Betches Media

American Fever Dream

News EN ↓ 1096 episodes

From under the desk to in your ears, V. Spehar joins Betches Media in a new podcast dedicated to curing the collective malaise brought on by our chaotic political environment. Every week, Spehar and co-host Sami Sage will tenderly guide you through the biggest moments in politics and pop culture with a healing dose of perspective and humor. Rather than spiral over the latest unprecedented event, the hosts dig for the 2024 political tea you *really* want to hear while offering all the information you need to be an empowered citizen, without the side of despair to keep you up at night. For const...

Author

Betches Media

Category

News

Latest episode

Jul 29, 2025

Where to listen?

Podcasts in the app Replaio Radio Coming soon

Podcasts are coming to the app soon. Install now and be the first to see a whole new take on podcasts

Get it on Google Play Install for free Android 5M+ downloads · 4.8 rating iOS soon

Episodes

#796 Whose Job Is It To Stop Mass Shootings? 21.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Alise, Sami Topics: The proliferation of guns and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric lead to a mass shooting in Colorado Springs How did a young white man threaten his neighborhood with weapons, with no arrests made or red flag laws triggered? The World Cup looks like an unfun, bigoted mess President Biden’s granddaughter got married at the White House Check out our latest promo codes here: https:...

#795 How Gen Z Blocked The Red Wave 17.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Bridget Topics: What the end of midterms season means to us personally Is it Nancy Pelosi’s time to step down from leadership? How Gen Z helped avert a Red Wave – but why some still voted for Republicans What got us through the week Check out our latest promo codes here: https://betches.com/promos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#794 Trump's Back 16.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Sami, Kaitlin Topics: How the Taylor Swift concert ticket meltdown proves monopolies are ruining society It happened – Trump announced a presidential run. Initial reactions, fears, and predictions. Will Ron DeSantis be enough to keep Trump from a general election? Republicans are a seat away from flipping the House. Here’s what that means for the rest of us. Check out our latest pro...

#793 What’s Missing From The Iran Coverage 15.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Nicole Najafi Topics: Screenwriter and satirist Nicole Najafi joins to describe how Iran’s women-led protest movement has maintained energy for months, with a real chance at toppling the regime. Why there’s a gap between mainstream media coverage and social media reports + how to share information with confidence. Yes, the regime is capable of killing thousands of protesters....

#792 How Democrats Held The Senate 14.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise Topics: Where were you when the Senate was called for Democrats during Tiffany Trump’s wedding? What the 2024 midterms outcomes already mean for the country’s political future Trump’s candidacy announcement is imminent. Could that be… good? Our favorite Elon Musk fails from the last 72 hours Check out our latest promo codes here: https://betches.com/promos Learn more ab...

#791 What Is The “Women’s” Vote? 10.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Sami, & Milly Topics: What to expect from the Georgia runoff election and why we don’t think next time will be so close Why did only 27 percent of white women vote for Stacey Abrams? Does marriage impact how women vote? What Fox News really means when they tell men to “put a ring on it” to help the GOP. Did pundits accurately predict a red wave in this once-liberal stronghold? Check...

#790 Boom. ROEsted. 09.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Alise, Kaitlin Topics: Republicans’ red wave fails to materialize, giving Democrats a historically successful midterms year before winning either chamber of Congress The Senate races that will determine the balance of power. When will we know?! Why abortion was never really the underdog for the Miss Midterms title How to maximize state-level wins Check out our latest promo codes her...

#789 Celebs Take The Midterms 08.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Dylan Hafer Topics: Reflecting on how we’ve grown since a similar predicament in November 2020 The Virginia races to watch to get a temperature for the House of Reps Why celebrities really told on themselves by endorsing Rick Caruso for LA mayor Stanning the rich and famous with the good enough sense to support Karen Bass Check out our latest promo codes here: https://betches...

#788 Election Day Eve 07.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Sami, Alyssa Mastromonaco Topics: What’s in our election night survival kits and how to take anxiety off the invite list A guide to interpreting election results and what to expect as numbers roll in Unpacking Elon Musk’s erratic weekend and what it means for this week’s little democracy tournament Check out our latest promo codes here: https://betches.com/promos Learn more about yo...

#787 Barack The Vote 03.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alencia Johnson Topics: Barack Obama headlines the midterms national tour. How can the Democratic party expand its roster of rock stars? Unpacking why some of the party’s most effective surrogates are people who don’t win, including Beto O’Rourke and Stacey Abrams Why a Real Housewive’s ex-husband is the most effective messenger for the Georgia election What’s getting us thro...

#786 Oz’s Canine Cover-up 02.11.2022

Hosts: Sami, Amanda, Kaitlin Topics: The politics of premature Christmas decorations Dr. Oz asked a colleague to deny he oversaw the harm of animals How Justice Brown Jackson is beating her colleagues at their own game And the fine for foreign election meddling is…. $9,000? Senate candidate Cheri Beasley joins to share her plans as North Carolina’s next senator and why Ted Budd could not be worse...

#785 Affirmative Admission, Aborted 01.11.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise Topics: 28-year-old Takeoff of Migos fame is killed in Houston Republicans are still making fun of an 82-year-old being hammered nearly to death in the head Are we looking at the final days of affirmative action? Why the Supreme Court looks likely to prevent institutions from admitting who they’d like  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#784 The Yassification Of Voting Is Over 31.10.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Sami Topics: How to manage midterms anxiety and what headlines literally do not matter Unpacking the attack on Paul Pelosi and reactions from Washington Elon Musk starts a new job with a deleted conspiratorial tweet. What happens now that the fox runs the hen house? Is this the end of Twitter’s relevance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#783 New York Horror Story 27.10.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Sami, Kaitlin, & Marisa Kabas Topics: Proposing a bipartisan effort to streamline Halloween observance in the United States Elon Musk will own Twitter tomorrow. What does that mean for employees, and why did he bring a kitchen sink to the office? Marisa Kabas joins to summarize the New York Governor debate and unpack how a pro-Trump, anti-abortion Republican is gaining ground on New...

#782 Do Debates Matter? 26.10.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Caitlin Huey-Burns, CBS National Political Correspondent Topics: Analyzing the Pennsylvania Senate debate between Dr. Oz and John Fetterman. What role does the media play when one candidate is recovering from a stroke? Unpacking the narrative that economic concerns are overtaking abortion rights Where we might see election night surprises Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

#781 Voter Intimidation Or Vigilante Sh*t? 25.10.2022

Hosts: Sami Sage & Emily Amick Topics: Adidas finally drops Ye, but what are the actual repercussions of his antisemitism on Americans? Tonight Dr. Oz will debate John Fetterman and we are hoping PA will at least provide closed captioning this time. Republican activists are announcing they are not participating in early voting in hopes of avoiding Democratic interference. Learn more about your ad...

#780 Hitler On The Highway 24.10.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Sami, Alise Topics: A review of “Midnights” and its decidedly apolitical tone Kanye West doubles down on antisemitism, giving comfort to Nazi groups espousing their views on the 405 The midterm election candidates who openly embrace antisemitic dog whistles Kim Kardashian and Ivanka Trump dine out amid the chaos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#779 Let’s Vote For Good Sex 21.10.2022

Hosts: Alise & Kaitlin Topics: Let’s unpack last night’s debate between Congresswoman Val Demings and current Senator Marco Rubio. West Palm Beach debate focused on topics including inflation, abortion, voting rights, gun violence, immigration and foreign policy. Alexandra Hunt, a candidate running for Congress in Philadelphia, shared a chart showing that men under the age of 30 aren’t having as m...

#778 Lettuce Celebrate 20.10.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise Topics: Liz Truss is officially the shortest-serving Prime Minister in UK history. What led to her hastened demise? A juror is removed for flirting with a man accused of trying to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer Support or Suppress featuring James Corden’s restaurant reputation and Olivia Wilde’s salad dressing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...

#777 Is TikTok The Superior News Source? 19.10.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, V Spehar Topics: V Spehar (Under The Desk News, V Interesting with V Spehar) joins to reflect on how they went from a caterer offering Mitt Romney crab cakes to one of the most popular news sources on TikTok Why TikTok creators are earning more reader trust than legacy outlets How bringing “social” back to social media creates more productive environments for discussion The r...

#776 Dangerous Women To Watch This Fall 18.10.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Sami, Emily Tisch Sussman Topics: We dive into the Arizona Governors’ race and trace how Kari Lake went from Obama voter to the MAGA movement’s best hope for a political future Why Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs decided not to debate Kari Lake – do we agree with this choice? Pollsters say voters care more about “economic” issues than abortion. We ask: Do they hear themselves?! Lea...

#775 Corruption Is The Ultimate Kitchen Table Issue 14.10.2022

Hosts: Sami Sage & Sarah Kendzior Topics:  Sarah explains why she chose to write her book about how a culture of conspiracy keeps America complacent. How the impact of money on journalism has limited what information people can access. How an average people can become media and news literate.  Why the “blue state” and “red state” framing is dangerous and why talks of succession are problematic.  C...

#774 What Alex Jones Can’t Pay Back 13.10.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Milly, Alise Topics: Alex Jones owes Sandy Hook families a billion dollars. Can we put a price on how he’s damaged public discourse? The LA City Council President finally resigns – but her views represent a kind of racism that will persist Italian-American Rick Caruso claims to be “Latin” in mayoral debate against Karen Bass Midterms Madness: Which Senate candidate saw 14 family mem...

#773 Hollywood Shock 12.10.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Kaitlin Topics: Why is Tucker Carlson so repulsed by Joe Biden’s love for his son? Unpacking the ableism revealed by John Fetterman’s first post-stroke sit-down interview Shockingly racist statements from LA City Council members prompt calls for resignation Follow Kaitlin’s Patreon at patreon.com/gothamgirlblue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#772 Real Housewives Of Politics 11.10.2022

Hosts: Amanda, Alise, Milly, Nelini Stamp of the Working Families Party Topics: Nelini Stamp, national director of strategy for the Working Families Party, joins us to unpack what’s driving the conversation in the three weeks before midterms Why Wisconsin voters face such dramatically different candidates in a razor-tight race How turning out in Pennsylvania can help us fix the Senate *and* protec...

Listen to the American Fever Dream podcast in Replaio

Radio and podcasts in one app - free, with no sign-up. Install today and do not miss the launch

Get it on Google Play

Replaio is not a podcast publisher; show names, artwork and audio belong to their authors and are distributed through public RSS feeds.