In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood before a group of students and asked them: What is your life’s blueprint? Nearly 60 years later, that question still echoes louder than ever. We’re living in a time of weaponized exhaustion. Democracy is being undermined, basic human rights are under attack, and billionaires are playing dictator, gleefully sentencing millions to death by slashing desperately needed aid. But history shows us again and again: when the forces of destruction rise, ordinary people must rise higher. Dr. King built a movement in the face of death threats, betrayals, and overwhelming pressure to give up. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott to victory. Our Patreon community came together to discuss his powerful instructional memoir, Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. We’re called to lead our own. Whether you’re boycotting companies that cave to fascism or marching on June 14 at the No Kings March, every action matters. Join a community, find your people, and check out the Gaslit Nation Action Guide at GaslitNationPod.com. The arc of justice won’t bend itself. Our job is to build, baby, build. Build movements. Build communities. Build a world where everyone’s light can shine. So what’s your blueprint? The world needs your light.  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!   Sensitivity warning: The full conversation on Patreon includes themes related to religion and spirituality, including references to church, faith, and astrology. These topics may be sensitive or triggering for some members based on personal beliefs, experiences, or cultural backgrounds. Engage with care and take the space you need. Thank you!   Show Notes: Full discussion of Stride Toward Freedom from Gaslit Nation's salon available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/build-baby-build-130278922?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Martin Luther King, Jr.: "What Is Your Life's Blueprint?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmtOGXreTOU&t=10s   No King’s March June 14 2025: https://indivisible.org/statements/indivisible-and-partners-announce-no-kings-nationwide-day-defiance-flag-day-during   Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/15/opinion/foreign-aid-cuts-impact.html   Elon Musk’s Legacy Is Disease, Starvation and Death https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/opinion/elon-musk-doge-usaid.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare   In addition to Musk, multiple top DOGE officials leaving Trump administration: Sources https://abcnews.go.com/US/addition-musk-multiple-top-doge-officials-leaving-trump/story?id=122321780   As Trumps Monetize Presidency, Profits Outstrip Protests: The president and his family have monetized the White House more than any other occupant, normalizing activities that once would have provoked heavy blowback and official investigations. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/us/politics/trump-money-plane-crypto.html   Women account for 28% of lawmakers in the 119th Congress – unchanged from the last Congress https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/21/women-account-for-28-of-lawmakers-in-the-119th-congress-unchanged-from-the-last-congress/   The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle by Lillian Faderman https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-gay-revolution-the-story-of-the-struggle-lillian-faderman/16646200?ean=9781451694123&next=t   Musk's SpaceX town in Texas warns residents they may lose right to 'continue using' their property https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/05/29/elon-musk-spacex-starbase-texas.html  

This past year, what feels like a hundred in Trump years, Gaslit Nation listeners have asked the same question: How did we get here? The answer, though deeply unsettling, is vital to understand. It's the story of a 40-year campaign waged by far-right Christian nationalists, Big Oil, and corporate power to undermine our democracy. To help us all make sense of this crisis moment, as a firehose of corruption and racist disinformation blasts from the White House, we’ve created a special “Best of Gaslit Nation” episode. This powerful montage connects the dots with help from some of the most tenacious experts sounding the alarm. You’ll hear from Ari Berman of Mother Jones and author of Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People—and the Fight to Resist It; Anne Nelson, author of The Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right;  Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America, Elie Mystal of The Nation and author of Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America, and more. Each voice reveals a piece of the puzzle: how the Reagan revolution, Supreme Court corruption, and dark money led us to this breaking point, unleashing Trump as their Frankenstein monster.  But this isn’t just about history: it’s about action. The Gaslit Nation Action Guide is your toolkit for resisting, rebuilding, and reclaiming our democracy. The darkness we face cannot withstand our collective light. So stand up. Be defiant. Shine bright. This chapter isn’t the end: it’s our call to build something better, together. Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Two special events! This Thursday May 29 at 8pm ET, the Media and Democracy Forum will host Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes to discuss editorial cartooning’s role in democracy, press freedom, and 2025’s controversy involving her rejected cartoon by Washington Post editor David Shipley. RSVP here: https://www.mobilize.us/mediademocracyproject/event/768371/ June 16 at 4pm ET, Keira Havens of Citizens' Impeachment joins the Gaslit Nation salon to discuss the growing movement to demand the impeachment of Donald Trump and why it matters. Look out for a Zoom link on Patreon the morning of the event, and be sure to visit citizensimpeachment.com. Featured Episodes: Minority Rule, featuring Ari Berman https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/4/23/minority-rule   Voter Suppression Emergency: The Ari Berman Interview https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2021/6/24/voter-suppression-emergency-the-ari-berman-interview   The World Must Stand Up to Trump’s America, featuring Elie Mystal https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2025/2/11/the-world-must-stand-up-to-trumps-america?rq=elie%20mystal   Bad Faith, featuring filmmaker Stephen Ujlaki https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/4/16/bad-faith   Democracy in Chains: The Nancy MacLean Interview - Part I https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2022/6/1/nancy-maclean-interview-part-01   Can the Reagan Revolution Be Undone?, featuring Jesse Eisinger https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2023/12/13/reagan-revolution-jesse-eisinger-part-2   Project 2025 Super Special, featuring Anne Nelson https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/5/21/project-2025-super-specialnbsp   EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: June 16 4pm ET – Keira Havens of Citizens Impeachment joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the Trump impeachment movement; details at citizensimpeachment.com. June 30pm ET – Book club discussion of Lillian Faderman’s  The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

A 2021 Department of Justice investigation concluded that former Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 13 women, fostering a toxic workplace culture defined by power abuse, intimidation, and retaliation. In 2020, Lindsey Boylan did something brave and necessary. After years of working under former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, she became the first woman to publicly accuse him of sexual harassment. Her voice cracked the silence, and eventually, 13 women in total came forward as part of a Department of Justice investigation that began under the Biden administration. That courage forced Cuomo to resign, but now he’s back, eyeing one of the most powerful posts in the resistance to Trump: New York City Mayor. Boylan’s story is a warning. She worked closely with Cuomo from 2015 to 2018, first as the Chief of Staff at Empire State Development and later as Deputy Secretary for Economic Development. She resigned when the environment became, in her words, “more and more toxic.” When media reports floated Cuomo possibly joining the Biden administration as Attorney General, Boylan took to Twitter, risking everything to speak out. And now? Just last week, in the middle of the NYC mayoral primary, Cuomo flirted with a female radio host on air, asking her out on a date. That's Cuomo gloating that even he can stage a comeback, like Trump, after costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in legal bills fighting sexual harrassment claims. America cannot afford a sexual predator in the White House and in charge of one of our biggest cities, especially with activists, immigrants, and real journalists increasingly vulnerable to MAGA's creeping fascism. Share this interview with voters you may know in NYC. And New Yorkers, the mayor’s race matters. Use ranked-choice voting wisely: do not rank Cuomo at all. Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: The woman who brought down Andrew Cuomo: ‘I dropped a nuclear bomb on my life’ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/andrew-cuomo-chris-accuser-harrassment-b1926405.html Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed at least 13 women, DOJ says https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/26/cuomo-subjected-at-least-13-women-to-sexually-hostile-environment-doj.html U.S. Department of Justice opened civil investigation into sexual harassment claims against Andrew Cuomo https://www.cbsnews.com/news/andrew-cuomo-sexual-harassment-federal-civil-investigation-department-justice/ New Yorkers Are Paying Over $60 Million for Andrew Cuomo’s Legal Fights https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-24/andrew-cuomo-legal-bills-over-sex-harassment-covid-paid-by-ny-taxes                      

The Fox News Supreme Court is a political weapon, and it’s being wielded to wreck what remains of American democracy. What happens if Trump declares martial law?  This week on Gaslit Nation, Andrea interviews Leah Litman, a constitutional law professor at the University of Michigan Law School, co-host of the award-winning Strict Scrutiny podcast, and author of the new book LAWLESS: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes. This Court is a multi-decade effort by conservatives to seize power they couldn’t win through democratic means. Litman warns about what the Fox News Court is up to. If you thought things were bad, we’re staring down a term packed with cases that could fundamentally rewrite public education, religious liberty, and basic civil rights. Take Oklahoma Charter Board v. Drummond. This case actually asks whether the Constitution requires states to allow religious public charter schools. Yes, you read that right: requires. The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from funding religious education. But now, thanks to the conservative justices’ persecution complex, where white Christian nationalism is the most oppressed identity in America, obviously, the Court may rule that denying public funding to religious schools is unconstitutional discrimination. Then there’s the challenge to a Maryland school district’s decision to include LGBTQ+ inclusive books in elementary schools. A group of religious parents is arguing that merely exposing children to stories with queer characters violates their religious freedom. If the Court agrees, it could hand conservative parents a veto power over what public schools teach, effectively outlawing inclusive education if it makes anyone clutch their pearls. What Litman makes clear is that these cases are about redefining public life, turning schools into vehicles for a theocratic agenda. And let’s be honest: they’re not talking about funding schools for Wiccans or the Church of Satan. This is about establishing a Christian nationalism dictatorship. Yes, it can happen here. Yes, it’s happening here. But we are not powerless. Reform is not a fantasy. Term limits. Ethics rules. Court expansion. These are tools, if we find the courage to use them. Because democracy doesn’t die in darkness. It’s strangled in broad daylight by men in robes, funded by billionaires, and broadcast live on C-SPAN. And if we don’t fight back? We’re just letting them get away with it. EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: May 26 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Stride Toward Freeom: The Montgomery Story Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon.  Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon.  Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community The recent storms have devastated so many in St. Louis, and the Urban League needs our help now more than ever. Please donate what you can to support their relief efforts and help communities rebuild: https://www.ulstl.com/#/   What’s as gratifying as a Tesla Takedown protest? A Fox News Takedown protest! https://www.foxtakedown.com/

How much have the Trumps made since returning to power? According to The New York Times, a staggering $2 billion in the last month alone. From Russia to the Middle East, the Trumps have long cultivated ties with the global oligarchy, welcoming support from some of the world’s most repressive regimes to gain power in 2016 and, now, to enrich themselves. You’ve likely heard about the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Russian operatives. And perhaps you know about Trump’s covert meeting with sanctioned Egyptian dictator Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the UN General Assembly that September. But what about the August 2016 Trump Tower meeting involving the Trump campaign and envoys from several Middle Eastern dictatorships? In this week’s bonus episode, we revisit the explosive 2018 reporting that detailed this secretive gathering, now more relevant than ever as Trump embarks on what can only be described as a Middle East cash-grab tour. Among the key figures: convicted pedophile and Trump ally George Nader, and Joel Zamel, an Israeli operative with links to Russian intelligence and expertise in digital influence warfare. To help make sense of the chaos, and chart a path through it, we continue our conversation with Olga Lautman, a leading expert on the Russian mafia and transnational kleptocracy. It’s a deep dive into how the oligarchy operates, and how we resist it. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation–we could not make this show without you!  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: The Trumps Get Richer: We take a look at the Trump family’s business deals. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/briefing/trump-family-business.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HE8.DPvg.yMtnHvgKpHjK&smid=url-share   George Nader pleads guilty to child sex crimes https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/13/politics/george-nader-plea   Trump Jr. and Other Aides Met With Gulf Emissary Offering Help to Win Election https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/19/us/politics/trump-jr-saudi-uae-nader-prince-zamel.html   Early Gaslit Nation episode on Andrea meeting a Russian agent in the 2016 Trump Tower meeting: https://youtu.be/gftsj4PVbvc?si=A8fGSATV1anM_AKd   Olga Lautman’s Trump Tyranny Tracker: https://trumptyrannytracker.substack.com/  

New York City’s mayoral race is heating up, and into the inferno walks Brad Lander: City Comptroller, longtime progressive pain in the ass (in the best way), and, most importantly, not a corrupt tool of the oligarchy. That alone is refreshing. Lander’s running on a revolutionary NYC platform: competence, decency, and not being Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, or a trash fire named Donald Trump. He’s spent his career backing tenants, workers, and immigrants, including showing up at an ICE facility to demand Newark mayor Ras Baraka’s release. On Gaslit Nation, Lander made it clear: he’s not here to play nice with predators in power. He’s here to break the cycle of corruption, fight for working people, and stop ICE from turning Rikers Island into Guantanamo East. On climate? “Climate risk is financial risk,” Lander says. His plan includes rooftop solar, ensuring net-zero emissions by 2040, and preventing your apartment from becoming a boiling deathtrap during the next heat wave. (Remember Cuomo leaving people to die in nursing homes?) As the feds abandon us under Trump and Musk, someone’s got to step up. Lander wants to expand the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. And for non-New Yorkers: NYC’s mayor matters nationally. This is a frontline job against elite impunity and rising autocracy. We need Lander to help rebuild democracy. Want to protect New York, and the country, from grifters like Adams and Cuomo? Use ranked-choice voting, ranking Lander #1. Then rank all the other progressives endorsed by the Working Families Party. Do not put Cuomo on your ballot. He already resigned after using his power to prey on women. Don’t make us go through that again. Go to landerfornyc.com and help make New York City safer and stronger, for the sake of its residents and all of America. Share this interview with the New Yorkers in your life to help stop Cuomo and elect Lander New York City’s next mayor.  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!

Welcome to the jetstream, where elite criminal impunity flies above laws and accountability. Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins Gaslit Nation to connect the global dots on oligarchy in the White House.  We start with Qatar, a small but powerful gas station dictatorship, and a leading financier of terrorists. Once diplomatically isolated for its links to fellow terror-state Iran as well as groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS, Qatar has been back in business, brokering nuclear talks with Russia and Iran, investing billions with the Kremlin, propping up Hamas, and gifting Trump a $400,000 luxury jet, dubbed a “flying palace.” National security risk? Absolutely. Surveillance threat? Almost certainly. Bribery? Looks like it. But what is Qatar getting in return? Qatar, the second-largest buyer of U.S. weapons, after its nemesis Saudi Arabia, recently secured a $2B U.S. arms deal, thanks to Trump. It also invested $10 billion in a Texas-based natural gas venture that requires federal oversight, under Trump. Andrea and Olga go through all the ways Trump and Qatar enjoy kleptocratic quid-pro-quo, and years of Trump’s Middle East-linked corruption that illegally helped him come to power in 2016, enriching him and his family, Kremlin-style.  This week’s bonus show, available for subscribers at the Truth-teller level ($5/month) and higher, looks at ways to stay grounded and fight back in the deliberately engineered chaos of oligarchy and its firehose of corruption. Be sure to sign up for a discounted annual subscription to get bonus shows, all shows ad-free, and more. To our subscribers at the Democracy Defender level ($10/month), look out for our Q&A call for questions soon to help shape the show. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation–we could not make the show without you. Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes: Qatar, Russia sign agreement to jointly invest 2 billion euros into sovereign wealth funds https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250423-qatar-russia-sign-agreement-to-jointly-invest-2-billion-euros-into-sovereign-wealth-funds/ Michael Flynn, Russia and a Grand Scheme to Build Nuclear Power Plants in Saudi Arabia and the Arab World https://www.newsweek.com/2017/06/23/flynn-russia-nuclear-energy-middle-east-iran-saudi-arabia-qatar-israel-donald-623396.html Why Qatar is Bribing Trump https://open.substack.com/pub/popularinformation/p/why-qatar-is-bribing-trump?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2mrjsl House Democrats ask Trump for proof he did not take $10 million 'cash bribe' from Egypt https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/03/trump-egypt-democrats-letter.html Trump touts Saudi relationship as "bedrock of security and prosperity" amid $600 billion investment deal https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/trump-speaking-us-saudi-investment-summit-riyadh/ 2 Trump-aligned GOP operatives face foreign agent charges for helping Qatar https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/02/trump-gop-qatar-00133567 Trump Jr. and Other Aides Met With Gulf Emissary Offering Help to Win Election https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/19/us/politics/trump-jr-saudi-uae-nader-prince-zamel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.G08.dUBd.YVKXSVfgqo8i&smid=url-share The Qatar bribery allegations featuring Trump, Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn, and the Steele dossier, explained https://theweek.com/speedreads/773479/qatar-bribery-allegations-featuring-trump-michael-cohen-michael-flynn-steele-dossier-explained Qatar pursues US-Iranian nuclear steps after detainee swap https://www.reuters.com/world/qatar-pursues-us-iranian-nuclear-steps-after-detainee-swap-2023-09-20/ Exclusive: Qatar held separate talks with US, Iran touching on nuclear, drones https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/qatar-held-separate-talks-with-us-iran-touching-nuclear-drones-2023-09-20/ Iran seeks Russia’s support for its nuclear talks with US https://apnews.com/article/iran-russia-us-nuclear-negotiations-2bae3b073bcac464ad9b44a8d5a4c581 EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: May 26 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Stride Toward Freeom: The Montgomery Story Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community 

Fifteen years after Sarah Silverman’s viral call to “Sell the Vatican, Feed the World,” we now have a “Marxist Pope,” according to Trump stormtrooper Laura Loomer, and our wildest dreams. This week for Gaslit Nation’s bonus show, we dive into the groundbreaking election of the first American pope, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, whose ancestry ties him to Black lineage. While many celebrate this historic milestone, deeper questions remain.  Most crucially, Pope Leo’s stance on Opus Dei, a secretive, powerful crime cult aligned with far-right politics and accused of human trafficking and labor abuses, remains unclear, especially given his close connections to Opus Dei in Peru. By Vatican standards, Pope Francis launched an open war on Opus Dei. (Fun fact: Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent and traitor who spied for the Kremlin, was an Opus Dei member).  Pope Francis began the work of reigning in Opus Dei’s unchecked power. Pope Leo, seen as a moderate administrator, played both sides during his tenure in Peru, where Opus Dei holds sway. Will he now take bold action to finish Francis’s mission, and protect the world from Opus Dei, especially America where Opus Dei has been expanding its influence in Washington, DC, thanks to allies Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society and Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025?  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: May 26 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower   Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon.  Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon.  Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community  Show Notes:   ‘Papabile’ of the Day: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost https://cruxnow.com/papal-transition/2025/05/papabile-of-the-day-cardinal-robert-francis-prevost   Trump’s New Favorite Adviser Starts MAGA Meltdown Over ‘TDS’ Pope https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-new-favorite-advisor-laura-loomer-starts-maga-meltdown-over-tds-pope/   The Far Right is Coming for the Vatican https://www.americanfreakshow.news/p/the-far-right-is-coming-for-the-vatican   Catholic Church To Excommunicate Priests for Following New US State Law https://www.newsweek.com/catholic-church-excommunicate-priests-following-new-us-state-law-2069039   Opus Dei: The Gaslit Nation Gareth Gore Interview: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2024/12/31/opus-dei?rq=Gareth%20Gore   Mafia boss breaks silence over Roberto Calvi killing: This article is more than 13 years old Godfather turned supergrass accused of murder of 'God's banker' claims case will never be solved https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/may/12/roberto-calvi-blackfriars-bridge-mafia   Surveillance Self-Defense: A Presentation by the Gaslit Nation Security Committee https://www.patreon.com/posts/surveillance-128381880?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link   Parable of the Sower: Gaslit Nation Book Club Discussion: https://www.patreon.com/posts/zoom-link-for-et-128213704?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

In 1816, 18-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (later Shelley) birthed science fiction during a rainy vacation on Lake Geneva. Inspired by a vision of a man crouched beside the corpse he reanimated, Frankenstein warned of what happens when man tries to play God. Two centuries later, the monsters are real, and they’re called Musk, Altman, and Zuckerberg. Today’s tech titans, like Frankenstein’s Victor, race to build superintelligent machines in their image: soulless wannabe-gods with devastating reach. Gil Duran, of the Nerd Reich newsletter, connects this to A.I. worship, quoting a billionaire obsessed with “creating God” through algorithms. M.I.T.’s annotated Frankenstein likens Victor’s horror to Oppenheimer’s nuclear regret. We’ve entered a new atomic age, but instead of bombs, it’s information weapons and hacked minds. As Pulitzer-nominated journalist Carole Cadwalladr warns, this is what a digital coup looks like. A.I. is trained to replace journalists, strip away privacy, and deepen inequality, just as Gaslit Nation has warned since 2018. What’s the answer? Community. Skill-sharing. Nature. The real world. Jack Welch, once worshipped like Musk is today, gutted G.E. with fear-based leadership. Now he’s a cautionary tale. So will today’s tech gods be. Mary Shelley saw it coming. “Frightful must it be,” she wrote. We agree. But there’s power in human connection, in rejecting the machine's illusions. Frankenstein’s monster was abandoned. Let’s not abandon each other. Join our resilience salons. Find your people. Build the future together. Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes   The song you heard in this week’s episode is “Unspoken Word” by Evrette Allen: https://soundcloud.com/user-726164627/unspoken-word-mix-13/s-GEvlnfQnmh4?si=954f31de09d644948d51a225224bd7ba&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing   Nerd Reich: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-strange-and-twisted-life-of-frankenstein   After two hundred years, are we ready for the truth about Mary Shelley’s novel? https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-strange-and-twisted-life-of-frankenstein   Astronomers have determined the exact hour that Mary Shelley thought of Frankenstein. https://lithub.com/astronomers-have-determined-the-exact-hour-that-mary-shelley-thought-of-frankenstein/   AI's Energy Demands Are Out of Control. Welcome to the Internet's Hyper-Consumption Era Generative artificial intelligence tools, now part of the everyday user experience online, are causing stress on local power grids and mass water evaporation. https://www.wired.com/story/ai-energy-demands-water-impact-internet-hyper-consumption-era/   Short-term profits and long-term consequences — did Jack Welch break capitalism? https://www.npr.org/2022/06/01/1101505691/short-term-profits-and-long-term-consequences-did-jack-welch-break-capitalism   Carole Cadwalladr TED Talk: This Is What a Digital Coup Looks Like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZOoT8AbkNE   Self-styled prophets are claiming they have "awakened" chatbots and accessed the secrets of the universe through ChatGPT https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ai-spiritual-delusions-destroying-human-relationships-1235330175/

This week, Canadians didn’t just politely shuffle into voting booths: they kicked the door down and destroyed Conservative leader and longtime MAGA fanboy Pierre Poilievre, who lost his seat to Bruce Fanjoy (who we’re now, quite literally, major fans of. More on him in this episode!) Meanwhile, here in the U.S., specifically kleptocrat-besieged New York City, we’ve got our own political swamp to drain. Mayor Eric Adams, who once likened himself to Biden, now seems more Nixonian, dodging Department of Justice corruption charges by reportedly cozying up to Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson. The result? NYC turned into an ICE command center for Trump’s creeping authoritarianism, part of a wannabe-gulag stretching from New York to El Salvador. On this week’s Gaslit Nation, Andrea and Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack celebrate Canada’s heroic stand and urge the world to focus on NYC’s upcoming Democratic mayoral primary June 24, one of the most pivotal fronts in the global fight against kleptocracy and for the soul of America. The Left must reclaim “socialism” as quality of life advocacy, building better schools, healthcare that won’t bankrupt you, and a social safety net for all, not just those who can afford one. We highlight two standout challengers: Comptroller Brad Lander, a fierce Ukraine supporter who led the effort to divest the City’s pension from Russian investments, and Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who led a hunger strike for taxi driver debt relief. The question isn’t just who can beat Adams, who’s running as an independent, and predator Andrew Cuomo, desperate for a comeback. It’s who has the record to lead New York in resisting Trump and dismantling the oligarchy. Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!   Show Notes: Opening clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahh0jINl-PU   Canadian election: https://bsky.app/profile/youranoncentral.bsky.social/post/3lnwgjxcnk22l   Bruce Fanjoy’s Green House: This big blue house runs green and clean https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/08/28/news/big-blue-house-runs-green-and-clean   Here’s who’s running for New York City mayor in 2025 Get to know the candidates in a wide, weird and unsettled field. https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/04/heres-whos-running-new-york-city-mayor-2025/401994/   Ukraine is the front line in the battle against oligarchic capitalism: The war in Ukraine is not just a fight for sovereignty, but a battle against the global rise of oligarchical capitalism, with the future of democracy and economic justice at stake. https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-is-the-front-line-in-the-battle-against-oligarchic-capitalism/   Adams to skip New York City’s Democratic primary, run for reelection on nonpartisan line: The mayor has been at odds with his party and wants time to recover from now-dismissed federal charges. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/03/eric-adams-reelection-independent-00267865   Judge Ends Eric Adams Case, but Sharply Criticizes Trump’s Justice Dept. Judge Dale E. Ho refused to let the government leave open the prospect of reinstating charges against the mayor. But he acknowledged the president’s power to determine the fate of prosecutions. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/nyregion/eric-adams-case-dismissed.html?unlocked_article_code=1.DU8.N7E9.W-opYY3A0W4N&smid=url-share   Adams Doubles Down on Trump Alliance, Praising F.B.I. Director’s Book: In the mayor’s first comments after a judge ordered corruption charges against him dropped, he urged New Yorkers to read a book by the Trump administration’s F.B.I. director. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/nyregion/eric-adams-kash-patel-book.html?unlocked_article_code=1.DU8.FskD.fhDP-pm2rpfe&smid=url-share   Incumbents are losing around the world, not just the U.S. https://www.marketplace.org/story/2024/11/14/incumbents-are-losing-around-the-world-not-just-the-u-s   ICE Blocked from Rikers as Judge Extends Order Halting Cooperation With Feds https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/04/25/ice-trump-rikers-eric-adams-city-council/   The Great Hack: The Cambridge Analytica documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX8GxLP1FHo   The Bibi Files episode https://gaslitnation.libsyn.com/hitler-youth   Stop Netanyahu's Political Purge of the Defense Establishment https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/editorial/2025-02-20/ty-article-opinion/stop-netanyahus-political-purge-of-the-defense-establishment/00000195-2008-d2a5-a39d-e778797b0000   Russia used hundreds of fake accounts to tweet about Brexit, data shows https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/14/how-400-russia-run-fake-accounts-posted-bogus-brexit-tweets   Trump fraud ruling adds to his string of legal losses in New York https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-fraud-ruling-new-york-legal-losses/ EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: June 2nd 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower   Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community 

There’s a reason the loudest voices online are often the least helpful. The edgelords, those who posture with performative rage, contrarian hot takes, and a cynical flair for nihilism, aren’t trying to build anything. Their goal isn’t liberation. It’s clout. But we don’t have time for clout. We’re living through a coordinated, well-funded, global assault on democracy. In the U.S., basic freedoms are under attack, from reproductive rights to the ability to teach honest history in schools. While the edgelords are busy fighting each other for likes and retweets, authoritarians are organizing, legislating, and winning. We need to focus. Real change happens when people organize, not just online, but in communities, city councils, state legislatures, and the courts. Building political power means showing up to vote, yes, because not voting is voting, but also recruiting candidates, knocking on doors, demanding judicial accountability, and refusing to be distracted by culture war bait. Want to know who to trust in the influencer economy’s crowded marketplace of ideas? Prioritize the voices who are brave and smart by pointing out the obvious truth: the only way out is by building political power. The far-right knows that, which is why they work so hard to suppress the vote. Political power is what taxes the rich, enforces the good laws we have, repeals the bad ones, and forces accountability. You cannot do those things unless you are in power. So ignore the noise. Turn down the doomscrolling and tune in to your community. Find the people doing the work: mutual aid organizers, voting rights advocates, school board watchdogs, and back them up. Ignore the edgelords. Build political power. It’s the only way we win. Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes:  Opening Clip: Pat Bondi pretends to care about the rule of law: https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3lnnprevixu2y Bella Ciao by Pink Martini https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ksj5lCh-JSo Terrell Starr’s Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack: https://terrellstarr.com/ FBI arrests Milwaukee judge, alleging she interfered in immigration operation https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-arrests-milwaukee-judge-alleging-interfered-immigration-operation-rcna203006 Former New Mexico judge and wife arrested on charges of tampering with evidence linked to suspected Tren de Aragua member https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/us/new-mexico-judge-arrested-tren-de-aragua/index.html EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: April 28 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower   Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon.  Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon.  Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community  

Welcome to Gaslit Nation, where the firestorm of corruption meets the firehose of resistance. Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack, recently home from Ukraine–the frontline of showing the world how to stand up and fight, joins Andrea to discuss how good Democrats, and We the People they serve, have a lot of power, if we remain defiant. Senator Chris Van Hollen provided an urgent reminder of this as he warned El Salvador’s wannabe strongman Nayib Bukele: the U.S. isn’t the only power player in the world, and the international community is watching. This came after Van Hollen was denied access to the Maryland man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, abducted by Trump’s agents, wrongfully deported, and sent illegally to El Salvador’s notorious gulag. Yet Van Hollen didn't back down. Even with the White House under occupation by a Russian asset, we still wield power.  The energy in the country is shifting. Over 1,500 “Hands Off!” marches just shook the ground in all 50 states, powered by everyone from labor unions to LGBTQ+ activists to veterans' groups. One Southern white man waved a giant American flag with a giant Ukrainian flag at a protest in Virginia, while wearing a MAGA-looking red cap that said: “My Grandpa Killed Nazis.” Trump’s approval is slipping. The push for impeachment is gaining steam thanks to the grassroots movement CitizensImpeachment.com. And while spineless Republicans like Lisa Murkowski make excuses instead of calling for the impeachment of a lawless would-be dictator, people are waking up. We’re in a fight for accountability, truth, and justice, and we will win. Don’t let disillusionment or complacency stop you from building a world that’s fair, just, and truly livable for everyone. We’re not just witnessing history. We’re shaping it. So let’s keep pushing. Join a Tesla Takedown protest near you, demand your reps in the House call for impeachment, help good people run for office and primary Do-Nothing Dems, ignore the cynical edge lords, and stay creative and defiant as we shine our collective light.  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes:  CitizensImpeachment.com – track which members of Congress are calling for impeachment and how to pressure others to join the movement for accountability and justice: https://citizensimpeachment.com/ Terrell Starr's Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack: https://terrellstarr.substack.com/ Sen. Chris Van Hollen says Salvadoran government "tried really hard" to prevent him from seeing Kilmar Abrego Garcia https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chris-van-hollen-interview-kilmar-abrego-garcia-visit/ Opening clip: Senator Chris Van Hollen’s press conference in El Salvador https://x.com/tify330/status/1913040416611455142?t=W4mDUace_uXsVWOdt8de7A&s=19   US paying El Salvador $6M to jail hundreds of Venezuela gang suspects: ‘Pennies on the dollar’ https://nypost.com/2025/03/17/us-news/us-paying-el-salvador-6m-to-jail-venezuela-gang-suspects-pennies-on-the-dollar/   Anti-Trump rallies held across the U.S. to protest administration's policies https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anti-trump-rallies-hands-off-administration-washington-new-york-boston/   Financial Times on Trump trying to stay in powe foreverr: https://x.com/bennpeifert/status/1913040600791945568?t=j0g7J1AFiX9hSKFXDSskbg&s=19   Trump’s illegal kidnapping of peopl and sending them to El Salvador using tax payer money is highly illegal: https://x.com/ReichlinMelnick/status/1912960051326623796?t=AZSVz6PSyCN4TkPbh6vdYg&s=19   FSU student and Parkland survivor describes experiencing second school shooting: "This is America" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fsu-student-parkland-survivor-school-shooting/   Schiff and Raskin push for accountability: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElEVeJA-byE   Resistance video by the South Korean Activist: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1043733301107315   Stacey Abrams on how is taking your medicine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff2LVuUbtMQ   Native Land Pod We Been Outside: Gen Z Responds to Roland Martin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm6_C4TQF4U  5051: https://www.fiftyfifty.one/   Is this Gen Z’s Most Dangerous Candidate? (w/ Kat Abughazaleh)”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3daDf_iih5g   EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: April 28 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower   Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon.  Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon.  Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community 

Thank you to all who joined our live-taping last Monday with senior advisors from Judge Susan Crawford's team that defeated Elon Musk, who lost bigly even after handing out million dollar checks.  Patrick Guarasci, chief political strategist for Judge Crawford, and Sam Roecker, senior campaign advisor and communications lead, share how they pulled off a landmark win in Wisconsin’s pivotal Supreme Court race, offering a blueprint for reclaiming power in GOP-dominated states. In Wisconsin, the land of cheese, beer, and GOP ratf*cking, progressives scored a major victory. And they did it despite daunting odds, including opposition from none other than the world’s richest man/psychopath. When Musk is not launching cars into space or tweeting himself into SEC investigations, he has been throwing his weight, and giant checks, behind efforts to tilt the judiciary in his favor. Judge Crawford's campaign wasn’t about crypto hype or culture war distractions; it was about qualifications, a smart strategy, and staying laser-focused on issues people actually care about: reproductive rights, fair electoral maps, and keeping the courts independent. This wasn’t just a Wisconsin win. It was a blueprint for how to beat big money with big people power. Students, first-time voters, and folks who typically only turn out for Packers games showed up in force. The lesson? When campaigns speak to real concerns and mobilize communities, they can overcome even the deepest pockets. Senator Ron Johnson, MAGA/Russia loyalist and 2028 re-election hopeful, might want to start updating his résumé. Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: April 28 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower   Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon.  Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon.  Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community 

The Tech Bros., like Elon Musk and JD Vance puppetmaster Peter Thiel, see Trump as a means to an end: to build their own tech-state fiefdoms as they usher in the A.I. age, at the expense of us peasants. But can this unholy alliance survive Trump’s disastrous trade war? And why do they fetishize hating Ukraine?  This week’s special guest, Adrian Karatnycky, has been on the frontlines fighting for democracy both at home and abroad. In his critically acclaimed book Battleground Ukraine, Adrian traces Ukraine’s struggle for independence from the fall of the Soviet Union to Russia's genocidal invasion today, drawing important lessons for protecting democracies worldwide. He has worked alongside civil rights legend Bayard Rustin and the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in America. He also supported Poland’s Solidarity movement, which helped bring down the Iron Curtain, and played a key role, along with iconic Soviet dissident, writer, and Czech statesman Václav Havel, in preserving Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in the 1990s, when many thought the Cold War had ended.  In part two, we discuss the PayPal Mafia’s war on Ukraine as part of a broader global assault on "wokeism" (a.k.a. Empathy and democracy), Adrian’s impressions of meeting Curtis Yarvin, and how the war in Ukraine can ultimately end. For part one of their discussion, available in the show notes, Andrea and Adrian explore how Europe and the free world can survive the chaos of Trump’s America First isolationism and Russia’s weaponized corruption and election interference.  Thank you to everyone who joined the Gaslit Nation Salon live-taping with Patrick Guarasci and Sam Roecker, senior campaign advisors for Judge Susan Crawford, discussing their victory against Elon Musk in the pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The recording will be available as this week’s bonus show.  Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation–we could not make the show without you!  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!   Show Notes: Battleground Ukraine: From Independence to the War with Russia by Adrian Karatnycky https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300269468/battleground-ukraine/ Part I of Our Discussion: Can the Free World Survive Putin and Trump? https://sites.libsyn.com/124622/can-the-free-world-survive-trump-and-putin   EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: April 28 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower   Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community   

In a powerful callout, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed Congress and the White House over insider trading. Elected officials shouldn’t hold stocks—period. While Martha Stewart went to prison for it, members of Congress routinely outperform the market, raising red flags of insider trading. Donald Trump, for example, told people to buy stocks just before pausing tariffs, triggering a historic $304 billion windfall for billionaires, according to Bloomberg. How many people did Trump tell in private before hitting send on that social media post? Because that would be insider trading.  Corruption flows freely in America—like cheap wine at Mar-a-Lago. Now, MAGA Republicans are pushing the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. It’s voter suppression dressed up as security. Noncitizen voting is extremely rare, but this bill could disenfranchise millions—including women who changed their names for marriage and trans Americans. It’s essentially a poll tax, nationalizing Jim Crow. Democrats could stop it in the Senate—unless a handful cave. Four House Democrats already backed it. If passed, this could become the next Citizens United, further empowering oligarchs like Elon Musk and paving Trump’s path to authoritarian rule. What can you do? Show up. Protest. Call your senators, especially those who caved on the budget battle. Demand accountability. And yes, let’s talk about AOC primarying Chuck Schumer or Kirsten Gillibrand—New York, an the nation, deserves better. For more on how to fight back, check the Gaslit Nation Action Guide at GaslitNationPod.com. Join us Monday, April 14, for a salon on defeating oligarchy, with special guests–Patrick Guarasci and Sam Roecker, senior advisors to Judge Susan Crawford’s victorious Wisconsin Supreme Court campaign. Together, we’re sand in their gears. In this week's bonus show, Gaslit Nation’s special guest Adrian Karatnycky takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. Adrian has been on the frontlines fighting for democracy both at home and abroad. In his critically acclaimed book Battleground Ukraine, he traces Ukraine’s struggle for independence from the fall of the Soviet Union to Russia's genocidal invasion today, drawing important lessons for protecting democracies worldwide. He has worked alongside civil rights legend Bayard Rustin and the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in America. He also supported Poland’s Solidarity movement, which helped bring down the Iron Curtain, and played a key role, along with iconic Soviet dissident, writer, and Czech statesman Václav Havel, in preserving Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in the 1990s, when many thought the Cold War had ended.  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: April 14 4pm ET – Live-taping with Patrick Guarasci, chief political strategist for Judge Susan Crawford, discussing their campaign’s victory against Elon Musk in the pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court race! April 28 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower   Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community  Show Notes:  Here Are the Senate Democrats Who Helped Republicans Avert a Shutdown https://time.com/7268499/senate-democrats-budget-vote/ Will They Help MAGA Pass the SAVE Act? Here’s How to Contact Them: https://www.congressionalinstitute.org/contact-congress/ Four Democrats Pass Bill Making It Harder for Married Women to Vote The House of Representatives—with the help of four Democrats—just passed a bill that could disenfranchise millions. https://newrepublic.com/post/193868/democrats-save-act-bill-harder-married-women-vote The SAVE Act threatens to block millions of Americans from voting while also imposing significant burdens on state and local election officials. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/dangers-congresss-latest-election-bill 3.5 Million Votes Canceled in 2024 Election: https://gaslitnation.libsyn.com/will-we-have-free-and-fair-elections-in-the-midterms U.N. expert decries near 'tyranny' in U.S. against minority voting rights https://www.reuters.com/world/us/un-expert-decries-gerrymandering-parts-us-that-denies-minority-voting-rights-2021-11-22/ Report of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes, on his visit to the United States of America https://www.splcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/files/report-un-special-rapporteur-minority-issues-march-2022.pdf Attack on Civil Rights: SPLC contributes to UN special report on state of minorities in the US https://www.splcenter.org/resources/stories/attack-civil-rights-splc-contributes-un-special-report-state-minorities-us/ Members of Congress again outperformed the stock market, report shows https://finance.yahoo.com/news/members-congress-again-outperformed-stock-162050482.html Andrew Ross Sorkin Suggests Government Officials May Have Sold Stocks Ahead of Trump Tariffs: ‘Would Not Shock Me’ https://www.mediaite.com/tv/andrew-ross-sorkin-suggests-government-officials-may-have-sold-stocks-ahead-of-trump-tariffs-would-not-shock-me/ Ocasio-Cortez: Colleagues ‘should probably disclose’ recent stock purchases now https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5242235-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-congress-stock-donald-trump-tariffs/ The Power of the Powerless by Vaclav Havel October, 1978 https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/wp-content/uploads/1979/01/the-power-of-the-powerless.pdf

This week’s special guest, Adrian Karatnycky, has been on the frontlines for decades fighting for democracy both at home and abroad. In his critically acclaimed book Battleground Ukraine, Adrian traces Ukraine’s struggle for independence from the fall of the Soviet Union to Russia's genocidal invasion today, drawing important lessons for protecting democracies worldwide. He has worked alongside civil rights legend Bayard Rustin and the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in America. He also supported Poland’s Solidarity movement, which helped bring down the Iron Curtain, and played a key role in preserving Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in the 1990s, when many thought the Cold War had ended.  In part one of their discussion, Andrea and Adrian explore how Europe and the free world can survive the chaos of Trump’s America First isolationism and Russia’s weaponized corruption and election interference. In part two, they discuss the PayPal Mafia’s war on Ukraine as part of a broader global assault on "wokeism" (a.k.a. empathy and democracy), Adrian’s impressions of meeting Curtis Yarvin, and how the war in Ukraine can ultimately end. A big thank you to everyone who joined the Gaslit Nation Salon hosted by our Security Committee, which shared valuable insights on protecting our digital worlds in these dystopian times. The recording will be available soon on Patreon. Our next salon is Monday, April 14 at 4pm ET, featuring Patrick Guarasci, chief political strategist for Judge Susan Crawford, discussing their campaign’s victory against Elon Musk in the pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The Zoom link will be available on Patreon Monday morning. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation–we could not make the show without you!    EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: April 14 4pm ET – Live-taping with Patrick Guarasci, chief political strategist for Judge Susan Crawford, discussing their campaign’s victory against Elon Musk in the pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court race! April 28 4pm ET – Book club discussion of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower   Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet?: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/survey-reject-hypernormalization Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community    Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!   Show Notes:   Battleground Ukraine by Adrian Karatnycky https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300269468/battleground-ukraine/   Exclusive: Russia could concede $300 billion in frozen assets as part of Ukraine war settlement, sources say https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-could-concede-300-bln-frozen-assets-part-ukraine-war-settlement-sources-2025-02-21/   Who is Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's Trump-whisperer: Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, has become a key figure in the Kremlin's outreach to the Trump administration. https://kyivindependent.com/whos-kirill-dmitriev-putins-trump-whisperer/   Nerd Reich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jiju_ky55EI  

Why did Trump hit 185 countries with tariffs, even uninhabited islands of penguins near Antarctica, but not Russia and its vassal state Belarus, used to wage Russia’s genocidal invasion of Ukraine? It’s almost like Trump is a Russian asset, repaying Russia for helping him rise to power twice and for all the easy money he received over the years when no credible institution would lend to this trust-fund kid who went bankrupt six times. But why crash the global economy? The answer only makes sense if you’re Putin. As a dictator with no electoral pressure, Putin benefits from destabilizing democracies. By causing economic chaos, he weakens his competitors and fuels backlash against incumbents—exactly what helped Trump return to power in 2024. When you factor in election hacking and influence operations, it becomes clear: crashing the global economy gives the Kremlin an advantage in manipulating elections worldwide. This pressure on elected officials, like Keir Starmer in the UK or Macron in France, plays into Putin’s hands. Trump’s actions seem to align with that strategy. In this week’s bonus episode, we discuss Gene Sharp’s From Dictatorship to Democracy from our recent Gaslit Nation book club. On April 7 at 4 PM ET, the Security Committee will present on protecting our digital world in a dystopian era. Then, on April 14, we’ll host a live taping with Patrick Guarasci, strategist behind Judge Susan Crawford’s victory in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race, to discuss how to fight and win righteous battles, even if you’re up against the richest man in the world.  Thank you to all who support Gaslit Nation–we could not make the show without you!  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes:  Read From Dictatorship to Democracy. It’s free! https://archive.org/details/from_dictatorship_to_democracy_1306_librivox Trump’s tariffs: Why are Russia and Belarus spared? https://www.dw.com/en/trumps-tariffs-why-are-russia-and-belarus-spared/a-72150328  Opening: https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3llwfjnhjwc22   EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: April 7 4pm ET – Security Committee Presents at the Gaslit Nation Salon. Don’t miss it!  Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community 

Romania made headlines—and shocked the world—when it annulled a presidential election at the end of last year, citing evidence of foreign interference aimed at supporting a pro-Russian far-right candidate. It was a bold and necessary move, one that stands in stark contrast to what the U.S. should have done—and is now facing the consequences for not doing. But why would Romania take such a decisive stand? The answer lies in its history. Romania’s Moscow-backed dictatorship was among the most brutal behind the Iron Curtain, a painful past that still unites much of the country today. In this week’s episode, we delve into Romania’s complex history, weaving in a personal story from Andrea’s own family. Her father-in-law, Mihai Victor Serdaru, a medical student in 1956 Bucharest, attempted to lead a student protest in solidarity with the Hungarian Uprising next door. To help make sense of her years of research, Andrea turned to Dr. Corina Snitar, a historian and Lecturer in Central and Eastern European Studies at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Dr. Snitar is the author of Opposition, Repression, and Cold War: The 1956 Student Movement in Timișoara and contributed the chapter Women’s Experiences of 1956: Student Protesters and Partisans in Romania to the book Women’s Experiences of Repression in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The discussion of how to topple a dictator will continue in this week’s bonus show for our Patreon community, where we’ll dive into a lively book club salon for political scientist Gene Sharp’s revolutionary handbook, From Dictatorship to Democracy. Sharp’s work has inspired liberation movements worldwide, and we’ll explore its urgent lessons for us today. Look for that on Friday. A huge thank you to everyone who supports the show. We could not make Gaslit Nation without you! “Just as military officers must understand force structures, tactics, logistics, munitions, the effects of geography, and the like in order to plot military strategy, political defiance planners must understand the nature and strategic principles of nonviolent struggle.” ― Gene Sharp, From Dictatorship to Democracy   Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!    Show Notes: 100 Organizations Supporting Trans People in All 50 States Discover the organizations working tirelessly to support trans people across the country and combat anti-trans legislation. Read more: https://www.them.us/story/orgs-fighting-back-anti-trans-legislation The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix Watch the powerful trailer for The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, a documentary about the life and legacy of a pioneering activist. Watch the trailer on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pADsuuPd79E MAGA Influencer Ashley St. Claire Returns Her Tesla Ashley St. Claire calls out Elon Musk for being a deadbeat dad as she returns her Tesla. Watch the video: https://x.com/esjesjesj/status/1906741930467225671 Elon Musk Says His DOGE Role is Hurting Tesla's Stock Price In a candid interview, Elon Musk admits that his involvement with DOGE is impacting Tesla's stock price. Read more on CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-doge-very-expensive-job-tesla-stock-down-wisconsin/ Donald Trump Gives DOGE Update as Musk Announces He'll Step Down in May Elon Musk confirms he’ll step down from his role in May. Details on Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-gives-doge-update-elon-musk-says-hell-step-down-may-2053368 Trump Won’t Rule Out a Third Term, Says 'There Are Methods' Donald Trump hints at the possibility of a third term in the White House, stating there are ways to make it happen. Read more on NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-third-term-white-house-methods-rcna198752 Dr. Corina Snitar’s Bio Learn more about Dr. Corina Snitar, a respected scholar and educator in social and political studies. Read her bio: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/staff/corinasnitar/ TeslaTakeDown.com Join the Tesla protest here! It’s fun and easy. Learn more at TeslaTakeDown.com DOGE Hitler Youth DOGE Teen owns ‘Tesla.Sexy LLC’ and worked at a startup that has hired convicted hackers. Experts question whether Edward Coristine, a DOGE staffer who has gone by “Big Balls” online, would pass the background check typically required for access to sensitive U.S. government systems. Read more on Wired: https://www.wired.com/story/edward-coristine-tesla-sexy-path-networks-doge/ Introducing ArchiveGate: Trump’s Dangerous Attack on the National Archives  Listen to the episode: https://gaslitnation.libsyn.com/introducing-archivegate-trumps-dangerous-attack-on-the-national-archives MAGA Reddit Reacts to Trump Seeking a Third Term  Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Conservative/comments/1jnkvv0/trump_teases_running_for_a_third_term_not_joking/ EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: April 7 4pm ET – Security Committee Presents at the Gaslit Nation Salon. Don’t miss it!  Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community 

If you thought SignalGate was bad, wait until you hear about ArchiveGate. Trump illegally fired the National Archivist—the first president in U.S. history to do so since the position was established in the 1930s. This wasn’t just about a change in leadership; it was revenge on the Archivist’s office alerting the DOJ about Trump’s stolen classified documents, which were stored around Mar-a-Lago, a known hub for foreign spies.  But it gets worse. Marco Rubio, who is currently the Trump/Putin lackey Secretary of State, is also serving as the acting National Archivist. This unprecedented conflict of interest raises serious concerns. Rubio is juggling three major roles—Secretary of State, head of USAID, and now, National Archivist. This gives him the power to greenlight the destruction of government records, including his own, without any checks and balances. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity of our political system, overseeing the administration of the Electoral College, preserving government records, and ensuring transparency. Now, with Rubio in control, we face the potential destruction of key documents and rewriting of history that could threaten our democracy. It’s another avenue for Trump to lead a coup to stay in power, like his failed “fake electors” scheme to try to overturn the 2020 election.  As one listener points out in her commentary, edited for clarity, shared in a recent Gaslit Nation salon, we must stay vigilant of these corrupt moves. ArchiveGate is part of a broader plan to hold on to power. But remember, the people are the ultimate force. Together, we can stop this.    Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!   Show Notes:   Reject Hypernormalization: Gaslit Nation Launches New Project, Survey https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/survey-reject-hypernormalization   Trump’s firing of the U.S. government archivist is far worse than it might seem: The National Archives and Records Administration does more than just preserve documents: It’s the scaffolding of the American political system. https://www.fastcompany.com/91277620/trump-firing-national-archivist-colleen-shogan   House Dems cite ‘fundamental conflict’ of Rubio’s acting appointments atop USAID and National Archives: Lawmakers’ concerns stem from a March 11 memo instructing USAID employees to prepare for mass destruction of agency records. https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/03/house-dems-cite-fundamental-conflict-rubios-acting-appointments-atop-usaid-and-national-archives/404013/   The ‘fake electors’ and their role in the 2020 election, explained https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/07/20/fake-electors-charges-trump-2020-election/  

In this week's Gaslit Nation bonus show, we’re joined by Olga Lautman, an expert on the Russian mafia. Her Substack, Trump Tyranny Tracker, is a vital resource documenting Trump’s war against America, and the global war of fascism vs. democracy.    Olga made headlines recently by exposing connections between Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, and Russia, connected to SignalGate. (We call it the Kremlin Klown Kar for a reason!) Olga breaks down the implications of SignalGate and Trump’s Putin-backed war against our democracy.     We also discuss a disturbing trend: an anti-war Russian scientist at Harvard was detained at immigration and faces deportation back to Russia, where she could be imprisoned or worse. This escalates alarm bells that the Trump regime is “disappearing” people, starting with the most vulnerable.    Olga offers insights on recent victories like the historic Democratic win in deep-red Trump country in Pennsylvania, as well as Trump’s ongoing efforts to suppress votes and carry out his next coup. We also discuss whether to stay and fight or flee the country.   Stay and fight! Fleeing abroad, especially this early, is like obeying in advance.    Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation–we could not make this show without you! To listen to the full episode and get all bonus shows, all shows ad-free, and more, be sure to join our community on Patreon.com/Gaslit - discounted annual subscriptions are available.    Show Notes:   Tell Gov. Kathy Hochul NO mask ban in New York state! https://action.aclu.org/send-message/say-no-mask-bans-new-york   Signalgate: Trump Tries To Dodge Explosive National Security Scandal | All Of Them Should Be Fired https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihHU3IVVrfM&t=552s   Don't miss out on our upcoming Gaslit Nation book club discussion and more. For all the details, check the show notes! For March, we’re reading Gene Sharp’s revolutionary handbook From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation, which informed revolts in Ukraine, the Arab Spring, Hong Kong, and beyond. Our March 31st salon at 4pm will open with a book club discussion of Dictatorship to Democracy. For April, we’re reading (if you haven’t already!) Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower, and May’s book club pick is Total Resistance: Swiss Army Guide to Guerrilla Warefare And Underground Operations. Get ready to make some good trouble!  Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!   EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: March 31 4pm ET – Gaslit Nation Book Club: From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation, which informed revolts in Ukraine, the Arab Spring, Hong Kong, and beyond  NEW! April 7 4pm ET – Security Committee Presents at the Gaslit Nation Salon. Don’t miss it!  Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community