Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with Diane Winston, Professor of Journalism and Communication at the University of Southern California, to discuss her recent book Righting the American Dream: How the Media Mainstreamed Reagan’s Evangelical Vision. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on Israel’s murder of Israeli hostages, Netanyahu’s political career, Pope Francis’ reign, immigration reform, Biden’s […]

In a pre-taped conversation, Sam’s joined by Eric Alterman, Professor of English and Journalism at Brooklyn College, writer of the “Altercation” newsletter at The American Prospect, to discuss his recent book We Are Not One: A History of America’s Fight Over Israel. Then, Emma speaks with Javier Puente, Associate Professor of Latin American and Latino/a Studies at Smith College, to discuss […]

It’s Casual Friday! Sam hosts Ben Dixon of The Benjamin Dixon Show to round up the week in news. Then he is joined by Matthew Film Guy! First, Sam runs through updates on the DOJ’s appeal on Trump’s Special Master ruling, more investigations into the Save America PAC and Steve Bannon’s fraud charges, the DNC’s love for Dark Money, Gorsuch’s statement on […]

Sam hosts Kelly Weill, reporter at the Daily Beast, to discuss her recent book Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything. Kelly begins by situating her research into flat earthers as a case study in people’s inclination to faith and belief, separating the flat earth belief from other conspiracies in how – […]

Sam and Emma host Kellie Carter Jackson, Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Wellesley College, to discuss her recent book Force and Freedom: Black Abolitionists and the Politics of Violence, using the influence of Black leaders to explore the growth of the abolitionist movement from moral suasion to an understanding that intrinsic rights cannot be granted. Professor […]

Sam and Emma Anna Della Subin, senior editor at Bidoun Projects, to discuss her recent book Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine, on the pervasive and frequently overlooked figure that began popping up at the dawn of “New World” imperialism, and has since emerged, both through oppression and resistance, countless times in the face of a singular […]

Sam and Emma host Angie Maxwell, associate professor of political science at the University of Arkansas, to discuss her recent book The Long Southern Strategy: How Chasing White Voters in the South Changed American Politics, on how the Southern Strategy that completely restructured the electoral college behind the GOP’s turn against social progress has found long-term success in […]

Sam and Emma host Anthea Butler, religious studies professor at the University of Pennsylvania, to discuss her new book White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America and why the evangelical vote is still the strongest and most unified voting bloc in American politics. And in the Fun Half: thoughts on Biden’s plans to withdraw American […]

Sam and Emma host Heather “Digby” Parton (@digby56) from Hullabaloo and Salon.com to discuss the new Biden administration, what’s happening in the Senate, and the second coming of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. On today’s show: Lindsey Graham says GOP is united in opposition to impeaching Trump, McConnell has a plan, Trump has a great legal team. Schumer […]

Tanya Erzen, n associate professor of religion and gender studies at the University of Puget Sound, joins us to discuss her new book: “God in Captivity: The Rise of Faith-Based Prison Ministries in the Age of Mass Incarceration”, explains what brought her to work inside the prison system and the shift of state prisons in […]