Podcast Title: As The World Churns
Episode Title: Is The Window To Fight Back Closing
Release Date: May 20, 2025
Hosts: Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie

Introduction

In this episode of "As The World Churns," hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie navigate through a tumultuous landscape of political unrest, governmental actions, and societal challenges. With insightful discussions and expert interviews, they aim to provide clarity amidst the chaos.

Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis and Public Reaction

Danielle opens the discussion with the concerning news of former President Joe Biden's diagnosis of stage four prostate cancer, which has metastasized to his bones. She emphasizes the universal impact of cancer and criticizes both political figures for their handling of cancer research and public perception.

• Notable Quote:
  Danielle (02:58): "It's terrible. But as he said in his post, that cancer touches everybody, touches every family."

Andy echoes the condolences and addresses the conspiracy theories surrounding the timing and severity of Biden's diagnosis. He encourages listeners to disregard misinformation and highlights the complexities of medical decisions for the elderly.

• Notable Quote:
  Andy Levy (04:08): "You don't have to be a keyboard warrior on this one. Just hope that he doesn't experience a lot of pain."

Supreme Court Rulings on Immigration Policies

The conversation pivots to recent Supreme Court decisions impacting immigration, specifically blocking Donald Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations and allowing the stripping of temporary protective status from over 300,000 Venezuelan migrants.

Danielle critiques the administration's rhetoric equating immigration issues to a war, undermining due process and humanizing immigrants. She questions the implications of these rulings on democracy and civil rights.

• Notable Quote:
  Danielle (10:47): "Donald Trump's been on a tear the last few days, Danielle. Shocking."

Andy clarifies the Supreme Court's decisions, noting that while the ruling temporarily halts Trump's deportation efforts, another decision permits the removal of protective status, raising concerns about executive overreach and national security justifications.

• Notable Quote:
  Andy Levy (08:57): "The Supreme Court is saying there's nothing we can do about that. They have every right to do that because they are the ultimate decider of national security."

Impact of Trump's Social Media Actions

The hosts discuss Donald Trump's recent activities on his social media platform, Truth Social, including cryptic posts perceived as threats against political opponents like James Comey. Danielle passionately defends the term "86," emphasizing its traditional meanings over the violent interpretations some are attributing to it.

• Notable Quote:
  Danielle (12:35): "I waited tables for many years, and I will tell you that 86 people means exactly all of the ways that you described it."

Andy highlights the hypocrisy within the MAGA movement, pointing out Trump's historical use of threatening imagery against opponents and the lack of accountability for such actions.

Interview with Amal Sinha, Executive Director of ACLU of New Jersey

Danielle welcomes Amal Sinha to discuss the recent arrest of Mayor Ras Baraka by ICE agents during a press conference, analyzing it as a politically motivated attack by the Trump administration against dissenting officials.

• Notable Quote:
  Amal Sinha (22:27): "The arrest that we saw on video, clear as daylight, was brutal."

Amal elaborates on the systemic erosion of the rule of law under the current administration, emphasizing the targeted nature of such arrests against political opponents and the broader implications for democracy.

• Notable Quote:
  Amal Sinha (26:14): "The Trump administration has basically said that they are going after people who disagree with them."

Danielle probes deeper into the administration's use of political theater to intimidate other mayors and governors, questioning the long-term impact on state-level governance and federal-state relations.

• Notable Quote:
  Amal Sinha (34:01): "We need more coordination. We need a cohesive message. We need to make sure that we are all pushing back wherever we can, as loudly as we can."

Amal calls for increased coordination among like-minded states and urges individuals to get involved with organizations like the ACLU to combat these authoritarian tendencies.

• Notable Quote:
  Amal Sinha (37:04): "The ACLU cannot do this work alone. We've already, since day one of this administration, filed over 110 lawsuits."

Co-host Jared Sexton Joins the Conversation

Danielle introduces Jared Sexton, author of The Midnight Kingdom and editor at large for the Substack Dispatches from a Collapsing State. Jared shares his perspectives on the accelerated authoritarianism under Trump's second administration and the Democratic Party's struggle to effectively oppose these measures.

• Notable Quote:
  Jared Sexton (41:29): "We are in the middle of an accelerated class war."

Jared analyzes the dysfunctional alliance between the authoritarian administration and the oligarchy, explaining how economic pressures and political maneuvers contribute to societal instability.

• Notable Quote:
  Jared Sexton (46:27): "Authoritarians are inherently dysfunctional and messy and absurd. They're not actually the great lawbringers."

The discussion delves into the awakening of American consciousness regarding systemic injustices and the necessity for collective action to preserve democratic values.

• Notable Quote:
  Jared Sexton (52:32): "White Americans do not like that. And whiteness. There's a reason why the white supremacist project in the United States of America go together like rancid peanut butter and chocolate."

Economic Policies and Tariff Wars

Danielle and Andy critique Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policies, highlighting the unrealistic expectation that corporations like Walmart would absorb the costs instead of passing them onto consumers. They discuss the broader economic implications, including potential stagflation and recession.

• Notable Quote:
  Danielle (66:38): "Donald Trump's economic plan was going to cause unnecessary economic duress on the American people because a tariff is nothing more than a consumer tax."

Andy underscores the administration's self-inflicted economic problems, lamenting the shortsighted policies that endanger public safety and fiscal stability.

• Notable Quote:
  Andy Levy (73:27): "This administration is just continuously and continually shooting itself in the foot, shooting America in the head."

Conclusion and "Fuck That Guy" Segment

Wrapping up the episode, Andy and Danielle express their frustration with current political and economic leaders, emphasizing the dire consequences of their policies on everyday Americans.

• Notable Quote:
  Danielle (66:38): "I think that more people will have to experience a whole lot of pain and a whole lot of loss of life for people to actually understand what Donald Trump is doing."

Andy concludes with a targeted critique against the administration for undermining crucial services like the National Weather Service, linking budget cuts to increased vulnerability during natural disasters.

Final Thoughts

This episode of "As The World Churns" provides a comprehensive examination of the current political and economic climate in the United States. Through passionate discussions and expert insights, Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie shed light on the challenges facing democracy, civil rights, and societal well-being, urging listeners to stay informed and actively participate in safeguarding their future.

Note: This summary excludes all advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the substantive discussions within the episode.