Sane(ish) with Jo Carducci

If you’re not losing your mind a little, you’re probably not paying attention. This week on Sane(ish), Jo sits down with John Fugelsang to roast hypocrisy, unpack the ridiculousness and share some much-needed truths about faith, rage, and grit. Jo’s been writing about everything from South Park mercilessly dunking on Kristi Noem to why sometimes you just have to escape to the beach to keep your he...

Jo sits down with Colorado’s own Congressman Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger and national security hawk. With D.C. gridlocked, Texas politics unraveling, and new headlines piling up about democracy under siege, Jason brings the heat on what real leadership and service look like in 2025. They dig into why chaos in Congress isn’t just noise it’s a real threat to national security and the rights Ame...

Jo sits down with Ron Filipkowski, MeidasTouch’s editor-in-chief, ex-prosecutor, and the guy whose X feed you check before your first coffee. The two dive straight into the Texas caper: Democratic lawmakers making a midnight dash out of the state—more Springsteen than C-SPAN—to stop the GOP’s latest attempt to gerrymander themselves a permanent majority. With the chaos playing out under the relent...

This week, Jo gets raw and real with Senator Ruben Gallego for a deep dive into what happens when Congress ghosts the hard truths and survivors are left carrying the weight in silence. Against the backdrop of another performative escape to summer recess, Jo shares the most personal Substack yet: a letter to survivors who watch their abusers rise to power while the world shrugs. Gallego joins to ta...

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman joins Jojo from Jerz in the July heat (cicadas and all) to break down a week when political theater has nothing on the real-world consequences of cowardice and cover-ups. From Trump’s “Ukraine Pivot” to the MAGA meltdown over the Epstein files, Vindman pulls zero punches. They unpack Tulsi Gabbard’s attempts to get back in the Trump camp, what’s really holding...

While the Epstein files scandal explodes and unfinished business piles up, Speaker Mike Johnson just sprinted for the exits—slamming the gavel on an early summer recess before anyone could say “roll call.” Congress didn’t just adjourn; it staged a getaway, ducking the cameras and dodging the receipts. Jojo from Jerz grabs the megaphone and sits down with Congressman Jim Himes to drag everything in...

Congressman Jamie Raskin joins Jo in the middle of a week when American democracy feels like it’s on the clearance rack. From Congress giving away its power with the Recessions Act, to lawmakers cosplaying as fiscal hawks while slashing PBS and NPR before even considering a billionaire tax cut, Jo and Raskin unpack what’s happening beneath the circus. They go deep on the Epstein files detonating w...

Congressman Jared Moskowitz joins Jo for a no-holds-barred breakdown of a week so stupid you can’t make it up: Congress duck-walks away from the Epstein files, Republicans lock arms to shield the secrets their own base is demanding, and suddenly the MAGA mob is eating itself while Trump twirls behind the curtain. Moskowitz drags the whole charade from Russian nesting dolls of lies, binder theatric...

Jo sits down with Senator Angus King—Maine’s straight-shooting Independent and connoisseur of constitutional reality checks—for a conversation that blows the lid off Washington’s latest “power of the purse” giveaway. From Congress rolling over on the Rescissions Act (“one more building block in the edifice of authoritarianism”) to the boneheaded crusade against PBS, NPR, and USAID, Senator King ca...

Jo sits down with Tom Malinowski—former Congressman, Assistant Secretary of State, and expert on foreign policy and democracy. From Trump’s super awkward NATO deals and unpredictable tariff threats to the devastating impact of the big bad “Billionaire Boner Bill,” they unpack the real consequences for working families, small businesses, and America’s global standing. Later, Tom shares insider insi...

Journalist, author, and “Just Ask the Question” podcast host Brian Karem joins Jo for a raw, unfiltered conversation about journalism in the age of chaos.  Brian shares what it’s like to be marginalized in the White House briefing room, the evolution of propaganda from the podium, and why the current administration’s contempt for truth is unlike anything he’s seen in four decades of reporting. Tog...

David Pakman - host of The David Pakman Show- joins Jo for a raw, honest, and unexpectedly hopeful conversation about life in America after "The Billionaire Boner Bill." David and Jo revisit their first meeting at The White House- before "the shit show came in for season two" - and reflect on just how quickly things have unraveled. Together, they break down what the new bill really means for worki...

Jo welcomes comedian, SiriusXM host, and author John Fugelsang for a brutally honest—and frequently hilarious—conversation about America’s relentless cruelty, the billionaire boner bill, and why the GOP’s Bible-thumping is pure performance. With his new book coming out August 19th (preorder it now), Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists,...

This rapid-response episode of Sane(ish) couldn’t be more urgent. Jo is joined by Senator Tina Smith just as the Senate moves to vote on the “billionaire boner bill” which would gut health care, slash benefits for working families, and hand out tax breaks to billionaires. Senator Smith lays out what’s really at stake, why this fight matters for moms, kids, and everyday Americans, and exactly how y...

In this urgent episode of Sane(ish), Jo is joined by sits Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut following a powerful Capitol Hill hearing on the Republican “Big Beautiful Betrayal” bill—or as Jo calls it, the “Billionaire Boner Bill.” Together, they break down the real-world consequences of this catastrophic legislation, which threatens to kick millions off Medicaid and slash SNAP benefits, all to f...

Jojo from Jerz brings together legal heavyweight George Conway and historian Heather Cox Richardson for a candid, unscripted conversation about the chaos of June 2025. With Trump launching strikes on Iran, Congress sidelined, and the world on edge, Jo, George, and Heather cut through the noise to ask: How did we get here—and what happens next? George & Heather swap stories from their Harvard days...

With the world on edge over the escalating Iran-Israel conflict, Jo sits down with national security expert and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joel Rubin for a deeply human conversation about what’s really happening behind the headlines. As Trump’s stance on U.S. involvement in the region shifts by the hour, swinging from “no new wars” to openly hinting at strikes alongside Israel, Joe...

Rachel and Jo discuss the disconnect between political theater and the lived realities of veterans, including the impact of recent VA policy changes on healthcare access. They explore the professionalism of service members, the importance of lawful orders—even when they’re “awful”—and why storytelling is essential for advocacy and driving change. They also tackle the pitfalls of measuring politica...

Majid Padellan, better known as Brooklyn Dad Defiant joins for a spirited conversation about the state of America in 2025. They take aim at Stephen Miller’s legacy of cruelty, the ongoing ICE raids and National Guard deployments, and the propaganda fueling chaos in Los Angeles. Majid shares how he uses humor and activism to push back against despair, and why calling out villains by name is more im...

We welcome independent journalist and The Jim Acosta Show host, Jim Acosta, to break down the crisis in Los Angeles—one fueled directly by Donald Trump’s political gamesmanship. As ICE raids spark mass protests and Trump deploys the National Guard over the objections of Governor Newsom, LA has become the latest stage for Trump’s manufactured chaos. Jojo and Jim dig into how Trump is deliberately e...

Today we catch up with Allison Gill, Navy veteran, former VA executive, and host of The Daily Beans, to talk about how the Trump administration and the GOP’s latest “Billionaire Bailout Bill” are impacting America’s military, veterans, and working families. Allison breaks down the real-world consequences of proposed Republican cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and the Department of Veterans Affair...

Is Joni Ernst f’ing kidding me? We’re breaking down the viral Joni Ernst “we’re all going to die” Medicaid response and what it reveals about the GOP’s approach to healthcare. Then, special guest Dr. Annie Andrews—a pediatrician, public health advocate, and Democratic Senate candidate taking on Lindsey Graham in South Carolina—joins for a conversation about the real consequences of Republican Medi...

Jo is joined by former Marine, prosecutor, and MeidasTouch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski for a no-holds-barred look at a political news cycle that feels like a fever dream. Jo kicks things off with a blistering takedown of Trump’s West Point commencement speech—calling out the partisanship, culture war rants, and “trophy wife” nonsense that turned a solemn military tradition into a MAGA spectacl...

Jo welcomes Congressman Jason Crow—a former Army Ranger, veteran, and fierce advocate for Colorado’s working families—for a candid conversation about what’s really at stake in America right now. Together, they break down the latest “billionaire bill” in Congress, how political decisions in Washington ripple through everyday lives (from Medicaid and SNAP cuts to rising prices at Walmart), and why r...

It’s part 2 of our launch week! This time, Jo is joined by Michael Cohen—former Trump attorney and bestselling author—for a deep dive into the chaos of American politics in 2025. They break down the explosive news of the $5 million government settlement with Ashli Babbitt’s family, the right’s relentless attempts to rewrite January 6th, and the jaw-dropping grift machine that’s fueling Trump’s com...