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This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks to the filmmakers behind “Israelism,” a new documentary that takes a narrative look at the unique relationship between the American Jewish community and an idealized version of the state of Israel. Grim is joined by “Israelism” co-directors Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen. Axelman and Eilertsen are two first-time Jewish filmmakers who share a similar story to the film’s protagonists, Simone Zimmerman and Eitan. Zimmerman, co-founder of the progressive Jewish organization IfNotNow, also joins the conversation. To watch the film, visit Israelismfilm.com; you can also find upcoming screenings on their website.

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Humanitarian aid into Gaza faces "near insurmountable challenges,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday at a news conference in Geneva. Amed Khan, a humanitarian relief activist who has helped deliver aid in war zones around the world, said the refugee situation in Gaza is unlike any other: "There is no safe place to go.” Khan joins Ryan Grim on Deconstructed this week to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and why President Joe Biden’s unwavering support for Israel in the war motivated him to quit the Biden Victory Fund National Finance Committee.

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Today, we’re sharing an episode of the podcast “Lever Time” from our friends at the reader-supported investigative news outlet The Lever. On this week’s episode of “Lever Time,” Lever producer Frank Cappello and senior editor and reporter Andrew Perez are joined by health care journalist Bob Herman, who recently co-authored a report for the health care industry news organization STAT detailing how the country’s largest health insurer has used artificial intelligence to deny rehabilitation services for older and disabled Americans.

The insurer, UnitedHealth Group, has claimed that its algorithm, which predicts how long patients will require rehab services, is used solely as a recommendation. But its subsidiary’s case managers allege the company pressures them to adhere to the algorithm’s suggestions in order to cut off payments as quickly as possible. This issue is affecting Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage health insurance plans, the privatized version of Medicare operated by private insurers as an alternative to traditional Medicare.

“Lever Time” is available on all major podcast players. You can also check out The Lever’s original investigative reporting over at LeverNews.com, and make sure to subscribe to their free newsletter.

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More than 18,600 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s latest wave of attacks began just over two months ago, following the October 7 Hamas attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis. While the Biden administration continues to support Israel in its devastation, politicians and heads of state around the world are calling for a ceasefire. The last extended war on Gaza, in 2021, would reshape the Democratic Party's posture toward Israel and Palestine. 

On this episode of Deconstructed, Ryan Grim brings us another audio documentary, adapted from an excerpt of his new book, “The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution.” In this episode, Grim revisits the 2021 Gaza war. When members of the Squad and their allies began speaking out about the U.S. government’s support for Israel, the debates in Washington grew extremely messy. The Squad’s opposition led to a political showdown, with special interest groups and other politicians applying pressure on those critical of Israel’s attacks. It threatened a government shutdown and further pushed the conversation on the U.S.’s unconditional support for the Israeli military, setting the stage for the widespread opposition seen today, as well as the highly organized and well-funded reaction from supporters of Israel. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the excerpt.

You can find Grim's book here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250869074/thesquad

This is the last episode of 2023. Thank you for listening this year. We will be back with more episodes in 2024.

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The 2008 economic crisis changed the world. In the United States, the meager response by Barack Obama and the Democratic Party produced a recovery that was far too slow, drove an eviction crisis, and fueled a populist backlash. On the left, it took the form of Occupy Wall Street, which put the problem of wealth and income inequality — the 99 percent versus the 1 percent — into the national political conversation for the first time since the Great Depression. Followed a few years later by the Movement for Black Lives and an upsurge of climate activism, the new radical energy among young people prepped the ground for the first Bernie Sanders campaign. In 2016, the Vermont senator came shockingly close to the presidential nomination, but as he faded, a chunk of his staff that focused on organizing grassroots supporters decided to quit and try something new: They would recruit and support Bernie-style populists and take over the House. On this episode of Deconstructed, Ryan Grim brings us another audio documentary, adapted from an excerpt of his newest book, “The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution.” This episode chronicles the 2008 economic crisis, Obama’s election, and zeroes in on how individual members of the Squad became politicized. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the excerpt.

You can find Grim's book here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250869074/thesquad

If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.

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When Bernie Sanders launched his first presidential campaign in early 2015, the political world could not have been more different than it is today. His run set in motion a movement — or, really, a series of movements that clashed and blended over the ensuing years, reshaping both the Democratic Party and the country. On today’s episode of Deconstructed, we’re trying something new: Host Ryan Grim narrates the audio version of his new book “The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution.” Macmillan Audio has allowed Deconstructed to run edited excerpts. But we’ve spliced Grim’s audiobook with interviews, speeches, and newscasts, making it into an audio documentary for the podcast. Our first episode takes you inside the first Sanders campaign, where we explore the tension between the right wing of the Democratic Party and Sanders’s “political revolution.” Part 2, coming out later this week, will look back at the historical forces that pushed members of the Squad into politics — and the spotlight. And Part 3, coming out next week, jumps further into the book, exploring the big-money pushback against the new insurgent energy.

You can find Grim's book here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250869074/thesquad

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Ryan Grim has a new book out called "The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution." This week on Deconstructed, Grim's "Breaking Points" co-host Krystal Ball, a former MSNBC host, interviews him about his latest book. The conversation was held at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C. Like we did earlier with our Naomi Klein interview, we’re running the conversation here as today’s episode. The event included a brief reading and a wide-ranging conversation that touched on the Squad’s relationship to Democratic leadership, criticism of its willingness to stand up to Democratic Party bosses, and the big-money operation launched by pro-Israel super PACS, organized by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, to oust members of the Squad and purge the party of Democrats who agree with them. You can preorder the book here.

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This week, theaters around the country will begin to screen “Napoleon,” a historical drama film based on the story of Napoleon Bonaparte. The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role, chronicles Bonaparte’s rise to power and his relationship with Joséphine Bonaparte, his first wife, played by Vanessa Kirby. This week on Deconstructed, author Sandra Gulland joins Ryan Grim to talk about Joséphine Bonaparte and her life during major moments of French history. Gulland has written a series of historical novels based on the life of Joséphine Bonaparte, chronicling her life and rise to become empress. Gulland discusses Joséphine Bonaparte’s time in prison, her positioning within the French Revolution, and her relationship with Napoleon Bonaparte.

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In late October, after a six-week strike, the United Auto Workers reached a historic contract deal with the big three Detroit automakers. This week, as membership votes to approve the contract are underway, President Joe Biden rallied with the UAW president in Illinois to celebrate the tentative agreement between the union and the automakers. This week on Deconstructed, UAW President Shawn Fain joins Ryan Grim to discuss the victory. Fain was elected president of the union earlier this year by the union membership, in the first UAW election in which members could directly vote for the union president. Fain discusses the recent win, the union election that led to his victory, corruption inside union ranks, and the broader labor reform movement for direct democracy within unions.

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