9. Reclaiming America

Being an American right now is a wild ride. Every day brings a new controversy, with breathless media narratives and the same loud voices rushing in to score political points. Then another Truth Social post drops and the circus moves on. But all that noise is drowning out the actual story. On Crooked Media’s new podcast Runaway Country, veteran journalist Alex Wagner talks to the voices at the center of the headlines: from the fringes of the resistance, to the marrow of MAGA, to the many people who’ve found themselves smack-dab in the crosshairs of a fight they never asked for. Because if you want to understand our unreal times, you’ve got to talk to the very real people who are experiencing it all first-hand. Join Alex as she brings together the stories of everyday Americans trapped in our national car with no brakes, alongside conversations with some of the smartest thinkers in politics. Buckle up, this road could lead anywhere.New episodes every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts, and @RunawayCountryWithAlexWagner on YouTube. Make sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss an episode.

In this special episode of Pod Save the World, Ben looks at how this November’s election will impact global democracy. From the rise of autocracy and the far right, to U.S. efforts to support (or undermine) democratic values around the world, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump represent a stark choice. He’s joined by Senator Chris Murphy, USAID administrator Samantha Power, Sarah Margon, the US Foreign Policy Director at the Open Society Foundations, and Zack Beauchamp, Vox reporter and author of “The Reactionary Spirit." If you enjoy this episode and want to hear more, new episodes release every Saturday between now and the election wherever you get your podcasts and on Youtube. Make sure you are subscribed to the Pod Save the World feed so you don’t miss an episode.

While we were busy being dazzled by glittery crowns and golden coaches…did the authorities sneak in and steal away our rights? New laws have given the police wide ranging powers to arrest protestors - scuppering the plans of anti-monarchy protestors to demonstrate against the Coronation. Instead they were arrested, detained and then released without charge - after the event was safely over. Nish and Coco ask barrister and activist Paul Powlesland  and ask what happened to the British love of freedom?Plus find out why a PSUK listener spent 15 hours outside his local polling station; why the Coronation gave Coco ‘Showgirls’ vibes; why Coco can't wait for Eurovision; and why Labour and the Lib Dems are in danger of being ‘vagina adjacent’.Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. 

This fall, when the eyes of the world turn towards Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a shadow looms over the tournament, which is one of the most watched events in the world. The sports landscape being co-opted for geo-political and corporate gain is nothing new, but this year's iteration of football's biggest competition may be the most expensive example to date. Pod Save the World’s Tommy Vietor and Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers join forces to unravel the riddle of how to enjoy the game we love while holding the powers that control it accountable for their corruptive policies and practices. On this inaugural episode of World Corrupt, a collaboration from Men in Blazers Media Network and Crooked Media, the two hosts share the memories that helped them first fall in love with soccer, while also looking back into the annals of history at past instances of a phenomenon known as "sportswashing.”

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/another-russia/id1634279839Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1edslXTCkkMFeN8htn1iAy?si=1G14a5slQ-uURxuxsTmbpACrooked: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/another-russia/

Zayd Dohrn was born underground - his parents were radicals and counter-culture outlaws, on the run from the FBI. Now Zayd takes us back to the 1970s, when his parents and their young friends in the Weather Underground Organization declared war on the United States government. They brawled with riot cops on the streets of Chicago, bombed the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol, broke comrades out of prison, and teamed up with Black militant groups to rob banks, fight racism - and help build a revolution. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mother-country-radicals/id1625882016?uo=2Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1k8LpYwJ71vMu0mLxG2Am8Crooked: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/mother-country-radicals/Audacy: https://www.audacy.com/topic/mother-country-radicals 

What would a Biden Administration do to re-establish American leadership?In a wide-ranging interview, host Ben Rhodes talks to Jake Sullivan, senior policy advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, about how the US can begin the work of restoring our standing and addressing the political plagues discussed in this podcast series.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/missingamerica.

Can the biggest threat to the entire world bring the entire world together? In our penultimate episode, we examine the enormous obstacles to confronting climate change, and how we must all work together to overcome them.Host Ben Rhodes talks to former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd about the roadblocks he faced from Rupert Murdoch and the fossil fuel industry, and activists from the Pacific Islands to Europe to the US about what needs to be done.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/missingamerica.

How can America welcome refugees, embrace a humane approach to migration, and reclaim our identity as a nation of immigrants? With 80 million people displaced worldwide, this is a crisis even if it’s not always in the headlines.Host Ben Rhodes talks to Zarlasht Halaimzai - a refugee from Afghanistan who has dedicated her life to helping refugees - as well as a mix of activists and political leaders about the rising tide of xenophobia and what we can do about it.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/missingamerica.

How do we end the state of forever war in the Middle East? We look at how a cycle of authoritarianism, conflict, and U.S. support for autocrats undermines human rights and fuels radicalization in the region.Host Ben Rhodes talks to activist Mohamed Soltan about his experience being imprisoned and tortured in Egypt. Then he talks to leading progressives in Congress and journalists about a blueprint to end the cycle of war.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/missingamerica.