Briahna talks to Bernie about why he’s running and what distinguishes him in a crowded Democratic field. Claire Sandberg, the campaign’s National Organizing Director, drops by to tell us about the huge volunteer kickoff happening later this month.

Hear the Bern

1 - Bernie Gets Personal

Following the rollout of Bernie's new Medicare for All bill, Briahna takes on the many myths that critics use to attack universal healthcare. Campaign staffers share their own healthcare ordeals. And Dr. Heather Gautney, a senior policy advisor with the campaign, argues that, while Medicare for All might not be a “silver bullet” for every problem in the US healthcare system, it is an absolutely necessary first step.

Episode transcript: https://berniesanders.com/2019/04/16/ep-2-busting-trumps-health-care-myths/

2 - Busting Trump's Healthcare Myths

Bernie 2020 Co-chair Sen. Nina Turner, activist Shaun King, podcaster Leslie Lee III, and South Carolina Rep. Krystle Simmons share their reasons for supporting Bernie Sanders and, along the way, blow up the "Bernie Bro" narrative. Briahna also talks to Jonnalyn Price, an undergraduate student and veteran, about hosting a volunteer kickoff event on April 27. We hear from voters in Detroit, where Bernie recently held a series of intimate forums to learn about voters' concerns from the source.

Check out berniesanders.com for episode transcripts, available shortly after publication.

3 - Black Bernie Bros Speak Out

Briahna travels with Bernie to the Lone Star State, where she speaks to campaign volunteers and staffers, rally attendees, local politicians, and a certain ice cream magnate about what it’s like to support Bernie on the road. We hear excerpts from a South Carolina roundtable on poverty featuring Cornell West, Danny Glover, and Kerri Evelyn Harris. Finally, Briahna checks in with Bernie at a Texas BBQ joint.

4 - Bernie on the Road (With Bernie Sanders, Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s, and Sema Hernandez)

Longtime Bernie staffers share what makes the Senator tick. Jeff Weaver explains where Bernie falls on the Batman vs. Superman debate and tells stories of their youthful road trips around Vermont in the '80s. Chuck Rocha dishes on Bernie's IHOP habits. And David Sirota discusses his decision to leave journalism for the campaign and what it's like to work as Bernie's first speechwriter.

5 - Bernie Back in the Day (With David Sirota, Jeff Weaver, and Chuck Rocha)

What does it mean to be "electable"? Do voters really gravitate toward "safe" (read: white, male, and centrist) candidates? How much do policies matter to voters? And can Bernie beat Trump?

To answer these questions and debunk some persistent polling myths, Briahna talks to Malaika Jabali, a public policy attorney and writer, and Ben Tulchin, president of Tulchin Research and the campaign’s pollster.

Malaika's Current Affairs article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/10/the-color-of-economic-anxiety

Rural Organizing poll on rural voters: http://ruralorganizing.org/polling-brief-2018-national-rural-survey

Pew poll on non-voters: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/01/dislike-of-candidates-or-campaign-issues-was-most-common-reason-for-not-voting-in-2016/

6 - But Can He Win? (With Malaika Jabali and Ben Tulchin)

On this episode, Briahna explores how, as AOC recently put it, “justice is purchased.” Thanks to cash bail, thousands of low-income  Americans sit behind bars without any kind of trial, conviction, or sentencing — all because they cannot afford to buy their freedom. Lara Bazelon, a law professor at the University of San Francisco, explains how cash bail criminalizes poverty. Akeem Browder talks about how his brother Kalief spent three years in Rikers Island starting at age 16 simply because he couldn’t afford bail, and how the psychological toll of that experience led him to take his own life.

Bernie and AOC announcing their Loan Shark Prevention Act legislation: https://www.facebook.com/NowThisPolitics/videos/976956259362039/

ACLU and Color of Change report on the companies behind bail bond agents: https://www.aclu.org/report/selling-our-freedom-how-insurance-corporations-have-taken-over-our-bail-system

WaPo article on the companies backing the anti-bail reform effort in California: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/10/29/petition-drive-backed-by-private-equity-company-pays-signature-overturn-californias-new-law-ending-cash-bail

7 - Bail, Bills, and Criminal Injustice (w/ Lara Bazelon and Akeem Browder)

Briahna talks to Christine Chen of APIAVote about the rising (and neglected) power of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. Arjun Sethi, author of American Hate: Survivors Speak Out, discusses the spike in hate crimes under the Trump administration. And a panel of campaign staffers share what AAPI month does (and doesn’t) mean to them, as well as how to talk to your parents about Bernie.

Arjun's book, American Hate: Survivors Speak Out: https://thenewpress.com/books/american-hate

APIAVote: http://apiavote.org

8 - We Built This Country, Too: Asian American Voters Speak Out (w/ Christine Chen & Arjun Sethi)

Bernie staffers and DACA recipients Belén Sisa and Luis Alcauter talk about the power of coming out as undocumented. Activist Viridiana Martinez recounts her successful infiltration of an ICE facility, dramatized in the documentary The Infiltrators. Brianna Rennix, a lawyer and Current Affairs senior editor, fills us in on the difference between immigration and political asylum and shares her work on behalf of detained families, including children, in the Dilley Detention Center in South Texas.

The Infiltrators on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6885114

Brianna’s Current Affairs article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/05/waiting-for-the-holy-infant-of-atocha

9 - Borders & Boxes: The Fight for Immigration Justice (w/ Viridiana Martinez & Brianna Rennix)

For this episode, we try something many of you have done yourselves: talk democratic socialism with our parents. We tune into to Bernie's big speech on democratic socialism from last week. And Briahna talks with Howard University's Dr. Greg Carr about the ways that democratic socialism and African American history are deeply intertwined.

11 - Bogeyman: Democratic Socialism (w/ Greg Carr)

The Bernie campaign headed to Philadelphia to support protests against the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital, a city fixture that primarily serves lower-income and POC Americans. Private equity tycoon Joel Freedman is closing the hospital after just 18 months of ownership, by all appearances to sell its land to real estate developers. In this episode from the road, Briahna talks to protesters about what the hospital closure will mean for Philly. Plus, speeches from Bernie and Senator Nina Turner remind us that, in the words of Frederick Douglass, "power concedes nothing without a demand."

15 - Big Money vs. the City of Brotherly Love

Briahna dives into mainstream media's anti-Bernie habit with the help of Katie Halper of the Katie Halper Show and Sam Seder of the Majority Report. 

The Katie Halper Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-katie-halper-show/id1020563127
The Majority Report with Sam Seder: https://majorityreportradio.com

17 - Beat the Press (w/ Katie Halper & Sam Seder)

Professor and author Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor joins Briahna for a conversation about solidarity, intersectionality, and how both concepts are important parts of building a political coalition.

How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective on Haymarket Books: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1108-how-we-get-free

"Solidarity Forever" by Hollow Sidewalks licensed under CC BY 3.0.

19 - Building Coalitions (w/ Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor)

Veterans share their stories of fighting for essential medical care at recent campaign town halls. Bernie unveils his housing-for-all plan, gets personal in an NPR interview, and explains how he would fight for a progressive agenda, whether or not he faces a supportive Congress.

25 - Best of Bernie: A Million Donors Strong | Housing for All | Climate Strike

Briahna lays out why the notion that "everyone sounds like Bernie now" isn't really true at all, and nowhere is that more evident than Bernie's plan for combating climate change. Activist and musician Xiuhtezcatl Martinez shares Gen Z's frustration at the inaction of older generations in the face of an existential threat. Author Naomi Klein explains why small-bore, market-led solutions are too little, too late.

Xiuhtezcatl's NOW platform: https://www.generation-now.com

Naomi's book This Changes Everything: https://thischangeseverything.org/book/

26 - Bernie vs. the Rest (w/ Naomi Klein & Xiuhtezcatl Martinez)

Life under unfettered capitalism is tough, and in a thousand ways, big and small, mainstream figures tell us that our failures are our own, alone. Briahna talks to acclaimed filmmaker Michael Moore and Jacobin writer Meagan Day about why so many of our struggles result from the system in which we live - and how we can change it for the better.

Michael's site: https://michaelmoore.com

Meagan's writing at Jacobin: https://jacobinmag.com/author/meagan-day

30 - It's Not Your Fault (w/ Michael Moore & Meagan Day)

Briahna stopped by Politicon for a live show of Hear the Bern featuring Kyle Kulinski, James Adomian, and Anthony Atamanuik. The four talked the current state of the 2020 race, celebrity impressions, and, of course, why Bernie beats Trump.

Kyle Kulinski is the host of the show Secular Talk and co-founder of Justice Democrats. James Adomian is a comedian, host of the podcast The Underculture, and the Bernie half of "Trump vs. Bernie." Anthony Atamanuik is a comedian, author of American Tantrum: The Donald J. Trump Presidential Archives, and the Trump half of "Trump vs. Bernie."

Kyle's Secular Talk Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SecularTalk

James's Underculture podcast: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/the-underculture/

Anthony's book, American Tantrum: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062851888/american-tantrum/

31 - Live at Politicon (w/ Kyle Kulinski, James Adomian, and Anthony Atamanuik)

Next time someone asks you what Bernie has accomplished in his career, send them this podcast and tell them that we had to leave the better part on the cutting room floor just to get it under an hour. Featuring veteran policy advisor to the Senator, Warren Gunnels.

32 - Bernie Gets It Done (w/ Warren Gunnels)

As millions of us head home for the holidays, Briahna sits down with Bernie and former sparring partner Peter Daou for lessons on talking across our rancorous political divides.

Peter on Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterdaou

34 - Turkey Talk: Making the Case for Bernie's Electability (w/ Bernie Sanders & Peter Daou)

Briahna talks to author Grace Blakeley about our era of hyper-capitalism, characterized by the growing dominance of the financial sector and weakened labor.

Then, Hear the Bern producer Ben Dalton interviews an anonymous Amazon worker, who describes the company's union busting, mandatory overtime, and relentless monitoring of workers.

Grace's book, Stolen: How to Save the World from Financialisation: https://repeaterbooks.com/product/stolen-how-to-save-the-world-from-financialisation

35 - Office Race (w/ Grace Blakeley)

Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson stopped by the DC office for a conversation with Briahna about socialism and putting people back at the heart of politics.

Nathan's book, Why You Should Be a Socialist: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250200877

37 - People Over Profits (w/ Nathan J. Robinson)

A recent national poll found 52 percent of 18 to 34-year-old voters support Bernie in the Democratic primary, compared to just 2 percent for Pete Buttigieg, a millennial himself. Why do young people overwhelmingly support a 78-year-old Senator for president? To find out, Briahna spoke to some of the most politically engaged young people around, including the leadership of US Youth Climate Strike, the teenage masterminds of Mike Gravel's progressive presidential campaign, and Bernie 2020's own interns.

Then, the campaign’s Relational Organizing Director, Emily Isaac, gives us a rundown of BERN 2.0, the campaign’s secret weapon for organizing the people in your life.

US Youth Climate Strike on Twitter: https://twitter.com/usclimatestrike

38 - Bern After Yeeting (w/ US Youth Climate Strike & the Gravel Teens)

Briahna explores how Bernie's Jewish roots shaped his politics with Joel Rubin, the campaign's new director of Jewish outreach, and reporter, podcaster, and comedian Katie Halper. Briahna and Katie also dig into some of the anti-Semitic attacks that unscrupulous media types throw at Bernie.

Joel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoelMartinRubin
Katie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kthalps

39 - To Heal the World: Bernie's Jewish Roots (w/ Joel Rubin & Katie Halper)

Briahna sits down with the Hill's Krystal Ball and filmmaker Josh Fox to dissect Joe Biden's record on criminal justice, climate change, foreign policy, trade, and more.

Rising at the Hill: https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising

Josh's show The Truth Has Changed: http://www.internationalwow.com/tthc.php

40 - Joe Biden's Record (w/ Krystal Ball & Josh Fox)

Briahna explains why Bernie won Iowa despite efforts to discount predominantly minority and working-class voters.

Victoria Rodriguez-Roldán, a transgender and disability activist, argues that the concerns of her communities cannot be separated from universal programs like Medicare for All.

Journalist and professor Dr. Steven Thrasher explains why LGBTQIA+ communities are often the first and worst affected by scourges like HIV/AIDS.

Christine Hallquist, an entrepreneur and the first openly transgender major party nominee for governor in the United States, talks building a coalition with those "on the other side" without compromising your values.

Victoria on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yovimi
Dr. Thrasher on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thrasherxy
Christine on Twitter: https://twitter.com/christine4world

44 - Big Tents & Iowa (w/ Victoria Rodriguez-Roldán, Dr. Steven Thrasher, & Christine Hallquist)

Briahna on why we cannot allow Michael Bloomberg to buy the Democratic primary, Tim Black on the role of independent media in the growing left movement, and Justin Jackson on posting as praxis.

Tim on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TimsTakeLive

And Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealTimBlack

Justin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/J_ManPrime21

45 - Bloomberg vs. Democracy (w/ Tim Black & Justin Jackson)

Fresh from his massive win in Nevada, which confirmed his status as front-runner for the Democratic nomination, Bernie has come under attack for being "divisive." Strange, then, that Bernie's support is the most diverse of any campaign in the race, and he routinely wins head-to-head matchups against both Donald Trump and the other Democratic candidates. Briahna explains why efforts by the establishment to tear down this multiracial, working-class coalition will fail.

Then, in our final episode of Black History Month, Briahna chats with a panel of Black Bernie staffers about why they support "the old white guy" and with Dr. Victoria Dooley about the lives Medicare for All would save in her diverse medical practice.

The panel guests:

Sam Adaramola, Media Producer, https://twitter.com/samoriginals
Terrel Champion, Policy Advisor, https://twitter.com/TerrelDreamer
Erica England, Operations Manager, https://twitter.com/TheEricaEngland
Christopher Moore, Associate Studio Producer, https://twitter.com/ChrisMoore_94
Samaria Phillips, Media Producer

Dr. Victoria Dooley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDooleyMD

46 - Can't Stop Us Now (w/ Dr. Victoria Dooley)

Airplane delays kept Briahna from a joint live show in Boston with Daniel Denvir's The Dig podcast and the Michael Brooks Show last weekend, but we're including a portion of that show featuring Natalie Shure here. Listen to the full show: https://www.thedigradio.com/podcast/bernie-2020-with-michael-brooks-and-natalie-shure/

Then, a short clip of Briahna's conversation with Karen Hunter from the Karen Hunter Show in which they discuss billionaires, poverty, and talking to those with whom you disagree. Watch the full interview: https://youtu.be/ZTYjF-oSYb8

The Michael Brooks Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh2UY1hxlMr4_7Az_iQ82HQ

The Dig: https://www.thedigradio.com

Natalie Shure on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nataliesurely

"Which Side Are You On" by RevolutionarySongCircle is licensed under a Creative Commons BY license: https://soundcloud.com/revolutionarysongcircle/which-side-are-you-on

47 - Which Side Are You On? (Live w/ The Dig, Michael Brooks, & Natalie Shure)

With the race down to Bernie versus Joe, Briahna digs into the specifics (or lack thereof) of Biden's health care plan with Matt Bruenig of the People's Policy Project.

The People's Policy Project: https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org

The Bruenigs Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/thebruenigs

Matt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MattBruenig

48 - Say It Ain't So, Joe (w/ Matt Bruenig)

As COVID-19 reshapes American life in unprecedented ways, Briahna examines how Bernie's health care and housing proposals would help protect American workers during a global pandemic.

In two interviews recorded late last week, Briahna talks to professor Jeffrey Sachs about how Medicare for All would do much to prepare the U.S. for outbreaks like COVID-19 and to George Gardner III, supervising attorney at the Housing Rights Unit of Legal Services NYC, about Bernie's call for a moratorium on housing evictions.

Jeffrey Sachs on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffdsachs

George on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ggiii

49 - In This Together (w/ Jeffrey Sachs & George Gardner III)

Recording from home, Briahna speaks with YouTuber Natalie Wynn about how COVID-19 underscores the need for Bernie's policies and talking to the political other.

Under her YouTube alias ContraPoints, Natalie tackles topics like incels, cancel culture, and classism in stylish video essays.

ContraPoints on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNvsIonJdJ5E4EXMa65VYpA

ContraPoints on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/contrapoints

50 - Shelter & Grace (w/ Natalie Wynn)

Economist Stephanie Kelton gives Briahna a crash course in monetary policy and why the United States would actually benefit from increased deficit spending - so long as it flows toward working people, not stock buybacks. Stephanie makes the case that, in the midst of the historic economic crash that COVID-19 is causing, the federal government could go much farther than last week's stimulus package to ease economic pain and prevent mass layoffs. 

Stephanie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephanieKelton
Pre-order The Deficit Myth: https://stephaniekelton.com/book

51 - The Deficit Myth (w/ Stephanie Kelton)

Since the start of the Democratic primary more than a year ago, we have seen the field dwindle from 20-some candidates to just two. On the one-year anniversary of our first episode, former Warren supporters make the case for progressives to rally around Bernie now that the choice is between him and Joe Biden. 

Ryan Knight is a progressive activist and political analyst who hosts the podcast Amped Up with Proud Resister. Blair Imani is an activist, historian, and author of, most recently, Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream.

Ryan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProudResister
Ryan's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProudResister
Blair's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlairImani
Blair's books: http://blairimani.com/books

52 - Warren Warriors for Bernie (w/ Ryan Knight & Blair Imani)

Bernie sits down with three leading economists and a top trade union leader to discuss how the government should respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

Stephanie Kelton is a professor of economics and public policy at Stony Brook University. She is a leading expert on Modern Monetary Theory and a former Chief Economist on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. She was named by POLITICO as one of the 50 people most influencing the policy debate in America.

Jeffrey Sachs is a professor, author, and advisor to governments around the world and to the United Nations. He leads global efforts for sustainable development and climate safety. He has been an ardent supporter of Bernie Sanders in both 2016 and 2020, and strongly supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. He is an expert on public health and epidemics, and has advised the World Health Organization at the highest levels during the past 20 years. Professor Sachs helped to conceive and implement the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.

Robert Reich is Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley, served as US Secretary of Labor from 1993-1997, and is co-founder of Inequality Media which uses the power of storytelling to inform and engage the public about the realities and impacts of inequality and imbalance of power in America.

Sara Nelson has served as the International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO since 2014. She first became a union member in 1996 and today she represents 50,000 of aviation’s first responders at 20 airlines. The New York Times called her "America's most powerful flight attendant" for her role in helping to end the 35 day Government Shutdown and InStyle Magazine placed her on their 2019 Top 50 Badass Women list.

53 - The Future of Our Economy (w/ Stephanie Kelton, Jeffrey Sachs, Robert Reich, and Sara Nelson)

A podcast by Bernie Sanders and Briahna Joy Gray about the people, stories, and ideas that are driving this political revolution.

Hear the Bern

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