Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Expertly-curated progressive politics, news, and culture produced by leftist humans, not algorithms or AI. This is an award-winning podcast that dives deeply into a wide range of national and international issues facing society and governments. We draw from hundreds of sources of progressive news and commentary. Est. 2006. Save time by listening to a range of perspectives on a focused topic in each episode and be introduced to new sources you will not have come across on your own!
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#1828 The Cornell 7 and How Rape Culture Runs on the Men Who Don't Rape
10/14/2026
#1828 The Cornell 7 and How Rape Culture Runs on the Men Who Don't Rape
Air Date: 10/13/2026 Today we look at rape culture as a system that contains far more than the crimes. This topic was prompted by the Cornell 7 story but it starts with little boys annoying girls and having it excused as affection, runs through the “nice guy” who treats kindness as a down payment, and ends with the false claim that men can’t be expected to control their sexual urges. We're organizing the episode a little differently than normal, with the material everyone should hear in the first hour and the deeper dives being reserved for that which men particularly need to face but that assault victims may want to skip. (Members Support and Get No Ads!) (Support, contact, socials, books + merch) TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: KP 8: KP 9: (01:04:10) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Blaming Assault on Men's Lack of Self-Control Is Toddler Logic DEEPER DIVES (01:14:34) SECTION A: WHAT BOYS ARE TAUGHT ABOUT BEING MEN A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:54:33) SECTION B: HOW RAPE CULTURE IS BUILT AND WHO IT PROTECTS B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: (02:28:37) SECTION C: THE CORNELL AND LSU RECORDS AND THE APOLOGISTS C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: C6: C7: (03:25:54) SECTION D: ENABLERS, EXCUSES, AND WHAT MEN OWE D1: D2: D3: D4: Featured song: "Not All Men" by Morgan St. Jean, used with permission. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#861 More Reasons Than You Should Need to Oppose the Death Penalty (Throwback)
10/10/2026
#861 More Reasons Than You Should Need to Oppose the Death Penalty (Throwback)
Publish Date: 10-11-2026 Original Air Date: 9-16-2014 Today we dig through the archives to give context to the news that the Pentagon plans to execute the Fort Hood shooter by firing squad, the first U.S. military execution in more than 60 years. (Support, contact, socials, books + merch) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Ch. 2: Ch. 3: Ch. 4: Ch. 5: Ch. 6: Ch. 7: Ch. 8: Ch. 9: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1827 Deep Cuts: Exxon Knew - The History Behind the Case to Make Polluters Pay
10/07/2026
#1827 Deep Cuts: Exxon Knew - The History Behind the Case to Make Polluters Pay
Air Date: 10/7/2026 Today we trace the "Exxon Knew" story through a decade of our own archive, because that history is what the Supreme Court is weighing in Suncor v. Boulder in their first case this term. Exxon's scientists confirmed the climate science in the early eighties and the company chose to manufacture doubt. Communities like Boulder County have paid ever since and the question before the Supreme Court is whether any lawsuit like this will be allowed to go to trial. (Members Support and Get No Ads!) (Support, contact, socials, books + merch) TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: (00:59:46) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR DEEPER DIVES (01:09:07) SECTION A: THE INDUSTRY'S PLAYBOOK A1: A2: A3: A4: Ari Rabin-Havt on the Climate Change Lie Machine - In Deep W/ Angie Coiro - Air Date 6-11-16 (01:37:18) SECTION B: TRUMP'S ROLLBACK AND THE LEGAL FIGHT TO STOP IT B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: (02:19:01) SECTION C: SUNCOR V. BOULDER AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY FIGHT C1: C2: C3: (02:43:38) SECTION D: NATIONALIZE IT D1: D2: D3: D4: D5: D6: D7: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1826 The Mechanics of Complicity from Nazis to Newsrooms to Fandoms
10/04/2026
#1826 The Mechanics of Complicity from Nazis to Newsrooms to Fandoms
Air Date: 10/3/2026 Today we examine the mechanisms of complicity. We're not all complicit in the worst atrocities but we are complicit in something so it's good to know how it works. Good people go along with bad ideas and thoughtful people allow themselves to be thoughtless all the time. The reasons are often structural but they can be resisted on both the personal level and collectively. (Members Support and Get No Ads!) (Support, contact, socials, books + merch) TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: (00:53:31) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR The Antidote to Following the Crowd Is One Other Person DEEPER DIVES (01:05:32) SECTION A: LESSONS FROM NAZI GERMANY A1: A2: (01:22:39) SECTION B: COMPLICITY IN GAZA: MEDIA, GOVERNMENTS, AND CELEBRITIES B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: (01:55:10) SECTION C: THE MYTH OF NEUTRALITY: MEDIA, MODERATES, AND OBEYING IN ADVANCE C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: (02:28:45) SECTION D: FANDOM, CONSUMPTION, AND PERSONAL RECKONING D1: D2: D3: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1825 We Are Still the 99%: Occupy Wall Street's Unfinished Business, 15 Years Later
09/29/2026
#1825 We Are Still the 99%: Occupy Wall Street's Unfinished Business, 15 Years Later
Air Date: 9/30/2026 Today we look at the legacy of Occupy Wall Street, which was in full swing 15 years ago and changed how the country talks about inequality and the 1%. In the meantime, the cumulative wealth of the 1% in the US has roughly tripled and Trump has the wealthiest cabinet in history running the country, so the concerns expressed at Occupy have only come into sharper relief. This miniseries helped inspire today's episode, check it out! (Members Support and Get No Ads!) (Support, contact, socials, books + merch) TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:59:24) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR I Made My AI Chatbot Talk Like My 14-Year-Old Self DEEPER DIVES (01:07:45) SECTION A: INSIDE THE OCCUPATION A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:55:33) SECTION B: INEQUALITY'S LONG HISTORY B1: B2: B3: B4: (02:34:40) SECTION C: BILLIONAIRES AND THE BACKLASH C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: C6: C7: (03:32:56) SECTION D: FIFTEEN YEARS LATER D1: D2: D3: D4: D5: D6: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1824 The Next Gilded Age: AI Doomsday and the Insatiable Business Model https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1824
09/26/2026
#1824 The Next Gilded Age: AI Doomsday and the Insatiable Business Model https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1824
Air Date: 9/26/2026 Today we explore the layers of chaos surrounding the AI industry, including the idealistic nerds-turned-nazis, the grift, bubble, and doom-marketing business model, and what people are doing to fight back. (Members Support and Get No Ads!) ! (Support, contact, follow, books + merch) TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: KP 8: (01:00:11) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR AI Turned "Just a Little Bit More" Into a Business Model DEEPER DIVES (01:12:47) SECTION A: THE NERD REICH - WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY BELIEVE A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:58:16) SECTION B: WHAT AI IS ACTUALLY DOING TO US B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: B6: (02:44:18) SECTION C: THE GRIFT, THE BUBBLE, THE DOOM MARKETING C1: C2: C3: C4: (03:06:54) SECTION D: FIGHTING BACK - WORKERS, COMMUNITIES, ALTERNATIVES D1: D2: D3: D4: D5: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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Monthly-ish Mix #12 The Great American Heist
09/23/2026
Monthly-ish Mix #12 The Great American Heist
Air Date: 9/22/2026 The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on the news from July and August without being overwhelming! Organized around a single idea: ask who the system is for, and every story this summer gives the same answer. The administration rewrites the national story while libraries lose their funding. Corporations fence off ideas as private property. Latin America gets treated like a portfolio and Greenland like a drilling site. Police cameras put every driver under permanent investigation. The seats it all runs from are held until death, and the fixes on the table aim at prying some of them open. Covering: July–August 2026 (Members Support and Get No Ads!) ! (Support, contact, follow, books + merch) SECTION 1: OWNING THE STORY (00:01:52) 1: 2: (00:21:31) 3: 4: 5: SECTION 2: THE WORLD AS INVENTORY (00:45:39) 6: 7: (01:02:20) 8: 9: SECTION 3: EVERYONE ELSE (01:22:58) 10: 11: 12: (01:42:24) 13: 14: 15: (02:08:33) 16: 17: 18: SECTION 4: HELD FOR LIFE... UNTIL NOW (02:35:29) 19: 20: 21: (02:58:47) 22: 23: 24: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1823 Deep Cuts: Occupy Wall Street in Real Time, 15 Years Later
09/19/2026
#1823 Deep Cuts: Occupy Wall Street in Real Time, 15 Years Later
Air Date: 9/18/2026 Today we're doing something new and different but also very old. Occupy Wall Street just hit its 15th anniversary this month and we thought we'd do something that only we can, which is dip into our archives and pull out the best of the Occupy coverage we played in real time as it was happening as well as some other retrospective coverage that aired 10 years later. (Members Support and Get No Ads!) ! (Support, contact, follow, books + merch) TOP TAKES KP 1: Keith Olbermann Reads First Collective Statement of Occupy Wall Street - Countdown - Air Date 10-6-11 KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: Keith's Special Comment Why OWS Needs Michael Bloomberg - Countdown - Air Date 11-16-11 KP 7: KP 8: (01:01:34) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Democratic Primary Voters Keep Guessing What Everyone Else Will Do DEEPER DIVES (01:12:59) SECTION A: THE STATE STRIKES BACK A1: A2: Erroneous Reporting on the Occupation - Counterspin - Air Date 10-27-11 A3: A4: If Cops Use Force Then Your Speech Wasn't Free (to Say the Least) - Matthew Filipowicz - Air Date 12-9-11 A5: Iraq Vet Scott Olsen on What He Hopes the Movement Will Achieve - Countdown - Air Date 12-2-11 (01:49:52) SECTION B: RIGGED SYSTEM, RIGGED COVERAGE B1: B2: B3: B4: World Economy Going to Hell - Dan Carlin - Air Date 9-28-11 B5: B6: B7: The Screaming Majority Song on Occupy Wall St - The Majority Report - Air Date 10-7-11 (02:43:16) SECTION C: WHAT THE MOVEMENT WAS DOING C1: C2: Prophetic Article Calling for the Occupation - The Majority Report - Air Date 10-25-11 C3: (03:13:08) SECTION D: THE LEGACY, 10 YEARS ON D1: D2: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1822 The State Media Playbook: The FCC and Billionaires Are Waging a War on the Free Press
09/15/2026
#1822 The State Media Playbook: The FCC and Billionaires Are Waging a War on the Free Press
Air Date: 9/13/2026 Today we trace the two-front war on the American press. On one side, government regulators and members of Congress are going after news outlets for the stories they choose to run. On the other, politically friendly buyers are taking ownership of major networks to turn them into free-market versions of state media. (Members Support and Get No Ads!) ! (Support, contact, follow, books + merch) ..TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: (00:56:23) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Corporate Media Cannot Be Trusted to Serve the Public Interest DEEPER DIVES (01:06:24) SECTION A: THE FCC WEAPONIZED A1: A2: A3: (01:23:10) SECTION B: JOURNALISTS IN THE CROSSHAIRS B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: B6: (02:06:18) SECTION C: WHO'S BUYING, WHO'S CASHING IN C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: (02:35:41) SECTION D: BUILDING SOMETHING BETTER D1: D2: D3: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1821 Election Sabotage, Voting System Vulnerabilities, and the Defense of the 2026 Midterms
09/10/2026
#1821 Election Sabotage, Voting System Vulnerabilities, and the Defense of the 2026 Midterms
Air Date: 9/9/2026 Today we look at the strategies being deployed by the Trump administration and their enablers to undermine the midterm elections and what it actually takes to fight back. The lawyers fighting in court against the efforts to destroy our democracy are clear-eyed that you cannot litigate your way to a free election. The most durable defense is a turnout margin too large to plausibly contest, and organizers are building toward it now. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: (00:54:01) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On Burnout and ADHD DEEPER DIVES (01:00:47) SECTION A: THREAT AND BACKFIRE A1: A2: A3: (01:32:06) SECTION B: CRACKS AND CONSTRAINTS B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: (02:14:39) SECTION C: RESISTANCE AND RESPONSE C1: C2: C3: C4: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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SOLVED! #39 - Why You Should Care About Prisons in the Fight for a Better World (Throwback)
09/06/2026
SOLVED! #39 - Why You Should Care About Prisons in the Fight for a Better World (Throwback)
Re-Air Date: 8/5/26 Original Air Date: 4/24/26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: Ch. 1 - Why victims of crime are underserved and actually prefer rehabilitative, root-case approaches to justice Ch. 2 - How cashless bail reform has shrunk jail populations and fueled momentum to block new jail construction Ch. 3 - The local fight over a proposed mega-prison in Arkansas making some conservatives question mass incarceration itself Ch. 4 - A think tank report that proves the glaringly obvious facts about what reduces recidivism, and an article on the community “solutionaries” already preventing and disrupting violence without police SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): Aramark’s inhumane “service” in the prison system on our new system! FOLLOW US ON: (This episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please subscribe and share!) Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES - The Atlantic - The Nation - BOLTS Magazine - The Nation - Boston Review BACKSTAGE - The Appeal EXTRAS: BOOK: by Mariame Kaba (Buying through this link supports indie book stores and this show!) BOOK: “” by Michele Alexander (Buying through this link supports indie book stores and this show!) DOCUMENTARY: by Ava DuVernay (Netflix) DOCUMENTARY: (HBO) TAKE ACTION: Stop the prison industrial complex with and the Push for the passage of bills like the - May 1st - No Work. No School. No Shopping. Find your - or start one Reach us via Signal: Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at Contact me directly at Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
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#1820 Science and Public Health Under Attack by Our Own Government
09/03/2026
#1820 Science and Public Health Under Attack by Our Own Government
Air Date: 9/2/2026 Today we look at how public health is being gutted by a system that took ordinary parental worry and organized, radicalized and monetized it into an anti-science "wellness" movement large enough to seize real political power. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: (00:59:02) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR In 1955 Newspapers Announced the Polio Vaccine Like a War Victory DEEPER DIVES (01:09:24) SECTION A: THE CURRENT DAMAGE A1: A2: A3: (01:35:53) SECTION B: HOW WE GOT HERE B1: B2: B3: (01:59:55) SECTION C: WHY IT WORKS C1: C2: C3: (02:23:55) SECTION D: RESPONDING TO THE MOMENT D1: D2: D3: D4: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1819 Coerced Sterilization, Abortion Bans, and the New Pronatalism: Who Controls American Reproduction (Transcript)
08/31/2026
#1819 Coerced Sterilization, Abortion Bans, and the New Pronatalism: Who Controls American Reproduction (Transcript)
Air Date: 8/29/2026 Today we examine what happens when the state wants to decide whether a person reproduces. A century ago, American courts sanctioned the forced sterilization of women deemed unfit to reproduce. 60 years ago, a communist dictator ran a pronatalist experiment with disastrous results. Now, abortion access is collapsing and a new pronatalist movement is rising to wreak havoc. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:50:53) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Update on Recovery From Work Burnout DEEPER DIVES (00:55:30) SECTION A: EUGENIC LEGAL FOUNDATION A1: A2: A3: (01:19:19) SECTION B: COERCED STERILIZATION TODAY B1: B2: B3: (01:40:32) SECTION C: POST-DOBBS LEGAL BATTLEFIELD C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: C6: (02:33:29) SECTION D: PRONATALISM, STATE-DIRECTED REPRODUCTION IN REVERSE D1: D2: D3: D4: D5: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1818 Flock Cameras, ICE, and the Surveillance State Targeting Everyone
08/26/2026
#1818 Flock Cameras, ICE, and the Surveillance State Targeting Everyone
Air Date: 8/25/2026 Today we explore the resistance to Flock cameras and mass surveillance as a whole. Communities across the country are voting to cancel their tracking-camera contracts, others are filing records requests to drag secret police deals into daylight, and some people stopped waiting and went out at night with wire cutters. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: (00:58:52) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR A Texas Deputy Typed "had an Abortion, Search for Female" DEEPER DIVES (01:10:50) SECTION A: WHAT FLOCK ACTUALLY IS & THE BUSINESS OF SURVEILLANCE A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:56:22) SECTION B: BEYOND FLOCK - THE FULL SURVEILLANCE MACHINE B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: (02:36:56) SECTION C: COPAGANDA & THE ICE ENFORCEMENT ARM C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: (03:02:12) SECTION D: FIGHTING BACK D1: D2: D3: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1817 Worse on Purpose: Trump is Killing Our Response to the Climate Emergency
08/22/2026
#1817 Worse on Purpose: Trump is Killing Our Response to the Climate Emergency
Air Date: 8/22/2026 Today we look at how the Republican Party made climate denial its policy more than twenty years ago and is now removing the government's ability to see the problem at all. The Environmental Protection Agency under Bush refused to regulate carbon in 2003, and now the Trump administration is dismantling the science that would help us both avoid worsening the climate emergency and mitigate the inevitable destruction to lives and property now baked into the system. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:52:11) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR An Update on the Show DEEPER DIVES (01:00:01) SECTION A: ON THE GROUND A1: A2: A3: A4: (01:29:50) SECTION B: EUROPE ON FIRE B1: B2: B3: (01:58:01) SECTION C: THE DELAY MACHINE C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: C6: C7: (02:59:45) SECTION D: WHAT COMES NEXT D1: D2: D3: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1816 IP'd to Death: How Intellectual Property Law Went from a Protection to a Weapon
08/20/2026
#1816 IP'd to Death: How Intellectual Property Law Went from a Protection to a Weapon
Air Date: 8/19/2026 Today we trace the corporate capture of ideas themselves. What began as a brief legal incentive granting fourteen years of exclusive rights to a creation has become a system that kept a pandemic vaccine from reaching poorer countries and where entertainment conglomerates and technology giants fence off and sell our own culture back to us. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: (00:56:46) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Disney Lobbied for Walls in 1998. OpenAI Asked for Holes in 2025. DEEPER DIVES (01:07:51) SECTION A: HOW WE GOT HERE A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:50:20) SECTION B: WHO PROFITS, WHO PAYS B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: (02:27:53) SECTION C: THE DISNEY PLAYBOOK C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: (03:14:03) SECTION D: WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT D1: D2: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1815 Sanctioned Ignorance: The Assault on Museums, Libraries, and American Memory
08/16/2026
#1815 Sanctioned Ignorance: The Assault on Museums, Libraries, and American Memory
Air Date: 8/16/2026 Today we look at what Toni Morrison called "sanctioned ignorance," the deliberate manufacture of a version of the past that keeps citizens from connecting the dots between what their government did then and what it's doing now. They're doing it by attacking museums, libraries, and everyone dedicated to ensuring that people have access to accurate information because that's what it takes to implement authoritarian control over a society. It's also the reason that countries under authoritarian rule suffer from the lack of benefits that comes with the free exchange of ideas. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: (00:57:23) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Why Authoritarians Always Create a Brain Drain That Leaves Their Country Intellectually Impoverished DEEPER DIVES (01:08:29) SECTION A: THE CRACKDOWN A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:47:35) SECTION B: HISTORIANS PUSH BACK B1: B2: B3: (02:13:02) SECTION C: LIBRARIES UNDER SIEGE C1: C2: C3: C4: (02:44:58) SECTION D: THE LONGER ARC - EMPIRE, IDEOLOGY, AND THE WORLD'S VIEW D1: D2: D3: D4: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1814 Open Imperialism in Latin America: Trump Says the Whole Hemisphere Is His to Run
08/13/2026
#1814 Open Imperialism in Latin America: Trump Says the Whole Hemisphere Is His to Run
Air Date: 8/12/2026 Today we follow the latest in Western Hemisphere imperialism. American presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to Donald Trump have invoked the Monroe Doctrine and its claim on the whole hemisphere to justify coups, sanctions, and now an outright military abduction in Latin America. Trump, as always, is bragging loudly about the parts most before him knew to keep quiet. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:49:42) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR The Brag Defense: Announcing a Crime Makes It Look Innocent DEEPER DIVES (01:02:49) SECTION A: VENEZUELA: THE MONEY, THE OIL, THE RUINS A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:45:10) SECTION B: CUBA IN THE CROSSHAIRS B1: B2: B3: (02:09:15) SECTION C: REGIONAL RIPPLES AND HUMAN FALLOUT C1: C2: C3: C4: (02:39:49) SECTION D: HISTORICAL ROOTS: THE DONROE DOCTRINE'S LONG SHADOW D1: D2: D3: D4: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1813 Suffering is the Strategy: ICE, Mass Deportation, and Demographic Engineering
08/09/2026
#1813 Suffering is the Strategy: ICE, Mass Deportation, and Demographic Engineering
Air Date: 8/8/2026 Today we examine the mass deportation machine that's been intentionally designed to inflict suffering, from the conditions inside immigration jails to the reckless actions of ICE agents, and the systematic dismantling of accountability. All of this in service of a blatant demographic engineering program to forcibly Whiten the country. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:58:33) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Mass Deportation and the Birth Rate Panic Are One Project DEEPER DIVES (01:18:16) SECTION A: INEVITABLE BRUTALITY A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: A6: (02:15:18) SECTION B: DESIGNED TO BE UNBEARABLE B1: B2: B3: B4: (02:51:33) SECTION C: THE WORLD WATCHES & THE PEOPLE FIGHT BACK C1: C2: C3: C4: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1434 Confronting Climate Chaos Through Time (Throwback)
08/05/2026
#1434 Confronting Climate Chaos Through Time (Throwback)
Publish Date: 8-5-2026 Original Air Date: 8–13-2021 Today we dig through the archives to give context to the news of the 2021 IPCC report ringing the alarm bells for the climate crisis. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Ch. 2: Ch. 3: Ch. 4: Ch. 5: Ch. 6: Ch. 7: Ch. 8: Ch. 9: Ch. 10: Ch. 11: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1812 Democracy or This Supreme Court, But Not Both
08/02/2026
#1812 Democracy or This Supreme Court, But Not Both
Air Date: 8/1/2026 Today we investigate how the argument moved from what the Supreme Court decides to whether the Court should be rebuilt. Only about one in five Americans has strong confidence in the Court, and the proposals on the table would end lifetime seats, set fixed terms, and add judges across the federal bench. We're arguing that these reforms are necessary for a functioning democracy. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:48:11) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Court Reform Has to Start With Filibuster Reform DEEPER DIVES (01:02:17) SECTION A: THE RULINGS A1: A2: A3: (01:26:07) SECTION B: THE CHARACTER OF THE COURT B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: (02:13:52) SECTION C: ORIGINS, HOW WE GOT THIS COURT C1: C2: (02:33:08) SECTION D: REFORM, WHAT DO WE DO? D1: D2: D3: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1811 Country for Old Men: Gerontocracy By Design and the Democracy Problem
07/29/2026
#1811 Country for Old Men: Gerontocracy By Design and the Democracy Problem
Air Date: 7/25/2026 Today we look at the idea that America has become a gerontocracy, a country run by the old, and then interrogate the premise a bit. The wealth, the politicians, and the voting electorate really do concentrate at the top of the age ladder, and benefits for the old tend to stay protected while younger people wait their turn. But several of our sources argue age is the wrong name for the problem, that it is really a story about money and who the whole system was built to serve. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:52:22) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR How Congress Got Crippled, A True Crime Story DEEPER DIVES (01:07:37) SECTION A: THE MCCONNELL & GRAHAM MOMENT A1: A2: A3: A4: (01:49:14) SECTION B: THE GERONTOCRACY CASE B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: B6: (02:34:15) SECTION C: HOW CONGRESS ACTUALLY WORKS C1: C2: C3: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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Monthly-ish Mix #11 The Loneliest Superpower: What America Gets for Pushing Everyone Away
07/26/2026
Monthly-ish Mix #11 The Loneliest Superpower: What America Gets for Pushing Everyone Away
Air Date: 7/25/2026 The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on the news from June and July without being overwhelming! Organized around a single idea: the same politics that left America friendless abroad is keeping Americans apart at home. The war with Iran ends and America's word counts for less around the world, so Europe starts building its own software instead of buying ours, NATO war-games its own doubts, and China quietly steadies the world's oil markets, while Taiwan shows that real security comes from connection, not threats. At home, the administration revives the red scare, hands the Justice Department to the president's personal lawyer while judges face death threats, and turns the country's 250th birthday into a fight over who counts as American, and billionaires cash out while everyone argues. And the way back starts small: a psychologist's simple habit for a happier social life, organizers who treat loneliness as a political problem with a political cure, and a Michigan Senate campaign built on talking to people instead of donors. Covering: June–July 2026 Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! SECTION 1: A SUPERPOWER WITHOUT FRIENDS (00:01:30) 1: 2: 3: (00:26:23) 4: 5: 6: (00:54:17) 7: 8: 9: SECTION 2: DIVIDED ON PURPOSE (01:23:27) 10: 11: 12: (01:45:55) 13: 14: 15: SECTION 3: STRANGERS IN OUR OWN COUNTRY (02:12:09) 16: 17: 18: (02:37:01) 19: 20: 21: (03:07:56) 22: 23: 24: (03:34:28) 25: 26: 27: SECTION 4: THE WAY BACK TO EACH OTHER (04:03:58) 28: 29: 30: (04:30:56) 31: 32: 33: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1810 Post-American Europe: How to Lose Friends and Influence People to Protect Themselves Against You
07/23/2026
#1810 Post-American Europe: How to Lose Friends and Influence People to Protect Themselves Against You
Air Date: 7/22/2026 Today we look at how three things Europe thought were features turned out to be leverage that could be held against them: American military protection, Silicon Valley software, and cheap Chinese goods. From a French government office running Linux to a secret European defense coalition that bypasses Washington, Europe is quietly swapping out the old architecture rather than dismantling it, one operating system migration and one secret war game at a time. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: TODAY: Europe Replaces ENTIRE American Software Stack - Google OUT, Microsoft OUT June 9 - House of El - Air Date 6-4-26 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcQy1zaflbw KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:54:13) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Why Europe Quitting US Big Tech Proves the Left Was Right DEEPER DIVES (01:04:56) SECTION A: CAN EUROPE STAND ALONE A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:51:44) SECTION B: THE CHINA FACTOR B1: B2: B3: (02:13:12) SECTION C: THE TECH SOVEREIGNTY PLAYBOOK C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: (02:58:38) SECTION D: BUILDING EUROPEAN ALTERNATIVES D1: D2: D3: D4: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1809 Democrats Seek a Blue Wave, Progressives Push Democratic Socialism, GOP Revive the Red Scare
07/19/2026
#1809 Democrats Seek a Blue Wave, Progressives Push Democratic Socialism, GOP Revive the Red Scare
Air Date: 7/18/2026 Today we examine recent primary elections and how the political smear of crying 'socialism' has been dusted off and aimed at a new generation of candidates. What's changed is that the people being smeared are actually winning elections, and the more the establishment called them dangerous, the stronger their numbers got. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: Democratic Socialist Electoral Victories and the Implications for American Politics Part 1 - Rev Left Radio - Air Date 7-12-26 KP 6: (00:48:08) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR The Democrats Are Losing Because They Chose Wall St. Over Workers DEEPER DIVES (00:59:58) SECTION A: WHO THEY ARE A1: A2: Stop Trump's Project 2025 Scheme to Kill Science; Guest Dr. Colette Delawalla of Stand Up for Science Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-24-26 A3: How Colorado Spooked the Establishment with David Sirota - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-4-26 A4: A5: A6: A7: (02:00:45) SECTION B: WHAT THEY BELIEVE B1: B2: B3: B4: (02:27:27) SECTION C: MONEY, POWER, AND THE RECKONING C1: C2: C3: (02:57:37) SECTION D: CRITIQUES AND THE PATH FORWARD D1: D2: D3: D4: D5: D6: D7: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1634 Abortion as the Tip of the Iceberg (Throwback)
07/15/2026
#1634 Abortion as the Tip of the Iceberg (Throwback)
Re-Air Date: 7-14-2026 Original Air Date: 6-7-2024 Banning abortion is wildly unpopular and also one of the primary motivators for the group most strongly supporting the Republican Party and Donald Trump, the Christian Right, which has transformed both the party and politicians into extremists made in their own image, threatening the lives and health of millions and sacrificing democracy in the process. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! KEY POINTS KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: KP 8: (56:09) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the abuse produced by abortion restrictions DEEPER DIVES (01:01:35) SECTION A: CRIMINALIZING ABORTION A1: A2: A3: (01:20:04) SECTION B: ABORTION EXTREMISM OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY B1: B2: (01:35:45) SECTION C: ABORTION IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM C1: C2: C3: (01:52:57) SECTION D: WHAT IS THERE TO DO? D1: D2: D3: D4: MUSIC () SHOW IMAGE: Description: A person dressed in a red cape and white conical bonnet with a red sash over their nose and mouth (referencing the Handmaid's Tale) stands outside the U.S. Supreme Court at dusk holding a cardboard sign with the words "This is NOT fiction." Credit: by Tyler Merbler, Flickr | License: | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1808 Billionaires vs. Democracy: They're Not Coming For Your Job, They're Coming For Your Government (And The Entire Economy)
07/11/2026
#1808 Billionaires vs. Democracy: They're Not Coming For Your Job, They're Coming For Your Government (And The Entire Economy)
Air Date: 7/10/2026 Today we look at what it means to live in an economy that has quietly split in two with a soaring stock market driven by AI on one side, a collapsing job market on the other, and the subtle shift in the right to own things, from your music and movies to your car's software, which all underlie the slide toward technofeudalism. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: (01:06:28) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Humanity Is About to Be Optimized Out of Existence for the Sake of Profit DEEPER DIVES (01:06:46) SECTION A: THE RISING LEFT A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:49:40) SECTION B: EVERYDAY EXTRACTION B1: B2: B3: B4: B5: B6: (02:51:16) SECTION C: THE RIGGED MACHINE C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: (03:36:27) SECTION D: THE RULING CLASS WORLDVIEW D1: D2: D3: D4: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1807 What the World Cup Exposes: Identity, Colonialism, and Racism in 2026
07/07/2026
#1807 What the World Cup Exposes: Identity, Colonialism, and Racism in 2026
Air Date: 7/7/2026 Today we use the 2026 World Cup to pull everything that runs under the game up into the light. Nearly a quarter of the players are representing a country other than the one they were born in, praised as national heroes when they score but scorned as foreigners when they lose. The history of colonialism built the machinery that turns immigrants into targets, and the results are playing out live around this year's tournament, in the towns that throw their arms open and the borders that slam shut, in who a country will claim and who it leaves outside. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: KP 8: (00:59:27) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR The World Cup Exposes How Racism Is a Tool, Not a Belief DEEPER DIVES (01:11:20) SECTION A: COLONIALISM'S LONG GAME A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:44:54) SECTION B: DIASPORA AND DUAL IDENTITY B1: B2: B3: (02:08:22) SECTION C: THE CUP ON THE GROUND C1: C2: C3: C4: C5: C6: C7: C8: (03:00:05) SECTION D: RACE, MYTHOLOGY, AND IDEOLOGY D1: D2: D3: D4: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1806 America at 250: The Declaration, the Constitution, and our Crisis of Democracy
07/04/2026
#1806 America at 250: The Declaration, the Constitution, and our Crisis of Democracy
Air Date: 7/4/2026 Today we examine what America has celebrated for 250 years and what it keeps refusing to look at. The Declaration promised government by the consent of the governed, but the Constitution protected slavery, concentrated power in elites, and left the definition of "the people" deliberately vague. Every generation inherits that same unresolved contradiction and has to address it for themselves. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:52:07) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR America's Birthday Lie: The Constitution Didn't Promise Democracy DEEPER DIVES (01:10:03) SECTION A: FOUNDING IDEAS A1: A2: A3: A4: A5: (01:47:48) SECTION B: RACE & RECKONING B1: B2: B3: (02:21:00) SECTION C: PRESENT CRISIS C1: C2: C3: C4: (03:01:39) SECTION D: CAPTURE & RENOVATION D1: D2: D3: D4: D5: The Declaration of Independence and Conditions for Democratic Flourishing Part 2 - Stanford Legal - Air Date 6-23-26 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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#1805 Trump Giving Iran $300 Billion to End His Own War
07/02/2026
#1805 Trump Giving Iran $300 Billion to End His Own War
Air Date: 7/1/2026 Today we examine how four months of American bombardment accomplished what decades of diplomacy never could, making Iran, still run by oppressive theocrats, a regional superpower. An Iranian woman told a reporter she endured the bombing hoping it would topple the regime. Instead, it entrenched it. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! TOP TAKES KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:54:18) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Trump's Iran War Gave the Regime Everything It Wanted DEEPER DIVES (01:07:37) SECTION A: THE DEAL ITSELF A1: A2: A3: A4: (01:43:52) SECTION B: THE STRATEGIC LOSS B1: B2: (01:58:52) SECTION C: VOICES FROM THE REGION C1: C2: C3: C4: (02:28:09) SECTION D: WHEN THE STRONGMAN FAILS D1: D2: D3: D4: D5: D6: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: | | | Like at Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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