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Deconstructed

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The Intercept

Each week Deconstructed brings you one important or overlooked story from the political world. Veteran politics reporter Ryan Grim and a rotating cast of journalists, politicians, academics and historians tell you what the rest of the media are missing. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

#294

REBROADCAST PLUS Price Controls: An Inflation Solution That Doesn’t Screw Workers

On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a speech in North Carolina outlining her economic platform, including a federal ban on price gouging, expanded tax credits, and more. The proposal to tackle corporate price gouging has sparked significant pushback from both the establishment wing of the Democratic Party and various factions within the Republican Party. About a year ago, we spoke with economist James Galbraith on the back porch of his Vermont childhood home, where he was raised by John Kenneth Galbraith—one of the 20th century's leading policymakers and thinkers on government regulation of prices. Today, we’re revisiting that conversation, which originally aired on [July 7, 2023] (https://theintercept.com/2023/07/07/deconstructed-podcast-price-controls-inflation/) . James K. Galbraith is a professor of government and business relations at the University of Texas at Austin. Galbraith has an extensive history of working in government, including as executive director of the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress and an economist for the House Banking Committee. Galbraith joins Ryan Grim to discuss the implementation of price controls by the U.S. government, how it brings down prices, how the Biden administration has used it and could use it more, and how Galbraith’s father — economist and politician John Kenneth Galbraith— was instrumental in setting price controls during World War II. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

16 Aug 2024

46 MINS

46:27

16 Aug 2024

#293

Honduras, 15 Years After the Coup: An Interview With Ousted President Manuel Zelaya

On June 28, 2009, democratically elected Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted by a military coup. In response to Zelaya's push for a poll to gauge public interest in constitutional changes, the Honduran Supreme Court ordered the military to arrest him. He was then sent to Costa Rica in his pajamas. The coup led to nearly 13 years of right-wing rule, marked by collusion with drug trafficking organizations, widespread privatization, violence, repression, and a significant migrant exodus. During this period, the Honduran left organized a strong resistance movement. In 2022, Xiomara Castro, Zelaya’s wife and a leader of the anti-coup resistance, was elected president, signaling a major shift in the country's history. In this episode of Deconstructed, Zelaya sits down for an exclusive interview with journalist [José Olivares] (https://theintercept.com/staff/joseolivares/) to discuss the 15th anniversary of the coup, the ensuing resistance movement, the right-wing and drug trafficking organizations' control, and [the U.S. government's role and influence] (https://theintercept.com/2017/08/29/honduras-coup-us-defense-departmetnt-center-hemispheric-defense-studies-chds/) . Host Ryan Grim and Olivares delve into Zelaya's interview, recent developments in Honduran history, and present the full Spanish-language interview with Zelaya. Deconstructed is a production of Drop Site News. This program was brought to you by a grant from The Intercept. To read the full English-language transcript of Zelaya's interview, visit DropSiteNews.com or TheIntercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

26 Jul 2024

1 HR 17 MINS

1:17:54

26 Jul 2024

#292

Trump, Vance, and the New Right at the RNC

On Thursday evening, Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for president of the United States. As he accepted the nomination, the crowd erupted in chants of “Trump, Trump, Trump!” This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks to Emily Jashinsky, his co-host on “Counter Points,” on Thursday afternoon, before Trump’s acceptance speech. Jashinsky joins from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They discuss Trump’s vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance; the “New Right” taking hold of the Republican Party; and what the New Right’s vision is for the country, from tariffs to immigration, and LGBTQ+ rights, foreign policy, and education policy. Full transcript at The Intercept. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

19 Jul 2024

36 MINS

36:21

19 Jul 2024

#291

Why Biden's Still In: Insights From Democratic Insider Dmitri Mehlhorn

Dmitri Mehlhorn is among the [most powerful Democratic funders and operatives] (https://theintercept.com/2023/05/06/deconstructed-dmitri-mehlhorn-democratic-party/) working inside what can roughly be called the party’s establishment. He’s also been one of the most ardent defenders of Joe Biden as the best Democratic nominee to beat Donald Trump in November.This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks to Mehlhorn about why he’s committed to Biden at a moment when more are calling for him to abandon his candidacy. Find full transcript at [The Intercept.] (https://theintercept.com/2024/07/10/dmitri-mehlhorn-biden-president-deconstructed/) Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

10 Jul 2024

52 MINS

52:51

10 Jul 2024

#290

The Venezuelan Perspective

At the end of July, Venezuelans head to the polls to elect a new president, with Nicolás Maduro seeking another six-year term. This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil Pinto, who was in New York for a U.N. debate on unilateral sanctions. Fresh from visits to China and Russia, where he engaged with BRICS alliance leaders, Pinto discusses Venezuela's bid to join this coalition aimed at countering Western economic dominance. They delve into the impacts of sanctions from the Trump and Biden administrations on Venezuela's economy and migration crisis, and the battle over Citgo, a U.S.-based oil company acquired by the country in 1990. Grim also questions Venezuela's human rights record. Find full transcript at [The Intercept.] (https://theintercept.com/2024/06/21/deconstructed-venezuela-maduro-brics-sanctions-citgo/) If you’d like to support our work, go to [theintercept.com/give] (https://join.theintercept.com/donate/Donate_Podcast_Deconstructed?source=deconstructedshoutout&recurring_period=one-time) , where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

21 Jun 2024

55 MINS

55:03

21 Jun 2024

#289

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Caught on Secret Audio

In a conversation he didn’t know was being recorded, embattled Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito shared his private belief that his movement’s battle with secular forces in the country was a zero-sum contest of irreconcilable values. “One side or the other is going to win,” Alito says in secretly recorded audio. Alito was speaking at a reception for the Supreme Court Historical Society last Monday evening. "I mean, there can be a way of working — a way of living together peacefully, but it's difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things that really can't be compromised. It's not like you can split the difference.” Alito was responding to a question from [Lauren Windsor] (https://theintercept.com/2021/11/03/lincoln-project-charlottesville-glenn-youngkin/) , a progressive advocacy journalist and activist who regularly records conversations with [Republicans] (https://theintercept.com/2021/05/28/deconstructed-republican-democrat-filibuster-election/) and [conservative movement leaders] (https://theintercept.com/2018/01/03/project-veritas-james-okeefe-washington-post-roy-moore/) . Windsor is my guest on Deconstructed this week. We’re publishing the secret audio in partnership with Rolling Stone. Windsor, who is making a documentary called “Gonzo for Democracy,” which will be out in the fall, reminded Alito that she had spoken with him a year earlier at the same event and wanted to ask him the same question. “What I asked you about was about the polarization in this country, about, like, how do we repair that rift?” she asked. “Asking questions of judges, these are the most discreet people in public life. There’s a huge amount of secrecy around the Supreme Court decisions around justices,” Windsor tells Grim. “I’m asking the questions to try to expose true intent. And given that none of the justices will go to Congress, will make their views more publicly known, I feel that it’s of intense public interest to find out whether their decisions are guided by personal religious convictions that really have no place in our public life.” Find full transcript at [The Intercept] (https://theintercept.com/2024/06/10/deconstructed-supreme-court-samuel-alito-secret-audio/) . If you’d like to support our work, go to [theintercept.com/give] (https://join.theintercept.com/donate/Donate_Podcast_Deconstructed?source=deconstructedshoutout&recurring_period=one-time) , where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

10 Jun 2024

48 MINS

48:04

10 Jun 2024

#288

The Silence Around Covid Vaccine Injuries

Canada has a vaccine injury support program that has paid out more than [ CA$11 million] (https://vaccineinjurysupport.ca/en/program-statistics) to claimants; [Ross Wightman ] (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-man-vaccine-injury-payout-1.6472636) was among its first recipients. This week on Deconstructed, Wightman shares his story with Ryan Grim. Days after receiving an AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in 2021, Wightman began to experience pains unlike he had ever experienced before. He was eventually diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the body’s nerves. Grim and Wightman talk about his journey and support network, and whether new [reporting] (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/03/health/covid-vaccines-side-effects.html) from the New York Times about people who have experienced side effects from Covid vaccines signals a shift in serious media attention to concerns. If you’d like to support our work, go to [theintercept.com/give] (https://join.theintercept.com/donate/Donate_Podcast_Deconstructed?source=deconstructedshoutout&recurring_period=one-time) , where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

13 May 2024

40 MINS

40:58

13 May 2024

#287

Let’s Check In on AIPAC’s Assault on the Squad

In the weeks after October 7, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee took aim at members of Congress who expressed vocal opposition to Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Focusing on the so-called Squad, the Israel lobby is spending millions to push out members of Congress they view as a threat to the U.S.–Israel relationship. But Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., among the Squad members who called for an early ceasefire and whom AIPAC had been hoping to take out, cruised to [victory] (https://theintercept.com/2024/04/23/summer-lee-primary-win-aipac/) in April. Now the lobby group’s sights are set on [Rep. Jamaal Bowman ] (https://theintercept.com/2024/05/03/aipac-jamaal-bowman-primary-israel/) in New York’s 16th Congressional District and Rep. Cori Bush in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.This week on Deconstructed, Justice Democrats Usamah Andrabi and Alexandra Rojas join Ryan Grim to discuss their organizing efforts to counter campaigns taking aim at progressive members of Congress. If you’d like to support our work, go to [theintercept.com/give] (https://join.theintercept.com/donate/Donate_Podcast_Deconstructed?source=deconstructedshoutout&recurring_period=one-time) , where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

04 May 2024

41 MINS

41:53

04 May 2024

#286

“Tell the World What’s Happening Here,” Say Patients in Gaza

“There were kids in the ICU that had bullet wounds to the chest or bullet wounds to the head,” Dr. Mohammed "Adeel" Khaleel recounts the harrowing scenes from his recent medical mission in Gaza to Ryan Grim on Deconstructed this week. An orthopedic spine surgeon hailing from Dallas, Texas, Khaleel witnessed firsthand the crushing toll on human life amid the rubble of decimated hospital infrastructure. Despite the overwhelming challenges, Khaleel highlights the unwavering dedication of medical personnel committed to providing whatever aid they can through the devastation. He returned back to the U.S. with a message from patients and doctors in Gaza: “Don't forget us.” If you’d like to support our work, go to [theintercept.com/give] (https://join.theintercept.com/donate/Donate_Podcast_Deconstructed?source=deconstructedshoutout&recurring_period=one-time) , where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

26 Apr 2024

33 MINS

33:14

26 Apr 2024

#285

"Lever Time": Dissent Will Not Be Tolerated in the Democratic Party

Today, we’re sharing the re-launch of The Lever’s flagship podcast [Lever Time] (https://www.levernews.com/subscribe-to-lever-time/) . In this week’s episode, David Sirota and senior podcast producer Arjun Singh discuss the 2024 presidential election, and the Democratic Party’s efforts to prevent a primary challenge to President Biden. Since 2008, Democratic Party leadership have worked to suppress primary challengers and support incumbent politicians. It’s not uncommon to see the party intervene in a primary on behalf of their preferred candidate in congressional and presidential races. That mentality was on full display during the 2024 Democratic primaries, where the DNC worked with its state affiliates to ensure that, in some cases, Biden’s two primary challengers didn’t even appear on the ballot. Given Biden’s consistently low approval ratings and now palpable anger over his handling of the war in Gaza, it raises the question: did the party intentionally prevent a proper primary from taking place because they wanted to suppress any challenges to Biden? Sirota and Singh unpack Biden’s popularity, and look back at what happened in the 1980 Democratic primary, when Democratic senator Ted Kennedy challenged incumbent president Jimmy Carter. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

19 Apr 2024

33 MINS

33:18

19 Apr 2024

#284

Solidarity Forever: Building Movements Amid Today’s Crises

“None of us benefit from a burning planet,” says activist and documentarian Astra Taylor on this week’s Deconstructed. Taylor and Leah Hunt-Hendrix join Ryan Grim to discuss their new book, “ [Solidarity: The Past, Present, And Future of a World-Changing Idea] (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/740355/solidarity-by-leah-hunt-hendrix-and-astra-taylor/) .” Delving into the philosophical depths of solidarity, they trace its origins back to ancient Rome and explore its relevance in today's interconnected world. Focusing on transformative solidarity, they highlight its potential to bridge diverse experiences and causes, offering a unified approach to address the multifaceted crises we face. Taylor, a co-founder of the [Debt Collective] (https://theintercept.com/staff/astra-taylor/) , a union of debtors, and Hunt-Hendrix, co-founder of progressive philanthropy networks Solidaire and Way to Win, draw on their experience to underscore the necessity of transformative solidarity in movement building. If you’d like to support our work, go to [theintercept.com/give] (https://join.theintercept.com/donate/Donate_Podcast_Deconstructed?source=deconstructedshoutout&recurring_period=one-time) , where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

12 Apr 2024

40 MINS

40:47

12 Apr 2024

#283

No to Biden, No to Trump: Insights From Swing-State Voters

A recent Gallup poll found that [29 percent] (https://news.gallup.com/poll/642911/say-neither-biden-nor-trump-good-president.aspx) of respondents said neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden are fit for the job.To unpack how voters are feeling about the [two candidates] (https://theintercept.com/2024/01/07/democracy-trump-biden-egos/) , this week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim is joined by Anat Shenker-Osorio, a [returning guest] (https://theintercept.com/2023/06/02/deconstructed-democrats-progressives-messaging/) , messaging expert, and host of the podcast “Words to Win By.” Together they dig into what she's been hearing from voters in swing states disillusioned by both parties and the whole electoral process. If you’d like to support our work, go to [theintercept.com/give] (https://join.theintercept.com/donate/Donate_Podcast_Deconstructed?source=deconstructedshoutout&recurring_period=one-time) , where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

05 Apr 2024

51 MINS

51:18

05 Apr 2024

#282

How the Gaza War Is Reshaping Social Media

Meta — Facebook and Instagram's parent company — refuses to provide evidence refuting widespread reports that it's censoring Gaza-related content on its platforms. This week on Deconstructed, technology reporter Sam Biddle joins Ryan Grim to discuss his [recent reporting] (https://theintercept.com/2024/03/26/meta-gaza-censorship-warren-sanders/) on the efforts of Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to press Meta for specifics. Grim and Biddle dig into debates blaming the horrifying images coming out of Gaza for turning young people against the war. "When people see images of horrific bloodshed," Biddle says, "when they see bodiesblown apart by bombs, that's upsetting to most people. There doesn't have to be any ideology attached." They also dive into how pressures to sanitize Israel's war is being used to ban TikTok, and how X, formerly known as Twitter, is [profiting off of government surveillance] (https://theintercept.com/2024/03/25/elon-musk-x-dataminr-surveillance-privacy/) . If you’d like to support our work, go to [theintercept.com/give] (https://join.theintercept.com/donate/Donate_Podcast_Deconstructed?source=deconstructedshoutout&recurring_period=one-time) , where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

29 Mar 2024

35 MINS

35:37

29 Mar 2024

#281

Havana Syndrome: How the Biden Administration Is Driving Cubans Into Misery

Chanting “power and food,” demonstrators have filled Cuba’s streets in recent days. This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim delves into the complexities of Cuba’s current economic crisis with Andrés Pertierra, a historian of Latin America and the Caribbean. They discuss the various factors deepening the crisis and driving people to the streets, from the half-century-long U.S. embargo on the island, its own economic policies, pandemic-related destabilization, and sanctions the Trump administration imposed and the Biden administration [kept in place] (https://theintercept.com/2023/12/16/cuba-obama-biden-trump-policy/) . Pertierra is in the fifth year of his Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and hosts “Orígenes: A Cuban History Podcast.” If you’d like to support our work, go to [theintercept.com/give] (https://join.theintercept.com/donate/Donate_Podcast_Deconstructed?source=deconstructedshoutout&recurring_period=one-time) , where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information. ... Read more

22 Mar 2024

42 MINS

42:44