Episode 7 Audio: Krystal and Kyle

Friends,

First of all: we were so sorry to hear that Andrew Yang couldn’t join us this week, as he’s currently battling COVID-19. Please join us in sending him well wishes for a speedy recovery.

We start off by discussing the impeachment proceedings and the confirmation hearing of Neera Tanden. As Sen. Bernie Sanders has pointed out, it’s worth pondering whether Neera’s time spent securing corporate donations for CAP will bear upon her ability to lead the federal-level Office of Management and Budget. That’s precisely what we ponder, bringing up a past case in which Bloomberg’s backing of CAP led the think tank to erase their research on NYPD’s surveillance of Muslim communities from a study in 2015. At the same time, of course, there’s her past support for slashing Social Security, as well as her argument that Libya should pay the U.S. in oil to continue the U.S.’s “engaging in the world.” It’s not news that Neera Tanden is not a friend to working people. Seeing her claim this powerful position in Biden’s administration, in fact, tells us a lot about the interests and political will of that administration.

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Next, because Krystal Kyle & Friends is just Krystal and Kyle this week, the later part of the show offers a deep, introspective look at how each of us became politically radicalized, how we’ve arrived at our advocacy for issues like organized labor and universal healthcare, and how leftist politics fits into the terrain of our own lives. We’re thrilled to be able to share this with you — not only because you’ll see Kyle in a new light (pro golfer), but also because reflecting upon the meeting of our political journeys and our personal lives helps us to think about our own strategies for building leftist power, the lessons we’ve learned in the past, and the possibilities we envision for the American left in the future.

We hope you enjoy! Remember that audio for this podcast can also be accessed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major streaming platforms like Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Pandora, and Google Podcasts.