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** THE WEEKLY REVEAL
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Saturday, December 6, 2025


** The Gaza Flotilla Story You Didn’t Hear
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** Courtesy of Andrew Harnik/Getty
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Listen to the episode ([link removed])

Earlier this fall, hundreds of activists from all over the world crowded onto several dozen boats and set sail for Gaza. Their goal: Break through Israel’s blockade of the territory and end one of the worst humanitarian crises on the planet. They thought that by sharing their journey through social media, they could capture the world’s attention.

At first, it was easy to dismiss the Global Sumud Flotilla—until it wasn’t. Before reaching Gaza, the flotilla was attacked by drones, and activists were arrested by the Israeli navy.

“We were at gunpoint; like, you could see the laser on our chest,” says flotilla participant Louna Sbou.

They were then sent to a high-security prison in the middle of the Negev desert.

“You have no control, you have no information, and you have no rights,” says Carsie Blanton, another participant. “They could do whatever they want to you.”

This week on Reveal, we go aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla for a firsthand look at what activists faced on their journey and whether their efforts made any difference.
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🎧 Other places to listen: Spotify ([link removed]) , Overcast ([link removed]) , iHeartRadio ([link removed]) , or wherever you get your podcasts.


** One on One With Trump’s Black MAGA Pastor
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Photo Credit: Saul Loeb/DPA/ZUMA

Back in January, when Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term as president, one person stood out to me at the inauguration: Lorenzo Sewell. The Black pastor from Detroit hadn’t been on my radar, but he was now. That’s when I heard him give a benediction, a prayer that echoed Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Here at Reveal and Mother Jones, we had been reporting on Black men supporting Trump and whether there was a shift happening among them toward the Republican Party. It was something I was always skeptical about. So when I saw Sewell give that prayer, I knew I eventually wanted to chat with him about why he was supporting a president who campaigned on rolling back DEI policies, spread racist lies about Haitian immigrants, and originated the “birther” conspiracy that America’s first Black president wasn’t actually born in the US.

This week, I finally got my chance. I sat down with Sewell to hash out why he’s become one of the most outspoken supporters of the president, even as Trump has worked to purge Black history from our schools and museums, dismantled DEI initiatives, and rolled back federal civil rights protections that have long helped Black Americans.

It was a lively—and sometimes heated—conversation about race, politics, and how Sewell got swept up in Trump’s orbit. Trust me, it’s worth the listen.

Check it out ([link removed]) .

-Al Letson, host of Reveal and More To The Story

Find this episode wherever you listen to Reveal, and don’t forget to subscribe:
Apple Podcasts ([link removed]) | Spotify ([link removed]) | iHeartRadio ([link removed]) | Overcast ([link removed])
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** In Case You Missed It
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** 🎧 What Is Riley Gaines Hiding? We Investigated. ([link removed])
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Reporter Madison Pauly teams up with journalist and podcaster Pablo Torre for a deep dive into right-wing superstar Riley Gaines, a swimmer who tied a transgender woman for fifth place and became a viral figure with outsized influence within the MAGA movement.

Photo Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty

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** 🎧 Jeffrey Goldberg on Signalgate, Pete Hegseth, and the Risk of WWIII ([link removed])
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Update: A new Pentagon report has confirmed what folks like Jeffrey Goldberg already knew: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Signalgate scandal posed a major threat to our nation’s security.

In July, we spoke to Goldberg, the journalist who was added to the infamous chat, about the state of our nation.

Photo Credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Zuma
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** 🎧 In Rural America, Public Radio Saves Lives ([link removed])
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In remote Alaska, public radio station KYUK is crucial during natural disasters. Without federal funding, how will it survive?

Photo Credit: Katie Basile
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** 🎧 I Study Fascism. I’ve Already Fled America. ([link removed])
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Former Yale professor Jason Stanley has been taking a lot of heat for moving to Canada. Why? Because he studies fascism—and he believes it’s already arrived in the US.

Photo Credit: ANP/Zuma
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This issue of The Weekly Reveal was written by Arianna Coghill and edited by Nikki Frick. If you enjoyed this issue, forward it to a friend ([link removed]) . Have some thoughts? Drop us a line (mailto:[email protected]) with feedback or ideas!

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