American Fever Dream

Sami, Amanda, and Bryan are back to discuss your responses to vaccine reluctance in your networks. Then, they break down shocking revelations from this week’s congressional hearing on the Capitol attack. They describe the breakdown in communication that led the FBI’s warning of violence to languish unread. How does a credible threat of an armed insurrection fall through the cracks? That the perpet...

Amanda is joined by Pooja Asnani, director of the Immigration Project at Sanctuary for Families. Pooja details the immigration stories that have gone unreported for years. She explains just how dramatically the previous administration altered immigration processes -- specifically in ways that made it harder for undocumented domestic violence survivors to ensure safety in the US. She outlines how t...

Milly, Alise, and Amanda react to Joe Manchin’s refusal to confirm Joe Biden’s cabinet appointees, many of whom happen to be women of color. They detail Manchin’s previous votes for controversial picks and unpack why women, specifically women of color, are held to a higher standard. Then they unload on the moderates in Congress who need some reform themselves. Then, they summarize the immigration...

Bryan and Amanda reflect on reaching the grim milestone of 500,000 COVID deaths, and what about American society let us even hit such an unthinkable number. They discuss anti-vaccination sentiments they’ve encountered in their own life, and share ways to promote vaccine confidence among friends and family. Then, they break down the Equality Act re-introduced in Congress last week. They explain how...

Content Warning: This episode contains references to rape and sexual assault. It’s time for Afternoon Tea, and this week Sami Sage is joined by Amanda Nguyen, civil rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and founder of Rise. They start with the story of how Amanda founded Rise and began actually writing her rights into law. They explain the concept of “Hopeanomics,” the process of how agendas...

Bryan, Alise, and Amanda reflect on men failing their at duties, specifically Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Chris Cuomo. First, they react to news Senator Ted Cruz flew to Cancun while his constituents were freezing to death, and give updates on the on the overall situation in Texas. Then, they react to inquiries into New York Governor Chris Cuomo, whose administration undercounted nursing home de...

Kaitlin and Amanda share details of the winter storm that has left millions in Texas without heat and electricity. They zoom out to analyze what the moment says about how Americans understand their relationship with government, and look at other northern cities where residents are regularly left without basic human needs. Finally, they explain the outsized role that climate change denial played in...

Milly, Alise, and Amanda are back from a long weekend to react to the end of Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. They break down the good reasons and the bad reasons Democrats ultimately backed down on witnesses, and discuss paths for holding Trump accountable in the future. Finally, they analyze why Republican parties around the country have given into their greatest foe: cancel culture. Lea...

Amanda is Joined by Samantha Miller of Black Girl Environmentalists for a conversation about how environmental activism intersects with racial justice. Miller explains how racism and discrimination have historically played out in the mainstream environmental movement, and how failing to include diverse voices and experiences results in bad ideas and policy implementation. Miller also discusses how...

On this week’s Afternoon Tea, Sami Sage is joined by Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to the UN and bestselling author of The Education of an Idealist. They start with a conversation about the nature of courage, where it comes from, and how she took the leap to leave her job at Harvard and join Barack Obama’s team before he was president. They talk about working in a male dominated field (you...

Milly and Amanda open the episode with a history-making clip of Delegate Stacey Plaskett, who yesterday became the first non-voting member of the House to argue as an impeachment manager. Then, they briefly react to Day 2 of the impeachment trial and it might have actually changed some Republican votes. Then, they’re joined by Symone Sanders, the senior advisor and chief spokesperson for Vice Pres...

Amanda and Kaitlin react to the first day of Trump’s second impeachment trial, from House Impeachment managers’ emotional case against the former president to the Trump team’s shocking display of ineptitude. They listen to Rep. Jamie Raskin’s opening argument and talk about the collective trauma we’re all feeling from reliving that terrifying day and roast Bruce Castor’s freshman drama class monol...

Milly, Alise, and Amanda kick off impeachment week 2.0. They summarize today’s proceedings before covering the recent spate of deadly violence against Asian Americans amid rising hate crimes during the pandemic. They discuss how the “model minority” stereotype has distorted the degree of racism against Asian Americans, and explore how Asian American activism should be better incorporated into the...

Bryan, Sami, and Amanda are back to neg the Super Bowl and hype the vaccine. They run through the state of the inoculation rollout as 8 percent of Americans have been vaccinated. They share a stat that only half of Americans would take vaccine ASAP, and explore lingering reasons for reluctance, including the medical establishment’s lack of trustworthiness in minority communities. Finally, Amanda i...

On the second installment of Afternoon Tea, Sami Sage is joined by Amanda Litman, author and co-founder of Run for Something, for another dose of political therapy. They begin with an explanation of how Amanda started helping normal people run for office and do a mini role-play to demonstrate how you might convince someone it’s worth taking a chance on themselves and run for elected office. They a...

Sami, Milly, and Amanda check in on Jared and Ivanka’s personal financial fallout from the pandemic they failed to contain. Then, they break down Republican’s secret “family meeting” to determine the fate of two women who represent diverging wings of the party. They analyze what happened with Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene and look forward to Democrats voting to remove the latter from her c...

Alise, Kaitlin, and Amanda start with the news that lauded Black women creators were snubbed at the Golden Globes. Then, they break down the respective arguments from Trump’s lawyers and the House impeachment team and what they foretell for next week’s trial. They acknowledge that Trump will likely be acquitted and remain eligible to hold federal office while extremism spreads unfettered. That’s u...

Amanda, Alise, and Milly Tamarez are back to react to Rep. AOC’s account of what happened during the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6. They lament the state of politics that forced a millennial woman to relive her trauma before millions to make accountability more likely, and why women on both sides of the aisle are becoming symbolic figureheads at a time when America is emotional and distraught. Th...

Amanda, Sami and Bryan are back on a snowy Monday to ask where the fuck our $2,000 checks are?! They check in on the state of COVID relief negotiations and ask why winners are even negotiating at all. They debunk the idea that $2,000 couldn’t benefit every family or that certain income levels should be excluded from help. They weigh the political backlash if Biden doesn’t pass a bipartisan bill an...

In the first ever episode of Afternoon Tea, Sami Sage sits down with author Liz Plank for an afternoon of political therapy. They start by talking about living in a post-Trump America (sigh of relief) and how hard it is to shift the way we think about politics. They also discuss the historic nature of Kamala Harris becoming VP and what it means for our country. Liz explains the best way to rectify...

Alise, Bryan, and Amanda are back to break down the GameStop short squeeze and COVID fatigue. How did a group of retail investors on Reddit pull off a maneuver that exposed how hedge funds manipulate the market every day? They explain the practical impacts of this extremely satisfying parable. Then, they have a candid and honest conversation about COVID fatigue and hitting a wall at this stage in...

Kaitlin and Amanda react to Senate Republicans voting overwhelmingly to put this whole deadly insurrection thing behind them. Then, they share disturbing polling that 56% of Republicans think Donald Trump should be president in 2024, and what Democrats need to do right now to stop it. Finally, Kaitlin explains how the filibuster has been used throughout US history to maintain white supremacy and a...

Milly, Alise, and Amanda are back to figure out why Mitch McConnell is controlling the Senate even after his demotion last week. They break down the history and practical uses of some procedural moves that could allow Democrats to pass legislation: budget reconciliation and removing the filibuster. What are the merits of each approach, and the consequences for taking them? Finally, we make the cas...

Amanda, Sami, and Bryan break down a surprisingly news-packed first weekend of the Biden administration. They peek inside the Senate’s bullet journal for the next few weeks and to see what will be prioritized amid impeachment hearings, COVID relief, and cabinet nominees. Then, they consider why Republicans are so eager to delay impeachment, and what the outcome bodes for Trump’s future impact on t...

Sami, Bryan, and Milly are back to break down the first few days of the Biden administration. They start with a few updates in the Senate, including Mitch McConnell’s refusal to give up power and the status of the Articles of Impeachment against former President Trump. Is there any chance at all that Joe Manchin votes to get rid of the fillibuster? Then, they give a few updates on the Coronavirus,...