LEVER WEEKLY: An Exception To The Rule In Chicago (For Supporting Subscribers Only)

This is Lever Weekly, a recap of all of The Lever’s work from the past week. If you only read one email from us all week, this should be it.

Following links to all of our articles, you’ll find our weekly column, exclusively for paying subscribers, that connects the dots on our coverage to deliver important takeaways.

In this week’s essay, The Lever’s Rebecca Burns explores the important takeaways of Brandon Johnson’s surprise mayoral win in Chicago.

Stuff To Listen To:

• LEVER TIME: AOC Sounds The Alarm About Biden 2024 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez discusses Biden’s latest moves, the new Clarence Thomas bombshell, the Squad’s political strategies, and more. (Full transcript included.)

• LEVER TIME PREMIUM: AOC On DC’s “Psychologically Manipulative Environment” — In a bonus podcast segment for supporting subscribers, the progressive lawmaker reveals the day-to-day impact of corporate money in Congress.

• MOVIES VS. CAPITALISM: Clerks (w/ Branson Reese) — Rivka and Frank discuss Kevin Smith’s 1994 indie classic Clerks.

• LEVER TIME PREMIUM: Analyzing Brandon Johnson’s Surprise Victory In Chicago — The Lever team explores the big progressive win.

Stuff The Lever Reported This Week:

• Hochul Tried To Help Her Fossil Fuel Donors Gut Key Climate Law — After scoring half a million from oil and gas interests, New York’s Democratic governor wants to allow utilities to burn fossil fuels for decades longer than currently permitted.

• California’s Crypto Champion — Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed crypto regulations and spearheaded industry spin pieces for the benefit of his friends and donors in Big Tech.

• We Just Won Something Huge — The Lever’s “thorough and relentless” coverage is being honored with the 2023 Izzy Award for outstanding achievement in independent media.

Thank You To Our Newest Lever Leaders:

Lever Leaders provide us with our highest level of support and score additional perks in return.  Each week, we highlight folks who’ve taken that step, and the reasons they say they’ve done so.

• Fred Jonas: “The Lever provides a cold-water-splash-in-the-face, no-fucking-around exploration and revelation of many American problems.”

• Robert Lang, MD: “The Lever digs deep for the truth and the truth is essential for freedom.”

Read This Now:

An Exception To The Rule In Chicago

By Rebecca Burns

A $20 million war chest, the backing of the political establishment, and tacit anointment from the corporate media — when candidates enjoy all of those advantages, it’s vanishingly rare that they lose.

But that’s exactly what happened in Chicago on Tuesday, when former public school teacher Brandon Johnson beat serial school privatizer Paul Vallas in the race to become the city’s next mayor.