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The Daily Beast
Blunt truth and dark humor for a world in chaos. A Daily Beast podcast hosted by Danielle Moodie & Andy Levy. Tune in every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Dirty Little Gun Secret Behind MAGA World’s Migrant Hysteria
For all of Donald Trump’s incessant fear-mongering about migrants fueling crime in the United States, he has yet to ask one very important question: What is driving the violence that is making so many on the other side of the border desperate to flee in the first place? That’s the question The New Abnormal team posed to Ieva Jusionyte, author of Exit Wounds: How America's Guns Fuel Violence across the Border, on this Sunday’s episode—and his answer might not sit well with team MAGA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
33:4514/04/2024
The Wild Backstory Behind Trumpworld’s Newest Toadie
This week, The New Abnormalintroduces you to a relatively new face in the pantheon of Trumpworld toadies:Steven Cheung, Trump’s principal spokesperson and de facto enforcer. Plus, a conversation with New Republic staff writer Melissa Gira Grant about a largely forgotten 1873 law, called the Comstock Act, that could be used to outlaw virtually all abortions across America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:03:5512/04/2024
Trump's Abortion Stance Is Likely to Change Come November
This week on The New Abnormal, co-hosts Danielle Moodie and Andy Levy discuss why we should take Donald Trump’s latest statement on abortion with a grain of salt. Plus! Deputy Director of the ACLU Immigrants Rights Project Cody Wofsy fills us in on an immigration law in Texas that even those supporting it have said may have gone too far. Then, journalist Jeb Lund is here to talk about his recent piece covering Florida’s “War on Woke.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:04:0409/04/2024
Why These Two Republicans Are Trump’s Most Likely VP Picks
The New Abnormal team has picked who they believe Donald Trump will select as his running mate. Plus! Andy Levy talks to CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti about his new book Before It's Gone: Stories From the Front Lines of Climate Change in Small-Town America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
32:5307/04/2024
Trump Wants to Jail His Opponents and Nobody Seems to Care
On this week's episode, hosts Danielle Moodie and Andy Levy don’t see any major publications or politicians taking Trump’s threats of retaliation seriously. Then, Mark Joseph Stern, a senior writer at Slate Magazine, joins the program to discuss an upcoming abortion ballot referendum in Florida—and the “giant threat” lurking behind it. Plus! A conversation with Brian Beutler, the author of the Substack “Off Message,” on Democrats’ messaging issues as the 2024 race inches closer to the finish line. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:00:0205/04/2024
The Right-Wing’s Spooky New Acronym DEI Betrays an Old Prejudice
This week on The New Abnormal, University of Louisville Associate Professor in the Departments of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Pan-African Studies Dr. Kaila Story joins us to talk about the new acronym conservatives are flinging about, and why it’s taken flight. Plus! Editor of The National Interest, Jacob Heilbrunn, joins us to talk about his new book, “America Last: The Right’s Century-Long Romance with Foreign Dictators.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:01:5902/04/2024
A Visual History of U.S. Racism Articulates What Words Can’t
From the site where George Floyd was killed to places where Black people were lynched, “Ghosts of Segregation” illustrates a history of racism in the U.S. that can’t be ignored. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
34:2931/03/2024
Hitler’s Rise to Power Holds Lessons for the 2024 Election
The New Yorker’s Adam Gopnik joins The New Abnormal to talk about his new essay on how Hitler was able to take control of Germany and what’s at stake in the coming U.S. election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
43:2229/03/2024
Chuck Todd Gave NBC the Hardest Read on Television
This week on The New Abnormal, co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss Chudd Todd’s searing criticism of NBC. Then, Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD, joins us to talk about her organization’s efforts to counter the anti-LGBTQ+ messaging many right-wing politicians have leaned into. Plus! The former editor at the Chicago Tribune and The Chicago Sun-Times, Mark Jacob, will tell us all about a piece he recently wrote about how journalists in the media in general seem bored covering the upcoming election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
57:5026/03/2024
Fox News Buried Its Own Mike Pence Story to Benefit Trump
Matt Gertz from Media Matters for America tells The New Abnormal that Fox News’ handling of its exclusive Mike Pence story shows how it's become a “Trumpian propaganda outlet.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
32:1124/03/2024
The Looming Standoff in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Case
“The Washington Post” reporter Devlin Barrett joins The New Abnormal to discuss what happens next in the former president’s contentious classified documents case. Plus, a conversation with Cornell Belcher, the founder of Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies, about all the reasons to ignore recent polling which shows Black and Hispanic voters may be moving to the right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
57:2022/03/2024
Trump’s Coming for Your Granny’s Health Care
This week on The New Abnormal, co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodiediscuss a recent interview in which Donald Trump discusses cutting social security. Then, Justin Baragona, senior media reporter for The Daily Beast, spills the tea on a weekend full of Trump mishaps. Plus! Shannon Vavra, national security reporter for The Daily Beast, explains both the laughable and alarming world of Russian disinformation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:00:2919/03/2024
Donald Trump’s Latest Clinton Conspiracy About BleachBit and Hillary’s Emails Is a Total Trip
Donald Trump’s unfounded new claim that Hillary Clinton used acid to delete her emails shows the former president doesn’t quite grasp how the BleachBit software program works. Plus! Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman join The New Abnormal to talk about their New York Times best-selling book, White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
31:3417/03/2024
Donald Trump’s Huge Debts Make Him Even More Dangerous
NewsNation contributor Kurt Bardella joins The New Abnormal to discuss the state of the 2024 presidential election—and the complete failure of American journalism to adapt to Republicans’ strategy of spewing falsehoods. Plus, a conversation with Josh Kovensky, an investigative reporter at Talking Points Memo, about the Society for American Civic Renewal—a men’s only secret society of prominent far-right Christians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:03:2515/03/2024
The Real Reason Why Trump Is Trashing Kimmel and the Oscars
This week on The New Abnormal, co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss Donald Trump’s Jimmy Kimmel Oscars diss. Then, Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labor and substacker Robert Reich is here to talk about the State of the Union, economic populism and the rise of Trumpism. Plus! Host of the Undistracted podcast, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, tells us more about Senator Katie Britt's rebuttal to Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
58:0612/03/2024
Katie Britt Should Have Known the SOTU Response Was a Trap
The New Abnormal breaks down Sen. Katie Britt’s disastrous State of the Union reply and why she should have spoken to Bobby Jindal and Blake Masters before agreeing to do it. Plus! CNN’s Chief National Security Analyst Jim Sciutto joins Andy Levy to talk about his new book The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War, which is out on March 12. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
35:1210/03/2024
Trump Is Set to Hit a ‘Financial Brick Wall’ Within Weeks
MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner tells The New Abnormal that the former president could soon see his assets seized. Plus! Andy Levy speaks with Steven Monacelli, the Texas Observer’s Special Investigative Correspondent, about a new social network built on a vision of Christian supremacy in America that’s gaining traction with GOP politicians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:02:3408/03/2024
Trump’s SCOTUS Win Shows Why We Need Federally Run Elections
Jose Pagliery, a political investigations reporter at The Daily Beast, joins the program to discuss Trump’s jam-packed court calendar. Plus, a conversation with journalist and author Radley Balko about the sinister attempt to “retcon” the death of George Floyd and exonerate the cop who killed him, Derek Chauvin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:05:5805/03/2024
How Unions Could Help Democrats Turn Red States Blue
Journalist Hamilton Nolan tells The New Abnormal why declining union membership has strengthened the Republican Party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
30:3303/03/2024
Whoever Fills Mitch McConnell’s Shoes Will Be Even Worse
First on this week’s episode of The New Abnormal, a conversation with civil rights leader Bishop William Barber about the Poor People’s Campaign and the urgent need to craft public policy to correct the root causes of poverty. Plus! CNN commentator and New York Daily News columnist S.E. Cupp joins the program to discuss her thesis that the Republican Party has gone from being the champion of small government to the avatar of no government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
59:3501/03/2024
There Is Some Good News About Trump’s South Carolina Primary Win
This week on The New Abnormal, co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss the positive news of Trump’s South Carolina presidential primary win. Then, Monica Simpson, executive director of Team Sister Song, joins the show to discuss the fight for reproductive rights in America. Plus! Chris Geidner points to the three biggest stories of the week, and how they are directly related to Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:03:4327/02/2024
Charlie Kirk Wants Coca-Cola to Sponsor Televised Executions
The New Abnormal breaks down the latest controversial idea from the Turning Point CEO. Plus! Danielle Moodie talks to Barbara Collura, the president and CEO of Resolve: The National Infertility Association, about the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision to give embryos “personhood” and ban IVF in the state. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28:0625/02/2024
Wake Up! Republicans Really Are Trying to Ban Contraception
A recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court basically halted IVF treatments—and a new bill currently making the rounds in Oklahoma may be even worse, The New Abnormal hosts argue. Plus, chats with former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger about the current state of the Republican Party and Gillian Branstetter of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project and LGBTQ & HIV Project about the tragic death of a non-binary high school student in Oklahoma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
59:4423/02/2024
The $364 Million Judgment in Trump’s NYC Fraud Case Did Not Go Far Enough
This week on The New Abnormal, co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss why the $364 million fine in the fraud suit against Donald Trump is not enough. Then, political scientist Dr. Christina Greer joins the show to discuss the differences between Democratic and Republican messaging—and what President Biden needs to do to not fall behind. We then talk to The Daily Beast political reporter, Riley Rogerson, about the problems with GOPs campaign talking points. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:01:0920/02/2024
The ‘Sinister’ Crusade That Has Team Trump Outing LGBTQ Kids
Brandon Wolf, national press secretary of the Human Rights Campaign, tells The New Abnormal that MAGA Republicans are making LGBTQ students political pawns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
27:3818/02/2024
It’s Time to Look at Trump’s Jan. 6 Plans in a New Light
Did Trump and his team ever really believe the 2020 election was stolen? That’s the wrong question to ask, Talking Points Memo reporter Josh Kovensky says on The New Abnormal. Plus, an interview with Dell Cameron, an investigative reporter for Wired magazine, about the recent Congressional wrangling over proposed changes to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
59:5716/02/2024
Nikki Haley’s Jenga Tower of Anti-Trump Positions Is About to Crash Down
The Daily Beast political reporter Jake Lahut joins this week’s The New Abnormal podcast to discuss Nikki Haley’s dwindling shot at the 2024 Republican nomination. Plus! Media Matters senior fellow Matt Gertz joins the podcast to discuss Special Counsel Robert Hur’s incendiary attacks on President Joe Biden’s memory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:00:5213/02/2024
Guardian Angels' Thug Tactics Get Exposed in Times Square
The Guardian Angels have been meting out vigilante justice on New York City streets since 1979. Last week the red-bereted crime fighters appeared on Fox News when their leader, Curtis Sliwa, a recent GOP mayoral candidate, was interviewed by Sean Hannity about the “migrant crisis” in New York. While the interview was in progress, the Angels violently detained a man in Times Square that Sliwa told Hannity was a migrant shoplifter. Later Levy talks to Laurie Kilmartin, a stand-up comedian who wrote for Conan O'Brien for 11 years, has written two books, and now has a new comedy special Cis Woke Grief Slut available for purchase online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
33:0111/02/2024
Supreme Court Justices Are ‘in the Bag’ for Donald Trump
This week on The New Abnormal, co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss the horrifying Supreme Court hearing today that weighed whether Donald Trump will be allowed on the ballot in Colorado. Then, Jay Willis, the editor-in-chief of Balls & Strikes, joins us to weigh in on the case. Plus! Katherine Stewart, author of “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism,” talks to us about how the role faith is playing in the 2024 election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
55:5609/02/2024
Republicans Should Love The Senate’s Latest Immigration Bill
This week on The New Abnormal, co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie discuss the Senate’s proposed immigration border bill that has sparked widespread criticism from Republicans. Then, Where's Your Ed At newsletter writer Ed Zitron stops by to talk to us about Elon Musk's latest tantrum. Plus! Jessica Garrison and Ken Besinger, the host of true crime podcast, Chameleon: the Michigan Plot, gives us the inside scoop on the attempted kidnapping of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and all the strange details surrounding it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:01:3306/02/2024
Why Donald Trump Won’t Let His Famous Dead Uncle John Rest in Peace
Donald Trump keeps using his relation to a famed MIT professor as proof of his intelligence. But as The New Abnormal team points out—smart people often have dumb relatives. Plus! Danielle Moodie has a thought provoking chat with DEI expert Denise Hamilton on her new book Indivisible: How to Forge Our Differences into a Stronger Future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
31:1504/02/2024
Author of Shocking Post-Roe Rape Study Details ‘Truly Horrifying’ Numbers
This week on The New Abnormal, Samuel Dickman, the medical director at Planned Parenthood Montana, joins us to unpack a jarring new study showing the dramatic increase in pregnancies related to rape after the banning of Roe v Wade. Plus! Author Andrew C. McKevitt talks about his new book, “Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:00:2402/02/2024
This Week Could Be Even Worse for Donald Trump Than Last Week
This week on The New Abnormal, hosts Danielle Moodie and Andy Levy discuss the week of horror that could flip the game for Donald Trump. Then, Rolling Stonereporter and former The Daily Beast journalist Adam Rawnsley walks us through his recent report looking into Trump’s secret presidential immunity plans. Plus! Author Jeff Sharlet is here to talk about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s battle against Biden at the border. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:04:3230/01/2024
This Bill Would Ban Single People From Sending Sexy Selfies
Reason Magazine’s senior editor, Elizabeth Nolan Brown, tells The New Abnormal why a bill by Oklahoma Senator Dusty Deevers that would make it illegal to sext anyone other than your spouse is far from a fringe position in the GOP. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29:1028/01/2024
Joe Biden Can—and Should—Take Over the Texas National Guard
If Greg Abbott is going to use his National Guard troops to flout the U.S. Constitution, the president should do as Dwight D. Eisenhower once did and nationalize the state agency entirely, The New Abnormal hosts argue. Plus! A conversation with Josh from the Substack political newsletter called Ettingermentum, who joins the podcast to discuss Biden’s bad poll numbers and his path to victory in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:01:1526/01/2024
No One Can Be More Disappointed in Ron DeSantis Than His Wife Casey
This week on The New Abnormal, hosts Danielle Moodie and Andy Levy discuss the end of Ron DeSantis’ 2024 dreams. Then, Protect Democracy Editor Amanda Carpenter walks us through a report she co authored about what we can expect from another Trump presidency. Plus! Author Ben Herold is here to tell us all about his new book,\ “Disillusioned Five Families and the Unraveling of American Suburbs.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:05:3423/01/2024
We Need an Interpreter to Work Out Trump’s ‘Debanking’ Rant
The former president’s latest rant about “debanking” and electric cars has left The New Abnormal team scratching their heads. Plus! Danielle Moodie talks to Keith Boykin, the political commentator, film producer and Bill Clinton’s former White House aide, about his new book Why Does Everything Have to Be About Race? 25 Arguments That Won’t Go Away. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
26:4021/01/2024
Listen Closely: Trump Wants to Be a ‘Messiah’ Figure for Evangelicals
The former president has been ramping up the “spiritual” language he uses on the campaign trail, according to author and this week’s guest on The New Abnormal, Sarah Posner. Plus! A talk with professor and author Jason Stanley about his book “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
59:2119/01/2024
Trump’s New Slogan Sums Him Up Perfectly
On The New Abnormal, hosts Danielle Moodie and Andy Levydiscuss the problem with Trump’s newest slogan. Then, Frankie Miranda, the president andCEO of the Hispanic Federation, tells us about the importance of the Latinx vote. Plus! We talkto the New Republic’s Timothy Noah, who explains the wild ride that started with billionaire BillAckman’s vicious Twitter campaign against then-Harvard President Claudine Gay, and thensnowballed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:00:1416/01/2024
My Time Inside MAGA World Showed Me All Its Secrets
Journalist Tina Nguyen tells The New Abnormal how her time inside America’s political right-wing showed her how it captures young hearts and minds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
32:2114/01/2024
Christie Has One Move Left That May Save Us From Trump
The Bulwark editor Jonathan Last tells The New Abnormal that if Chris Christie really believes that Donald Trump must be stopped at all costs, then he has one card left to play. Plus! Anat Shenker-Osorio, host of the Words to Win By podcast, tells The New Abnormal co-host Danielle Moodie, how Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign messaging is landing with voters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
01:07:4412/01/2024
Media Exhaustion May Be All Trump Needs to Squeak Out a Win in 2024
Daily Beast media reporter Justin Baragona joins The New Abnormal to discuss how the news media is dealing with the former president’s repeated threats to upend American democracy. Plus! Daily Beast political reporter Riley Rogerson joins the podcast to share her experience reporting on Rep. Lauren Boebert’s falling political fortunes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
33:1509/01/2024
A Supreme Court With Common Sense Would Disqualify Trump
Constitutional law professor Michael Gerhardt tells The New Abnormal that a plain reading of the 14th Amendment would deny Donald Trump’s bid to be president again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
18:0107/01/2024
Why Biden Is Likely to Bridge Polling Gap Against Trump
The Daily Beast’s senior political reporter Roger Sollenberger tells The New Abnormal why Trump’s lead in the polls compared with Biden is set to narrow as the election nears. Plus! Danielle Moodie talks to psychiatrist Jonathan Metzl about his new book What We’ve Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms. Moodie will also host Metzl at the Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn on Feb. 5 where they will further explore how our collective failure to stop mass shootings is betraying the democracy envisaged by the framers of the Constitution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
42:3605/01/2024
The Far Right Will Only Get Louder and More Powerful in 2024
The coming year is set to be a trying time for America, at least according to Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware, whose new book God, Guns and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America traces the history of right-wing terrorism in the U.S. Then, former NYPD officer—and the highest-ranking whistleblower in department history—Edwin Raymond joins The New Abnormal to discuss his recent memoir, An Inconcenient Cop: My Fight to Change Policing in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
41:5502/01/2024
Student’s Epic Takedown of Bridget Ziegler Is Perfection
Zander Moricz confronted the Moms for Liberty co-founder at a Sarasota town meeting who he said had once retweeted a hate article about him when he was a high school student. Plus! Foreign Affairs magazine’s executive editor Stuart Reid joins The New Abnormal to speak about his new book The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29:2931/12/2023
The Absolute Dumbest Conservative Controversies of 2023
Media Matters’ Rapid Response Director Andrew Lawrence joins The New Abnormal to rank the most brain-dead right-wing “controversies” of the year. Then, filmmaker Anike Tourse stops by to discuss her latest project, “American Family.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
42:4129/12/2023
Trump’s ‘Aspirational Fascism’ Casts a Shadow Over 2024
In this week's episode host Danielle Moodie talks to Patrick Gaspard, the CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, discusses the challenges and threats facing democracy, highlighting the rise of Donald Trump and the Republican Party's shift towards extremism. Then Andy Levy sits down with The Guardian US' Martin Pengelly, to talk about his new book "Brotherhood when West Point Rugby Went to War," and discusses the genesis of his book exploring the lives of the 2002 West Point rugby players, their experiences during the 9/11 attacks, and their post-graduation journeys. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
41:0726/12/2023
Nick Fuentes’ ‘Death Penalty’ Call Is Beyond Extreme
The New Abnormal team says comments by white supremacist Nick Fuentes that Jewish people need to be given the death penalty is another good reason to vote in the 2024 election. Plus! ! Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, the largest online civil rights organization in the country, explains why he feels hopeful even at a time when democracy and civil rights are under attack in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28:5324/12/2023
How ‘The Daily Show’ Host Search Became Such a Disaster
In this week’s crossover episode between The New Abnormal and The Last Laugh, we break down how Hasan Minhaj’s “emotional truths” upended The Daily Show’s seemingly eternal search for a new host (or hosts), the downfall of TikTok-favorite standup Matt Rife, and the emergence of Nick Bargatze as a bonafide star of the industry. Plus, a conversation with author Raquel Willis about her new book, The Risk It Takes to Bloom, a memoir exploring her experiences as a Black transgender activist from the American South. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
41:1822/12/2023