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SOCIETY & CULTURE
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Political commentator and comedy writer Erin Ryan and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco are joined by a bicoastal squad of funny, opinionated women to talk through everything from reproductive rights to romcoms. They break down the political news of the week, plus the topics, trends, and cultural stories that affect women’s lives.

1 DAY AGO

This F*cking Guy: Sam Altman

In our 35th episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Alyssa dive deep into the past of the AI Scammer, Sam Altman. From his early tech bro days at Loopt and Y Combinator, to getting a thrill by playing “God" with AI decision-making, to acting VERY shady about the death of an OpenAI employee, this may be our most disingenuous guy yet! For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Sources:https://archive.ph/eQq7g https://archive.ph/jOp6s https://www.npr.org/2024/05/20/1252495087/openai-pulls-ai-voice-that-was-compared-to-scarlett-johansson-in-the-movie-herhttps://archive.ph/zoP9g#selection-4553.0-4561.49 https://teach.its.uiowa.edu/news/2024/04/when-ai-gets-lost-its-own-reality https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/what-should-we-learn-from-openais https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/ai-agenda/ice-says-uses-ai-palantir-openai-metas-humanoid-robot-training-planhttps://fortune.com/2023/06/08/sam-altman-openai-chatgpt-worries-15-quotes/https://www.investopedia.com/ceo-of-chatgpt-s-parent-company-i-expect-some-really-bad-stuff-to-happen-here-s-what-he-means-11859389https://fortune.com/2024/05/21/openai-superalignment-20-compute-commitment-never-fulfilled-sutskever-leike-altman-brockman-murati/https://www.wsj.com/video/series/joanna-stern-personal-technology/openai-made-me-crazy-videosthen-the-cto-answered-most-of-my-questions/C2188768-D570-4456-8574-9941D4F9D7E2https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardnieva/2026/02/03/sam-altman-explains-the-future/ https://hbr.org/2026/02/ai-doesnt-reduce-work-it-intensifies-ithttps://cmr.berkeley.edu/2025/10/seven-myths-about-ai-and-productivity-what-the-evidence-really-says/ https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69520118/1/altman-v-altman/https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzHI_hxRWtz/?igsh=Mnk4aWI5ZWx1YW9n https://www.newsweek.com/sam-altman-annie-altman-accusations-2011449https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ai-booms-reliance-circular-deals-223120705.html https://finance.yahoo.com/news/someone-going-lose-phenomenal-amount-130131761.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFoRip8fz4FHwOH2WCUZPwEuQkW7dzucbZpLzmYo76VRkDnTSXOdVyD0Gal1rlu_JsyOMoGYJi5ciu5Lp9wIGfnullBmfQpywCyqrZ-3W18NUVCvg2G2E_Mz-UcpYS45S2vBsh8FQEWM2gjzZMXKYUh3r9WefakZygmKPkkgrdCc https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/10/openai-policy-exec-who-opposed-chatbots-adult-mode-reportedly-fired-on-discrimination-claim/ https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/sam-altman-reinstated-open-ai-ceo-1234893167/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd2qv58yl5o https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/opinion/openai-chatgpt-safety.htmlhttps://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/15/altman-open-ai-moral-police-erotica-chatgpthttps://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/openai-suicide-safeguard-wrongful-death-lawsuit-1235452315/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/sam-altman-artificial-intelligence-openai-profile.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/20/technology/scarlett-johannson-openai-voice.html https://nypost.com/2025/08/29/business/ex-yahoo-exec-killed-his-mom-after-chatgpt-fed-his-paranoia-report/ https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/can-sam-altman-be-trusted-with-the-future?_sp=e25261d0-a4b3-43e5-aad6-a9dcae53da26.1770317526311https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/07/openais-sam-altman-denies-sexual-abuse-allegations-made-sister-ann.htmlhttps://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/sam-altman-and-jony-ive-will-force-ai-into-your-life#rid=89972881-46ae-4035-9810-ac4d1a0124e3&q=sam+altmanhttps://sfstandard.com/2026/01/04/suchir-balaji-openai-suicide-murder-conspiracy/https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/companies-pouring-billions-advance-ai-infrastructure-2025-10-06/https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/economy/oracle-corporation-orcl-slips-amid-concerns-over-debt-fueled-ai-data-center-expansion/ar-AA1WBjunhttps://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/openai-anthropic-super-bowl-commercial?srsltid=AfmBOopGoxhLMPSo8rD2wfy2SpO6PqeQb-OYHJiFTGFq3nCDctQKF5vehttps://web.archive.org/web/20231103004609/https://mashable.com/archive/loopt-cbs-mobilehttps://web.archive.org/web/20100315000456/http://www.looptblog.com/2010/03/looking-for-something-fun-to-do-try-the-new-loopt-pulse.html https://www.reuters.com/article/business/loopt-was-a-lemon-dropping-to-just-500-daily-active-users-prior-to-sale-update-idUS2505978580/https://archive.ph/yAgIK https://blog.samaltman.com/the-gentle-singularityhttps://venturebeat.com/technology/y-combinator-accepts-15000-startups-into-its-online-school-after-software-glitch-causes-confusion

50 min
4 DAYS AGO

Prettier in Person w. Akilah Hughes & Kiran Deol

Erin Ryan and Akilah Hughes dig into the results from Tuesday's primaries, Trump’s Armageddon war in Iran, Hillary Clinton’s Epstein deposition, and the ever-moving goal posts for women in Washington. They also cover a horrifying new law in Kansas targeting trans people, Kristi Noem’s bad day at the Senate, and Politico’s unsettling profile of Nancy Mace. Then Kiran Deol joins for a very petty edition of the Sanity Corner, where they rant and rave about curling, tall men, and revisit a perfect network sitcom that was canceled too soon. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Check out Kiran’s film, Didn’t Die here Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last? (BBC 3/2)Dubai’s image as a safe, tax-free haven is rocked by blasts from Iranian airstrikes (AP 3/1)‘South Park’ Writer Sets Up Site Calling for Barron to Go to War (Daily Beast 3/2)Transgender Kansans Sue After Driver’s Licenses Are Abruptly Canceled (NYT 2/27)Girlfriend's Defense Of Kash Patel's Winter Olympics Trip Goes Off The Rails (Huff Post 2/27)Takeaways from Kristi Noem’s combative Senate Judiciary Committee hearing (CNN 3/3)Scoop: Noem burning deportation cash on luxury jets (AXIOS 2/28)‘I Don’t Know That I’ll Ever Be OK With Myself’ (Politico 2/27)Live Election Updates (NYT 3/4)

1h 33m
26 FEB

U.S. Hockey Debockey

Erin and Alyssa dish on Trump’s State of the Union address and Kash Patel taking the Olympic US Men’s Hockey team from hero to zero. They also unpack the disturbing case of Representative Tony Gonzales’ inappropriate relationship with a staffer and how Republicans are weighing the calls for his resignation with their razor-thin majority in Congress. Then they wrap up with the latest on the Epstein files and a petty preview of Candace Owens’ new series on Erika Kirk, “The Bride of Charlie”. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Epstein accusers, Olympians among guests invited to State of the Union speech (Reuters 2/24)Trump invites US Olympic hockey heroes to State of the Union in locker-room call (The Guardian 2/23)Virginia teen Sage Blair at State of the Union (Fox 5 2/24)FBI head Kash Patel defends ‘frat bro’ hijinks with US hockey team in Milan (The Guardian (The Guardian 2/23)Tony Gonzales faces mounting pressure from GOP women over affair allegations (Politico 2/23)Tony Gonzales says he will not resign (Politico 2/24)Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump (NPR 2/24)

1h 18m
22 FEB

This F*cking Guy: Laura Loomer

In our 34th episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Alyssa dive deep into the past of the unhinged MAGA clown, Laura Loomer. From filming undercover for Project Veritas, to cozying up to eco-fascists, to melting down over her Twitter ban, to being Trump’s number 1 fan girl, this crazy b*tch may be our nuttiest guy yet! For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Sources:https://www.britannica.com/biography/Laura-Loomer https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/17/laura-loomers-endless-payback https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/us/politics/laura-loomer-trump.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/us/politics/laura-loomer-trump.html https://www.npr.org/2024/09/10/nx-s1-5107932/laura-loomer-donald-trump-relationship-republicans-criticism https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly8y27dwgpo https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/04/who-is-laura-loomer https://people.com/maga-activist-laura-loomer-claims-former-reporter-desk-pentagon-11860410 https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-laura-loomer-loomered/#google_vignette https://abcnews.go.com/US/operate-independent-agency-laura-loomers-pressure-campaigns-reshaping/story?id=124285112 https://www.amazon.com/Loomered-Laura-Loomer/dp/1642935670 https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-laura-loomer-loomered/# https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/03/politics/laura-loomer-trump-white-house-briefing-room https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2025/12/24/laura-loomers-excellent-year-00706352 https://people.com/trump-reveals-laura-loomer-engagement-11871180 https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/laura-loomer-engagement-who-is-the-boyfriend-president-donald-trump-makes-surprise-announcement-watch-101765952081274.html#google_vignette https://reason.com/volokh/2025/12/04/lawyer-hijinks-in-laura-loomers-and-bill-mahers-deposition/

55 min
19 FEB

Kristi Noem’s Mile High Club

Erin and Alyssa dive into the Wall Street Journal’s brutal read of Kristi Noem, social media addiction going on trial, and how the SAVE Act might forever change our elections. Then, in Sani/Petty, they discuss Elon’s turn toward Jesus, the new season of Love Is Blind, and Taylor Swift’s special video for the Team USA Women’s Figure Skaters. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. A Pilot Fired Over Kristi Noem’s Missing Blanket and the Constant Chaos Inside DHS (Wall Street Journal 2/12)Tough questions — and grieving families — await Mark Zuckerberg at social media addiction trial Wednesday (CNN 2/17)Trump's election bill tops 50 Senate votes, but Democrats could still block it (NBC News 2/17)House passes elections overhaul bill that could make it harder for married women to vote (The 19th News 2/11)Older women are spooked by the economy. Their vote is up for grabs (USA Today 2/16)

1h 6m
12 FEB

Pam Bondi’s Rough Morning w. Sami Sage

Erin Ryan and Sami Sage (Betches Media) watched Pam Bondi testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, so you don’t have to. Then they dig into the political moments at the Milan Cortina Olympics, from J.D. Vance’s embarrassing motorcade to the American athletes who dared to speak up against the Trump Administration. They also analyze how Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show success and TPUSA’s counter-programming flop indicate a shift in the culture war. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

1h 24m
8 FEB

This F*cking Guy: Greg Bovino

IErin and Alyssa dive into the past of the border patrol Napoleon, Greg Bovino. From his embarrassing work in El Centro, to cosplaying as an SS officer, to escalating ICE devastation around the country, this fascist pipsqueak may be our most wannabe tough-guy yet. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Sources:https://archive.is/o7lJd https://newrepublic.com/post/205613/corey-lewandowski-noem-homeland-security https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-trumps-movie-mad-top-goon-gregory-bovino-is-star-of-his-own-horror-show/ https://apnews.com/article/bovino-border-patrol-immigration-los-angeles-chicago-03b908a84106fae80a80b2837625eef7 https://www.borderreport.com/hot-topics/immigration/border-patrol-warns-migrants-against-venturing-into-canals/ https://www.imdb.com/video/vi3136730393/?ref_=tt_vids_vi_1 https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-border-patrol-chief-slams-sanctuary-illegal-immigrant-takEs-life-dui https://nypost.com/2023/07/21/el-pasos-chief-border-patrol-agent-relieved-of-his-command-after-talking-to-congress/ https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/04/border-patrol-records-kern-county/ https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/marimar-martinez-seeks-release-body-camera-footage-shot-by-border-patrol-agent/ https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/snapchat-murder-for-hire-juan-espinoza-martinez-greg-bovino-b2908927.html https://archive.ph/ANoBI https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/minneapolis-shooting-ice-protests-01-26-26#cmkvm294r00003b6p11gho5vs

51 min
5 FEB

Epstein: We’re Gonna Need More Red String w. Akilah Hughes

Erin Ryan and guest host Akilah Hughes lock in and dive deep into the latest Epstein Files dump, following threads between fertility, finances, 4Chan, the FBI, and more. Then they discuss how upcoming entertainment events like the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and the Oscars put athletes and performers in a position they didn’t ask for– but also provide an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. They wrap up with a petty conversation about Ballerina Farm and the danger of unlearning things we learned more than 100 years ago. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Takeaways from the millions of newly released Epstein files (BBC 2/1)A list of powerful men named in the Epstein files, from Elon Musk to former Prince Andrew (PBS 2/1)Government says it's fixing thousands of documents in Epstein-related files that may have had victim information (PBS 2/3)

1h 27m

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Each week, “Pod Save America” cohost Tommy Vietor and Obama’s former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes break down the biggest developments in foreign policy, national security and global politics. They try to explain which stories matter and why, and what we can all do to understand and shape the world around us. Subscribe to Friends of the Pod! Your subscription makes Crooked’s work possible and gives you access to ad-free episodes of Pod Save America and Pod Save the World, plus exclusive content and a lively Discord community. Learn more and subscribe at crooked.com/friends or on Apple Podcasts.

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POLITICS
Pod Save America is a no-b******t conversation about politics hosted by former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor. It cuts through the noise to break down the week’s news and helps people figure out what matters and how they can help. They’re regularly joined by journalists, activists, politicians, entertainers, and world leaders. You can watch on YouTube or listen to new episodes every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. Subscribe to Friends of the Pod! Your subscription makes Crooked’s work possible and gives you access to ad-free episodes of Pod Save America and Pod Save the World, plus exclusive content and a lively Discord community. Learn more and subscribe at crooked.com/friends or on Apple Podcasts. For a transcript of an episode of Pod Save America, please email transcripts@crooked.com.

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POLITICS
Is the internet slowly breaking our brains, and if so, what can we do about it? Offline with Jon Favreau is a place where you can take a break from doom-scrolling and tune in to deeper conversations about the impact of technology and the internet on our politics and culture. Intimate interviews between Pod Save America host Jon Favreau and notable guests like Stephen Colbert, Hasan Piker, Chimamanda Adichie, ContraPoints, Margaret Atwood, and Rachel Maddow shed light on how our extremely online existence shapes the ways we live, work, and interact with one another. Together we’ll take on the most existential questions facing Americans right now, to figure out how to live happier, healthier lives, both on and offline. New episodes drop every Saturday, wherever you get your podcasts and on the Offline YouTube channel. Subscribe to Friends of the Pod! Your subscription makes Crooked’s work possible and gives you access to ad-free episodes of Offline with Jon Favreau, Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, and Lovett or Leave It, plus exclusive content and a lively Discord community. Learn more and subscribe at crooked.com/friends or on Apple Podcasts.

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SOCIETY & CULTURE
On New Year’s Eve 1969, Jock Yablonski, a union hero, is mysteriously gunned down in his bed. Jock’s son is convinced the head of the United Mine Worker’s Union is behind it. But why, and can he prove it? Decades later, lawyer Nicolo Majnoni embarks on a journey to find out who killed Jock and uncovers a conspiracy at the heart of the union. Shadow Kingdom is a series from Crooked Media and Campside Media. Each season starts with a crime, and as the layers are peeled back to find out who did it, a larger system at play is revealed. Get early access to the full season by joining Crooked’s Friends of the Pod at crooked.com/friends.

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TRUE CRIME
Does every new poll make you want to crawl under your desk and get into the fetal position? Do you hate the polls but can’t quit them? Well, we have a podcast that’s just for you (and us!). Pollercoaster is Crooked’s new home for exclusive in-depth analysis across the biggest national polls, latest voter trends, and closest races up and down the ballot. Join former White House Communications Director and Pod Save America host Dan Pfeiffer and a series of expert guests to break down the polls, unpack what they actually mean, and whether or not it’s time to hit the panic button. New exclusive episodes of Pollercoaster drop twice monthly for Friends of the Pod subscribers. Subscribe to Friends of the Pod on Apple Podcasts now to get access to exclusive episodes from Pollercoaster, Inside 2024 and Terminally Online or learn more about the Friends of the Pod community at crooked.com/friends.

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GOVERNMENT
Former Obama speechwriter, self-described comedian and Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett takes the stage for a new season of the hit show that dared guests from Danny DeVito to Amy Klobuchar to ask “What is this?” and “Where am I?” Each week, Jon breaks down the biggest and dumbest stories in politics to help you keep up with and laugh at the news, with big guests and surprising conversations you won’t find anywhere else. New episodes every Saturday morning on your podcast feed and on YouTube. And if you’re in LA, come to a taping. You’ll be amazed by what we cut from the live show. Subscribe to Friends of the Pod! Your subscription makes Crooked’s work possible and gives you access to ad-free episodes of Lovett or Leave It, Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, and Offline with Jon Favreau, plus exclusive content and a lively Discord community. Learn more and subscribe at crooked.com/friends or on Apple Podcasts.

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NEWS

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Alyssa Mastromonaco

Host
Blair Imani

Host
Erin Gloria Ryan

Host
Grace Parra

Host
Kiran Deol

Host
Megan Gailey

Host
Ziwe

Host
Katherine Abughazaleh

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Reshma Saujani

Guest
Rachel Lindsay

Guest

Political commentator and comedy writer Erin Ryan and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco are joined by a bicoastal squad of funny, opinionated women to talk through everything from reproductive rights to romcoms. They break down the political news of the week, plus the topics, trends, and cultural stories that affect women’s lives.