Rephonic
Artwork for Best of the Left

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics
Donald Trump
Christian Nationalism
Far-Right Extremism
Accelerationism
Supreme Court
Extreme Right Ideology
Capitalism
Neo-Fascism
Clarence Thomas
U.S. Immigration Policy
Latin America
Democracy
Covid-19
Counter-Terrorism
Political Violence
Social Collapse
Infrastructure Attacks
Technocracy
Italy
Israel

Expertly-curated progressive politics, news, and culture produced by leftist humans, not algorithms or AI. This is an award-winning podcast that dives deeply into a wide range of national and international issues facing society and governments. We draw from hundreds of sources of progressive news and commentary. Est. 2006. Save time by listening to a range of perspectives on a focused topic in eac... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1622Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNews CommentaryNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Best of the Left

Latest Episodes

Re-Air Date: 04-07-26

Original Air Date: 1-15-2025

Elon Musk is leading the way for his class of tech broligarchs anxious to take over the MAGA movement and shape it to their own ends of deregulation, tax cuts, and lucrative government contracts.... more

Air Date: 4/3/2026

Today we examine how decades of U.S. policy toward Cuba set the stage for the current crisis, we explore the human cost of the U.S. oil blockade on Cuba's 11 million people, and how the U.S. justifies an illegal siege while claim... more

Air Date: 3–31-2026

Today we examine how money and power have captured American sports from every angle — gambling platforms operating as unregulated casinos, private equity turning franchises into financial assets, leagues suppressing player pay w... more

Air Date: 3–26-26

Welcome to ALMOST SOLVED!, the show that's almost like SOLVED! but one or more things are missing, namely the guarantee of a solution at the end and possibly also one of our cohosts.

Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon discuss:

• C... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Jemele Hill
Guest speaker introduced as a prominent sports journalist
Episode: #1781 Your Team Is a Hedge Fund Now: How Gambling and Billionaires Captured American Sports
Alan Rosenstein
Research director and senior editor at Lawfare
Lawfare
Episode: #1778 AI, the Pentagon, Labor and Capitalism: The Fight Over Who Controls the Future
Pete Hegseth
Pentagon policy figure mentioned in discussions
U.S. Department of Defense
Episode: #1778 AI, the Pentagon, Labor and Capitalism: The Fight Over Who Controls the Future
Dario Amodei
CEO of Anthropic, AI safety advocate
Anthropic
Episode: #1778 AI, the Pentagon, Labor and Capitalism: The Fight Over Who Controls the Future
Bryan Stevenson
Attorney and civil rights advocate, Chicago-based guest discussed on air
Episode: #1776 Trump's Pharaoh Complex, Our Flawed Constitution, and the 250th Anniversary
Mike Beedenbaugh
Political commentator, historic preservationist, US Navy veteran, author of Reviving Our Republic
Author of Reviving Our Republic
Episode: #1776 Trump's Pharaoh Complex, Our Flawed Constitution, and the 250th Anniversary
Amanda Littman
Interviewee discussed in the How to Be a Citizen segment
The Atlantic interview context
Episode: SOLVED! SAMPLE! #34 - Understanding The Dual State: Life Under Authoritarianism and Your Role in Fighting It
Pam Bondi
Former Florida Attorney General
Episode: #1771 They Need You in the Dark: Information, Journalism, and the Fight Against Fascism
Hannah Naitenson
Washington Post journalist involved in controversial search warrant case
Washington Post
Episode: #1771 They Need You in the Dark: Information, Journalism, and the Fight Against Fascism

Host

Jay
Host who curates and presents various leftist perspectives, facilitating discussions on critical political and social issues.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 3.9k ratings
  • 9.14.25

    I love this this podcast of a compilation of great clips of good info/analysis as well as introducing us to what may be new outlets we didn’t know about and can add them to our listening/reading resources. Thank you! love it!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    midwestBlue
    United States7 months ago
  • 7.14.25

    Excellent guests, very informative. you dive deeper into subject matter than others bringing up new info and I appreciate that. Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    midwestBlue
    United States9 months ago
  • Excellently Curated Program. I love getting all the different perspectives from all over the liberal and progressive media sphere.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Bauld G. Kobra
    10 months ago
  • Must have

    I have listened to this podcast for years. I always felt it gave me a fuller understanding of the issues. But these days I find Best of the Left an essential listen just to make sense of the times we are in

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    gfcsp
    United Statesa year ago
  • Okay I guess.

    They talk about conservatives not being able to grasp different variations or groups and that not everyone has to be processed in good or bad. Then proceed to classify all conservatives as bad which is hypocritical. I listen to podcasts on both sides because I honestly believe that truth is something that doesn’t exist within the political spectrum anymore so you need to be very open to intelligence gathering. I have noticed in all of my listening though and I find this to be quite intriguing is... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Roan7107
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many express that it is an essential resource for understanding complex social and political issues, emphasizing the effort put into producing high-quality episodes.
There are mixed sentiments regarding the podcast's political slant, with some noting its strong leftist bias, while others value its focus on social justice and advocacy.
Listeners appreciate the expert curation of diverse progressive voices and the enriching content that challenges mainstream narratives.
Some listeners have criticized audio quality and the pacing of the discussions, but overall, the feedback highlights a commitment to informative and engaging content.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#175
Italy/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#132
Indonesia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#149
Colombia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#221
Mexico/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#250
Israel/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#1770 Getting in the Fight Against ICE and Authoritarianism
Q: What can everyday people do to resist ICE and protect their communities?
People can form resistance groups, call their representatives, and take part in local actions to fight against ICE's practices.
#1770 Getting in the Fight Against ICE and Authoritarianism
Q: What role do faith communities play in the fight against authoritarianism?
Faith communities can use their moral authority to speak against power abuses, reminding people of the commandment to love.
#1128 Confronting Fascism in the Land of Free Speech (Throwback)
Q: Do you agree or disagree?
Lee Rowland expresses hesitation in fully agreeing with the critique of First Amendment prioritization, emphasizing historical perspectives on civil rights.
#1768 The End of an Era: The International Rules-Based Order Gives Way to Trump's Might-Makes-Right Plutocracy
Q: What implications does the shift towards a transactional foreign policy hold for global stability?
It could lead to increased tensions as nations prioritize self-interest over cooperation, potentially igniting new conflicts around the world.
#1763 It's Not a Health Care System, it's a Wealth Extraction System
Q: What should be done to improve health care access?
Implementing Medicare For All to cover all citizens, reducing administrative costs and improving access.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Best of the Left

What is Best of the Left about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The content focuses on progressive politics, culture, and economic policies, presenting expertly curated discussions that bring together diverse leftist perspectives. Episodes often tackle critical social issues, encompassing everything from authoritarianism and state violence to wealth inequality and public health. This podcast aims to provide listeners with insights that challenge mainstream narratives, highlight the implications of governmental actions, and mobilize grassroots movements among communities while fostering informed activism.

Where can I find podcast stats for Best of the Left?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Best of the Left. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Best of the Left and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Best of the Left get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Best of the Left, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Best of the Left?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Best of the Left, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Best of the Left have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Best of the Left has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Best of the Left?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Best of the Left:

1. Unf*cking The Republic
2. Democracy Now! Audio
3. The Majority Report with Sam Seder
4. The Intercept Briefing
5. The Hartmann Report

How many episodes of Best of the Left are there?

Best of the Left launched 20 years ago and published 1622 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Best of the Left?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Best of the Left?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Best of the Left from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Best of the Left?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Best of the Left. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Best of the Left?

Recent guests on Best of the Left include:

1. Jemele Hill
2. Alan Rosenstein
3. Pete Hegseth
4. Dario Amodei
5. Bryan Stevenson
6. Mike Beedenbaugh
7. Amanda Littman
8. Pam Bondi

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days