I Saw How Epstein Literally Made People Into Pawns

Multibillionaire Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with President-elect Donald Trump the day before he announced his company’s big fact check flip-flop, revealed Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma—further revealing how Silicon Valley’s tech elite is moving to align itself with the incoming Republican administration. “I really think we do need to really clock how bad this tech Republican collusion is,” said The New Abnormal co-host Andy Levy. Plus! Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, and also chair of the Senate Finance Committee, joins to talk about his new book, It Takes Chutzpah: How to Fight Fearlessly for Progressive Change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Jan 202527min

Republicans have jumped on the opportunity to weaponize coverage of the devastating greater Los Angeles wildfires into political divisiveness, says The New Abnormal co-hosts Danielle Moodie and Andy Levy. “We have seen many people on the right, including Donald Trump Jr. Blaming this somehow on the fact that we've given money to Ukraine,” said Levy. Plus, New York Times technology correspondent Mike Isaac discusses Mark Zuckerberg’s overhaul of Meta's fact-checking system, and author Adrian Carrasquillo discusses how the media might cover the incoming presidential administration’s promised mass deportations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Jan 20251h 5min

The New Abnormal co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie share their apprehension at the increasing scope of Elon Musk’s political ambitions. Then, MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner joins the program to discuss the state of law and order in America (hint: It’s not doing so hot). Plus! Chris Geidner, the deputy editor for legal affairs at Grid and author of the Law Dork newsletter, catches us up on a number of big legal stories that happened over the holidays. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Jan 20251h

Adrian Daub, professor at Stanford University and author of The Cancel Culture Panic: How an American Obsession Went Global, joins The New Abnormal to discuss moral panic, its echo chambers, and its celebrity origins. “Canceling” began with celebrity disinvestment in online spaces and moved into politics, Daub explained. “But there's a wholesale kind of reorientation of this term once it leaves those online only spaces,” said Daub. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Jan 202519min

“The Apprentice” is one of 2024’s best films, and didn’t get as much credit as it deserved, according to the co-hosts of The New Abnormal. Then, a conversation with Steven Monacelli of the Texas Observer about his investigation into the identities behind four anonymous neo-Nazi accounts on X. Plus! Paola Ramos, the author of “Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means For America” joins the program to discuss the Democratic Party's post-election struggles and the challenges of reconnecting with disillusioned young voters and communities of color. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Jan 202547min

This week on The New Abnormal, historian and author Rick Perlstein shares why he turned down an offer to go on Steve Bannon’s infamous podcast. Plus! Author David Daley joins the program to discuss how right-wing control over the Supreme Court will shape Americans’ lives for the next generation—or more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

31 Dec 202444min

Stanford professor Jamil Zaki, author of Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, joins The New Abnormal podcast to discuss hope and the weaponization of hopelessness as President-elect Donald Trump again ascends to the highest office in the land. He explained, “People who lose their sense of value, who lose that compass for what they want as a society, are easier to control.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Dec 202418min

Andrew Lawrence, Deputy Director of Rapid Response at Media Matters, unpacks 2024’s most absurd conservative outrages, from Olympic controversies to Taylor Swift’s political stances and the supposed “wokeness” of “Wicked.” Plus! Professor Ray Brescia, legal columnist for the Daily Beast, explores privacy and surveillance in the digital age, highlighting the need for stronger protections against big tech’s data exploitation and misinformation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Dec 202442min