With so much focus on the corruption of the Supreme Court lately, we thought our readers would like a little bit of background on just how this happened— and who’s driving it. Here’s our issue of the Hightower Lowdown on Leonard Leo, the man behind the curtain who you may have never heard of. — Ed.

Listen now (2 mins) | If the Democratic Party wants a big, hot issue that would force the GOP to admit its disdain for democracy – how about those Supremes? The Supreme Court, intended to be an apolitical, neutral arbiter of legal cases brought before it, has been elevated to a supreme

Your laptop dies, and you find out the only people who can repair it are the people who made it-- and that'll cost nearly as much as the laptop itself. Your tractor goes belly up, and you find out the only people who can repair it are the people who made it... and... you guessed it, the cost is going to sink you.

Listen now (2 mins) | Over time, words with beautiful meanings occasionally get degraded into ugliness. “Gentle,” for example. Originally meaning good natured and kindly, it was twisted into “gentry” in the Middle Ages by very un-gentle land barons seeking a patina of refinement. Then it became a pretentious verb – to “gentrify” – meaning to make something common appear upscale. And now the word has devolved to “gentrification,” describing the greed of developers and speculators who oust middle-and-low-income families from their communities to create trendy enclaves for the rich.

The USA’s political story of the day is not the slow-motion wreck of the GOP’s sad attempt to find someone even minimally competent to be Speaker of the House, but the “Saga of Commander.” Yes, Joe Biden’s dog, who has finally been banished from the White House for—either playfully or seriously—biting at least 11 people since moving in.

Listen now (2 mins) | Here’s my suggestion for stopping the ultra-right-wing loopiness coming out of the mouths of Republican officials: Hearing aids. I’m convinced that the wacko blatherings of Matt Gaetz, the ravings of the Q-anon cult, Trump’s tantrums, and so many others are the result of a tragic neurological disconnect. This affliction lets their tongues wag impulsively, but their ears don’t pick up the noise, so they’re unaware that they are prattling nonsense.

Listen now (2 mins) | In the mid-1800s, a new political party flared up in American politics, posing as an alternative to both the Democratic and Republican parties. Xenophobic and nativist, it was extremely secretive with outsiders about its specific structure, motive, and agenda. Indeed, members were instructed to say “I know nothing” when asked about details – thus it was quickly dubbed the

Last week, we shared a 1984 speech from Hightower at the DNC, and it garnered a few comments from our readers who don’t understand why people in rural areas—and specifically farmers—vote Republican. Here’s what Hightower has to say in response:

Listen now (2 mins) | What amazes me about outbreaks of bribery among high government officials is not just the level of greed involved, but that the take is often so cheesy. For example, there seems to be no end to the ongoing saga of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas peddling his position and prestige to right-wing corporate titans for… what? Free rides on their jets, golf outings, and assorted baubles. He’s supposed to be an impartial justice, but he consistently supports rich interests who’re picking up his tabs. We taxpayers provide $274,000 a year in salary to Thomas – why wouldn’t he buy his own baubles and protect a smidgeon of his judicial integrity?

Ted, a Hightower Substack subscriber in New Hampshire, commented on our last Open Thread post with this intriguing and inspiring news about grassroots people in his state creating “utility democracy” to replace profiteering utility monopolies: “So far, approximately 39 towns and cities have joined or are in the process of joining the