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

BestOfTheLeft.com
Donald Trump
Christian Nationalism
Far-Right Extremism
Accelerationism
Supreme Court
Capitalism
Extreme Right Ideology
Neo-Fascism
Clarence Thomas
Latin America
U.S. Immigration Policy
Covid-19
Democracy
Social Collapse
Infrastructure Attacks
Political Violence
Technocracy
Counter-Terrorism
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
NewsPoliticsNews Commentary

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Artwork for Best of the Left

Latest Episodes

Air Date 11/21/2025

In an ethical political system, being willing to break the law in order to starve people amid a political dispute wouldn't be a source of greater leverage and power but it is in ours and the shutdown put the wildly different sen... more

Air Date: 11-10-25

Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:

• Ch. 1 - "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps"

• Ch. 2 - "Politically correct"

• Ch. 3 - "Ethnic cleansing"

• Ch. 4 - "Meritocracy"

• Ch. 5 - Our current "wealth pump"... more

Air Date 11/7/2025

The most dangerous part of nuclear weapons has always been the people in charge of them. As we potentially enter a new arms race, some of the worst people in the world are in charge of the vast majority of nuclear weapons.

Be p... more

Air Date: 11/11/25

The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we examine how power is being quietly consolidated across institutions, how propaganda and AI are reshaping our sense of real... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Sherrilyn Ifill
Founding director of the 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy at Howard University
Howard University
Episode: #1751 Monthly-ish Mix: Institutions Fall, Reality Breaks, Empire Rises
Mark Elias
Founder of Democracy Docket and elections attorney
Democracy Docket
Episode: #1749 Democracy: In Theory, In Practice, and Under Threat
Dr. Marissa Cohen
Marriage and family therapist
Episode: #1745 Fake New World: The Age of AI Slop, AI Education, and AI Fascism
Dr. Joseph Pierre
Clinical professor in psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
Episode: #1745 Fake New World: The Age of AI Slop, AI Education, and AI Fascism
Kim Whaley
Legal expert and commentator
Episode: #1742 Captured Court, Captured Nation: SCOTUS Serves Trump's Authoritarianism
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick
Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council
American Immigration Council
Episode: #1742 Captured Court, Captured Nation: SCOTUS Serves Trump's Authoritarianism
Neal Katyal
Former acting Solicitor General and legal scholar
Episode: #1742 Captured Court, Captured Nation: SCOTUS Serves Trump's Authoritarianism
Dahlia Lithwick
Legal commentator and journalist
Episode: #1742 Captured Court, Captured Nation: SCOTUS Serves Trump's Authoritarianism
Elizabeth Wydra
President of the Constitutional Accountability Center
Constitutional Accountability Center
Episode: #1742 Captured Court, Captured Nation: SCOTUS Serves Trump's Authoritarianism

Host

Jay
Host of the podcast; leads discussions and curations on progressive topics, providing specialized insight into a variety of social and political issues.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 3.8k 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 States2 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 States4 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
    5 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 States8 months 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 States9 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Criticism occasionally arises regarding a perceived one-sidedness on certain topics, particularly concerning political figures.
The diversity of voices presented is frequently praised, enhancing understanding of complex issues.
Listeners appreciate the expert curation that condenses a wide range of progressive perspectives into insightful discussions.
Many enjoy the thorough exploration of societal issues, finding the content informative and essential for understanding the current political climate.
Several listeners note technical issues related to audio quality, which can detract from the overall experience.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#242
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#202
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#11
Russia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#62
Russia/News
Apple Podcasts
#148
South Africa/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#180
Philippines/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#1749 Democracy: In Theory, In Practice, and Under Threat
Q: What does it mean to prevent Trump from undermining free and fair elections?
We must engage politically and as a community to ensure that the electoral process is upheld and protected.
#1745 Fake New World: The Age of AI Slop, AI Education, and AI Fascism
Q: How are data centers impacting local water resources?
Data centers require significant water for cooling, often being located in already stressed water regions, exacerbating local drought conditions.
#1745 Fake New World: The Age of AI Slop, AI Education, and AI Fascism
Q: What potential risks do AI relationships pose according to Dr. Marissa Cohen?
AI relationships may provide a false sense of connection, reducing the value of real human interactions and potentially leading to dependency.
#1745 Fake New World: The Age of AI Slop, AI Education, and AI Fascism
Q: What is the concept of 'AI Slop' as discussed?
AI Slop refers to low-quality, AI-generated content that floods social media, lacking intentionality and depth.
#1733 The Impossible Promise of Make American Healthy Again: MAHA vs MAGA
Q: Can you remind me again what the difference is between an mRNA vaccine and a traditional vaccine, like for polio, for example?
Most vaccines take a part of a virus, while mRNA technology uses a small segment of the mRNA that stimulates the immune response in cells.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About Best of the Left

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

This podcast provides expertly curatd discussions on progressive politics, news, culture, and economics. It aims to highlight various perspectives on pressing national and international issues by drawing from numerous progressive sources. Episodes typically feature in-depth explorations of topics like gerrymandering, immigration, public health policies, and the effects of neoliberalism, all examined through a lens that critiques current leadership and promotes systemic change. As an established platform since 2006, it distinguishes itself by not relying on algorithms, thereby ensuring a human touch and a plethora of viewpoints that listeners might not encounter elsewhere, making it a valuable resource for those seeking to better understand ... more

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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. Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer
3. The Majority Report with Sam Seder
4. The Hartmann Report
5. The Intercept Briefing

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?

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What guests have appeared on Best of the Left?

Recent guests on Best of the Left include:

1. Sherrilyn Ifill
2. Mark Elias
3. Dr. Marissa Cohen
4. Dr. Joseph Pierre
5. Kim Whaley
6. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick
7. Neal Katyal
8. Dahlia Lithwick

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