“Stand up now!” is a chorus in a folk song from 1600s Europe against the divine right of kings. It’s the anthem we need for this moment as a popular uprising brings a new generation of leaders into Congress. Actor and director Steven Pasquale joins Gaslit Nation to discuss his new powerful play Clifford Odets’s Waiting for Lefty, about the New York City 1935 taxi strike, at a time when America had recently elected FDR and a new Congress to take on the blood-sucking Elon Musks and Jeff Bezoses of the day.
The rest of this week’s bonus show is a celebration of America–in the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence–declaring its independence from the oligarchy and Russian-backed traitors. We also brace ourselves for the critical work ahead to demand accountability, transparency, and collective power as we remind our new leaders who they work for.
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Show NotesWant a plan to bash the patriarchy? Live your most creative life and help build a better world with Andrea’s new book, A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807202/a-reasonable-guide-for-unreasonable-women-by-andrea-chalupa/
Join the Matriarchy Rising Book Tour!: https://www.andreachalupa.com/unreasonable/
Waiting for Lefty, extended through December 6 Classic Stage Company https://www.classicstage.org/lefty/
‘Waiting for Lefty’ Off-Broadway review, a rallying cry for workers’ rights https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/waiting-for-lefty-off-broadway-review
Why Clifford Odets’ Plays Continue to Sing 90 Years On https://www.tdf.org/on-stage/tdf-stages/why-clifford-odets-plays-continue-to-sing-90-years-on/
Elon Musk becomes the world’s first trillionaire https://www.inquirer.com/news/nation-world/spacex-elon-musk-trillionaire-ipo-income-equality-power-trump-mars-20260612.html
The Diggers’ Song, transcribed from the original manuscript https://eprints-gro.gold.ac.uk/34703/7/gjad040.pdf
Bread and Roses: Defining Basic Needs https://jwa.org/teach/livingthelegacy/labor/bread-and-roses-defining-basic-needs
Union Members, 2025 https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/union2_02182026.htm
Congress returns for crowded lame-duck session https://abcnews.com/Politics/congress-returns-crowded-lame-duck-session-hegseth-impeachment/story?id=137918357
Annie Andrews projected to win U.S. Senate race, flipping South Carolina seat blue https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/11/04/annie-andrews-projected-win-us-senate-race-flipping-south-carolina-seat-blue/
Troy Jackson wins Maine U.S. Senate race over Susan Collins https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/susan-collins-troy-jackson-maine-senate-race-results-2026/4043388/
America saw the blue wave coming but drastically underestimated the extent of the Dem tsunami https://foxnews.com/politics/america-saw-blue-wave-coming-drastically-underestimated-extent-dem-tsunami
US Midterms Make History With First Gay, Muslim and Native American Leaders https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/2026-us-midterms-historic-candidates-representation-1830105
Chris Pappas makes history as the first out gay man elected to the U.S. Senate https://www.advocate.com/politics/election/chris-pappas-wins-senate-election
‘Healthcare not bombs’: How Gaza shaped Adam Hamawy’s path to US Congress https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/5/healthcare-not-bombs-how-gaza-shaped-adam-hamawys-path-to-us-congress
Transgender woman flips district Donald Trump won three times https://newsweek.com/transgender-woman-flips-district-donald-trump-won-three-times-12665729
Black Loyalists in the Evacuation of New York City, 1783 https://www.gothamcenter.org/blog/black-loyalists-evaculation-zy4la
Lost Battlefield: The Disastrous Battle for New York https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/lost-battlefield-disastrous-battle-new-york
Here’s what to know about federal agents’ killing of Alex Pretti in south Minneapolis https://www.startribune.com/heres-what-to-know-about-federal-agents-killing-of-alex-pretti-in-south-minneapolis/601570797
Want a plan to bash the patriarchy? Live your most creative life and help build a better world with Andrea’s new book, A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire: https://www.andreachalupa.com/unreasonable/
This content originally appeared on Gaslit Nation and was authored by Andrea Chalupa.