Date 3-8-25

KP 3: It Must Be Eugenics - I Must Be BUG'N - Air Date 4-24-25

KP 4: Hayek's bastards w/ Quinn Slobodian - Politics Theory Other - Air Date 3-30-25

KP 5: Even More News: Grok's Meltdown, Donald Trump's Rampant Corruption, and Ms. Rachel w/ Mehdi Hasan - Some More News - Air Date 5-16-25

KP 6: Undercover inside a ‘scientific racism’ network - Today in Focus - Air Date 10-25-24

(00:49:40) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On the likely future of gene editing ethics

DEEPER DIVES

(01:02:09) SECTION A: HISTORICAL CONTEXT

(01:44:19) SECTION B: RFK JR. ON AUTISM

(01:59:39) SECTION C: TECH BROS

(02:46:44) SECTION D: PRONATALISM

(03:05:05) SECTION E: MAGA

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: Composite image depicting HHS Secretary RFK Jr. at a microphone in the center of an overlay of repeating, identical “people” icons. A handful of icons are different, bright neon colors and have a red X in a box over them.

Credits: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Elements from Pixabay. Photo credit: “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, background color change, and added overlay

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Air Date: 5-26-25

*CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE “SINNERS”*

You thought you were going to listen to SOLVED! today, and you're not alone. We also thought we were going to make an episode of SOLVED!, but this turned into something a little bit different. So, we're calling it a “special” in which Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss storytelling and mythology in general, and the extremely relevant and fascinating themes of the new Ryan Coogler film “Sinners,” in particular. Because storytelling is the process by which humans attempt to understand ourselves, it is, by its nature, never ending.

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REFERENCES:

Humans are not the only animals that create their own culture - Earth.com

Ancient Myths in Modern Times: Illuminating Bygone Legends Through Technology - Connolly Cove

The Vampire in Mythology: Analyzing the Symbolic Meanings and Archetypes of Vampire Figures - Mythology Worldwide

“Sinners” - A film by Ryan Coogler starring Michael B. Jordan

TAKE ACTION:

June 14th - “No Kings” Nationwide Day of Action

Find your Indivisible group - or start one

Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Join our Discord Server

Reach us via Signal:

Bestoftheleft.01

Leave a message at 202-999-3991

Produced by:

Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Contact me directly at [email protected]

Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Original Air Date: 6/29/2020

From 2020: Today we take a look deeper at the concept of "I can't breathe," going beyond the literal utterances by victims of police brutality and COVID-19 sufferers to the metaphorical epidemic of exhaustion, burnout, depression and disaffection in the US and around the world.

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Full Show Notes

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)

Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Black Lives Matter Protests, "Outside Agitators," and the Coronavirus - DOOMED with Matt Binder - Air Date 5-30-20

Ch. 2: Structural robbery, mass resistance with William C. Anderson Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 6-4-20

Ch. 3: George Floyd, you, me… us - Jim Hightower - Air Date 6-9-20

Ch. 4: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 1 - Tysky Sour, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20

Ch. 5: America, Racism & Patterns of Change (with Heather Cox Richardson)- Stay Tuned with Preet - Air Date - 6-11-20

Ch. 6: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 2 - Tysky, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20

Ch. 7: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor on how racism & racial terrorism fueled nationwide anger - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-1-20

Ch. 8: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 3 - Tysky, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20

Ch. 9: The Uprising and Its Leadership: What Does it Look Like in This Moment? - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-10-20

Ch. 10: Cornel West: Nationwide uprisings herald "America's moment of reckoning" - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-1-20

Produced by Jay!

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Air Date: 5-21-2025

A popular MAGA refrain is, "promises made, promises kept." The key is having known which promises to take seriously. Weaponizing the government against his enemies and attempting to wield dictatorial power, sure. Benefit his supporters or the working class more broadly, or rid the government of waste, fraud, or corruption... not so much.

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: 100 Perfect Days - Pod Save America - Air Date 4-29-25

KP 2: 100 Daze of Trump's 'Fascist Death Spiral' with Heather Digby Parton of Salon, 'Driftglass' of 'Pro Left Podcast' - The BradCast - Air Date 4-30-25

KP 3: There is no president, really - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 4-26-25

KP 4: 100 days of payback - Today, Explained - Air Date 4-29-25

KP 5: Trump Is Losing A Lot In Court. Plus, the First Episode of The Divided Dial (S2). - On The Media - Air Date 5-9-25

KP 6: 100 Days of Hypocrisy - Main Justice - Air Date 4-29-25

KP 7: A Trumped Up Police State Is Coming Part 1 - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 5-8-25

KP 8: 100 Days of Chaos Skye Perryman - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-1-25

(52:39) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On the upcoming No Kings protest on June 14

DEEPER DIVES

(57:36) SECTION A: EXECUTIVE POWER

(1:35:05) SECTION B: IMMIGRATION & FORCE

(1:58:20) SECTION C: INCOMPETENCY AND SELF ENRICHMENT

(2:40:49) SECTION D: RESISTANCE

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS for #1711 - Trump 100 days

Description: Black and white photo of Trump at a podium at the White House looking stern, with a policeman standing behind him.

Credit: “P20250519JB-0425P20250519JB-0425” by The White House, Flickr | Government work, Public Domain

Produced by Jay!

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