Ask a Newly Elected Democrat
For once, it's a good time to be an independent social-justice-oriented journalist--not because society has magically adopted a sustainable model to support independent journalism, but because the issues we center are finally seeping into the mainstream.
For nearly 25 years I've focused on Medicare-for-All, raising the minimum wage, taxing the rich, and expanding the social safety net. For so long I've covered the oppression of immigrants, endless US wars, and aid to the the genocidal and apartheid state of Israel. Now, these issues, that corporate media either ignored or skewed are front and center.
✊🏾 It's a wonderful vindication, and on-going affirmation that the work of indie journalists like me is more necessary than ever.
More than a year ago, I interviewed Angela Gonzales-Torres on my show, when she was just starting her Congressional campaign against incumbent Representative Jimmy Gomez. During the course of our interview, the Los Angeles activist told me she'd read my 2025 book Talking About Abolition: A Police-Free World is Possible.
Angela went on to make it through the California primary and I invited her back on my show in June as she was gearing up for the midterms. Then, on November 3rd, Angela beat Jimmy Gomez with nearly 60% of the vote, joining the growing crop of progressives who cut their teeth in left movements and are now heading to Washington D.C. with a social justice agenda.
I'll be interviewing Angela once more on Sunday morning. And I'D LOVE TO INCLUDE YOUR QUESTIONS IN MY INTERVIEW.
Paid members can leave comments in the space below (you have to be logged in to access the comments section), and if the question is relevant, I will ask it! Make sure you post your question before Sunday November 15 at 10 am PST (1 pm EST).
When insurgent candidates run for office, they are rarely given corporate media access to the public. But independent progressive journalists have given them platforms and done our jobs, often for little pay.
THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING.... ! 🎁 🎁 🎁
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LATEST STORIES ON RISING UP:
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JEET HEER: "[Y]ou're seeing the Republican coalition that Trump has created, it's falling apart, and that has huge implications, not just for this election, but for 2028. And really, I honestly think if the Democrats can govern with some degree of effectiveness, this could fundamentally remake the map of American politics."
First Order of Congressional Business: Raise the Minimum Wage
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Corporate media's goal is to leave you feeling overwhelmed and accept the status quo.
BONUS EPISODE:
Rising Up for the Legal Rights of the LGBTQ+ Community
IMANI RUPERT-GORDON: "[W]e have a long history of protecting folks from intersecting identities, including protecting folks who have been incarcerated. We know that disproportionately the folks that are incarcerated are people of color, are LGBTQ people, are folks from low incomes, and people that sit at the intersections of identity."
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY PRINT PIECES THAT PUBLISHED THIS WEEK. BUT HERE'S A STORY BY ANOTHER WRITER I WISH I'D WRITTEN...
