Fresh off the blue wave and before the MAGA tears had even dried, Tom Malinowski joins Jo and makes it official—he’s running for Congress in New Jersey. Jo’s got Tom in the studio (and the fire’s on full blast) for a brutally honest debrief on election chaos, why the right’s grift machine is collapsing, and what it’s going to take to defend democracy in 2026 and beyond. They rip into everything: GOP meltdown, organizing lessons, and how regular people can keep the wins coming while the right wai...
Nov 07, 2025•38 min
Jo sits down with Jack Hopkins—a former Republican, Navy vet, and host of The Jack Hopkins Show podcast—to rip off the polite tape and get right to what’s freaking everyone out: Trump playing toy soldier with the National Guard and threatening to turn the military against regular Americans, all for the sake of television optics and a bigger slice of power. We’re not here for the spin or the “let’s hear both sides” nonsense. We’re cutting straight to the ugly truth: what happens when public safet...
Nov 04, 2025•53 min
Jo connects with Siren host & Call to Activism founder Joe Gallina for a wide-ranging, no-bull conversation about the government shutdown, Trump’s billion-dollar White House ballroom project, and the human cost of GOP cuts to SNAP, healthcare, and rural hospitals. They discuss the consequences of Trump’s games —starving children, shuttering local clinics, and crushing communities while the powerful throw parties and chase headlines. SANE(ish) Partners: Veracity - For up to 45% off your order...
Oct 31, 2025•39 min
Michael Cohen joins Jo to discuss Trump’s destruction of democratic guardrails, from bulldozing the White House to pardoning criminals and turning hunger into a partisan weapon. Together, they break down Trump’s latest medical misinformation and call out the shamefully performative weaponization of faith and law. Subscribe, rate, and share—we need all hands on deck. SANE(ish) Partners: Veracity Self Care - For up to 45% off your order, head to VeracitySelfCare.com and use code JOJO. Learn more a...
Oct 29, 2025•52 min
When millions of Americans take to the streets and do it with joy, laughter, and inflatable unicorns you know something historic is happening. This episode, Jo sits down with Ezra Levin, co‑founder of Indivisible and co‑organizer of the “No Kings” protests, to unpack how the largest peaceful demonstrations in U.S. history came together and why joy is now a weapon against authoritarianism. They break down how a movement built on inclusion and “tactical frivolity” is reshaping resistance, what com...
Oct 23, 2025•26 min
Jo and Andy Ostroy dissect the project in plain sight: a movement that isn’t just eroding norms — it is tearing apart the White House and refashioning it into a pagan palace of gold and power. They examine how Trump weaponizes distraction to keep the country overwhelmed, how the Epstein scandal could still explode into the center of politics, and what happens when accountability collapses and impunity becomes the operating system. With MAGA fractures starting to show, they ask whether unity amon...
Oct 21, 2025•38 min
“The moment you start standing up to cowards, you realize how cowardly they really are.” - Don Lemon In one of the most powerful episodes yet, Don Lemon joins Jo for a call to action. They confront the Republican Party’s moral collapse, the erosion of democratic norms, and the rising tide of fascism masquerading as patriotism. Lemon opens up about what he witnessed on the ground in Chicago—ICE raids on innocent citizens, racial profiling, and law enforcement overreach and explains why Americans ...
Oct 16, 2025•40 min
Kim Wehle is a tenured law professor, constitutional law expert, author, and legal analyst who specializes in presidential power, civil procedure, and the separation of powers. Today, Jo and Kim dive into the “fear bubble” so many Americans are stuck in: insulated lives, rising authoritarian threats, and the chilling new reality of criminalizing dissent. Kim breaks down Trump’s latest moves, and how quickly people are giving up or tuning out, thinking these threats are someone else’s problem.Fro...
Oct 14, 2025•48 min
Jo welcomes Amy McGrath just days after announcing her run for the Kentucky Senate. With Mitch McConnell out, the seat is at a tipping point for the entire nation, and Amy explains why it’s more than just red vs. blue, it’s about restoring servant leadership and decency, protecting healthcare, and standing up for working families when the stakes couldn’t be higher. With the government shutdown putting families in crisis, McGrath pulls no punches about rising prices, rural hospital closures, and ...
Oct 09, 2025•25 min
Jo is joined by Senator Richard Blumenthal for an urgent conversation about the Trump Shutdown. They discuss the political gamesmanship behind the Congressional standoff, the truth about rising healthcare costs, and they examine how Republican policies are hurting everyday Americans – especially those in Trump’s favorite red states. The GOP is pushing a narrative that is packed with lies; Senator Blumenthal shares FACTS about the looming loss of health insurance subsidies and the impact on milit...
Oct 07, 2025•23 min
Activist, organizer, and “Chop Wood, Carry Water” founder Jess Craven joins Sane(ish) for a conversation about reclaiming hope and power in the face of political chaos. Jess shares real stories of living through—and organizing against—the latest Republican shutdown, exposing how government dysfunction, healthcare sabotage, and billionaire tax cuts threaten the well-being of millions. Sane(ish) Partners: - Fast Growing Trees: Sane(ish) listeners also get 15% OFF their first purchase by visiting ...
Oct 02, 2025•42 min
As the 2025 government shutdown approaches, Sane(ish) gets real about who’s hurting, who’s winning, and why the chaos was baked in from the start. This week, Jo Carducci and political commentator Pete Dominick break down what makes this shutdown uniquely Republican: deliberate mass layoffs, Medicaid cuts that will literally endanger families, and a MAGA playbook that prizes power over people. Expect sharp debate on gaslighting, manufactured crises, and an epidemic of political dishonesty; from t...
Sep 30, 2025•31 min
As news breaks of the expedited indictment of James Comey and the potential dominoes set to fall on Adam Schiff and Letitia James, Jo and Miles cut through the chaos to explore how the MAGA playbook weaponizes prosecution, shatters constitutional guardrails, and tries to silence both critics and communities. It’s an unfiltered, urgent conversation about what happens when speaking truth to power makes you a political target—and when presidential revenge goes from dystopian rhetoric to daily reali...
Sep 25, 2025•42 min
Buckle up for a ride through the world of political comedy under siege. This week, Jo and Tara Setmayer break down Jimmy Kimmel’s wild return from suspension, Disney and ABC’s backstage power plays, and the chilling push from FCC threats and Trump-backer media moguls. It’s full balls-to-the-wall, South Park energy as they dissect how corporate interests, right-wing media, and grassroots outrage collided to save late-night comedy…at least for now. Jo gets personal about Disney nostalgia, dog show...
Sep 23, 2025•46 min
Jo welcomes former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn—a frontline defender on January 6th and now a relentless advocate for democracy.Jojo and Harry dig into the personal cost of defending the Capitol, the ongoing fight against gaslighting and political revisionism, and why real accountability matters more than ever. From firsthand stories of courage to frank talk about who’s behind today’s threats to democracy you don’t want to miss this episode. Sane(ish) Partners: - Fast Growing Trees: Sane(is...
Sep 18, 2025•40 min
Jo welcomes activist and Siren Network co-founder Sam Schwartz for a conversation about what real political influence looks like in the new media landscape. They dig into how creators are moving audiences from passive news consumption to active organizing, why legacy outlets have lost their edge, and what it takes to build an independent platform that actually shapes discourse. Alongside the challenges of building new media power, Sam shares hard-won insight from years of fighting for common-sen...
Sep 16, 2025•42 min
On this candid episode of Sane(ish), Jo sits down with Senator Alex Padilla for a real-time reckoning with democracy’s fragile state. Recorded as breaking news unfolded about the death of Charlie Kirk, the conversation does not shy away from the day’s pain and makes clear: political violence has no place in America, no matter our differences. Jojo and Senator Padilla dig into the Supreme Court’s most recent ruling allowing immigration raids and profiling in Los Angeles, examining its consequence...
Sep 11, 2025•21 min
This week Jo sits down with the sharp-tongued, chaos-loving hosts of the Find Out podcast—Tim, Chris, and Luke—for a rapid-fire breakdown of what happens when democracy’s on the line and the only rule is: “mess around, and you’re gonna find out.” From Nazi-hunting and meme warfare to the FAFO50 campaign (hello, California!), everyone’s airing their hottest takes on why fighting back—with humor, mockery, and unapologetic truth—is the only way forward. Forget strongly worded memos and polite floor...
Sep 10, 2025•24 min
Jo connects with Olivia Julianna to spill what the mainstream won’t: survivors coming for Trump, DC’s useless grandstanders, and the dirty tricks Texas keeps beta-testing for the rest of America. From Republican stunts that cost real lives to why “as goes Texas, so goes the nation” isn’t just a cliché, this episode calls out the powerful by name, laughs through the pain, and unpacks what we actually do about it (hint: staying pissed, loud, and registered). Yes, there’s swearing. Yes, you’ll hear...
Sep 04, 2025•35 min
Every time the news cycle spins a little crazier, Michael Steele manages to cut through the crap. Today, Michael & Jo get real about why “off-ramps” are a joke, how the cult of Trump owns the GOP, and why politicians hiding behind closed-door complaints are wasting everyone’s time. They talk about MAGA distractions, media circus nonsense, gerrymandering, the actual threats to voting rights, and why pretending it’s ‘business as usual’ is the fastest way to lose the country. Right now, you can...
Sep 03, 2025•33 min
On the day another community was shattered by a school shooting in Minnesota, Jo and Jess Piper drop the niceties and get honest about America’s epidemic of gun violence laying bare the emotional toll of shooter drills, the rage and helplessness of waiting for news, and the absurdity of politicians hiding behind “thoughts and prayers” while refusing to act.With unfiltered stories from rural communities, and real families, they dig deep into how weaponized propaganda, failed policies, and spinele...
Aug 28, 2025•49 min
Jo’s joined by former GOP Rep-turned-Dem Joe Walsh for a conversation about everything from the endless social media attention wars to Gavin Newsom’s headline-grabbing comms game and the sky-high stakes for democracy. Jo and Joe break down the difference between fighting and flailing and why unity beats purity testing every damn time.They tackle exactly what’s making headlines: toxic tribalism, party infighting, and why old-guard media like Joe Scarborough and the “polite center” are missing the...
Aug 26, 2025•41 min
Strap in—this episode of Sane(ish) with Joel Rubin is one hell of a ride. First, Jo shares a preview of her chat with Gavin Newsom. Then, we’re talking Putin’s shady-ass visit to Alaska, America’s democracy freezing its ass off, and all the bullshit power plays that make you wanna scream into a pillow. Joel’s got the no-BS rundown on what’s really behind the chaos and how the fight to save our elections and sanity is hotter than ever. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Get 60% off an ann...
Aug 21, 2025•47 min
Three Blondes Walk Into a Podcast… Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan—the uncensored, hilarious hosts of the hit chart-topping I’ve Had It Podcast join Sane(ish)! In this outrageously honest episode, three sharp-witted hot blondes dive into everything from fighting political insanity and calling out MAGA hypocrisy to surviving life’s messiest, most relatable moments. Jennifer and Angie are bringing all the in-your-face energy that made their show and their new book, Life Is a Lazy Susan of Sht Sa...
Aug 20, 2025•44 min
Former Navy intelligence officer and bestselling author Malcolm Nance joins Jo for an unflinching deep dive into America’s most urgent crisis: the rise of authoritarianism and Trump’s not-so-hidden racism. In this explosive conversation, Nance dissects the playbook threatening our democracy, exposes the dangerous alliances fueling extremism, and offers a blueprint for how everyday Americans can push back. From the corridors of DC power to the streets where rights are won or lost, this episode re...
Aug 14, 2025•35 min
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 head above water in this crazy political circus. John’s new book, Separation of Church and Hate, drops...
Aug 12, 2025•37 min
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 Americans can’t afford to lose. From Crow’s high-profile lawsuit against the Trump administration to hi...
Aug 07, 2025•28 min
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 relentless August sun, Jo and Ron unpack why power grabs, broken maps, and viral misinformation aren’t som...
Aug 05, 2025•55 min
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 talk about what courage in service and policy actually looks like, calling out those who dodge the wor...
Jul 31, 2025•20 min
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 up peace in Ukraine (hint: it’s not Kyiv), and why Russia’s old playbook keeps working on both sides...
Jul 29, 2025•30 min
