Why, America? with Leeja Miller

Thanks to Lumen for sponsoring. Go to http://lumen.me/leeja to get 15% off and stay on top of your health goals this holiday season! | Elon Musk sent a few tweets and managed to get rid of a spending bill and nearly shut down the federal government. His newfound political power despite not being elected, and his close relationship to president-elect and alleged fellow billionaire Donald Trump, are pushing the bounds of what our government will allow in terms of unelected oligarchs and plutocrats influencing our politics. When will the madness end? Campaign finance reform now! 🖇️Sources & Transcript: https://www.leejamiller.com/episodes/2024/12/23/president-musk-and-the-dangers-of-plutocracy  🎙️Listen to the podcast version of every episode here: https://leejamiller.podbean.com/ 👑 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leejamiller 👕 Get your Reagan Ruined Everything t-shirt right here: https://leejamillermerch.com/ 📃Sign up for Why, America? The Newsletter for news insights every Friday: https://leejamiller.kit.com/newsletter 

Luigi Mangione has been indicted on murder as a terrorist act in New York state. Doesn't all murder and gun violence create terror? What does it take to get charged with terrorism in this case? Who gets to decide the definition of terrorism? And how could the "terrorist" label be weaponized to take away the rights of activists and others trying to express political ideologies?   🔍Download Secret Puzzle Society using our link to solve mysteries and expose villainous deeds today https://puzzlesociety.sng.link/Djc43/dy0t/2v8e Thanks to Secret Puzzle Society for sponsoring! 👑 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leejamiller 👕 Get your Reagan Ruined Everything t-shirt right here: https://leejamillermerch.com/ 📃Sign up for Why, America? The Newsletter! https://leejamiller.kit.com/newsletter    S O U R C E S: 18 USC 2331 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title18/part1/chapter113B&edition=prelim   NY Penal Code 490.05 “Act of Terrorism” https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/490.05   NY Penal code 125.27 Murder in the first degree https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/125.27   Death Penalty Information Center (New York) https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state/new-york     Luigi Mangione Indictment: https://manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mangione-Indictment-FINAL-as-filed.pdf    D.A. Bragg Announces Murder Indictment Of Luigi Mangione https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-murder-indictment-of-luigi-mangione/   FBI: Terrorism https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism    Hate crime vs. Terrorism (SPLC) https://www.splcenter.org/hate-crimes-explained#crime-v-terrorism    Terrorism (Britannica) https://www.britannica.com/topic/terrorism    Luigi Mangione Manifesto (Ken Klippenstein substack) https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/luigis-manifesto    Towards a Unified Definition of Terrorism (Modern Diplomacy) https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2024/10/29/towards-a-unified-definition-of-terrorism/    Luigi Mangione Charged With Murder As An Act Of Terrorism—Here’s What That Means (Forbes) https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2024/12/17/luigi-mangione-charged-with-murder-as-an-act-of-terrorism-heres-what-that-means/    Will Luigi Mangione be extradited to New York? Hearing in CEO shooting set for Thursday (USA Today) https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/12/18/luigi-mangione-extradition-hearing-ceo-shooting/77063682007/    Luigi Mangione's mother said she could 'see him doing' shooting of insurance CEO: police (USA Today) https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/12/17/luigi-mangione-mother-police-ceo-shooting/77055817007/    ‘Cop City’ Prosecutions Hinge on a New Definition of Domestic Terrorism (NY Times) https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/26/us/cop-city-domestic-terrorism.html    The Rising Threat of Domestic Terrorism in the U.S. and Federal Efforts to Combat It (GAO) https://www.gao.gov/blog/rising-threat-domestic-terrorism-u.s.-and-federal-efforts-combat-it [GOOD GRAPH]   Assassination attempt or domestic terrorism? Why Trump’s shooting poses a problem for the FBI (The Independent) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-shooting-assassination-terrorism-motive-b2582048.html    Jan. 6 and Beyond: Why the U.S. Should Pass Domestic Terrorism Legislation (Lawfare) https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/jan.-6-and-beyond-why-the-u.s.-should-pass-domestic-terrorism-legislation    The Meaning of ‘Terrorism,’ According to the United States (Current Affairs) https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2024/05/the-meaning-of-terrorism-according-to-the-united-states    New York prosecutors may have trouble proving first-degree murder charge against Luigi Mangione, legal experts say (CNN) https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/18/us/luigi-mangione-murder-indictment-new-york/index.html    First Amendment or threat? Florida woman's arrest after CEO shooting sparks online uproar (Tallahassee Democrat) https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/state/2024/12/13/first-amendment-or-threat-florida-womans-arrest-sparks-online-uproar/76957946007/  James Baldwin and the FBI (JSTOR) https://daily.jstor.org/james-baldwin-and-the-fbi/

ABC and George Stephanopoulos have settled with Trump for $15 million in a defamation lawsuit that is an example of how Trump will operate as President. Our freedom of speech requires that we are able to criticize our elected officials. And freedom of the press is essential to keep tabs on political corruption. Trump knows this, and he and his allies are going to do everything they can to create a chilling effect on our press and our ability to criticize the government.  🗞️ Go to https://ground.news/Leeja to stay fully informed on US Politics and more. Subscribe through my link for 50% off for unlimited access on the Vantage plan. 👑 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leejamiller 👕 Get your Reagan Ruined Everything t-shirt right here: https://leejamillermerch.com/ 📃Sign up for Why, America? The Newsletter! https://leejamiller.kit.com/newsletter    S O U R C E S: ABC agrees to settle Trump defamation lawsuit for $15 million (Salon) https://www.salon.com/2024/12/15/abc-agrees-to-settle-defamation-for-15-million/   Why the ABC News Settlement With Trump Is Complicated (Mother Jones) https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/12/why-the-abc-news-settlement-with-trump-is-complicated/    Judge clarifies: Yes, Trump was found to have raped E. Jean Carroll (WashPo) https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/19/trump-carroll-judge-rape/    Why ABC News settled with Donald Trump for $15 million (CNN) https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/16/media/george-stephanopoulos-trump-settlement-abc/index.html    New York expands the legal definition of rape to include many forms of nonconsensual sexual contact (AP) https://apnews.com/article/new-york-rape-law-governor-hochul-50e5f9d35b1a7e26881db616a787b45a    Trump v. ABC Ruling on the Motion to Dismiss https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.664183/gov.uscourts.flsd.664183.34.0_1.pdf    Trump v. ABC Settlement Order https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24990103-abc-trump-dismissal-ruling/    Florida statutes Ch 770 Defamation, http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0770/0770.html    New York Times v. Sullivan https://www.oyez.org/cases/1963/39    How Morning Joe plans to cover a second Trump term https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndkgprDLKjw&t=330s    Trump and His Picks Threaten More Lawsuits Over Critical Coverage (NY Times) https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/15/business/media/trump-defamation-lawsuit-abc-hegseth-cnn.html    Bill to protect journalists from revealing sources is ‘on life support’ (WashPo) https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/12/11/senate-bill-protect-journalists-sources/    Freedom of the Press (ACLU) https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech/freedom-press    Most Americans say a free press is highly important to society (Pew) https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/23/most-americans-say-a-free-press-is-highly-important-to-society/    Obeying in Advance: Media billionaires ask for tyranny (Timothy Snyder) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3nJYpx9K5w  Free Speech for People https://freespeechforpeople.org/

Luigi Mangione faces charges in the death of CEO Brian Thompson. Daniel Penny was acquitted in the death of Jordan Neely. Both are 26 year old white men who are likely to face very different fates. But are being applauded for being vigilantes. Is vigilante justice the answer to America's problems, or just a symptom of them?   PDS Debt is offering a free debt analysis. It only takes thirty seconds. Get yours at https://PDSDebt.com/miller  👑 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leejamiller 👕 Get your Reagan Ruined Everything t-shirt right here: https://leejamillermerch.com/ 📃Sign up for Why, America? The Newsletter! https://leejamiller.kit.com/newsletter 

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in Manhattan on Wednesday and the response online has been... jubilant? What does this reaction have to say about the state of the US healthcare system and about inequality generally in the country that's supposed to be the wealthiest on earth? Turns out this might just be the beginning of some class consciousness here in these United States of America and, frankly, I'm here for it. 🗞️ Go to https://ground.news/Leeja to stay fully informed on US Politics and more. Subscribe through my link for 50% off for unlimited access on the Vantage plan. 👑 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leejamiller 👕 Get your Reagan Ruined Everything t-shirt right here: https://leejamillermerch.com/ 📃Sign up for Why, America? The Newsletter! https://leejamiller.kit.com/newsletter 

The outlook is not great for US v. Skrmetti, the Supreme Court case that had oral arguments today about the Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The outcome of this case could either get rid of trans bans across the country or provide precedent for even more bans to come. And with Trump entering the White House, the future of the case is uncertain. Go to https://surfshark.com/leeja for 4 extra months of Surfshark at an unbeatable price! 👑 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leejamiller 👕 Get your Reagan Ruined Everything t-shirt right here: https://leejamillermerch.com/ 📃Sign up for Why, America? The Newsletter! https://leejamiller.kit.com/newsletter 

President Joe Biden just gave a sweeping pardon to his son Hunter Biden and Republicans are losing their minds. To them, the DOJ should do their bidding and anything that holds them accountable or goes against their wishes is a "miscarriage of justice." With Pam Bondi named Attorney General, Tulsi Gabbard named Director of National Intelligence, and Kash Patel named FBI Director, we're starting to get a clearer picture of how Trump will go after his "enemies from within" and what the DOJ and "justice" generally will look like under Trump's second term.   🗞️ Go to https://ground.news/Leeja to stay fully informed on US Politics and more. Subscribe through my link for 50% off for unlimited access on the Vantage plan.   👑 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leejamiller 👕 Get your Reagan Ruined Everything t-shirt right here: https://leejamillermerch.com/ 📃Sign up for Why, America? The Newsletter! https://leejamiller.kit.com/newsletter 

After the election, Google searches for What Is A Tariff shot up. So let's talk about tariffs. Are Trump's new tariffs going to bring back the manufacturing jobs he says they will? And how much is this gonna cost me?!   🗞️ Go to https://ground.news/Leeja to stay fully informed on US Politics and more. Subscribe through my link for 50% off for unlimited access on the Vantage plan.   👑 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leejamiller 👕 Get your Reagan Ruined Everything t-shirt right here: https://leejamillermerch.com/ 📃Sign up for Why, America? The Newsletter! https://leejamiller.kit.com/newsletter 

Teachers were already burning out before COVID. Add onto that parents who are trying to police what's being taught in schools or are completely checked out, and students who are misbehaved or have quit showing up, and you have yourself a true disaster. Now with Linda McMahon as education secretary, a woman who has more experience in the WWE ring than in a classroom, it seems all but assured that our education system is going down the toilet.   🗞️ Go to https://ground.news/leeja to stay fully informed and see all sides of every story. Subscribe through my link for 50% off the Vantage plan for a limited time during their biggest sale of the year.   👑 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leejamiller 👕 Get your Reagan Ruined Everything t-shirt right here: https://leejamillermerch.com/ 📃Sign up for Why, America? The Newsletter! https://leejamiller.kit.com/newsletter 

When they go low, we go low. But do it for democracy. Republicans don't care about hypocrisy or lies, they don't care about decorum or rules. How do you fight back against an enemy that doesn't care at all? Meet them where they are. Namely, use their playbook against them: coordinate between universities, think tanks, the media, and government to push democratic, leftist ideology into every aspect of society. They already think we're doing this. Might as well actually start conspiring. 🥐Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/leeja30 and use code LEEJA30 at checkout to receive $30 your first box PLUS a free item in every box! 👑 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leejamiller 👕 Get your Reagan Ruined Everything t-shirt right here: https://leejamillermerch.com/ 📃Sign up for Why, America? The Newsletter! https://leejamiller.kit.com/newsletter