Hysteria

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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.

16 hr ago

This F*cking Guy: Ted Cruz

In our 45th episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Alyssa dive deep into the past of the wimpy blobfish himself, Ted Cruz. From his pedantic debate team days, to his impeccable vacation timing with natural disasters, to bending the knee to Trump after he degraded his wife, to getting dog-walked by Tucker Carlson, this may be our most craven guy, yet!Ted Cruz: The Distinguished Wacko Bird from Texas (GQ) Rafael Cruz, father of Ted Cruz, stars as 2016 campaign supersurrogate (Washington Times) Ted Cruz paints over graffiti in Houston targeting late conservative figure Charlie Kirk (USA Today) Ted Cruz’s family story: Poignant but incomplete (McClatchy DC) Ted Cruz Reads ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ on Senate Floor — And That’s Not the Weird Part (McClatchy DC) Ted Cruz says there is a "cancer" of rising anti-semitism on the right (Reddit) Ted Cruz thanks Trump for "getting rid of that ridiculous red card." (Reddit) Cruz burns Trump (Politico) Sen. Ted Cruz: “How about we all come together and say let's stop attacking pedophiles?" (Reddit) US election: Ted Cruz fights back for not endorsing Trump (BBC) Ted Cruz tried to insult James Talarico’s masculinity. It backfired immediately. (LGBTQ Nation) There’s No Greater Joy Than Watching Ted Cruz Humiliate Himself (Esquire) Meet some of Ted Cruz's harshest critics - Republicans (BBC) Ted Cruz 10 years ago freaking out over rumors told about his family (Reddit) Tucker Carlson calls Ted Cruz 'morally repulsive' as drama between the two grows (Houston Chronicle) Screenshot of Ted Cruz Liking a 'Sexual Post' Video on 9/11 Resurfaces After Calling Out a Democrat Candidate (International Business Times) Tucker Carlson Tears Into Ted Cruz In The Most Gloriously Awkward Interview You'll See (Huff Post) Ted Cruz: Donald Trump Is a 'Pathological Liar' (YouTube) Ted Cruz and his wife lived apart for the first 7 years of their marriage (The Week) Rafael Cruz, father of Ted Cruz, stars as 2016 campaign supersurrogate (Washington Times) Ted Cruz’s Father Worked With Supplements Maker Sued by Investors (NYT) Ted Cruz Mocked After Warning on Space Pirate Threat (Newser) Sen. Ted Cruz wants to settle Twitter feud with wrestling match between actor Ron Perlman and Rep. Jim Jordan (Washington Post) Jimmy Kimmel, Ted Cruz sweat their way to bad basketball glory in Blobfish Classic (ABC News) Ted Cruz and Jimmy Kimmel are better at raising money for charity than they are at playing basketball (CNN) The Basketball Game That Promises Very Little: Ted Cruz Vs. Jimmy Kimmel (NPR) Texas Senator Ted Cruz flew to Cancun, Mexico, amid weather crisis (BBC) Ted Cruz Punches Then Elbows His Wife in the Head and Face (YouTube) Trump says Cruz would be a 'guarantee' for Supreme Court (FOX 7 Austin) From 'Lyin' Ted' To 'Beautiful': How Trump And Cruz Found Political Love (NPR) Trump under fire for jabs aimed at Cruz's wife (PBS News) These 43 Republicans Voted Against Capping Insulin Costs (Newsweek) Ted Cruz addresses NRA convention the day after refusing to discuss 'politics' of Uvalde shooting (Houston Chronicle) Ted Cruz and 16 other Texans refused to certify the 2020 election. None would say whether they see it as legitimate today. (Texas Tribune) Ted Cruz took refuge in supply closet during January 6 riot, book reveals (The Guardian) Ted Cruz Jokes to Oil Lobbyists About Eating Someone’s Son – (Mother Jones) Trump leads Rubio Even Head To Head in Florida (Public Policy Polling) Things you probably didn’t know about Ted Cruz: From avocados to ‘The Princess Bride’ (Yahoo News) Sen. Ted Cruz Faces Backlash For His Role In Capitol Violence : (NPR) Audio shows Cruz outlining plan to Fox News to delay 2020 election certification (The Hill) Ted Cruz's Weird, Anti-conservative Posturing on Elections (Cato Institute) Ted Cruz reimbursed himself $555,000 after successfully challenging a political spending law at the Supreme Court (Business Insider) This awful bill shows how Ted Cruz threatens the citizenship rights of all Americans (The Week) Ted Cruz’s misleading memories of his 2013 gun proposal (The Washington Post) All the terrible things Ted Cruz has voted against this year already | (The Independent) Ted Cruz Doesn’t Believe You Have the Right to Masturbate (Vanity Fair) Ted Cruz’s college days as a widely hated masturbator have come back to haunt him. (The New Republic) F****n' Craig Mazin: An Appreciation of Ted Cruz's College Roommate (Jezebel) Ted Cruz’s college roommate recalls his creepy habits (My San Antonio) Ted Cruz Sex Scandal Story Just the Latest Bombshell in a Bizarre Campaign (US News) Why is US Senator Ted Cruz trending for porn? (BBC) Ted Cruz and porn: a brief history (CNN Politics) Ted Cruz flew to Cancún as millions of Texans endure power outages (Texas Tribune) Tragic Details About Ted Cruz's Relationship With His Daughter Caroline (The List) Special airport security escort for political VIPs moving forward in Congress (Politico) Cruz’s Podcast Deal Appears to Have Illegally Funneled Soft Money into Elections | (Campaign Legal Center) Ted Cruz’s Growing Scandals (Texas Democratic Party) Ted Cruz: the GOP's self-made monster (The Guardian)
3 days ago

The Many vs. The Money w. April Ryan & Peggy Flanagan

White House Correspondent April Ryan guest hosts with Erin to discuss Abdul El-Sayed’s win in Michigan, the latest in Republican Rep Max Miller’s snowballing awfulness, and Republicans' ongoing obsession with Dr. Fauci. Then friend of the show, Minnesota’s LT. Governor Peggy Flanagan stops by to discuss her run for the U.S. Senate, and her favorite foods at the Minnesota State Fair. They wrap up with a very petty edition of the sanity corner. The Most Powerful Men in America Are Eating Only Steak and Sauerkraut. Could I? (NYT 8/4)Trump declines to call for Max Miller's resignation amid abuse allegations (The Guardian 8/3)North Carolina congressman Edwards quits reelection bid after committee finds inappropriate conduct (AP News 8/5)Redacted Fauci Diary Entries Depict Him Personally Helping Katie Miller (NOTUS 7/29)
30 Jul

Man On The Lose w. Sami Sage & Annie Andrews

Erin Ryan and Sami Sage (Betches Media) dig into the Trump administration’s move to terminate millions of dollars of federal grants for teen pregnancy prevention and what that says about the administration’s vision of women. Then, they dive into Emily Wilson’s scathing review of the Odyssey. Plus, Annie Andrews, Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, stops by to discuss her race and how the death of Lindsay Graham is shaking things up. And as always, we end with sanipetty. Emily Wilson: An Uncomplicated Man Government Overhauls Teen Pregnancy Program to Focus on Marriage and Starting Families (NYT 7/22 + NPR 7/7)A Nobel Prize winner decodes why people aren’t having kids (NYT OPED 2025 + Claudia’s Original Research & Ruben Gallego 7/23)
26 Jul

This F*cking Guy: Megyn Kelly

In our 44th episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Alyssa analyze the evolution of the clout-chasing chameleon, Megyn Kelly. From her fiery takes and fake*ss feminist days at Fox News, to being humbled by her racist takes on her NBC Morning show, to entering her villain era, launching her alt-right podcast and transforming into a human guitar riff, this may just be our most self-serving psycho guy, yet! Sources:NBC’s Megyn Kelly bet goes bust (Columbia Journalism Review)Megyn Kelly is negotiating her exit from NBC News (CNN)Megyn Kelly fiasco is one more instance of far right outmaneuvering media (Columbia Journalism Review)The Megyn Kelly-Jane Fonda drama, explained (Washington Post) Review: Megyn Kelly tries to ditch politics for “fun” on “Today” (USA Today) Megyn Kelly fails to connect with audience during her Today debut (Time) “She Wants to Come Back”: Megyn Kelly Eyes Returning to Fox (Vanity Fair)‘Just get rid of her’: Megyn Kelly is again in trouble, but NBC colleagues rejected her long before (Washington Post)Awkward Megyn Kelly Interviews That Will Make You Cringe (YouTube)Megyn Kelly’s NBC Career implosion: Ugly, Dramatic, and inevitable (Daily Beast)Heated interview between Megyn Kelly and Kirsten Powers on Fox News (YouTube)Megyn Kelly: 'Santa Is What He Is,' Which Is White (YouTube)Fox's Megyn Kelly On Teen Violently Manhandled By McKinney Police: “The Girl Was No Saint Either” (Media Matters)Fox's Megyn Kelly Bemoans The “Anti-Cop ... Thug Mentality” She Sees In “Black Communities” (Media Matters)Megyn Kelly On Sandra Bland Case: “Even If You Know The Cop Is In The Wrong, Comply And Complain Later” (Media Matters)Megyn Kelly Claims Racist Emails Circulate At Most Companies To Downplay DOJ's Ferguson Report (Media Matters)Culture of Victimization Exposed by Michelle Malkin (YouTube)Megyn Kelly Seeks Commentary On Michael Brown Killing From Racist Mark Fuhrman (YouTube)Megyn Kelly (Time)The Megyn Kelly Moment (New York Times)Megyn Kelly: How to Deal with the Haters (Time)Megyn Kelly on Roger Ailes: "It's All B.S." (YouTube)Megyn Kelly on Working for Fox News and Leaving Her Law Career (GQ)Fox's Megyn Kelly Challenges Texas Lt. Gov. Over Transphobic Statements (The Advocate)Megyn Kelly Confronts Texas Lt Governor Dan Patrick Over Opposition to Obama Trans Bathroom (YouTube)Megyn Kelly interviews Laverne Cox (YouTube)Why are the Female Supreme Court Justices So EMOTIONAL? (YouTube)Megyn Kelly Explains Why She Will No Longer Use "Preferred Pronouns" as Trans Ideology Grows (YouTube)Blowhards Beware: Megyn Kelly Will Slay You Now (Vanity Fair)Megyn Kelly Interviews Michelle & Jim Bob Duggar (YouTube)The 7 most horrifying exchanges from the Duggars’ interview with Megyn Kelly (Salon)How Megyn Kelly became the star of fox news (Variety)Kitty Kelley: Settle for More review (Washington Independent Review of Books)Buzzfeed: Megyn Kelly’s end at NBCBuzzfeed)How Megyn Kelly Became the New Star of Fox News (Variety)14 year-old responds to Megyn Kelly's depraved defense of pedophiles who "only" abuse "older" children (Reddit)What Happened to Megyn Kelly? (Slate)
23 Jul

Auf Wiederseh'n, Goodbye

Erin and Alyssa get into Pete Hegseth’s new testosterone policy, and the latest on the Tate Brothers arrest. Then they do a supersized Sani-Petty with producer Caroline and sprinkle a little joy into the week to celebrate Alyssa’s last episode! 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, episode title, and episode date. US military to start screening for testosterone deficiency, Hegseth says (BBC 7/16)Estrogen patches are hard to find, and it may not be resolved any time soon (CNBC 6/26)Will the Tate brothers be extradited from the US to the UK? (BBC 7/20)Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested on rape, trafficking charges. What to know. (Washington Post 7/19)
16 Jul

A Bombshell Has Left the Villa w. Heather Gardner

Erin, Alyssa, and guest host Heather Gardner discuss the latest on the tragic killings by ICE Officers, the death of Lindsey Graham, and the explosive and gross consequences of last year’s DOGE cuts. Then they reflect on what this past Love Island teaches us about American literacy and relationship culture. They wrap up with sani-petty conversations about Meta AI features and The Five Star Weekend. 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, episode title, and episode date. ICE Ordered to Cease Most Vehicle Stops After 2 Killings in a Week (NYT 7/14)Trump says he spoke with Sen. Lindsey Graham hours before his death (NBC 7/12)Who Is Darline Graham Nordone? Lindsey Graham's Sister Appointed to Serve Out His Senate Term (Time 7/13)Who is Dr. Annie Andrews? Senate candidate is in the spotlight after Lindsey Graham’s death (The 19th 7/13)Experts warn of ways screwworm could spread in the US and new difficulties in keeping it at bay (The Guardian 7/13) Flesh-eating screwworm arrives in US with case detected in Texas cattle (BBC 6/5)Trump’s CDC Stopped Monitoring Explosive Diarrhea Parasite Before Outbreak (Newsweek 7/10)New Mexico Accuses D.O.J. of Obstructing Epstein Ranch Inquiry (NYT 7/9)The End of Reading Is Here (The Atlantic 7/8)
12 Jul

This F*cking Guy: Ronald Reagan

In our 43rd episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Alyssa dive deep into the past of the Jelly Bean Jack*ss, Ronald Reagan. From his B-list acting days, to "fighting" WWII from Culver City, to being an FBI rat, to his unforgivable handling of the AIDS crisis, to mucking up foreign affairs for decades to come, this may be one of our most deluded guys 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, episode title, and episode date. Sources:Ronald Reagan: Informant (Salon) Peeping Ron (Book Forum) Ronald Reagan’s shameful legacy: Violence, the homeless, mental illness (Salon) Ronald Reagan’s wartime lies: The president had quite a Brian Williams problem (Salon) The Mendacity Index (Washington Monthly) On a wing and a prayer (Alec Nevala-Lee) Tear Down This Myth (Google Books) Reagan & Co. (The Washington Post) California: Credibility in Sacramento (Time) The Lion King: An Exchange (NY Books) Reagan Expresses Horror at Claim That the Holocaust is a Hoax (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) The Myth of Ronald Reagan and the Nazi Death Camps (National Review) The Stupidity of Ronald Reagan (Slate) Paying Lip Service (The Village Voice) The Road to Reagandom (Slate) How Ronald Reagan's Time at General Electric Pushed Him to Conservatism (Lit Hub) Ronald Reagan’s Millions (Rolling Stone) How Prop 14 Shaped California's Racial Covenants (PBS Socal) Here's the Rest of Him (Claremont Review of Books) Alla Nazimova (AFI Catalog Spotlight) The Global HIV/AIDS Timeline (KFF) History of the HIV Epidemic (Gilead) When AIDS Was Funny Casts a Harsh Light on the Reagan Administration’s Indifference to HIV (HIV Plus Mag) Short film “When AIDS Was Funny,” Reagan Press Secretary laughs off an epidemic (Q Notes Carolinas) ‘When AIDS Was Funny’: Short film reveals shortfalls of Reagan response to AIDS (MSNOW) HIV/AIDS Timeline (history.com) HIV/AIDS Historical Timeline (Philadelphia Center) Snapshots of an Epidemic: An HIV/AIDS Timeline (amfAR) The Iran-Contra Affair (Bill of Rights Institute) The Iran-Contra Affair (PBS American Experience) 1983 Beirut barracks bombing: ‘The BLT Building is gone!’ (Marine Corps Times) H-Gram 080: Paved with Good Intentions—The U.S. Navy in the 1983 Lebanon Crisis (Naval History and Heritage Command) When Reagan Cut and Run (Foreign Policy) 40 Years Later, El Mozote Massacre Victims Vow to 'Keep Demanding Justice' (Common Dreams) The Massacre at El Mozote (Human Rights Watch) Judgment Day’s Coming for U.S.-Backed Troops Who Slaughtered Men, Women, and So Many Children at El Mozote (Daily Beast) Pakistan’s Nuclear Program Posed “Acute Dilemma” for U.S. Policy (National Security Archive) New Documents Spotlight Reagan-era Tensions over Pakistani Nuclear Program (National Security Archive) New Documents Spotlight Reagan-era Tensions over Pakistani Nuclear Program (Wilson Center) The Pakistan Aid Dilemma (Center for American Progress) Fact Check: It's Rumored that Ronald Reagan Had Alzheimer's Disease While Still in Office. Here's What the Evidence Says (Snopes) Did Reagan Decline? (Sage Journal) Hoover Makes Available the Newly Processed Papers of Nancy’s Reagan’s White House Astrologer (Hoover Institution) How Nancy Reagan's Secret Phone-In Astrologer Became a Powerful White House Adviser — and Helped Oust the Chief of Staff (People) Nancy Reagan: Controversial Moments During Her Life in the Public Eye (People) Why Ronald Reagan Became the Great Deregulator (JSTOR Daily) Looking Back On When President Reagan Fired The Air Traffic Controllers (NPR) Reagan’s Legacy (SFAF) The Other Time a U.S. President Withheld WHO Funds (John Hopkins) How newly discovered audio is reviving debate over Reagan's legacy on race (PBS News) It’s Time to End the Racist and Unjustified Sentencing Disparity Between Crack and Powder Cocaine (Civil Rights) Reagan's National Drug Strategy (University of Michigan) The Fairness Doctrine: How We Lost It and Why We Need It Back (SISYPHUS) Portraits in Oversight: The Iran-Contra Affair (Levin Center) Ronald Reagan Made Central America a Killing Field (Jacobin) Guatemalan Slaughter Was Part of Reagan’s Hard Line (The New York Times) Remembering US-backed state terror in El Salvador (Al Jazeera) Ronald Reagan’s shameful legacy: Violence, the homeless, mental illness (Salon) The Key to Welfare Reform (The Atlantic)
9 Jul

Platner Flatlines w. Christian LoBue

Erin and Alyssa dissect the fallout from the latest Graham Platner allegations, the vital status of Mitch McConnell, and the BS Americans endured in the name of Freedom 250. Then the president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, Christian Lobue, joins to talk about the organization’s exciting partnership with Olivia Rodrigo’s all-female music festival, Daisy Chain Fields. They wrap up with a World Cup edition of the Sanity Corner and an update about the show. 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, episode title, and episode date. Democrats begin pulling Platner endorsements after Maine Senate candidate faces sexual assault allegation (PBS 7/7)Exclusive: Woman who dated Graham Platner says he sexually assaulted her (Politico 7/6)As health rumors swirl, GOP leaders say they’ve spoken with McConnell (WaPo 7/7)House Democrats accuse Trump of 'hijacking' America's 250th birthday for his own gain (NPR 7/2)‘You are all that matters to me’: White House aide left adoring notes for Trump in ‘private spaces’, new book reveals (The Independent 6/23)

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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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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
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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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
Terminally Online is Crooked Media’s loosest series featuring unscripted convos between Pod Save America hosts and Crooked staff about what it’s like being way too online while producing the shows you love to listen to. We’ll hold hands and dive deep into the internet (some would argue too deep), only to resurface with our picks for the most can’t-miss moments of the week across politics, culture, and beyond. New episodes drop weekly for Friends of the Pod subscribers. Subscribe to Friends of the Pod on Apple Podcasts now to get access to exclusive episodes from Terminally Online, Pollercoaster, and Pod Save America: OnlyFriends or learn more about the Friends of the Pod community at crooked.com/friends.

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