The Nicole Sandler Show

**Program Note*** I had major YouTube issues today, so I finally cut the video and just continued audio only for most of the show. You'll be able to get the full audio podcast on my website at https://nicolesandler.com/11-20-24 or subscribe to the podcast on Spotify (no paywall, though your donations and support are what keep me on the air)... Sorry for the inconvenience. NS I'm not too keen on the corporate media these days. With a few shining examples to the contrary, most of the media learned nothing from our recent history of presidential election coverage other than how to get even worse at it. I suggested yesterday while talking with Digby that it's time to put together an approved journalist/pundit list of those who can and should be trusted. (It's on my ever growing list of projects on which to embark). Certainly to be included in any such list would be Will Bunch. He's a national columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. As my friend Laffy says, "If Will Bunch wrote it, you should read it." (The Inquirer does have a paywall, but if you subscribe to Will's newsletter, you can read those for free. https://www.inquirer.com/newsletters/will-bunch/sign-up/ And they have a 6 month subscription deal for $1 right now... But we'll begin with some gratitude at a time when it's truly important to be grateful for so very much...

She really needs no introduction- but in case you haven't been paying attention, Heather "Digby" Parton is one of the OG bloggers who took to this medium at its inception around the turn of the century... She launched her must-read Digby's Hullaballoo, still going strong- these days at digbysblog.net, and writes a regular column for Salon.com. Her words are some of the first I read each day and our conversations are some of my favorite over the many years I've been doing this show. Today is the first time we'll speak since our world turned upside down on Nov 5. If you were here yesterday, you know that I'm not handling this very well. But somehow talking with Digby always helps me see things a bit more clearly. I expect nothing less than that today.

I took last week off to work through my grief, something that I realize will take much longer than a week. But it's a start... I've heard from quite a few listeners who seemed to be suffering with the same symptoms that paralyzed me for the better part of the time since Nov 5. Panic attacks know no logic and they're relentless. As you regular listeners know, I don't hold much back. Today I'll attempt to share as much as I can without falling apart. But here's where we can help each other. So please use this show as a group therapy session for as long as we need it. I'll bring on the guests who can help us through it. Although there's not much I find funny right now, we'll try to bring it anyway because laughter IS the best medicine. Today is Monday... Although I've been mostly diligent about keeping my distance from the news, we must face reality at some point. So Jonathan Larsen is here from TheFuckingNews.substack.com to clue us in on what's been happening.

From 5-22-24, Nicole Sandler speaks with Federico Finchelstein, author of THE WANNABE FASCISTS: A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE GREATEST THREAT TO DEMOCRACY

Originally aired 3-27-24 - Nicole Sandler speaks with Barb McQuade about her book, ATTACK FROM WITHIN

From 3-6-24, Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman joined Nicole Sandler to talk about their new book, WHITE RURAL RAGE.

I'm out this week taking care of my mental health, so I'm running some shows from this year that deserve another listen, especially right now. Today, from January 16: The Trump slide into fascism has brought with it some dangerous new trends like the banning of books, whitewashing history and a massive backsliding of personal rights like abortion and bodily autonomy. One of the most heinous attacks has been on the rights of people to live their own authentic lives. I’ve been hyper-focused on what’s going on in Florida as I lived there for much of my life. The current governor is the worst in the country when it comes to pushing his own perverted sense of morals on the rest of the nation from his sickening directives like the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, prohibitions on African American studies AP high school courses and 6-week abortion ban for a start. Now, as the legislative session began this week, we learn of new legislation that would outlaw transgender adults. Really. I’m not overstating that. I learned of this latest outrage last week though an article at Alternet written by one of today’s guests. Erin Reed, aka Erin in the Morning, whose substack of the same name reports on trans and queer news and legislation so that we’re all aware of what is going on. Erin and I will be joined by our old friend ‘Boca’ Britany Somers, host of The Brit Somers Show, a trans woman trying to live her life in Floriduh.

We're still here. A bit battered and tattered and dejected, but we're grieving. We'll get through this. Today, Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel.net has a bit of a reality check for us. There's no sugar coating it, it's bad. But not ALL of it is bad. And I'll share some small good news too. We could all use some more of that. Breathe....

I was hoping that after the uncertainty cleared and we got past Nov 5 that things would return to a surreal sort of sanity, but I'm not sure sane will be part of the American lexicon again. It would be very easy for me to remain in bed with the blankets pulled up over my head to avoid dealing with the world, but that certainly wouldn't end well. Thankfully, one of my favorite journalists - one who's not afraid to speak truth to power- Brian Karem (Salon.com, JustAskTheQuestion.com, "Free the Press"...) agreed to join me today to help me somehow get through the first show after TFG somehow managed to con his way back in to the White House. I'll be honest with you. Well, I always am, though I try to hide the extremes of my feelings. But this time just feels worse. I'm not sure how we proceed. Brian doesn't hold back. We'll see what gems of wisdom he can impart today.

Here we go... it's the last Emptywheel Friday episode before this election finally comes to a close. I've been struggling with awful anxiety for the last couple of weeks and have been off the air much of this week due to that. Another reason to be grateful for Marcy Wheeler's friendship and brilliance... Find and support Marcy's work at emptywheel.net. And you can always find me at nicolesandler.com

I'm doing my best to dig out of the anxiety that's sidelined me for the past few days. Today, we'll share some encouraging words from one of my favorite OG bloggers, the inimitable Driftglass (who's also celebrating a birthday this week!!) Read Driftglass at driftglass.blogspot.com, and hear him and his wife BlueGal Fran on the Professional Left Podcast too!

You know what TFN stands for at this point, right? It's The Fucking News. It just doesn't stop. And it's the cause of the giant pit in my stomach right now that has had me feeling nauseated and unable to function most of the time these days. If you've been listening to this show for a while, you may remember the effect the 2016 election had on my mind, soul and being. When TFG was declared winner, that sickness permeated every inch of my body and psyche and wreaked havoc on me for four long years. I'm not a medical professional, but my best description of what happened to me was a total breakdown. Somehow I managed to mostly go through the motions and keep this show going, but it was not easy. And it was not fun. I've struggled with depression since adolescence, but the stress and anxiety that's ravaged my mind and body thanks to that orange narcissistic fascist is really taking a toll on me. I'll do my best to muddle through... but please know that if I'm off the air at all this week, that's why. I know it's not rational. NOTHING about him is rational. This is opposite world on steroids. I believe we'll be ok. I believe he will lose and that GOOD will triumph over evil. Unfortunately, none of those rational beliefs are doing a good job of alleviating what's happening in my head. But I'll keep trying to battle those demons -- in real life, in my mind and all over the fucking internet and tv. I'll share a few things that should help (and do, albeit temporarily). And we'll check in with Jonathan Larsen of TheFuckingNews.substack.com as we do each Monday.... And if you're feeling as I am, please know you're not alone. But we will survive. And we will win.

We are in the final stretch of the race to November 5 and the head off a disaster too frightening for most of us to contemplate. I know that my stress and anxiety levels are where they were eight years ago again... a feeling I had hoped I'd never again experience. Perhaps I can take small solace in knowing that I'm not alone. And one of the best pep talks about defeating despair comes directly from the one woman who can make pulling back from the brink of doom, VP Kamala Harris herself, with an assist from Maria Shriver and Liz Cheney. We usually record these Emptywheel Friday shows early in the day as I'm in Arizona and Marcy is in Ireland, But today, Marcy is enjoying Paris with friends, so today we'll do it live! It'll be our regular 2pm Mountain AZ time on my end, and at 11pm Friday night in Paris!

The interminable election season of 2024 will end in less than two weeks and then all bets are off. The future is so uncertain that no one can tell you what will happen. If they do, they're lying, though that's nothing new for one of the major political parties vying for control. If you're not nervous about it, you're not paying attention. With so much at stake, we have a busy show today. Voting is underway in most states. Some of us have already completed and returned our ballots, while others are procrastinating. Although I can't understand how anyone could still be undecided about the top of the ticket, those ballot initiatives often trip people up. We'll speak with Chris Melody Fields Figueredo of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center about how to navigate those often huge ballots to make sure you're voting the correct way... And then we'll check in with Thom Hartmann who's just released the final installment in his Hidden History book series - this time it's The Hidden History of the American Dream... Let's hope we can get back too that dream and escape our current nightmare!

It's that time of year again... open enrollment for Medicare and just a week away for the ACA. With your life on the line, it's important to know your options. So I'm thrilled that the health insurance industry whistleblower Wendell Potter returns to the show today to answer your questions and give you actual facts. You should also be reading Wendell Potter's "Healthcare Un-Covered" newsletter by subscribing to healthcareuncovered.substack.com!

Another Monday arrived way too soon, but we'll deal with it. It was a strange weekend -- complete with TFG's obsessing over Arnold Palmer's dick size and Harvey Weinstein getting "schlonged" (I don't believe that's even a word, though "schlong" is Yiddish slang for dick). What more or less would you expect from a demented narcissist who wants to be a dick-tator? As it is Monday, we will visit with Jonathan Larsen from The Fucking News at thefuckingnews.substack.com and the less expletively-challenged jonathanlarsen.substack.com.... And you thought Don-Old was vulgar! He is, but also know that I'm not running for president. He is.

Another week is winding down and, as we do each Friday, Marcy Wheeler and I stick a fork in it with a freewheeling discussion of what happened. Today we begin with the release of Jack Smith's appendices to his filing that TFG fought but failed to prevent. Despite the corporate media's best efforts to prolong the horse race and their refusal to just report the facts and tell the truth, a few moments that could clarify actual truths were able to penetrate the barrage of right wing propaganda. The probing questions were asked by concerned citizens, not from members of the fourth estate who've been negligent in their duties... And yes, we will touch on the big news out of the horrific situation in the Middle East. Yesterday came confirmation that the Israeli Defense Forces had killed Hamas leader and 10/7 architect Yahya Sinwar. The question here is can this please be the thing that will garner the release of the remaining hostages and start the peace process? Please?

The end of this seemingly interminable election season is in sight... less than three weeks away. As important as it is to elect Kamala Harris & Time Walz as POTUS & VPOTUS, it's just as important to give them a Democratic controlled Congress so they can actually get meaningful work done. Today's Thursday, so we'll talk with Howie Klein of Down with Tyranny and the Blue America PAC about those congressional races and see how the Blue America-endorsed candidates are faring, and remind you who they are so you can vote for them too. Blue America now has a contest going on to support Congressman Jamie Raskin's Democracy Summer. Get all the details here, and support an amazing resource offered by my favorite Congressman! Also, yesterday, many of us who rarely if ever turn on the Fox (not) News Channel tuned in to two shows yesterday -- one billed as a "townhall" meeting with host Harris Faulkner and TFG; the other a sit down interview with VP Kamala Harris conducted by the guy who many who should know better call a real journalist, Brett Baier. After Baier's rude questioning and constant interrupting of our sitting Vice President, no one should make that mistake ever again.

It's a busy show today. While I was out in moving hell, the new term of the Supreme Extreme Court got underway. Today, our favorite legal expert Lisa Graves (DoJ & Senate veteran) joins in to let us know what's at stake at the court. We'll also check in with Heathcare advocate Laura Packard who's currently on a Protect Our Care national bus tour which hits Tempe, AZ today and Phoenix tomorrow before moving on to CA, NV, CO, MI, WI, OH and PA....

We are now three weeks away from election day with, literally, the world at stake. Today, I welcome journalist, author, podcaster, White House Correspondent and musician with the perfect snarky sense of humor, Brian Karem, back to the show. We'll delve into opposite world and beyond, including that very weird Town Hall Meeting turned disco dance party at which TFG answered a few questions then decided he'd rather be a DJ than president. Weird is correct. Demented is probably more accurate...