American Fever Dream

Alise, Bryan, and Amanda debrief on some buzzy politics-meet-pop culture headlines and discuss Bryan’s experience with COVID. Then, they preview the voting rights showdown in Congress coming this month. Is this the same dead-end story, or will Joe Manchin throw in some new plot lines? They share frustrations with both the Biden administration and those who criticize it when most of the blame lies...

Alise and Amanda react to a set of headlines about pet parenthood involving the Pope and Spanish law. Then they unpack the factors currently surrounding in-person learning amid Omicron. Why are parents facing unpredictable and potentially unsafe circumstances two years into the pandemic? The hosts discuss details from the standoff in Chicago between the Mayor and teachers unions and explain how th...

Milly, Amanda, and Sami share some final thoughts on the January 6 commemorations and brainstorm how to keep the attack present in Americans’ hearts and minds. Then they pivot to the political reshaping of Congresswoman Liz Cheney after her vote to impeach Donald Trump. Are Democrats underutilizing this anti-choice, pro-gun Republican who might be the only way to save democracy? Finally, they roas...

Alise, Kaitlin, and Amanda react to Rep. Devin Nunes leaving Congress and how it benefits Nancy Pelosi. Then they reflect on the one-year anniversary of the January 6 siege on the Capitol. What can Democrats do in the next year to ensure accountability for the insurrection, including the members of Congress and Trump allies who incited it? What laws should be activated or changed to ensure appropr...

Milly, Alise, and Amanda are back! They share updates amid the Omicron surge and how the virus impacted their holidays. Then they dive in to the biggest headlines of the last week, including a Twitter ban for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and guilty convictions for Elizabeth Holmes and Ghislaine Maxwell. Then they unpack the question: Are these women’s convictions as satisfying when the powerful men...

The hosts continue awarding the year’s top newsmakers while reflecting on the biggest moments of 2021. Finally, they guess who – or what – is most likely to get canceled in 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this two-part, year-end Sup extravaganza, Amanda, Alise, Milly, Sami and Bryan award the 2021 SUPerlative awards to the cast of characters who defined the year, from the most likely insurrectionist to succeed in prison and most likely to get kicked off of Twitter in 2022 to the year’s most influential inanimate objects and biggest fall from grace.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...

Amanda, Milly, Alise, and Sami react to the New Yorker profile of “Succession” actor Jeremy Strong and the bizarre reaction from celebrities coming to his defense. Strong is accused of being unusual and hard to work, yet people from Aaron Sorkin to Anne Hathaway have responded as if the gentle ribbing was a character assassination. Has the fact that so many public men have been exposed as awful mo...

Alise, Milly, and Amanda are back for a q&a episode that quickly becomes a group therapy session to process the chaos, toxicity, and moments of joy from the last year. They share their highlights and lowlights, biggest areas of growth, and what political issues they’re genuinely hopeful about in the new year. They also answer tons of personal questions about their medication regimens and dog mom l...

Milly, Alise, and Amanda react to the White House’s announcements amid the Omicron surge and discuss how to productively critique the Biden administration while recognizing how dangerous the alternative. Then, they look forward to what’s next for the Build Back Better bill and options for getting Joe Manchin’s support and discuss the fallout from his announcement. Finally, they unpack Manchin’s co...

Amanda, Alise, and Sami do a necessary vibe check before diving into the current state of the pandemic and how to weigh personal risk ahead of the holidays. Then, they react to Joe Manchin blowing up the Biden agenda on Fox News announcing his opposition to Build Back Better. They explain what role the Biden administration played in this failure and what comes next. Finally, they discuss how *not*...

Milly, Alise, Sami, and Amanda react to alarming headlines about the Omicron variant’s spread. Then, they unpack the case of Josh Duggar of “19 Kids And Counting Fame” and his conviction for child sex abuse images. They detail the Duggar’s family history and the accusations that pre-dated their reality show, and why greater intervention wasn’t taken at the time. Finally, they analyze how purity cu...

Alise, Amanda, and Kaitlin react to the Maryland Zebras’ triumphant return and share a timely followup to our Elon Musk conversation. Then they share updates on Build Back Better and where the urgency has gone. They hone in on the paid family and sick leave provision and break down how the program works, how much money people get, and how it compares to other countries. Finally, they ask: Why does...

Milly, Bryan, and Amanda react to Britney Spears’ recent comments on *that* Diane Sawyer interview. Then they discuss why TIME magazine named Elon Musk the person of the year and reflect on his overall societal impact on 2021 -- was it net negative, or net positive? They also pitch their own alternatives. Finally, they react to text messages showing Don Jr asked daddy to speak out during the insur...

Amanda and Sami are back for a Monday debrief on the weekend’s headlines, from the aftermath of the tornadoes and the role of climate change to next steps for Texas’ extreme abortion ban. They discuss Governor Gavin Newsom’s promise to draft similar legislation related to certain types of guns and the usefulness of comparing gun rights to abortion rights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

Alise, Milly, and Amanda react to a delightful story involving Finland’s prime minister and explain why her late-night clubbing scandal is actually a feminist victory. They also share updates about the man who lit the Fox News Christmas tree on fire. Finally, they break down Travis Scott’s hour-long interview with Charlamagne the God about the Astroworld tragedy. Spoiler Alert: It’s not good! Lear...

Sami, Kaitlin, and Amanda reflect on Angela Merkel’s legacy and what women in leadership can learn from her hits and misses. Then they unpack the Atlantic article everyone’s talking about titled “Trump’s Next Coup Has Already Begun.” They highlight the new information and detail why Republican theft of the presidency in 2024 is guaranteed without action from Democrats. They agonize over why Democr...

Alise, Milly, and Amanda react to a series of minor scandals, from cocaine found all over UK parliament to Kamala Harris’s preferred headphones. Then, they break down the Chicago trial of Jussie Smollett who is charged with six felonies related to staging an attack in 2019. They walk through what Smollett claims happened and the likelihood a jury will find him guilty, plus the impact of the trial...

Sami and Amanda debrief on the latest COVID travel restrictions and how Sami’s experience freezing her eggs relates to abortion rights. Then they break down how Democrats have reacted to a series of insane outbursts from the right, from a Kentucky congressman posting a gun-heavy holiday card to whether punishing Lauren Boebert could backfire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...

CNN contributor and epidemiologist Dr. Abdul El-Sayed joins us to break down everything we’ve learned about the Omicron variant, what’s left to know, and whether it could change the course of the pandemic. Listen to Dr. El-Sayed on America, Dissected or subscribe to his newsletter at incision.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Milly and Amanda are joined by Imani Gandy, the Senior Editor Law & Policy at Rewire News Group to break down yesterday’s Supreme Court hearing over Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban. She breaks down the justices most alarming statements and how an undue burden test became a case to overturn Roe. Finally, she answers your questions about abortion rights in blue states, how Congress could interven...

Alise, Milly, and Amanda react to yesterday’s school shooting in Michigan and preview the SCOTUS case that could get Roe overturned. Then they discuss the exoneration of Anthony Broadwater, who was wrongly convicted in the rape of author Alice Sebold, who later detailed the experience her book “Lucky” read by millions. They break down the flaws in the 1982 case and what finally led to Broadwater’s...

Alise, Amanda, and Bryan react to the trial against Ghislaine Maxwell, accused of sex trafficking and grooming young women for Jeffrey Epstein. They explain how the female-dominated trial plays into the gender dynamics of 2021 and the shocking tactics from the defense. They also try to discern Ghislaine Maxwell’s motivation for committing sex crimes for Jeffrey Epstein. Finally, they discuss the t...

Sami and Amanda catch up after a long holiday weekend before unpacking what we know about the Omicron variant. How much of the alarm is legitimate and how much is manufactured? They have a broader conversation about how the new variant highlights how far we are from a pre-pandemic norm. Then, they discuss Americans’ dissatisfaction with the economy despite data suggesting a healthy recovery. They...

Alise, Bryan, and Amanda chat for a special holiday episode dedicated to the recent surge of millennial nostalgia. They consider how this wave of reboots, revivals and retrospectives differs from normal trend cycles and why 30-somethings might be gripping onto these past comforts. Finally, they discuss which day in the early 2000s they’d choose to relive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...