American Fever Dream
From under the desk to in your ears, V. Spehar joins Betches Media in a new podcast dedicated to curing the collective malaise brought on by our chaotic political environment. Every week, Spehar and co-host Sami Sage will tenderly guide you through the biggest moments in politics and pop culture with a healing dose of perspective and humor. Rather than spiral over the latest unprecedented event, the hosts dig for the 2024 political tea you *really* want to hear while offering all the information you need to be an empowered citizen, without the side of despair to keep you up at night. For constant news updates, sign up for the Sup email newsletter at betches.com/newsletters and follow us on Instagram at @betches_news. And follow V on TikTok and Instagram @underthedesknews.
Episodes
July 25, 2024 • 52 mins
Did you know that the chemicals in your brain might determine what political party you feel aligned with? Guest Keegan Tatum, an expert in political psychology, is here to explain the psychological differences between liberals and conservatives, as well as how religion and emotional biases factor into our political ideology. He also explains how having an overly active disgust mechanism can create anti-trans and anti-gay sentiments...
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July 23, 2024 • 69 mins
After weeks of speculation, President Biden announced that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race -- leaving all eyes on Vice President Kamala Harris, the new likely democratic presidential nominee. Sami & V discuss Biden’s selfless decision, as well as the flood of endorsements and donations she received in the hours after the news broke, including their theory on why the Obamas have not endorsed her yet, as of recording...
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July 18, 2024 • 55 mins
Sami & V take a look at the history of assassination attempts on US presidents and how these attempts, successful or not, shaped American politics. They also talk about the shared motives that many of these men have, like their desire for attention and recognition. This episode also touches on the history of the electric chair...and how masturbation might have played a role in one of these attempts.
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July 16, 2024 • 68 mins
V and Sami break down the shooting at Trump's rally in Pennsylvania, and talk about what could have gone wrong, security failures, and odd choices that were made by the Secret Service. They also share what we know about the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, and his background. Then they move on to the RNC and the unceremonious way JD Vance was introduced as Trump's VP pick, and end the episode on debunking the term Blue MAGA.
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July 11, 2024 • 30 mins
This week Sami is in Philadelphia promoting her new book, Democracy in Retrograde, with her co-author Emily Amick. (Out now!) While in town, she spoke with Pennsylvania's Governor Josh Shapiro about the importance of democracy and the steps being taken to ensure free and fair elections, including creating a task force led by Republican Al Schmidt, to protect local poll workers and stop the spread of misinformation. Governor Shapiro...
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July 9, 2024 • 61 mins
Project 2025 is officially in the mainstream news, and Sami and V compare its ideologies to that of Agenda 47, and the 7 Mountains Mandate. They also discuss Nazis marching in Tennessee and how the US could follow the UK's elections last week and pull a "Taccy V."
MAIN NEWS
5:00 Project 2025, tied to the Heritage Foundation, is gaining mainstream attention, and both the Vice President and Taraji P. Henson are warning American's to...
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July 4, 2024 • 38 mins
In this very special 4th of July episode, Sami and V discuss the case for Kamala Harris as the potential Democratic presidential candidate, highlighting her voting record as a Senator, her advocacy for LGBTQ rights, and her stance on Israel-Palestine. They also consider how embracing Harris and giving her more spotlight is the clearest path to a victory against Donald Trump in November.
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July 2, 2024 • 64 mins
Back from Vidcon, V and Sami are comparing Project 2025, the Nazi's, Theocracy and Saudi Arabia, and where a win for Trump this fall would leave us. V and Sami also explore what the current round of Supreme Court rulings mean, and how this might be the end of #vanlife.
TEMP CHECK:
What are the realities of Project 2025? Everyone is quick to compare it to Nazi Germany, but is the reality more a Theocracy like Saudi Arabia? President...
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June 27, 2024 • 69 mins
Sami and V are joined by host and creative director at MSNBC Live, Luke Russert, to talk about his book Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself.
“Give them the best and the world will take care of the rest.” Luke shares how his grandparents’ and parents’ legacies shaped not only his career but his worldview.
There is no correct way to grieve. Luke shares how his life has changed after the passing of his father and how...
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June 25, 2024 • 77 mins
04:45 TEMP CHECK: Will this week’s headlines give you a fever or make you freeze?
24:45 MAIN NEWS: Now that Louisiana has posted the 10 Commandments in every classroom, Sami and V discuss how extreme conservatives are spreading the Christian Dominionist Movement and how they want to completely rewrite the Constitution to create a more evangelical America.
50:15 DOWN BALLOT: It’s Election Day, and the primary race between Jamaal Bow...
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June 20, 2024 • 33 mins
00:00 Sami and V are joined by authors Lisa Lerer & Elizabeth Dias of the new book The Fall of Roe: the Rise Of A New America, to discuss the decades of work done by anti-abortion groups to finally overturn Roe.
11:00 V wonders if American politicians had been more comfortable with using the word ‘abortion’ and didn’t shy away from these conversations, would it have been harder for conservatives to chip away at reproductive rights?...
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June 18, 2024 • 73 mins
00:00 Welcome to your guide on media literacy. V and Sami explore how social media is used in hybrid warfare to manipulate public opinion through disinformation and emphasize the need to rebuild social trust.
16:00 How can you spot a bot? In a few easy steps you too can spot disinformation through fake accounts, false engagement, and artificial intelligence.
50:00 Don’t forget to mind the gap. Sami and V give listeners the tools to...
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June 13, 2024 • 27 mins
1:20 Sami and V are joined by Representative Ro Khanna to share his economic philosophies and proposed changes to the legislative and judicial branches, which already have bipartisan support among voters (though not lawmakers!)
9:00 They discuss the threat of AI to elections and discourse, and what regulations are needed around to rebuild trust in political information on social media.
16:30 They dive into Rep. Khanna’s Political R...
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June 11, 2024 • 75 mins
13:00 TEMP CHECK: Will this week’s headlines give you a fever or make you freeze?
45:00 MAIN NEWS: Sami and V define the term ‘Manufactured Consensus’ and how social media has been used to sway popular opinion towards believing that a third party has more support than we think. Not sure how to spot a bot? Make sure to tune in next week for an in depth media literacy lesson.
1:01:40 DOWN BALLOT: Our down ballot girlie of the week go...
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June 4, 2024 • 75 mins
7:55 TEMP CHECK: Sami and V are back this week to check your temperature on 6 new headlines. Have you ever heard of auto-brewery syndrome?
33:40 MAIN NEWS: After reviewing Trump’s convictions, Sami and V uncover how social media could be the end to elections and how foreign interference poses a significant threat to democratic processes (and also the Olympics).
1:01:30 DOWN BALLOT: Representative Kathy Manning was gerrymandered out...
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May 30, 2024 • 28 mins
2:00 Sami and V are joined by New York Governor Kathy Hochul to discuss the impact of New York becoming the first state to create a paid family leave program for prenatal care.
8:00 A $1 billion plan was put forward to overhaul New York state’s mental health system, allocating $1.6 million specifically for maternal mental health initiatives. They discuss what happens when mental health issues and law enforcement interface, and how ...
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May 28, 2024 • 52 mins
2:30 TEMP CHECK: New take on Temp Check where we cover 8 wild headlines. Does your fever spike or sink?
25:15 MAIN NEWS: In honor of Memorial Day, they sound the alarm against the treatment of veterans and the proposed changes to veterans’ benefits under Project 2025. But don’t worry, Biden dropped a new fiscal budget with $369 billion for the DoD and VA.
43:00 DOWN BALLOT: Our Down Ballot bestie this week goes to VoteVets.org. Vot...
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May 23, 2024 • 30 mins
Topics:
Representative Colin Allred discusses his vision for a more equitable Texas and his campaign to unseat Ted Cruz, stressing the need for a more engaged and representative leader.
Allred shares his journey from being an NFL linebacker to a lawyer and now a representative, driven by a desire to represent all 30 million Texans.
Sami and V ask Allred to address looming issues such as the Texas power grid, paternity leave, and...
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May 21, 2024 • 72 mins
4:27 TEMP CHECK: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister, and six passengers were found dead at the site of a helicopter crash on Monday, one month before the next election. Was it foul play or an inevitable accident?
20:30 MAIN NEWS: After uncovering the brutality of P. Diddy’s assault on Cassie Ventura and Sami, V exposes the deadly problem of not believing women, the uniquely American “Boyfriend Loophole,...
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May 16, 2024 • 52 mins
Topics:
Sami is joined by Sharon McMahon, the author of “The Small and the Mighty,” to share how history can be constructed and verified as accurately as possible.
Sharon stresses the importance of local journalism and how it has been the backbone of America’s microcultures.
How different generations navigate gathering information, disseminating it, and learning that the best way to be right is to be wrong first.
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