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 deaths in a possible attempt to cover up policies that might have resulted in more fatalities. How did...
Feb 18, 2021•39 min
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 this particular outage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Feb 17, 2021•30 min
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Feb 16, 2021•41 min
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 the pandemic involving a deadly lung disease has exposed issues related to environmental justic Lea...
Feb 15, 2021•33 min
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 know, like international diplomacy) and why it helps to compare notes with your female colleagues. T...
Feb 12, 2021•56 min
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 President Kamala Harris to talk all about the American Rescue Plan. How will the White House’s relief pl...
Feb 11, 2021•25 min
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 monologue. Finally, Kaitlin describes watching lawmakers she knew as a child run for their lives from an ...
Feb 10, 2021•34 min
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 larger project of racial justice. Then, they dive all the way into #FreeBritney, analyzing the docum...
Feb 09, 2021•54 min
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 is joined by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to explain why DC statehood should be at the top of ...
Feb 08, 2021•45 min
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 also talk about the biggest barriers to transitioning into a life in office (yeah, you still gotta pa...
Feb 05, 2021•36 min
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 committee assignments. Finally, Amanda is joined by Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) who shares his harrowing ex...
Feb 04, 2021•49 min
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 unless Trump and his abetters are tried under the 14th Amendment, and how the Reconstruction era give...
Feb 03, 2021•37 min
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. Then, Amanda is joined by Jessica Morak and Caroline Grosshans, attorneys who explain which Trump-era ...
Feb 02, 2021•1 hr 11 min
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 and discuss the problems posed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Finally, they play an excerpt from Rep....
Feb 01, 2021•35 min
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 the imbalance in gender equality (it involves men acknowledging they have a gender identity in the ...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 5 min
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 the pandemic. Finally, they parse mixed public health messages about whether the pandemic is finally...
Jan 28, 2021•38 min
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 asks why we’ve all gotten so comfortable with minority rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
Jan 27, 2021•39 min
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 case for why Democrats should end the filibuster and do it fast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Jan 26, 2021•44 min
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 the party. Finally, they break down news that the New York Times fired an editor over a harmless twee...
Jan 25, 2021•36 min
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, including rejuvenated Dr. Anthony Fauci’s vaccination targets for the summer and when we can expect...
Jan 22, 2021•37 min
Alise, Bryan, and Amanda are back to break down the first full day of the Biden administration. They start by dissecting the significance of Biden’s tranche of executive orders, which remove some of Trump’s most callous policies from immigration to LGBTQ rights. Then, they look at the possibility for bipartisanship under a Biden administration. Should Democrats “share power” when Mitch McConnell would never? What about the filibuster? Will Republicans be more likely to compromise without Trump c...
Jan 21, 2021•35 min
Alise, Bryan, and Amanda are back under a new administration to react to today’s historic inauguration. They start by briefly recounting Trump’s unceremonious departure. Then, they run through the ceremony's most memorable moments, from Bernie Sanders’ adorable mittens to Kamala Harris’ historic swearing-in, and explain why the day felt so different without Trump there. They analyze President Biden’s inaugural address and his mandate to address racial injustice. Finally, they see what Boris John...
Jan 21, 2021•42 min
We made it. Alise, Milly, and Amanda are back to reflect on four years of covering the Trump administration and sum up their feelings in one word. They give a preview of Inauguration and break down the arrests made over the weekend, including a Gen Z rioter who tried to sell Nancy Pelosi’s laptop to Russia. They run through Trump’s final day of pardons and compare it to his race to execute more than a dozen people. Finally, they react to news that Melania will not be giving Dr. Jill Biden a tour...
Jan 19, 2021•33 min
This week, we are bringing you Sami's Morning Announcements instead of our usual episode because of the holiday. If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts! We'll be back tomorrow with our usual episode. This Monday, we start with a few words from MLK that remain incredibly relevant to our current times. Next we cover reports about the last gasps of the Trump presidency, including their attempts to collect fees for pardons, install operatives in civil r...
Jan 18, 2021•5 min
Sami, Milly, and Amanda are back to talk some shit -- starting in Ivanka and Jared’s bathroom. They break down the allegation that the Kushner’s don’t allow Secret Service to use their restroom, and consider what this says about Ivanka’s political future (hear us out). Then they discuss Joe Biden’s sweeping coronavirus relief plan how it will impact the beginning of his term. And where’s the canceled student debt?! Finally, they take a nice, warm bath in the splinter forming in the GOP, and cons...
Jan 15, 2021•56 min
Bryan and Amanda are back for the last Thursday pod of the Trump administration! They react to Republicans' clownish attempts to justify protecting the treasonous president, and explain why they’re so threatened by progressives like Cori Bush. Then, they look forward to Inauguration and bask in Joe Biden and Lady Gaga’s friendship. They run through the security precautions being taken for the outdoor event, and share chilling details of the insurrection that suggest the security threat is coming...
Jan 14, 2021•29 min
Amanda, Alise, and Kaitlin are back to break down the FBI investigations following the deadly siege on the Capitol, and President Donald Trump’s impending impeachment. Does it feel like December 2019 already? To (kinda) quote Taylor Swift, we left the impeachment lights up until January and this time, do we have Mitch McConnell as Pelosi’s little helper? They discuss increasing Republican support for impeachment, and national reconstruction efforts moving forward. How has our country rid itself ...
Jan 13, 2021•36 min
Milly, Alise, and Amanda are back to share how they’ve processed the events of the last week, and why the Capitol insurrection has become more and more disturbing as days pass. They share updates from lawmakers who likely contracted COVID during the attack and check in on a few of the arrested terrorists and how they’ve been treated by the criminal justice system. Finally, they describe Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s parting gift to Cuba: cravenly labeling it a state sponsor of terror and wors...
Jan 12, 2021•45 min
Amanda, Bryan, and Sami are back to ask one very simple question: Why is this president still in power?! They share updates from the weekend as House Democrats introduce articles of impeachment today, and explain all the ways Congress can hold Trump accountable for the insurrection even after he leaves office on 1/20/2021. They explain how the Senate could prevent Trump from running again even if he stays in office until Inauguration, and speculate as to why Mike Pence has yet to invoke the 25th...
Jan 11, 2021•32 min
Sami and Amanda start the show with a quick update about emerging explanations for how the Capitol was mobbed, which suggest that willful ignorance of the openly planned coup, paired with a misguided attempt to avoid the optics we saw during the summer’s peaceful protests, led to tragedy. Then, they welcome back their fave Constitution expert Ben Sheehan to discuss options for the president’s removal. Which is quicker, impeachment or invoking the 25th? And why are there two and half months betwe...
Jan 08, 2021•31 min
