Posting in the Chaos... I'm Back
Still pissed, still working, now here.
John’s Journal
I write this like I’m talking to my friends at a bar. There are typos and occasional embellishments, but no lies. If you’re a lawyer, do not take this seriously… unless that helps.
Damn. A year will really sneak up on you, especially when your work takes off and your country gets hijacked by a cabal of billionaires and their dancing clown. That’s how long it’s been since I last wrote to y’all here. A lot has happened. But we’re back, warts and all.
Hi, I’m John.
A lot of you found me after a speech I gave at the DNC.
Read: The Speech That Brought The Class War To The DNC
My work has evolved, and this newsletter will too. The OGs will remember this as a place where I posted transcripts and sources for the political TikToks I was cranking out while tending bar in the Ohio Valley.
I did that long enough that More Perfect Union and their star team took me under their wing and turned us loose on a bunch of stories (see below). Shoutout to ride-or-dies Nehemiah Stark, Court Fuller, Josh Hirschfeld-Kroen, Josh Miller-Lewis, Meg Herschlein, and the many others I’ve worked with at MPU.
The pace picked up, and in the chaos, I dropped this project for a year. I’m still a freelancer by choice. Those of you living in the wild west of the gig economy (where you can now finance a DoorDash order with something called Klarna) know the feeling—piecing things together, one gig at a time. Jump starting this rag is part of a new balance, and I’m pumped to be back.
To the roughly 250 of you beautiful newsletter pirates who kept your paid subscriptions going through the silence: you made all of the work below possible. I’m eternally grateful. If, for whatever reason, you’re feeling shortchanged, fill out this form and I’ll reach out personally.
What’s next?
This newsletter is changing. But the throughline is still the same: I’ll be writing and commenting on the work I’m doing—
Short documentaries with More Perfect Union
Podcasts with Jessica Burbank on The Jess and John Pod
One-off videos and essays
And the work closest to my heart: organizing in Wheeling, WV, so that if (when) things fall apart, we’ve got something to fall back on.
I’m a political organizer who frequently commits acts of serious journalism. It’s a weird lane. But hey – Elon Musk and Donald Trump occupy the Oval Office (for now), so smoke ’em if you got ’em.
We’re here to talk about what’s happening to us, who’s doing it, and how we fight back for our fat slice of that pie in the sky. This isn’t sober “objectivity.” We’re proudly biased for the working class. “Objectivity” is too often a fancy way of saying “Let’s not get crazy, things are good how they are.”
I’ll take my best stab at truth and fairness. The conversation will be informal, like it’s at the bar.
So here’s everything I’ve been up to since the last time this landed in your inbox. Drop a comment if there’s something you want to see more of… or for whatever's on your mind.
More Perfect Union:
April 3, 2024 - Who REALLY Brought Jobs Back to America? Blue Oval City and first time union workers in the south with More Perfect Union.
April 9th, 2024 - We Went to America's Biggest Copper Mine: The Corruption Will Shock You.
April 19th, 2024 - How Volkswagen Workers in Tennessee Won a Union
April 23, 2024 - How Workers Are Winning the Class War with Shawn Fain
April 25th, 2024 - Baltimore Port Workers Are Reeling. Will Anyone Listen?
May 14th, 2024 - You Need To Be Paying Attention To This
July 3rd, 2024 - The Billionaire Family Ruining NASCAR
July 24th - How Oil Barons Steal From Their Truckers
August 22nd, 2024 - John Russell Addresses the DNC
August 27th, 2024 - We Talked To Real Swing Voters: What They Told Us Will Shock You.
September 26th, 2024 - News and Documentary Emmy Nomination for We Went to East Palestine: What We Saw Will Shock You.
October 9th, 2024 - Who Do Trump Voters Blame For America's Problems? It's Not Who You Think
October 22nd, 2024 - You Won't Believe What We Found Hidden In This Small Ohio Town
February 6th, 2025 - “Deport Them All” — Who’s to Blame for Springfield’s Immigrant Crisis?
March 14th, 2025 - MEDIA BLACKOUT: America’s Poorest Counties Devastated By Catastrophic Flooding
COMING THURSDAY APRIL 10th (ish??) - The Bernie/AOC Interview at the Denver Rally.
COMING SOON AFTER THAT - Trump’s first 100 days with More Perfect Union.
I was lucky enough to join forces with Jessica Burbank to form the Jess and John Pod:
November 10, 2024 - Politics for the POLITICALLY HOMELESS: Jess & John Pod
December 3rd, 2024 - Is Bernie Sanders Starting A 3rd Party? Kamala Harris Resurfaces, Pod Save America Reaction
December 11th, 2024 - Luigi Mangione CHARGED? Jessica Burbank and John Russell React
December 12th, 2024 - Publishing Luigi Mangione's Manifesto: A Conversation with Ken Klippenstein
January 21st, 2025 - TikTok Talk
January 24th, 2025 - Elon Musk’s “Nazi” Salute Reaction + Q&A
January 31st, 2025 - Pardon Steven Donziger
February 12th, 2025 - Why the 2024 Election Should Be Audited and Debunking Right-wing Rumors
March 10th, 2025 - How Biden opened the door for the GOP’s anti-worker budget cuts with Stephen Semler
March 15th, 2025 - Schumer CAVES on GOP budget, even NORMIE Democrats outraged
March 25th, 2025 - Trump officials hilariously add a journalist to their war plan group chat by accident
April 4th, 2025 - Did Trump Use ChatGPT For His Tariff Policy?!
Other news appearances:
January 20th, 2024 Trump vs. Labor: The Coming Clash Over Class Power, w/ John Russell
JJ Pod Latest Episode: Did Trump Use ChatGPT For His Tariff Policy?!
New Episodes Fridays before noon!
I’ve been tracking you since that DNC speech (I think y’all’s people call it “stanning”). No disrespect to your cohost Jess or anything, but you need to do your own podcast, something Like Sarah Longwell’s Focus Group but with conversations with people at your bar kind of deal. Everyone of your deep dives with MPU is like one of those beer commercials where they bring in people who supposedly totally disagree with each other, but after talking for an hour, they’re like yeah I’ll have a beer with you. I don’t agree with you on everything but you’re clearly a human being. We need that unfiltered truth telling so bad in our country right now. Like you could be the antidote to Joe Rogan by just letting actual working class people talk for themselves - not make fun of them, not exploit them, not exploit our divisions for political or monetary gain. Just organizing opportunities to decently and honestly listen to one another.
I think then all the East Coast liberals would realize “hey wait a minute, these are fair points these guys are making. Why is everyone trying to get us to hate each other all the time?” (I think we know why: $$$.) It feels different, it feels good even, to be able to talk and listen again to just regular real people.
The political class has failed us. We need to bootstrap rebuilding this country some other way. One podcast at a time…?
Sorry I can’t give you a paid subscription - Elon and DOGE are hot on my tail so gotta save every penny. But I’m rooting very hard for you and your work!
I absolutely love this!!! I’m from a coal mining town and this is exactly what has been happening!