Lever Time

Sean Vitka, executive director of Demand Progress, fights warrantless surveillance. Ron Wyden, U.S. Senator from Oregon, pushes limits on government spying. They discuss the FBI buying Americans’ location data. They unpack FISA Section 702 origins, documented abuses, the politics of reauthorization, and how AI and data brokers could widen warrantless surveillance.

Investigative deep dive into the long campaign to centralize presidential power. Explores unitary executive theory and the strategists pushing it. Looks at controversial actions, public pushback, and protest movements. Outlines tactics like memos, legal battles, surveillance, and fiscal control used to expand authority.

Shane Harris, an Atlantic staff writer who covers intelligence and national security, unpacks a mysterious Farsi shortwave numbers broadcast. He traces how hobbyists found it, explains how numbers stations evade jamming, and explores theories about its origin and potential links to Iran. He also assesses plausible Iranian asymmetric responses and how politics have affected U.S. counterintelligence readiness.

Ryan Grim, investigative reporter focused on foreign policy, and Hooman Majd, Iranian-American journalist and author, discuss the long arc of US-Iran tensions. They probe who pushed for military action, missed chances for diplomacy, dark money and lobbying influences, alleged plans for regime change, and Congress’s role amid chaotic decision-making.

Lori Wallach, trade expert and director of Rethink Trade at the American Economic Liberties Project, explains the Supreme Court ruling that undercut Trump’s tariff authority. She breaks down how tariffs were weaponized politically. They discuss why tariffs failed to reshore jobs, refund mechanics, who actually benefits from refunds, and which trade laws presidents can still use.

Steve Loney, senior supervising attorney at the ACLU of Pennsylvania who handles First Amendment and civil rights subpoenas, talks about how federal agencies obtain private data without warrants. He explains administrative subpoenas, tech companies' roles, agents showing up after an email, and what to do if you get a notice. Multiple short, gripping scenes of legal pushback and digital surveillance.

A direct announcement about a new season with teased secret documents and unheard audio. A push to catch up on prior content and enable alerts for timely access. A call to support the project through paid subscriptions and sharing with friends. A reminder that independent journalism relies on listener support and word of mouth.

Katya Schwenk, an investigative reporter who tracked the East Palestine derailment and settlement, walks through the aftermath of the Norfolk Southern disaster. She recounts local health impacts, how the $600 million deal was structured, where money went, settlement administration errors, and legal maneuvers that left many residents waiting for relief.

A deep dive into Silicon Valley's push to shape AI policy and the 2026 political battlefield. Stories trace techno-optimism, messianic language around AGI, and the PayPal network's political muscle. The podcast follows pro-AI super PACs, state law battles, data center fights, and wealthy donors resisting taxes and regulations.

Jacob Silverman, journalist and author who writes about tech and politics, discusses tech's political power and crypto's election influence. Short takes cover Trump's embrace of crypto and its promise to end enforcement. Conversations explore crypto's post-FTX boom-and-bust, massive 2024 spending, targeted super PAC ads, and how stablecoins and banklike moves could reshape finance.