American Fever Dream

Bryan and Alise start the show with an update on the Category 4 Hurricane Laura and talk about the devastating effects it has already had in Louisiana and Texas. Then they discuss 17 year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who was arrested and charged with homicide in a fatal shooting that left two dead during protests Tuesday night in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Next, they react to the historic strike by professional...

On Women’s Equality Day, Amanda speaks with Rep. Karen Bass of California, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. They discuss voter suppression efforts that have persisted far past the 19th Amendment and how the White House and Mitch McConnell have refused to sign legislation protecting Americans’ right to vote. They also address the fact that 65 years after Emmett Till’s murder, lynching is st...

Alise and Bryan are back today with special guest host Chris Burns (@fatcarriebradshaw) to recap night 1 of the Republican National Convention. They run down the most batsh*t moments, from an oral surgeon praising Trump’s COVID response to Kimberly Guilfoyle’s CAPS LOCK speech. They translate instances of veiled racism and play back examples of explicit white nationalism. Finally, they consider ho...

On today’s Sup podcast, Bryan and Amanda are back to preview the Republican National Convention and the basket of deplorables we can expect to hear from this week. Then, they share limited details about several police shootings this weekend. Finally, they discuss Kellyanne Conway leaving the White House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, we answer all your burning questions about the Sup team, from our news diets to how we manage stress and what reality shows get us through the Trump administration. Hear us discuss topics we don’t normally cover and what goes into creating the podcast every day. We couldn’t get through all your thoughtful questions in one episode, so check back next Friday for Part 2. Learn mor...

Alise and Bryan start the show with breaking news about the arrest of Steve Bannon after being indicted for fraud in relation to raising $25 million to fund the construction of a border wall. Then they dive into night three of the Democratic National Convention, starting with a reaction to speeches from several high-profile women in the party, including Hillary Clinton. Plus, they discuss the nomi...

We're back to debrief on an eventful night 2 of the Democratic Convention and we are -- dare we say -- incredibly charmed by the festivities?! They discuss why the delegate roll call should only be done via Zoom from this point forward and run down the night’s most compelling speakers and who didn’t need to be there at all. They debunk some of the drama surrounding AOC’s appearance and consider wh...

Sami and Alise are back to talk about night one of the Democratic National Convention. They start with their immediate reaction to how the virtual convention format worked, including which speakers exceeded their expectations, and what they want to see more of. Plus, they talk about the inclusion of Republican speakers like John Kasich (and his strange crossroads analogy). Next, they play several...

Bryan and Amanda are back to figure out how the mail broke and what needs to happen to fix it. Nancy Pelosi is calling Congress back from Summer vacation to address our postal emergency as the White House and USPS acknowledge a possibly catastrophic situation in November. Is it too late? Finally, they preview the Democratic National Convention and ask why Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was given on...

The time has come, loyal listeners, for a Q&A episode. But first we need some Qs to A. What do you want to know about us? What have you always wanted to ask? Ever wondered how we got into politics? How do we feel about a certain issue? Our skincare routines and astrological charts? You can literally ask us anything (no promises we’ll answer, but we’ll definitely consider it). Feel free to address...

Today Amanda talks to David Litt, a former speechwriter for President Obama and author of “Democracy In One Book Or Less.” Litt explains why, despite living in a democracy, the will of the people is so rarely implemented. He describes why understanding the rise of Mitch McConnell is key to understanding our democratic decay, and recounts visiting McConnell’s old frat house to look for answers. The...

Sami and Amanda are back today to debrief on Joe Biden’s announcement of Kamala Harris as the Vice Presidential nominee. They break down some of the misogynistic and racist reactions to her selection and consider the line between admiration and sexism. They discuss what she adds to the race and how she can overcome challenges related to her prosecutorial record. Finally, they try to figure out why...

Bryan and Alise are joined by Ryan Vasquez, Broadway star of Hamilton fame and founder of Swing From Home, a platform connecting remote volunteers to smaller campaigns in need of volunteer support. They start by explaining what volunteers can do to help candidates during a pandemic, including how to donate your time using just your phone. Ryan explains the value of making a difference in super foc...

On today’s Sup podcast, Alise and Amanda anticipate November 3, 2020, and how we need to start re-imaging what election day will look like and share their plans to hold themselves accountable. They break down additional threats to the USPS and how throughout history, politicians have eliminated voters instead of bothering to appeal to them. Finally, they discuss violence in Chicago and why the pan...

Alise and Sami are back to break down the president’s weekend assembling large groups of people in a COVID haunted house, issuing meaningless executive actions, and insisting coronavirus will magically disappear. They discuss a motorcycle rally currently descending on South Dakota with 250,000 attendees as the country mourns 160,000 COVID deaths. Finally, run through what Trump’s executive orders...

Sami and Amanda are back to recount all the useless things Trump did yesterday before jetting off to his golf club while tens of millions of Americans await economic relief amid a deadly epidemic he has failed to contain. Then they discuss Biden’s moving deadline on announcing a VP. It was fun at first, but does the protracted timeline pit women against each other and reduced their dynamic careers...

On today’s episode of the Sup podcast, Alise and Bryan cover breaking news of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ announcement that she will be filing a case against the NRA. They also cover how the Democratic and Republican Nominating Conventions will go down online and how Trump’s staff might all soon be finding themselves in violation of the Hatch Act. Next, they discuss Facebook finally (...

Kaitlin and Amanda are back to debrief on yet *another* huge night of primaries in the election season that never ends. They share details of the devastating explosion in Lebanon, which will exacerbate an existing economic and political crisis already worsened by the pandemic. Finally, they run through the federal assistance programs about to expire as eviction moratoriums expire around the countr...

On today’s episode of the Sup podcast, Alise and Sami talk about how Jared Kushner’s secret plan for testing disappeared into thing air. Then, they discuss Trump’s interview with Axios which featured homemade graphs, some incorrect statements about how testing works Trump’s thoughts on John Lewis, and more well wishes Ghislaine Maxwell. Finally, they wrap up with some news about politically charge...

Bryan and Amanda are back to break down the weekend’s headlines, from Trump’s threat to ban TikTok to efforts to crowdfund the United States Postal Service ahead of the election. Can Trump actually ban TikTok, and would it be the worst thing if he did? They assess Dr. Birx’s most recent guidance about masking at home and how the virus continues to stoke tensions in American households. They explai...

Alise and Amanda are back, but $600 weekly unemployment benefits are not. Today we track Congress’s progress towards an economic relief package as millions of Americans face plummeting income and eviction -- while the Senate takes a summer Friday. They analyze Trump’s threat to delay the election in terms of yesterday’s historically dismal economic report. Finally, they run through revelations fro...

Bryan and Amanda are back with Asha Rangappa, CNN national security analyst and a former FBI agent, to break down just how alarming Bill Barr’s hearing was for people who know how the Justice Department is actually supposed to work. She tells us what concerns her most about the hearing, whether Democrats questioned the AG effectively, and dives into Trump’s pro-Putin reaction to Russia’s bounty on...

Alise and Kaitlin are back to talk about AG Bill Barr’s disturbing showing at yesterday’s House Judiciary testimony. Now that we are clearly living in a post-democracy world, what will it take to get back? Can the rule of law survive even one Trump term? Then they dive into the president’s press conference in which he defended promoting a discredited doctor who says alien DNA is used in medical tr...

Today Amanda is joined by Rep. Katherine Clark, Vice-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and the second highest-ranking woman in Congress. Rep. Clark (D-CA), a fierce advocate for childcare, talks about pushing lawmakers to recognize childcare as an economic issue, not just a women’s one. She describes her push to get Congress to offer the childcare industry the same bailout it gave airlines: $50...

On this episode of the Sup, Sami and Bryan start with a review of Taylor Swift’s new album and a fun game testing one another’s knowledge of her new lyrics. Then they dive into an update on COVID-19 cases in the US, including news that President Trump's national security adviser has tested positive for the virus. Next, they talk about the latest in stimulus bill negotiations, a potential reduction...