In a stunning reversal, the Trump administration just gave the green light to a major tech merger — and then fired two Justice Department lawyers who opposed it. Was corruption at play in the merger decision?

Today on Lever Time, David Sirota sits down with The Lever’s Luke Goldstein and UnHerd Magazine’s Sohrab Ahmari, who first exposed the “mergers over martinis” story behind the reversal. They dive into the MAGA power struggle inside the Justice Department and tackle the big questions: What triggered the reversal? Could a Watergate-era anti-corruption law bring the truth to light? And if Trump is now opening the floodgates to corporate mergers, what will that mean for your wallet?

To check out Sohrab Ahmari’s reporting, as referenced in this episode, click here.

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The largest excavation in a lifetime is underway at the famous archaeological site of Pompeii - the Roman city buried in ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Remarkable new discoveries continue to be unearthed. 

As some of you may be aware, I prefer to keep certain things private, which means I don’t use cloud services for those. So, I wanted to have a dedicated folder for private notes on my Linux desktop, which doesn’t sync to my Mac. This sounds simple enough, but my setup makes it a bit more complicated.

For my technical documentations and blog posts, I use Denote, an excellent org-mode note-taking package from Protesilaos Stavrou (AKA Prot). By design, Denote is set up to have one root folder to work from with an option for subfolders under that folder for organization, which is what I have: ~/Sync/Notes/ is the main folder, and under it I have ~/Sync/Notes/Info and ~/Sync/Notes/Blog/, which should make sense if you’re follwing along.

~/Sync/Notes/ is under my Sync folder which is synced between my devices with Syncthing. Usually this is a good idea, since I want to have my technical notes and blog posts available to me both on Linux and on the Mac - and for that matter also on the iPhone and Android, but that’s a different story.

You’re probably starting to see the problem here. Denote is using a synced folder for its root folder, so I can’t have a “just for Linux” folder under normal circumstances. I wanted that private Linux-only folder to be at ~/Documents/private on my Linux desktop, and here we have yet another problem: the Mac has a ~/Documents/ folder as well, which I’m syncing to iCloud. Again, usually this is good: some of my work files are there, and I have a few settings saved. But if this folder was synced between my Linux and the Mac, these files will quickly be uploaded to Apple’s servers. Not good.

While Denote’s documentation notes that the upcoming release will have the option to define several folders as a list for denote-directory, this is not in production yet. So my first attempt took me through Syncthing documentation.

I knew I could ask Syncthing to ignore files using ignore patterns, and these are robust enough to work on folders as well. After a few attempts, I managed to have a ~/Sync/Notes/private folder on my Linux desktop that did not sync to my other devices.

While this works, it’s a weird workaround to have an isolated folder inside a folder meant for syncing; it’s kind of counterintuitive. Another concern: if the .stignore file with the ignore pattern was to be deleted by mistake, Sycnthing would sync that folder and its contents everywhere.

Digging deeper into my old Denote configurations, I found the solution in a Denote function that could solve it:

    (defun jr-private-denote ()
         (interactive)
         (let ((denote-directory (expand-file-name "~/Documents/private/"))
               (denote-excluded-directories-regexp "data")
               (denote-prompts '(title keywords))
               (denote-org-front-matter "
    #+title:      %s
    #+creator: JTR  
    #+date:       %s
    #+filetags:   %s
    #+identifier: %s
    #+STARTUP: inlineimages
    #+OPTIONS: num:nil
    \n"))
           (call-interactively 'denote)))

This function bypasses the regular denoate creation process (M-x denote) and changes the denote root folder to ~/Documents/private just for the purpose of this function. As well, I’ve included a few more options in the Denote front-matter, like the creator and the option to load images when the file loads. This function also excludes the /data subfolder under ~/Documents/private, which contains attachments, so I don’t create a note there by mistake.

This worked well, but it still leaves me with the problem I mentioned earlier. My configurations are stored in an org file synced inside my sync folder (so Emacs on my Linux desktop will run the same way as Emacs on my Mac, as much as possible), which means I could still run this function on the Mac, creating a private note in my Documentation folder there, and I don’t want a chance of that to happen. Besides, tweaking stuff is fun.

To fix that, I included a condition to help out:

    (defun jr-private-denote ()
      (interactive)
      (cond
       ((eq system-type 'gnu/linux)
        (let ((denote-directory (expand-file-name "~/Documents/private/"))
              (denote-excluded-directories-regexp "data")
              (denote-prompts '(title keywords))
              (denote-org-front-matter "
    #+title:      %s
    #+creator: JTR  
    #+date:       %s
    #+filetags:   %s
    #+identifier: %s
    #+STARTUP: inlineimages
    #+OPTIONS: num:nil
    \n"))
          (call-interactively 'denote)))
       ((eq system-type 'darwin)
        (message "You're using your Mac"))))

Now I have the Denote org file creation process dependent on a condition that I am running on Linux: (eq system-type 'gnu/linux). In case I’m running on Mac, (eq system-type 'darwin), I will only get a reminder that I’m using my Mac, and that’s it, nothing further will happen.

Krystal and Emily discuss Mayor Pete refuses to accept Zohran win, crypto whistleblower dire warning on crash, Sydney Sweeney 'jeans' ad.

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Journalist Aaron Maté discusses the latest Russiagate revelations, protests in Ukraine, and Israel's strikes on Syria with special guests John Solomon, Marta Havryshko, and Joshua Landis.

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Krystal and Emily discuss Trump says Epstein stole women from Mar a Lago, publisher of Epstein black book reveals coverup, Jon Stewart loses it on Gaza gaslighting.

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Jon Stewart dives into Trump's golf shenanigans in Scotland, the Republican “caddies” providing him cover on the Epstein scandal back home, and the possibility of a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell. Plus, Jessica Williams will NOT allow Beyoncé to be roped into Trump’s use of exceptional Black people as a distraction.

Editor-at-large of "Jewish Currents," who writes "The Beinart Notebook" on Substack, Peter Beinart sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss his book, "Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning," and speaking out against Israel. They talk about learning from Jewish history to be the saviors rather than the oppressors, America and the UN’s failure to hold Benjamin Netanyahu accountable, the urgency of engaging in critical discourse with other Jews, and how listening to Palestinian stories can illuminate the dehumanizing conditions.

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In early October 1993, tanks pummeled the Russian Duma in central Moscow. It was a dark mirror of just two years prior when Boris Yeltsin definitely climbed atop a tank and made history. Now, tanks were again Yeltsin’s historical instrument. Only this time, they were his. The 1993 Russian Constitutional Crisis was a turning point in the country’s post-Soviet transformation. The popular narrative was Russian Democrats repelling Russian nationalists and communists. The future vs. the past. And the future prevailed! It was a tight, clean story fit for the utopianism of the 1990s. In retrospect, however, it was the past that really won. Yeltsin’s constitutional power grab through the gun barrel set the first stones of Putinism. How should we understand this turning point? What was really going on? And how have these baby steps of Russian authoritarianism become a full-blown sprint? The Eurasian Knot turns to Jeff Hawn for some answers.

Guest:

Jeff Hawn is a graduate of American University School of International Service and is completing his PhD at London School of Economics. His dissertation addresses the history and consequences of the 1993 Constitutional Crisis and the emergence of modern Russia.

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Today Lindsey is dragged to a rock climbing centre by her athletic friend Jenny which results in a life changing discovery about her over-zealous anatomy. She helps her mum rescue a missing rat and, with the help of Elton John, hosts an intimate funeral.

Welcome to the life of the most beautiful princess in all of Birmingham and its surrounding areas. This week Lindsey Santoro has started a diary. But she’s not 13 years old daydreaming about her latest crush and sleepover plans. She’s a 37-year-old no-nonsense Brummy whose days are more likely to involve thrush cream and a bargy with a bus driver. You are cordially invited to step into her world and learn lessons from her lively life.

Producer: Sasha Bobak Production Coordinator: Katie Baum Script Editor: Ruth Husko Executive Producer: Pete Strauss

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.

Back in 2023, Long Reads spoke with Ramaa Vasudevan of Colorado State University for an episode about the development of crypto capitalism. Since then, the crypto industry has launched a concerted effort to establish itself at the heart of the global economic system. Just a few days ago, Donald Trump gave his approval for a major bill designed to boost the sector.

Ramaa Vasudevan spoke to Long Reads again about the mainstreaming of crypto and the threat it poses to global economic stability. This conversation was recorded at the end of March.

Read a transcript of the interview here: https://jacobin.com/2025/06/the-crypto-state

And find Ramaa’s essays for Catalyst here: https://catalyst-journal.com/author/ramaa-vasudevan

Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s longform writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.

We have on Isaac on from COEXIST Inc to talk about Tommorrowland and the need for IDF soldiers to experience a psytrance DJ set.

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Matt and Daniel are joined by Canadian rapper and professor Narcy to award AOC supporters the prestigious Fell For It Again Award, to call for an end to rapper-style abbreviations of politicians' names, and to consider the plight of Canadian IDF soldiers too scared to order their usual Teen Burger at root beer-branded meat sandwich purveyor A&W.

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Co-founder of Justice Democrats and former communications director for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Corbin Trent talks AOC's excuses for voting against Marjorie Taylor Greene's amendment to pull weapons funding to Israel, whether AOC's failures are evidence that it's impossible to work within the Democratic Party, the Democrats' hesitation to exploit Epstein, and how establishment Dems work to defeat not only progressive electeds but bedrock progressive policies like expanding abortion access.

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How did morality evolve? Why do different cultures have such a similar set of moral norms and values? Hanno Sauer gives an evolutionary story that explains the genealogy of morality through human co-operation.

Jon Stewart dives into Trump’s crude birthday card to Epstein and his desperate attempts to distract MAGA with Hillary's emails, the release of the MLK files, and the return of racist football mascots. Plus, Jon reacts to CBS cancelling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and calls upon corporations, advertisers, and institutions to "sack up" with the help of the “Go F**k Yourself” choir.

Chairman of the Los Angeles Times and of ImmunityBio, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong sits down with Jon to share how his groundbreaking work in cancer research and his surprising purchase of the Los Angeles Times in 2018 are both part of his vision to heal the country and give everyone an opportunity at the American dream. He offers a background to his work in finding cancer treatments that harness the body’s natural immunity – a departure from decades of the harmful, money-making chemotherapy standard – and shares how growing up in apartheid South Africa gave him a deep appreciation for news media.

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Democracy Now! 2025-07-22 Tuesday

• Headlines for July 22, 2025
• ICE Detained 6-Year-Old with Cancer for Over a Month: "He and His Sister Cried Every Night"
• Trump Revokes Bond for Asylum Seekers, Forcing Immigrants to Fight Their Cases "Behind Bars"
• "You Feel Like Your Life Is Over": HRW Report Exposes Abuses in Trump's Immigration Jails in Florida
• "Life After": Film Exposes How Medicaid Cuts, Assisted Dying Laws May Bring Disabled to Early Graves

Download this show

This is getting old. Donald Trump has now threatened Mexico with tariffs for the fourth time since being elected, with an ever-shifting carousel of justifications. In today's episode, José Luis and Kurt have the entire breakdown. New sets of polls on both sides of the border demonstrate that USers are souring on Trump's immigration measures...and that Mexicans are souring on the US. Better late than never: Mexico decides to attend the Emergency Conference of States to End the Gaza Genocide amidst rumors that Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente's passive approach to diplomacy is wearing thin. And in Losers and Haters, a US narco-lawyer tries to pick a fight with President Sheinbaum.

The price of rice in Japan has doubled in the past year, and the nation's emergency stockpile is dwindling. A poor harvest in 2023 is partly to blame, but Japan is reckoning with much deeper structural problems in its domestic rice market. Decades of rigid protectionism have created an artificial scarcity, and consumers are feeling the pinch. 

• Guest: Ethan Wu, Asia business and finance editor at The Economist
• Producer: Jack Schmidt

Democracy Now! 2025-07-17 Thursday

• Headlines for July 17, 2025
• "I'm a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It": Prof. Omer Bartov on the Growing Consensus on Gaza
• Writer Adam Shatz on How Oct. 7 & Israel's Brutality in Gaza Reshaped the World

Download this show

Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot pay tribute to the late Sly Stone. They review Sly Stone's documentary and memoir, revisit an interview with Family Stone members Jerry Martini and Cynthia Robinson and share some of their favorite tracks from Sly.

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Featured Songs:

Sly and the Family Stone, "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Single), Epic, 1969

The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967

The Stewart Four, "On The Battlefield," (Single), Church of God in Christ, 1952

Sly and the Family Stone, "Plastic Jim," Life, , 

Sly and the Family Stone, "Dance To The Music," Dance To The Music, Epic, 1968

Sly and the Family Stone, "I Ain't Got Nobody (For Real)," Dance To The Music, Epic, 1968

Sly and the Family Stone, "Advice," A Whole New Thing, Epic, 1967

Sly and the Family Stone, "I Hate To Love Her," A Whole New Thing, Epic, 1967

Ike and Tina Turner, "Bold Soul Sister," The Hunter, Blue Thumb, 1969

The Roots, "Star/Pointro," The Tipping Point, Geffen, 2004

Bobby Freeman, "C'mon and Swim," C'mon and Swim (Single), Autumn, 1964

Sly and the Family Stone, "Family Affair," There's A Riot Goin' On, Epic, 1971

Sly and the Family Stone, "Hot Fun in the Summertime," Hot Fun in the Summertime (Single), Epic, 1969

Sly and the Family Stone, "Thank You For Talking To Me Africa," There's A Riot Goin' On, Epic, 1971

Sly and the Family Stone, "Brave and Strong," There's A Riot Goin' On, Epic, 1971

Sly and the Family Stone, "You Can Make It If You Try (Live)," Stand!, Epic, 1969

Sly and the Family Stone, "We Love All," Dance To The Music (2007 version), Epic, 1968

Sly and the Family Stone, "Color Me True," Dance To The Music (Single), Epic, 1968

FKA Twigs, "Eusexua," Eusexua, Atlantic, 2025

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