American Fever Dream

Rep. Mondaire Jones of New York joins Alise, Kaitlin, and Amanda to discuss his first year in Congress. What would he tell the HR manager six months in? Then they discuss the parts of the For The People Act that haven’t received enough attention, especially when it comes to gerrymandering. Finally, they all commiserate over Joe Biden’s failure to forgive student loan debt and when we might see som...

Milly, Alise, and Amanda react to the day’s headlines, from a new Senate report telling us what we already knew about the Capitol riot to Vice President Kamala Harris’s stark warning to migrants from Central America. How can we have a productive conversation that acknowledges immigration is complicated without being callous? Finally, they play a Bachelorette-themed edition of Would You Rather in h...

Milly, Sami and Amanda start by recapping the government-building in Israel and what the end of Bibi Netanyahu’s term might mean for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Then they react to Joe Manchin’s stunning announcement that he will not save democracy by voting in favor of the For The People Act. They discuss what this means for upcoming elections and whether there’s any hope for the rest of Pre...

In today’s Afternoon Tea, Sami is joined by Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary and former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, and author of the book I Have Something To Tell You. They start off with a conversation about pandemic weight gain and how Chasten embraced being the best version of himself. Next, they shift the conversation to chat about what it was like for Chasten...

Journalist Ari Berman of Mother Jones joins Amanda and Sami to discuss the five-alarm fire when it comes to voting rights and the safety of our democracy. He breaks down what the most egregious voting laws have in common, why the Texas bill feels especially dystopian, and the difference between the For The People Act and HR 1. We try desperately to inhabit Joe Manchin’s state of mind and map out w...

Alise, Amanda, and Kaitlin discuss Florida’s anti-trans bill and address whether transgender girls (aka girls) playing in girls sports limits opportunities for those assigned female at birth, explaining why this is a false choice that lets Republicans spread a message of transphobia and fear. Then, they run through some of Dr. Fauci’s most endearing leaked emails. Finally, they explain what’s diff...

Milly, Alise, and Amanda are joined by Dylan Hafer, host of Betches new daily pop culture podcast Pop Alarm. They start with some reactions to the “Mare Of Easttown” finale. Then, they discuss widespread criticism of Naomi Osaka’s decision not to do press at the French Open, prompting her to withdraw from the tournament. Why wasn’t this woman of color’s decision to prioritize her mental health res...

The hosts are back for a special alien-themed episode as we await the Pentagon’s report on UFOs. They break down what to expect in the highly anticipated report and how unexplained sightings in recent years have launched the alien convo into mainstream politics. They discuss their own extraterrestrial theories and consider how our fave politicians would react to an alien invasion. Finally, they pl...

In this week’s Afternoon Tea, Sami is joined by host of Confronting: Columbine and Director of Fundraising and Project Journey Coordinator, Amy Over. They start off with a conversation on Amy’s experience as a Columbine survivor and what it is like still living with its aftermath. Next, they chat about how the shooting impacted her response to trauma as well how it influenced the way she raised he...

The hosts discuss two notoriously dangerous Karens: Amy Cooper and Marjorie Taylor Greene. They react to Amy Cooper suing her company for firing her after the viral video showed her jeopardizing a Black man’s life by calling the cops to Central Park. Then, they break down how Republicans have exploited Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Holocaust appropriation, and what they should actually do to protect Je...

The hosts react to a break in the Trump investigation and imagine which Trump would be the best lifetime roommate. For the main topic, they break down reactions to the 1619 Project amid news that a prominent journalism school is denying Nicole Hannah-Jones tenure amid widepsread conservative backlash to the simple concept of acknowledging the country’s early commitment to enslaving people. Learn m...

Milly, Alise, and Amanda discuss the first anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. They reflect on culture shifts in the year since and look back on how the moment caused a movement. Then, they react to a viral story out of Florida, where a high school egregiously edited girls yearbook portraits, and revisit how similar experiences of shaming and objectification in high school continue to impact the...

The hosts are back to discuss what they diidn’t miss about life before the pandemic and reveal which university will no longer use typical classnames. Then they describe the alarming increase in antisemitic attacks and how easily language about the Israeli-Hamas conflict can be exploited. They react to Liz Cheney’s sudden break from from reality and share details of the latest child sex offender t...

In this week’s Afternoon Tea, Sami is joined by Marisa Kabas, writer, activist, and Co-Founder and Editorial Director of Crush2020. They start with a conversation about her experience with the healthcare system after receiving a hospital bill totaling over $475,000. Plus, Marisa shares some the most absurd costs she discovered in her invoice. Next, they shift the conversation to discuss their view...

The hosts open the show with a Shot Girl Summer thought exercise. Then, they roast the Republicans for deciding they don’t care to investigate the murderous mob that stormed their office six months ago, and share other updates about the Capitol riot that emerged since January. Finally, they look into how “pro-life” Texas Governor Greg Abbott really is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Today’s two-part episode includes an interview with Palestinian academic and commentator Dr. Yara Hawari. She describes how periods of escalating violence and Israeli military attacks result in devastation in Gaza even beyond the death toll, causing widespread injuries and demolishing livelihoods. She also explains how the forced expulsions in Sheikh Jarrah signify longer-term attempts by the Isra...

The hosts are joined by Sup podcast director Sean Kilby to discuss revelations that Bill Gates may not have been the model citizen his pristine reputation suggests. They break down reports that he enjoyed spending time at Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion and made inappropriate advances towards women at Microsoft for years. Finally, they discuss how wealth is often -- and wrongly -- connected to morality....

The hosts are back to recap the weekend of escalating violence after Israeli rockets killed dozens of Palestinians, including many children, bringing the death toll to 197, while Hamas missiles have killed 10 Israelis. They discuss conflicting reports about whether Hamas was operating in a building housing media outlets and how the Biden administration’s response has fallen short amid an internati...

In this week’s Afternoon Tea, Sami is joined by writer and author of the newly released book, A Special Place For Women. They start off with a conversation about Laura’s background and how she got onto the path to becoming an author. They talk about Laura’s early career as a performer in New York City and how writing became a creative outlet for her before deciding to pursue it as a career. Next,...

The hosts are joined by Shaniqua Mcclendon, political director of Crooked Media, to discuss the voting rights battle coming to a head in the Senate. Shaniqua breaks down what the filibuster is, why it’s outdated, and how tying its reform to Voting Rights could save our democracy. Casual. Then, they brainstorm ways to get Joe Manchin on board with ending the filibuster and discuss the voting rights...

The hosts have a deeper discussion about the tensions in Israel and Palestine as violence escalates between the Israeli military and Hamas. They discuss why the violence can be difficult to discuss, and the bad political actors who take advantage of justified emotions. Then, they discuss Republican attempts to form a third party amid the ouster of Liz Cheney from leadership. Learn more about your...

The hosts are back for a pop culture filled episode. First, we break down the controversy surrounding the Golden Globes and Hollywood Foreign Press Association after NBC announced it won’t air next year’s ceremony and explain how the HFPA’s repeated failure to reform will hurt artists this year. Then they explore the internet’s reaction to Gwyneth Paltrow saying she broke down to eat bread. Finall...

Alise, Sami, and Amanda break down two converging moments in the pandemic: the first-ever nationwide case decline, and a shocking job report signaling we’re not quite ready to return to pre-pandemic life. They discuss the factors that have prevented some from returning to the workforce, particularly women. Why are men re-entering the labor market while women keep leaving it? Then, they break down...

In this week’s episode of Afternoon Tea, Sami is joined by former Communications Director for TIME’S UP, Emily Favreau. They chatted about what it was like growing up with a politically adjacent family, the moment Emily started to really think about politics, and the early stages of her career working as Deputy Press Secretary to Senator Sherrod Brown. Next, Emily shares how she met Crooked Media'...

Alise, Sami, and Amanda break down the turmoil among Republicans in Congress and how Donald Trump is orchestrating their every move, including replacing Liz Cheney with Elise Stefanik. They break down a Facebook oversight board’s decision to maintain a ban on Trump for another six months, and the rollout of his own new social media platform. Finally, they discuss the absolutely insane election aud...