What Do Johnson & Johnson, The Sackler Family, And Alex Jones Have In Common?

Friends:

This week, The Lever’s podcast network covered a lot of ground. On Lever Time, our reporters discussed exposing the cartoonish corruption of Republican Senate candidate Ted Budd. We also spoke with a legal expert on how bankruptcy court is quickly becoming big corporations' “get-out-of-jail-free” card. On The Audit, our intrepid study group continues their slog through Dubya’s MasterClass, learning how the former president put together his elite team… of ruthless Neocons.

Learn more and find the episode links below.

Rock the boat,

Sirota

LEVER TIME: Meet Wall Street's Most Corrupt Senate Candidate

In the new episode of Lever Time, David Sirota is joined by The Lever’s reporters Julia Rock and Rebecca Burns to discuss recent news, including a climate protest that made international headlines for dousing a Van Gogh painting in tomato soup, and a sketchy financial bait-and-switch by microchip giant Intel. Julia and Rebecca also break down their massive stories on Republican Senate candidate Ted Budd, who during his terms as a Congressman has helped his donors bypass predatory lending laws, and boosted the merger of two giant banks, all while collecting mountains of cash from the financial industry.

In addition, David sits down with Melissa Jacoby, one of the country’s foremost experts on bankruptcy law, for a deep dive on how companies like Johnson & Johnson, Purdue Pharma, and Infowars are abusing the bankruptcy system to shield themselves from liability, while real people are afforded none of the same protections.

Click here for a rough transcript of the episode.

BONUS: On Lever Time Premium (the extended version of Lever Time which is exclusively available for supporting subscribers), Matthew Cunningham-Cook interviews the authors of the new book Our Veterans, which explores the impact that military service has on our country's veterans, as well as the multitude of problems they face after their service.

THE AUDIT: Building Tough Decisions

In the new episode of The Audit, Dave, Josh, and their “study-buddy” Kate Willett dive into the next two lessons of George W. Bush’s Masterclass, “Building a Strong Team” and “Making Tough Decisions.”

The study group kicks off this week’s episode with a discussion about a moment of open corruption caught on tape during a congressional committee hearing, and how it crystalizes the sorry state of our current politics.

Then, the group unpacks Dubya’s important lessons on team-building and decision-making. Specifically, how he diligently built a team full of ruthless, corrupt Neocons and how his decisive decision-making after 9/11 led to the devastating and unnecessary wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Click here for a rough transcript of the episode.

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