In this week’s episode of Afternoon Tea, Sami is joined by former Communications Director for TIME’S UP, Emily Favreau. They chatted about what it was like growing up with a politically adjacent family, the moment Emily started to really think about politics, and the early stages of her career working as Deputy Press Secretary to Senator Sherrod Brown. Next, Emily shares how she met Crooked Media's Jon Favreau, some of her favorite memories at the White House (including one with Michelle Obama),...
May 07, 2021•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alise, Sami, and Amanda break down the turmoil among Republicans in Congress and how Donald Trump is orchestrating their every move, including replacing Liz Cheney with Elise Stefanik. They break down a Facebook oversight board’s decision to maintain a ban on Trump for another six months, and the rollout of his own new social media platform. Finally, they discuss the absolutely insane election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona, and wrap up with a Mother’s Day edition of Would You Rather. Learn m...
May 06, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bryan and Amanda welcome back Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. They discuss her new memoir Every Day Is A Gift, and how she balanced stories of tragedy and sacrifice with dirty jokes and well-placed swear words. She describes her own experiences with child poverty and how her father’s resistance to government support mirrors policy objections today. Finally, she explains why she stood up to the Biden administration’s delay in appointing Asian American nominees, and how she finally got them t...
May 05, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Milly, Amanda, and Alise give an update on Florida’s Least Finest, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. Why is a man letting his aging population remain in danger a top 2024 contender? Then, they react to the divorce of Bill and Melinda Gates, and what it means for which issues get funding and prioritization. Finally, they explain why some New Yorkers are so opposed to Andrew Yang as mayor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 04, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Amanda, Bryan, and Sami are back to debrief on the dialogue about mask-wearing outdoors. Are we clinging to our masks, or to our pandemic superiority complexes? They break down new data suggesting that the United States won’t achieve herd immunity, and explore what might happen when the vaccine hesitant wellness influencers realize they can’t travel unvaccinated. Finally, they break down an Idaho anti-trans law that could determine the fate of trans women in sports. Learn more about your ad choi...
May 03, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s Afternoon Tea, Sami is joined by Gabrielle Bluestone, journalist, Emmy-nominated executive producer of Fyre on Netflix, and author of Hype: How Scammers, Grifters, and Con Artists Are Taking Over the Internet— and Why We’re Following. They start off with a conversation about her new book and the moment she realized the overhyped Fyre Festival was not what it claimed to be. Next, they discuss the rise of the scammer industry, why it seems like we live in an age where scams are the ...
Apr 30, 2021•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sami, Bryan, and Amanda react to President Biden’s address to Congress and the nation. They break down the strongest and most surprising moments, and check in on how Fox News is handling it. They reflect on the first 100 days of the Biden administration and consider the most meaningful moments, from symbolic to substantive. Finally, they check in on America’s favorite disgraced mayor Rudy Giuliani. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 29, 2021•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alise, Kaitlin, and Amanda celebrate the completion of Sup’s inoculation program and discuss why it’s hard to tell the difference between vaccine symptoms and being in your 30s. Then, they break down the fake and retracted news story that the government handed out copies of Kamala Harris’s children’s book. How did a clearly inaccurate claim take off so quickly? And what does it tell us about how Republicans will approach 2024? Finally, they explain the ranked choice voting system that will deter...
Apr 28, 2021•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Milly, Bryan, Amanda, and Alise break down the most influential numbers from this week’s Census data, and explain how they could change the landscape of electoral politics for decades. They explore the factors that have led to decreased birth rates and how Biden wants to tax the rich to make it easier to create more people. Finally, they unpack Caitlyn Jenner’s run for California governor and the factors that led to Gavin Newsom’s potential recall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...
Apr 27, 2021•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Milly, Sami, and Amanda react to this year’s historic and unusual Oscar ceremony, and explain how the show’s past blind spots can derail it despite increased representation. They also discuss new numbers showing that many Americans aren’t returning for second vaccine doses, and why our broken culture of work is to blame. Then, they break down why SNL might have invited a controversial CEO to host, what it says about the state of entertainment, and the myth of the self made, aspirational male bil...
Apr 26, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Afternoon Tea, Sami is joined by Holly Whitaker, Founder and CEO of Tempest and author of Quit Like A Woman. They start with a conversation about Holly’s experience and journey to sobriety. Next, they talk about the parallels between the cigarette and alcohol industries and how drinking patterns have shifted over the years. They also discuss the origin and history of Alcoholics Anonymous and its ties to patriarchal ideas. Then, Holly talks about the story behind Tempest and sh...
Apr 23, 2021•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bryan, Alise, and Amanda are back for a fun-filled Earth Day bonanza. First, they run through all the festive items at betches.co/supshop. Then they debrief on President Biden’s climate summit and what it means to reduce emissions by half by 2030. They give an update on the Green New Deal and why we need to regard the climate crisis the same way we have COVID. Finally, they play a hilarious game of Would You Rather: Earth Day edition and consider who should be damned to eternity to pick up dead ...
Apr 22, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sami, Kaitlin, and Amanda are back to react to the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin. They reflect on the year it took to get here, how rare the conviction is, and why they fear it won’t impact future attempts to hold police accountable. Then, they discuss the police shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant, and Kaitlin shares her own experience with over-policing as a teenager. Finally, they discuss how both Darnella Frazier, who filmed George Floyd’s death, and Bryant have been deprived the privi...
Apr 21, 2021•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Milly, Alise, and Amanda kick off 4/20 by sharing a few cannabis-related anecdotes. They also break down the chances for federal legalization and why Joe Biden is being a narc about it. Then, they discuss the continued fallout from Maxine Waters’ statement about the protests, and explain why it’s disingenuous to compare it to Trump’s incitement of violence on January 6. Finally, they share a story from New Jersey of police harassing and arresting Black teens for riding bikes. Learn more about yo...
Apr 20, 2021•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sami and Bryan start the week with the a few updates on the Indianapolis FedEx shooting last week including what we know about the shooter’s history and possible motives behind his actions. They also reflect on the current worrying rise of gun violence in America as the country begins to reopen and return to a degree of normalcy. Then, they discuss the trial of Derek Chauvin as we enter into the final stage of the trial, and how the city of Minneapolis is preparing for the potential unrest follo...
Apr 19, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today’s episode of Afternoon Tea, Sami is joined by Hallie Jackson, NBC News Senior Washington Correspondent and MSNBC anchor. They start with a conversation about Hallie’s career trajectory prior to her joining MSNBC in 2014. Next, Hallie shares some of the most challenging things she’s reported on, covering the biggest stories from our nation's capital, as well as what it was like co-moderating the 2020 Democratic debate in Las Vegas. They also chatted about Hallie’s recent exclusive report...
Apr 16, 2021•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alise and Amanda are joined by Dr. Abdul El-Sayed to talk all about medicare for all: what is it, why is it good, and how can we make it happen? Dr. El-Sayed explains what moved him to write “Medicare For All: A Citizen’s Guide,” and how to explain to your conservative uncle why a single-payer system is clearly superior. Then, Dr. Natasha Kathuria calls in to provide context for this week’s announcement about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. She breaks down the exact reasons for the pause and how ...
Apr 15, 2021•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alise and Amanda cover two news headlines with back-to-back interviews, starting with Rep. Andy Levin, who joins to contextualize the outcome of the Amazon union vote, explain why it’s not actually a failure, and detail what comes next for workers’ rights. Then, Chris Burns aka @fatcarriebradshaw, host of “The Betchelor,” joins to break down news that former Bachelor Colton Underwood is gay. How does this put his previous behavior into context, and will we finally see a gay bachelor? Finally, Ch...
Apr 14, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alise, Milly, and Amanda start the episode with more details about the tragic killing of Daunte Wright, including the circumstances that lead to his death and the public response since. Next, they talk about the CDC calling a temporary halt to Johnson & Johnson vaccines after a rare blood clotting issue was discovered. How will this affect the public’s confidence in the J&J vaccine, and vaccines as a whole? Finally, they discuss the role of politics in the vaccine conversation and how we might a...
Apr 13, 2021•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bryan, Amanda, and Sami are back to react to two instances of police brutality brought to light over the weekend, beginning with the tragedy in Minneapolis. They break down what we know so far about the killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright just miles away from the Derek Chauvin trial. They describe a video showing an Afro-Latino army lieutenant threatened and assaulted by Virginia police late last year, and explain how both men’s stories highlight the devastating calculations Black men must make...
Apr 12, 2021•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s Afternoon Tea, Sami is joined by Remy Kassimir, comedian, actor, and host of the podcast How Cum. They begin with a conversation about how Remy conceptualized the idea behind her podcast and her experience and journey to female orgasm. Next, they chat about why feeling pleasure in your own body is important with or without a partner, and how learning to see yourself outside male gaze makes sex better. They also discuss the stigma around the elusive female orgasm (and why it should...
Apr 09, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sami, Milly, and Amanda are back for an episode that contains multitudes. First, they react to this week’s Khloe Kardashian drama and how diet culture and beauty standards are inextricable from politics. Then, they give an update on the Derek Chauvin trial. Sami explains why she feels a responsibility to absorb it while Milly recalls a personal anecdote that makes it all the more traumatizing to relive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 08, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sami, Kaitlin, and Amanda are back with another Matt Gaetz update, this time related to his request to Trump for a pardon. For the main topics, they react to Mitch McConnell’s threat to corporations to “stay out of politics” after passionately arguing for decades to keep them in -- and why Georgia’s voting law has finally exposed the GOP’s long descent into extremism. Then, they discuss Arkansas’ new anti-trans bill becoming law even after the GOP governor tried to stop it. Learn more about your...
Apr 07, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alise, Milly, and Amanda are back to debrief on everything that’s happened with the Matt Gaetz investigation and its fallout, including claims he showed photos of nude women to congressional colleagues. They explain why Gaetz was emboldened to repeat his lewd behavior, and how it mirrors toxic workplaces for women across industries. Then, they explain how Joe Biden can pass his $2 trillion infrastructure bill and why it should be even bigger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...
Apr 06, 2021•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alise, Bryan, and Amanda are back to check on the Trump crime family, detailing a scam by the Trump campaign to steal millions from older and vulnerable supporters to pay off its debts and Ivanka’s failed women’s empowerment initiative. Then, they break down the fall out from Georgia’s voter restriction law and how Governor Brian Kemp is gaslighting the business community into blaming private citizens from out of state. Finally, they unpack a ridiculous story about banned yoga in an Alabama elem...
Apr 05, 2021•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this week’s Afternoon Tea, Sami Sage is joined by writer, author, and cultural critic Anne Helen Petersen. They begin with a conversation about Anne’s background, including getting her PhD in celebrity studies, working for Buzzfeed as a culture writer, and turning her Substack into a full time job. Next, they dive into a conversation about how millennials became the burnout generation, what the digital life has become, and dealing with boredom. They also talk about post-pandemic work life, fi...
Apr 02, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alise, Kaitlin, and Amanda reunite to celebrate the legalization of adult-use cannabis in New York (not like that..) and outline three ways the state can work to repair the damage that criminalization has caused to minority communities. Then, they have a candid conversation about anxieties around returning to “normal” life as the pandemic’s next phase launches a large portion of Americans back into the real world. What practices has society developed that we should hold onto, and what was toxic?...
Apr 01, 2021•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kaitlin and Amanda breakdown the first two days of the Derek Chauvin trial, and react to leading arguments from the defense that rely on dehumanizing stereotypes about Black people, and explain the trauma of reliving a case so clear cut. They share an update following the brutal anti-Asian hate crime in New York this week. Finally, a freshly vaxxed Alise Morales joins to react to an investigation into whether Matt Gaetz had an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl, and his bizarre exp...
Mar 31, 2021•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Milly, Alise, and Amanda are back to celebrate universal vaccine eligibility in most states, and contrast that with the “impending doom” coming as CDC heads warn of more sickness and death. They reflect on how the pandemic has altered social media, and the collective growing pains we’ll experience as normal life resumes. Then, they break down Amazon workers’ efforts to unionize in Alabama, the appalling workplace conditions that led to it, and Jeff Bezos’s batshit response. Learn more about your...
Mar 30, 2021•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bryan, Sami, and Amanda are back to break down the moral panic following Lil Nas X’s new video, and explain how the post-Trump news void has left some on both sides of the aisle clawing for relevance. Then, they cover the fallout from Georgia’s new voting legislation and how to undo it. Best route? Elect Stacey Abrams. Finally, they share details from Minneapolis as the city begins its case against Derek Chauvin, including details about jury selection and signals for what the rest of the trial m...
Mar 29, 2021•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
