This week we discuss Angela Merkel's recent trips to Russia and Ukraine while getting played by Putin and his merry band of Western blood money lobbyists, finally some hope in the Congress for democracy-saving legislation (it's going to be a make-it-or-break-it fall!), and the latest with the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the US evacuation. We detail why we need a comprehensive investigation of the entire twenty years of war instead of letting Republicans politicize the humanitarian crisis.

We break down myths about "the unvaccinated" vs the anti-vaxxer propagandists and discuss the institutional distrust that have made a diverse crowd of Americans hesitant about the vaccine. We go through twenty years of horrific policy decisions that enabled a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, wasted trillions of tax dollars, and led to war crimes and tens of thousands of Afghan civilian casualties. And we end with hopeful words from our December 2019 interview with Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

The corruption in our broken and abusive systems won't change until we change them ourselves. That's why we need you -- yes, you -- to serioiusly consider running for something. Don't know where to start? Meet Amanda Litman, author of the essential roadmap to running for office Run For Something: A Real-Talk Guide to Fixing the System Yourself, a book that will hold your hand and help you through the entire process.

With so much ominous news about the climate crisis heralding the man-made apocolypse, we need leaders like the women highlighted in the must-read book All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis. Co-edited by Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, climate author and teacher, and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist and founder of the non-profit think tank Urban Ocean Lab, this soul-hugging anthology provides a breathing space. Dr. Wilkinson joins us for an unforgettable discussion.

Nelson George set off to become the greatest music writer in the world. Given his strange relationship with Prince who summoned him to listen to new music, George achieved his dream. George contributed to the bohemnian renaissance of Spike Lee turning Brooklyn into a global brand, living the explosion of Black culture across film, music, art, and more at the close of the 20th century and looks back at this groundbreaking time in a sweeping and important discussion of why art matters.

In this eye-opening discussion to kick off the Gaslit Nation Summer Reading Series: Essential Conversations with Leading Experts on How to Protect Our Democracy, running mid-July to mid-August, Bill Browder discusses the ongoing threat of Putin's aggression and what to do about it. We ran an excerpt of our interview with Browder in May. This is the full interview.

After examining the latest voter suppression situation in the United States, we do a deep dive into mercenary Erik Prince. After committing war crimes in Iraq, this Blackwater founder has been building up his "blood money" business, including teaming up with Russia and Gulf States to make dirty deals involving the 2016 election and now attempting to build a private army in Ukraine.

Welcome to a Gaslit Nation blazing with the fury of an ocean oil spill fire! In today's episode, we discuss the corrupt politicians selling what's left of our country's soul and sovereignty to Exxon, the complicit officials who refuse to tackle the mafia state apparatus that makes the aforementioned collaboration possible, and who exactly stands to benefit from the melting of the Arctic and other disastrous effects of climate change.

Of the many mysteries surrounding the failure of the Democrats to enforce accountability, none is more confounding than the continued tenure of mail-destroyer and 2020 attempted election saboteur Louis DeJoy. DeJoy launched his USPS crime spree under Trump and remains postmaster-general under Biden, despite Biden rearranging the USPS Board of Governors so that they could finally fire him. But there remains an obstacle on the board, and his name is Ron Bloom, and unsurprisingly he is yet another government appointee attached to the Trump-Kushner crime syndicate.

Ari Berman, senior reporter for Mother Jones, closely documents the voter suppression emergency fueled by dark money as Republicans pass state laws based on the Big Lie. This is legal warfare to hijack our democracy and help ensure the next Trump steals the election and stays in power. We must all listen to Stacey Abrams and call our Senators to demand they support the For the People Act. Make sure to call your Senator today, and every week, until the For the People Act is passed.