Charles Douglas III and Ahmed Baba dive into a week of political curveballs and underdog stories. They unpack Zohran Mamdani’s stunning campaign strategy against establishment figure Andrew Cuomo, what it means for progressive momentum, and how grassroots organizing is winning elections.

They also turn to the right-wing media landscape, where Tucker Carlson just torched Ted Cruz and signaled a surprising pivot. Is the far-right inching toward the center? Or is this just a strategic rebrand?

Charles Douglas, the Executive Director of Common Power, and Girmay Zahilay discuss the national sentiments surrounding Trump's overreach of power and the national No Kings protest.

Girmay's current position and the new office he is campaigning for as King County Executive are significant in the fight against this new administration.

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Charles Douglas III and Ahmed Baba break down the latest wave of resistance and repression. In this episode, they discuss the triumphant No Kings protests, Trump’s continued authoritarian escalation, and what it all means for our democracy.

Charles also checks in from the ground in Virginia, where he’s knocking on doors and mobilizing voters ahead of a critical election in the DMV.

Recorded & Released on Youtube 6/6/2025

Common Power Executive Director Charles Douglas and Journalist Ahmed Baba give a play by play of the Trump-Musk beef, walking through a timeline of every attack and the potential impact this feud will have long-term. From Trump’s threatening of Musk’s government contracts to Musk accusing Trump of being in the Epstein files, we covered it all.

CNN timeline of the Trump-Musk beef featured in the pod: https://www.cnn.com/business/timeline-elon-musk-trump-x-dg

Ahmed’s article that provides background on the fragile coalitions being fractured: https://www.ahmedbaba.news/p/gop-divisions-could-complicate-trumps

Recorded & Released on Youtube 6/1/2025

Charles Douglas III and Ahmed Baba unpack the unraveling of Elon Musk’s influence in the Trump era. From his failed DOGE initiative and the ripple effects across his businesses, to growing tensions with the Trump administration and new revelations about his alleged drug use, the cracks are starting to show.

This episode explores what Musk’s decline says about power, accountability, and the risks of aligning with authoritarianism.

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Recorded & Released on Youtube 5/28/2025

This week, Charles Douglas III is joined by Asha and Pouya from the Common Power team—two Gen Zers who bring fresh perspective to the conversation.

While plenty of people have theories about what Gen Z thinks, we went straight to the source to find out. Tune in for a candid, intergenerational conversation about politics, purpose, and what the future looks like through their eyes.

Charles Douglas III interviews the Mayor Ras Baraka, current Mayor of Newark and Gubernatorial candidate for New Jersey.

Ras Baraka, a proud Newark native and the son of legendary poet and activist Amiri Baraka, has spent his career at the intersection of politics, education, and social justice. In this interview, he reflects on how he continues to navigate that intersection, especially in these uniquely challenging times.

Charles Douglas III and Ahmed Baba talk through the bombshell news about Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis and what it could mean for the future of the Democratic Party. Did he know? What happens next? It’s all up in the air.

They also get into Trump’s new tax cut push, attacks on Medicaid, and how the right is laying the groundwork for even bigger rollbacks. Big moves are happening behind the chaos—and the left needs to get ready.