🎙️ Citations Needed | Newsletter 🍁

Dear patrons,

Season 9 is underway and, if you haven't yet listened to the first two episodes (or desperately want to revisit them), here they are:

Episode 228: Billionaires as Insta-Experts - How Our Media Conflates Extreme Wealth with Expertise (Sept. 24, 2025) with guest Rob Larson

Episode 229: Sociopathic 'You Got To Hand It To 'Em' Punditry and the Rise of Politics as Sport (Oct. 1, 2025) with guest Jack Mirkinson

And here's a little inside scoop: we're doing our next virtual live show and fundraiser on Monday, Oct. 13 at 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT. We'll be discussing "The Granola-to-Fascist Pipeline" and the transparent fraud of the so-called "health freedom" movement. Our guest will be social epidemiologist Justin Feldman.

Save the date and tell all the Citations fans you know — especially those who don't already support the show like you do (you're so amazing and thank you) — to tune in!

As always, below are some stories and articles we're been reading.

Thanks again for your ongoing support of the show. We're so grateful.

— The Citations Needed Team

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“Even When They Gas Us": Hundreds Brave Tear Gas, Pepper Balls to Protest ICE - Sarah Lazare, In These Times (September 26, 2025)

In Chicago, hundreds came out to protest ICE’s deportation regime and stand up for their neighbors. They were met with tear gas and other crowd suppression tactics.

When Palestinians Die in Israeli Captivity, US Media Almost Never Take Note - Drew Favakeh, FAIR (September 27, 2025)

There are well-documented abuses of Palestinians in Israeli captivity. However, US media has barely covered the inhumane conditions Israelis subject prisoners to.

From the Gaza Flotilla: “I’m Here Because My Jewish Heritage Demands It” - David Adler, The Nation (September 30, 2025)

A participant in the Gaza Flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza reflects on his Jewish heritage and how it influences his decision to put himself at risk. He hopes people who share his faith join him in seeking direct action to end the genocide. 

Trump’s 20-Point Gaza Plan: A Rubber Stamp of Legitimacy on Israel’s Subjugation of Palestine - Jeremy Scahill and Jawa Ahmad, Drop Site News (September 30, 2025)

After his White House speech, Netanyahu said Israel will never withdraw from Gaza and promised to resume the genocide if Hamas does not disarm.

Gustavo Petro Isn’t Afraid of Donald Trump - Cruz Bonlarron Martínez, Jacobin (September 30, 2025)

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been vocal in criticizing Trump and Israel. The US has revoked his visa, but Petro continues to speak the truth. 

Charlie Kirk, Ezra Klein, and the Cost of Civility-Theater Liberalism - Nacona Nix, The New Republic (September 30, 2025)

Charlie Kirk has received praise by liberal pundits like Ezra Klein in the wake of his assassination for supposedly believing in civil debate. This attitude reveals a flattening of the violence figures like Kirk made central to their political project. 

Teachers and Unions Fight Back as UC Campuses Prepare to Fuel Trump’s Witch Hunt - Marjorie Cohn, In These Times (September 25, 2025)

UC community members have joined together to sue the Trump Administration over its campaign to crush campus speech and bend the UC system to its will. These community members are taking on the mantle after the UC system capitulated. 

Targeting Tylenol Is Just Another Excuse to Blame Women for Everything - Katha Pollitt, The Nation (September 30, 2025)

RFK Jr. and Trump’s campaign to blame Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism with insufficient science enforces sexist trends in society. Women’s decisions to address their pains are being put under the microscope. 

Financing Our Own Destruction - Rebecca Burns, In These Times (September 29, 2025)

The man in DOGE who tried to justify Social Security cuts by claiming undocumented immigrants received Social Security personally profits from pension funds. Several union funds are managed by his company. 

Deportation as Class Strategy - Oliver Eagleton, Jacobin (September 30, 2025)

Mass deportation hurts both the working poor as well as the pocketbooks of big business. Trump is hoping that the economic fallout of his policies can be blamed on Democrats while ensuring a right-wing majority. 

The Government Shutdown Will Be Devastating for the D.C. Region - Grace Segers The New Republic (September 30, 2025) 

The government shutdown will be debated and discussed in partisan terms. Shutdowns will also mean more economic hardship for Washington D.C., which already struggled with federal layoffs and the deployment of the National Guard.  

Who Wants to Join ICE? We Went to Utah to Find Out. - Helen Li, The Intercept (September 24, 2025)

ICE has been undergoing a recruitment drive to fill out the ranks of its deportation force. At a job fair in Utah, potential ICE recruits were interested for financial reasons as well as for racism.

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Don't forget, the Citations Needed merch store is open for all your finest holiday season shopping! If you don't have some swag yet, consider picking something up for yourself or your very best friend.

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