American Fever Dream

On today’s episode, Bryan and Alise are back and start the show with some of the lingering after effects of this week’s presidential debate. They react to Donald Trump’s attempt to claim that he doesn’t know who the Proud Boys are, and discuss the response from several Republican lawmakers. Plus, they talk about the Commission on Presidential Debates stating that it would be making changes to the...

On today’s Betches Sup podcast, Sami, Kaitlin, and Amanda debrief on the first debate of the general election. They run through the night’s most memorable moments, from the name-calling to Trump’s shockingly frank embrace of white supremacy. They discuss what newly engaged voters told us about how they interpreted the debate and the impact it might have on turnout. Finally, they consider if the de...

On this episode of the Sup, Alise and Bryan start things off with a preview of tonight’s debate, including which topics will be covered, what’s at stake, and exactly what you should look out for. Then they dive into the details of the bombshell New York Times report featuring details about the president’s tax returns and what they reveal about his finances. Do voters even care that he doesn’t pay...

Amanda is joined by TJ Ducklo, national press secretary for former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential campaign, to discuss Joe Biden’s strategy for tomorrow’s debate in Ohio. How will the campaign use the debate to continue Biden’s swing state momentum? Ducklo also explains how the Supreme Court vacancy has -- and hasn’t -- changed the debate calculus, and speaks to Biden’s overall consistenc...

The Betches Sup presents the third installment of the 8-episode limited series exposing the connections you never knew existed: Do You Know Who My Dad Is? explores dynastic nepotism and the effects it has on media, culture, and our current political system. Hosts Bryan Russell Smith and Alicia Angeles are talking all about the privilege that leads inexperienced and unaccomplished children of power...

Bryan and Amanda do a quick catchup on yesterday’s headlines, including the announcement that no criminal charges will be filed related to Breonna Taylor’s death. How do you have a murder without a murderer? Then, they discuss Trump’s most recent threat to the election: refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. What will the days, weeks, and months leading up to the election look like? T...

Alise, Kaitlin, and Amanda are back to talk about the next steps in the battle to replace Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. They run through the Republican senators vowing to confirm a Trump pick before election day. Is it naive to be disappointed in Mitt Romney? They discuss possible maneuvers at the Democrats’ disposal: is it even possible to block a vote before election today? Finally,...

Sami is joined by election security advocate, attorney and writer Jenny Cohn, to talk about the biggest threats to our voting systems this year. They start with a list of the most concerning issues for election security in 2020. Next, they discuss some of the historical examples of troubling election moments in the recent past, and what those can teach us about this time around. Finally, they clos...

Amanda and Sami discuss the expected yet unthinkable passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday. They reflect on Ginsburg’s legacy and look ahead to confirming her replacement, which Mitch McConnell vowed to do within hours of her death. They discuss Republican hypocrisy, cover the most constructive ways to move forward, and share the potentially radical 2021 scenarios Democrats are finally...

The Betches Sup presents the second installment of this 8-episode limited series exposing the connections you never knew existed: Do You Know Who My Dad Is? explores dynastic nepotism and the effects it has on media, culture, and our current political system. Hosts Bryan Russell Smith and Alicia Angeles are talking all about the privilege that leads inexperienced and unaccomplished children of pow...

On today’s episode, Alise and Bryan are talking all about Trump’s repeated contradictions of the director of the CDC. They start with Dr. Redfield’s announcement that it will likely take about six to nine months for all Americans to be vaccinated and to achieve large-scale immunity. They react to a series of audio clips featuring the president’s outright denial of these remarks, and baffling criti...

Amanda, Sami, Kaitlin and Alise are back for a conversation about sexism in the 2020 general election. What lessons have the media learned from 2016, and where have we fallen short? Where is the line between celebrating female empowerment and being sexist? Is it ever appropriate to compliment a female candidate's appearance? They also discuss whether we hold ourselves to a lower standard when it c...

Sami and Amanda are back to run through the absentee ballot challenges threatening to undermine the election result -- and what you need to know to make sure yours is counted. Then they describe a shocking whistleblower complaint alleging horrific conditions in ICE Detention Centers where doctors are performing a suspiciously high rate of hysterectomies on women, with one doctor performing so many...

Amanda and Bryan are back to mark six months since the pandemic posed a national emergency and 50 days out from election day. They reflect on the past six months as the U.S. passes 200,000 deaths while our Canadian neighbors celebrate their first day without death. They debrief Trump’s illegal Nevada rally in which he unlawfully assembled thousands of people for an indoor rally, and look ahead to...

The Betches Sup presents an 8-episode limited series exposing the connections you never knew existed: Do You Know Who My Dad Is? explores dynastic nepotism and the effects it has on media, culture, and our current political system. Hosts Bryan Russell Smith and Alicia Angeles are talking all about the privilege that leads inexperienced and unaccomplished children of powerful people to get ahead. ...

Today Sami is joined by Sam Vinograd, National Security Analyst for CNN and former Senior Analyst to the Obama administration, to talk about the threat Trump’s presidency poses to our national security. They start with a conversation about Bob Woodward’s new book and the bombshell news that the president admitted to downplaying the coronavirus threat. They discuss the impact of Trump’s repeated at...

Kaitlin and Alise are back and start the show with details about the Rochester Police officials who resigned yesterday after protests over the killing of Daniel Prude. Next, they talk about the unprecedented, norms-breaking move by the Department of Justice to assume responsibility for defending Trump in a defamation suit brought on by E. Jean Carroll. Finally, they close the show with Trump getti...

Sami and Bryan start things off with details about the pro-Trump parade that caused five boats to sink this weekend. Then they discuss the Atlantic report claiming Trump called troops that died in war losers and suckers. Next, they talk about the House Oversight Committee launching an investigation on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for violating federal election laws and lying to congress under oa...

Today we have a stacked Labor Day episode in which Amanda interviews two incredible women trying to save us in November. First, she chats with Nevada Rep. Dina Titus about the unique impact of COVID 19 on her Las Vegas district, and how she’s worked with local leaders as Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell have refused to provide relief for hardworking Nevadans. Then, Amanda call up Donna Imam, who i...

Today, Amanda talks with Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell to discuss the state of the election in this critical swing state two months out from November 3. She describes the state of school re-openings in her district and reminds us that the choice between safety and schooling was never inevitable, but one Trump forced us to make. She laments the division and hatred stoked by the president a...

Bryan and Alise start the show with reports that CDC has recommended that public health officials prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine as early as October or November. They also discuss Dr. Fauci clarifying that a vaccine may be available for certain groups before clinical trials end, but not as early as two months away. Next, they talk about Trump suggesting that voters in North Carolina v...

Kaitlin and Amanda are back to debrief Trump’s Kenosha visit. Then, they discuss the president’s refusal to acknowledge the rising threat of white supremacist domestic terror. They share reports that Trump refuses to hear the term “white” in briefings about domestic extremism and how racial tensions in the United States compare to the rest of the world. Finally, they explain how the Centers for Di...

Alise and Bryan are back and start the show with a conversation about the violence that has continued to roil American cities (and has been endlessly covered by the media). They discuss Trump’s refusal to say the name “Jacob Blake” and his unwillingness to condemn the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse. Next, they talk about Joe Biden delivering a speech in one of his first campaign appearances outside o...

Kaitlin and Amanda speak with Yusef Salaam and Ibi Zoboi to discuss their new graphic novel “Punching The Air,” inspired by Salaam’s experience being wrongfully incarcerated as a teenager as part of the Exonerated 5. Salaam describes the sometimes traumatic experience of writing about an incarcerated teen, what he hopes readers absorb from the book in a time of racial reckoning, and how he hopes t...

Alise, Sami, Bryan, and Amanda are back for round two of our mailbag episode to answer some of your sillier questions, from which reality TV show we’d be on to our favorite Spice Girl. They also share some insight into what goes into creating the Sup every day and what they do to unwind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices