The Fenton Forecast: Choosing Our Future

The Supreme Court just heard the case that decides whether communities can sue Big Oil for the cost of extreme weather. Justice Alito recused himself, so a 4–4 tie leaves Boulder County’s lawsuit alive. David Fenton comments on the warnings that these suits could bankrupt the oil companies, why the tobacco cases are the right comparison, and why nobody gave those a chance either until a jury saw w...

In 1959, a scientist told the American Petroleum Institute that burning fossil fuels would raise global temperatures and drown coastal cities. The industry spent the next 40 years saying the science was uncertain. Richard Wiles of the Center for Climate Integrity has spent his career getting Big Oil's own documents in front of juries to prove they knew the damage they would cause. This episode of...

For decades, Ben & Jerry's sold ice cream with a mission. Then its independent board refused to keep selling in illegal Israeli settlements. Ever since, its giant corporate owners have been dismantling everything that made Ben & Jerry's what it is. When the White House turned against climate and DEI, a lot of companies dropped it fast. Ben Cohen says that tells you they never meant it. Can...

Six years ago, Bernie Sanders was deemed too radical to nominate. Now his ideas are winning more primaries than ever. Faiz Shakir ran Bernie’s 2020 campaign. He walks us through the 2026 midterm map and explains how authenticity and working-class politics are winning.  00:00 The Year Money Started Losing 05:46 The Cabinet Bernie Never Got to Name 09:32 If Cooper Loses, It's a Long Night 11:40 Fift...

Billionaire Peter Thiel wrote in 2009 that he no longer believed freedom and democracy were compatible. Gil Durán has spent years documenting what the tech circle built once they stopped believing in voting. The result is The Nerd Reich — reported almost entirely from what these men have said out loud.

Silicon Valley is trying to get AI chatbots classified as having free speech rights. One lawyer is fighting to stop it in court. Meetali Jain's nonprofit now has over a dozen active cases against AI companies, including a Texas lawsuit in which a chatbot told a teenage boy it understood why kids kill their parents. Trigger warning: this episode discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is in c...

Economist Emmanuel Saez wrote California's first-ever billionaire wealth tax. The Berkeley economist behind Prop 40 explains why a 1% wealth tax could raise $20 billion a year — and why Google's co-founders are spending millions to stop it.

David Fenton sits down with journalist Joy Reid, fired from MSNBC in 2025 after her outspoken coverage of Gaza. Now independent and "unfiltered," this is an unsparing conversation about censorship, tech oligarchy, and what independent media needs to survive. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode!  fentonforecast.com 00:00 — Joy Reid 02:44 — The Real Reason She Got F...

Palestinian-Israeli journalist Rula Jebreal exposes the disturbing realities of Israel's expansionist agenda and its control over American foreign policy. Banned from major US networks for her critical reporting, Jebreal reveals how religious extremism, corruption, and potential blackmail operations have hijacked Middle East policy. Connect with David on his website: https://www.fentonforecast.com...

Former Google engineer and "conscience of Silicon Valley" Tristan Harris warns we're at a critical crossroads with AI development. As co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and featured expert in the new documentary "The AI Doc," Harris argues this may be our last moment to ensure AI serves humanity rather than replacing it. The conversation explores how to build a human movement to steer...

Historian and journalist Adam Hochschild joins David Fenton to explore how America's darkest periods of repression and corruption mirror today's challenges. From Woodrow Wilson's mass arrests to immigration crackdowns that contributed to the Holocaust, Hochschild reveals how we've survived authoritarianism before and offers hope for resistance movements today. Connect with David on his website: ht...

Former Washington State Governor Jay Inslee exposes the unprecedented corruption behind Trump's energy policies, revealing how the administration's billion-dollar deal with fossil fuel companies is forcing Americans to pay higher utility bills and gas prices while blocking access to cheaper, cleaner renewable energy. Inslee shares insights from his groundbreaking climate legislation in Washington...

Dr. Dean Ornish , the father of lifestyle medicine, shares groundbreaking research proving that heart disease, early-stage prostate cancer, and Alzheimer's can be reversed through diet and lifestyle changes. This conversation explores the future of healthcare, the power of whole foods plant-based nutrition, and how simple changes can transform both individual health and reduce healthcare costs nat...

Climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe reveals the six key truths about climate change that can help you have productive conversations with anyone - even your skeptical uncle. As an evangelical Christian scientist based in Texas, she's mastered the art of connecting climate science to what people already care about, offering hope and practical solutions instead of fear-based messaging. Connect wit...

Discover how Billie Eilish and FINNEAS became passionate activists through their mother Maggie Baird's lifelong commitment to environmental and social justice causes. Maggie shares her journey from teenage environmental campaigner to founder of Support and Feed , a nonprofit providing plant-based meals worldwide while educating communities about sustainable living and climate action. Connect with...

Communications expert Laura Dawn reveals the shocking scale of the Christian nationalist digital infrastructure that's reshaping American politics and culture. After studying their conferences and strategies for five years, she exposes how groups like PragerU reach billions with a coordinated worldview while progressives practice "unilateral information war disarmament." This eye-opening conversat...

California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild reveals how California has achieved 70% clean electricity and is on track to reach 100% by 2045. From having more EV charging stations than gas pumps to building the world's largest battery storage projects, discover how the Golden State is pioneering the clean energy transition despite federal opposition. Connect with David on his website: https...

Michael Greenberg, founder of Climate Defiance , discusses how his organization is using disruptive nonviolent civil disobedience to hold fossil fuel executives and politicians accountable for climate inaction. Through protests that generate millions of online views, Climate Defiance is breaking through climate silence and building political pressure for urgent climate action. This conversation ex...

Former Black Panther Jamal Joseph shares his extraordinary journey from a 16-year-old recruit to Columbia University professor, revealing the untold story of how the Panthers organized communities through service, not just rhetoric. From surviving FBI infiltration and nine years in prison to mentoring Tupac Shakur and founding youth programs, Joseph offers powerful lessons on building movements th...

Physicist Amory Lovins, co-founder of Rocky Mountain Institute , shares why he's optimistic about our clean energy future - not through wishful thinking, but through "applied hope." From his solar-powered banana farm in the Colorado Rockies to predictions of trans-Pacific solar flights, Lovins explains how integrative design and plummeting renewable costs are revolutionizing our energy system fast...

Former Google engineer and "conscience of Silicon Valley" Tristan Harris warns we're at a critical crossroads with AI development. As co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and featured expert in the new documentary "The AI Doc," Harris argues this may be our last moment to ensure AI serves humanity rather than replacing it. The conversation explores how to build a human movement to steer...

Palestinian-Israeli journalist Rula Jebreal exposes the disturbing realities of Israel's expansionist agenda and its control over American foreign policy. Banned from major US networks for her critical reporting, Jebreal reveals how religious extremism, corruption, and potential blackmail operations have hijacked Middle East policy. Connect with David on his website: https://www.fentonforecast.com...

Renowned climate scientist Dr. Michael Mann joins David Fenton to discuss the urgent reality of climate change, the coordinated attacks on climate science by fossil fuel interests, and why there's still hope for action. Mann, creator of the famous "hockey stick" graph, shares his personal experiences being targeted by climate deniers and explains why this is fundamentally a story of good versus ev...

Join us for the inaugural episode of the Fenton Forecast as legendary PR strategist David Fenton shares his journey from high school radical to one of the most influential progressive communicators of our time. From organizing with Nelson Mandela to outsmarting the FBI, Fenton reveals the secrets of effective activism and why speaking to the heart comes before the mind in creating lasting social c...

Introducing The Fenton Forecast, a podcast featuring insurgent conversations with the dissident thinkers, scientists, and activists shaping tomorrow. The people Ezra Klein won’t interview. Expect turbulence.  Connect with David on his website: https://www.fentonforecast.com Tune in every Tuesday for a new episode of The Fenton Forecast. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss...