Congresswoman Lateefah Simon on Doing the Work | Introducing Who's With Me? with W. Kamau Bell

Congresswoman Lateefah Simon on Doing the Work | Introducing Who's With Me? with W. Kamau Bell

Author: Pushkin Industries June 1, 2026 Duration: 1:06:38

Male comedian-led podcasts need a savior, and W. Kamau Bell is the man for the job. Instead of hosting a podcast that turns young boys into assholes, fans the flames of fascism, plays footsie with war criminals, and lies more often than it tells the truth, Kamau is going to do something different with his new podcast Who’s With Me? 

In this episode, Kamau sits down with Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, a lifelong organizer and public servant representing California’s 12th District, which includes Oakland, Berkeley, and several neighboring cities. 

The conversation dives into what it means to represent a district that spans deep poverty and intense wealth, from West Oakland to Piedmont, and why she believes every kid in West Oakland deserves the same schools, childcare, and opportunities that affluent cities provide. 

Listen to Who's With Me wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


In Fiasco, a production of Pushkin Industries, host Leon Neyfakh doesn't just recount history-he reconstructs it, placing you inside the tense rooms and critical moments where things went wrong. Each season of this podcast meticulously examines a different political or governmental disaster, moving beyond the headlines to reveal the human decisions, bureaucratic failures, and unforeseen consequences that defined these events. The result is a gripping narrative that feels both immediate and deeply researched. You'll hear how the 2012 attack in Benghazi, which killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, ignited a political firestorm that reshaped American diplomacy and partisan combat. Neyfakh's storytelling illuminates how these crises are born and how their echoes shape our present. For anyone fascinated by the messy intersection of power, history, and human error, this is an essential listen. The podcast turns complex history into compelling audio, revealing the often-overlooked details that explain why we live with the aftermath of these fiascos today.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 46

Fiasco
Podcast Episodes
Iran Contra: Episode 1 - Get Me Kevin Kattke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:45
How a crew of amateur spies from Long Island helped the Reagan administration set the stage for Iran-Contra.For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics S…
Iran Contra: A New Introduction from Leon Neyfakh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:03
Host Leon Neyfakh transports listeners into the day-to-day reality of our country’s most pivotal historical events, bringing to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past while shedding light on the present. Fiasco:…
Introducing Fiasco: Iran-Contra [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:13
Host Leon Neyfakh transports listeners into the day-to-day reality of our country’s most pivotal historical events, bringing to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past while shedding light on the present. Fiasco:…
Bush v. Gore: Bonus - Legacy. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:58
The late Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens talks about his memories of Bush v. Gore, and why the ruling’s legacy, years after the fact, looks even worse than he thought it would.See omnystudio.com/listener for priv…
Bush v. Gore: Bonus - Lawfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:17
Attorneys David Boies and Ted Olsen, who represented the Gore and Bush sides, respectively, talk about the unique challenges that came with representing their clients before the Supreme Court.See omnystudio.com/listener…
Bush v. Gore: Bonus - What If… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:22
An interview with Ralph Nader on his role as a “spoiler” in the 2000 election, and historian Mary Frances Berry, who led the 2001 commission looking into the impact that ballot box irregularities involving Black voters m…
Bush v. Gore: Bonus - Information Wars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:56
A conversation with Craig Waters, spokesman for the Florida Supreme Court, about becoming the face of an embattled, apolitical institution during a partisan battle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bush v. Gore: Bonus - A Mile In Their Shoes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:54
An interview with Brian Noyes, who worked on the Bush 2000 presidential campaign, and what it was like to feel like an election is being stolen. Noyes oversaw an oral history project with recount alums from the Bush camp…
Bush v. Gore: Episode 6 – No Precedent [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:07
In the season finale: How the 2000 presidential election was distilled and decided in a case called Bush v. Gore. For a full list of sources, check out the Fiasco website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati…