Substacks recommended by Nina Burleigh

Recommended by Nina Burleigh

Letters from an American

By Heather Cox Richardson

A newsletter about the history behind today's politics.

SpyTalk

By Jeff Stein

Intelligence for Thinking People

Jeff Stein and his band of merry spy-watchers and ex-spies do real life LeCarre all week long.

- Nina Burleigh

Business Blunders

By Al Lewis

Business is great, until somebody blows it. This is a newsletter about the biggest mistakes in business – from ethical lapses to gross miscalculations – by a long-time financial journalist who has seen it all.

The Warning with Steve Schmidt

Explains what is happening, and why in our turbulent era. Delivers 1 WRITTEN and 1-2 videos PER DAY, 365 DAYS/YEAR.

Good to wake up to Steve's outraged and erudite voice.

- Nina Burleigh

The Unspeakeasy with Meghan Daum

Home of The Unspeakeasy Podcast (formerly known as The Unspeakable), occasional livestreams, and new writing and updates from Meghan Daum.

Unpopular Front

By John Ganz

the junk shop of history

Robert Reich

Daily newsletter exposing where power lies — and how it's used and abused

Below The Beltway

By Camaron Stevenson

A weekly newsletter that will tell you exactly what – and who – you need to be watching in the world of politics.

JournalistsToolbox.ai

By Journalist's Toolbox E-Newsletter

Journalist's Toolbox (TM) AI shares tools, plug-ins, browser extensions and other artificial intelligence resources that are helpful to professional journalists, students, educators, marketers and others.

Ctrl Alt Right Delete

By Melissa Ryan

A weekly newsletter that covers the MAGA Right, white nationalism, disinformation, and online toxicity.

Olivia of Troye

I had a front-row seat to history during Trump 1.0 – and blew the whistle. Every week, I offer sharp insights, expose hidden risks, and unpack the headlines so we can stay informed and ready. Join me as I cut through the noise designed to distract us.

The Chris Hedges Report

By Chris Hedges

Covering US foreign policy, economic realities, and civil liberties in American society.

JFK Facts

By Jefferson Morley

Authoritative journalism that seeks to clarify the causes of JFK's assassination and to abolish the official secrecy that still surrounds it

Seeing What Is There

By Erica Rex

Seeing What Is There dives in to the fray at the intersection of mental health, technology, and culture.

Redeeming Democracy by Robert P. Jones

Research and reflections on religion, racial justice, & the moral work of protecting democracy. Hosted by NYT bestselling author Robert P. Jones, president/founder of PRRI.

Magnetic North: One Journalist's Quest to Make Sense of the Universe

By Scott Carney

Contested histories, anthropological investigations, supernatural sleuthing, and consciousness explorations courtesy of New York Times bestselling author Scott Carney

Scott Carney's investigations are fascinating. He's always poking around in curious places. Great writer too.

- Nina Burleigh

Rick Wilson’s Against All Enemies

Tireless resistance to autocracy. Never out of the fight.

Because he's Rick.

- Nina Burleigh

FWIW

By Lucy Ritzmann

A newsletter tracking digital spending, strategy, and trends in our elections.

Lucid

By Ruth Ben-Ghiat

A newsletter for big-picture thinking about autocracy and threats to democracy around the world

Important work. Ruth just knows autocracy.

- Nina Burleigh

Political Junkie

By Claire Potter

News you can use about politics, culture, and media

The Home Front

By Reed Galen

Illuminating, educating, and organizing the pro-democracy movement.

Lively, engaging and important analysis by a political veteran.

- Nina Burleigh

America, America

By Steven Beschloss

Essays of alarm and hope, on politics and society, democracy and justice. With passion and urgency.

Magic + Loss

By Virginia Heffernan

Politics for English majors.

Ray’s Substack

By Ray Long

My personal Substack

Ray is a veteran journalist who knows what he's talking about! Terrific insights, always.

- Nina Burleigh

Lucian Truscott Newsletter

By Lucian K. Truscott IV

I've covered everything from three wars, a few presidential campaigns, the Stonewall riots and the Rolling Stones. This column reflects that history and is about politics, culture, personal stories, and the nation's descent into anti-democratic madness.

Tireless interpreter of TFG and MAGA developments, veteran journalist who covered wars and domestic mayhem, added bonus he's a West Point grad who knows military stuff inside and out.

- Nina Burleigh

Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance

By Joyce Vance

Worried about the state of the republic? Get the legal knowledge & analysis you need to be an advocate for democracy, along with a dose of savvy optimism.

Seymour Hersh

It's worse than you think

BROADview

By Lisa Selin Davis

A newsletter about the gender culture wars & the history, science, psychology & politics of gender nonconformity—misunderstood by both left and right. Where do our ideas of normal for boys and girls come from? Speaking the unspeakable. Pro-complexity.

American Kompromat

By Craig Unger

Veteran national security reporter for Vanity Fair, Craig continues the work he has done in six books on the GOP's assault on democracy(including NYT bestsellers American Kompromat and House of Trump, House of Putin).

As Trump's National Security Strategy paper today makes clear, the US is adding support for European right wing nationalist movements to our nation's priorities. This is a flat out announcement that the US supports Russian aims in Europe - a broken tribal continent is better for Putin. Craig Unger has been onto Trump's Russia alliance for a long time.

- Nina Burleigh

Notebook

By B.D. McClay

One third Books, one third Observations, one third Who Knows.

Highly entertaining musings of a smart critic.

- Nina Burleigh

STUPID MODEL

By Stupid Model

Tales from my Zeitgeisty Life. From Modeling, to Fashion Design to writing books about life Upriver...

Conflict of Interest

By Kevin Ellis

I write and podcast about change in our politics and culture, including the current threats to our Democracy. I hope you will join me and subscribe.

Grave Injustice

By Lisa Graves

A weekly newsletter sharing key news updates about SCOTUS and the legal system – and explaining exactly what you need to know about them.

Lisa Graves is one of the premier legal eagles with eyes on MAGA Trump. She knows all.

- Nina Burleigh

Decoding Fox News

I watch all the Fox News you'd never want to.

Abortion, Every Day

By Kylie Cheung @ Abortion

All things abortion. Feminist commentary & community.

The Cross Section

By Paul Waldman

Slicing politics open to peer inside its disturbing innards and determine how it all works

Truth About Threats

By Paul Cobaugh

National Security threats in plain talk and without political bias.

Gloves Off

By Tara McGowan

Conversations that cut through the noise, hold power accountable, and speak directly to those who feel politically abandoned to turn outrage and confusion into civic action.

PREVAIL by Greg Olear

PREVAIL is a regular column about politics, history, national security, foreign affairs, organized crime, dirty money, global corruption, the fight for democracy—and, on Sundays, poetry and literature.

I love starting my day with a dose of Greg's combination of wit, erudition, and outrage.

- Nina Burleigh

Michael Cohen

Principal of Crisis-X #1 and #8 NYT Bestseller Author Host of The Mea Culpa Podcast Co-Host of The Political Beatdown Former Personal Attorney To President Donald J. Trump Discharged Felon

The Corsair

By Ron Mwangaguhunga

Politics, Media, Culture by Ron Mwangaguhunga

Siri & The City

By Simona Siri

Un posto dove scoprire la vita e la società Usa accompagnati da me e dalla mia famiglia

Because, Italia!

- Nina Burleigh

Stop the Presses

By Mark Jacob

A weekly newsletter about how right-wing extremism has exploited the weaknesses in American journalism, and what we can do about it.

Hopium Chronicles By Simon Rosenberg

Expert commentary from a 30-year veteran of US politics. Here at Hopium we work on strategies to defeat MAGA, tell our story more effectively, and ensure freedom and democracy prevail. Expect sharp analysis, live events, and all sorts of Hopium!

Ladyparts

By Deborah Copaken

The unvarnished, naked truth about living, working, loving, moving, and surviving in a woman’s body. Winner of the 2025 Webby Award for Best Independent Publisher and two-time 2026 Webby Award Nominee for the same category plus Best Writing.

Powerful, passionate, often funny, takes no prisoners, great raconteur.

- Nina Burleigh

Richard’s Substack

By Richard Turnbull

Philosophy & Reincarnation --- AKA Perennial Musings On This 3rd Planet From The Local Sun - On Music, Film, Arts, Metaphysics, Aesthetics, Ethics & The Beyond

Washington Babylon

By Ken Silverstein

An Investigative Tabloid Covering Washington & the World in the Age of Oligarchy