Hysteria

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 [email protected] 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)

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 [email protected] 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)

We’re off this week, but we're bringing you an episode of Runway Country with Alex Wagner. Every Thursday, the veteran journalist sits down with everyday Americans and political experts to cut through the noise and zero in on the stories that matter. In this episode, Alex speaks to former trad wife and host of “The Wake Her Up Podcast”, Sharon Johnson, about her upbringing in the Mormon Church, what it was like to discover she could have agency and choice in her late thirties, and how she feels about trad wives trending. Then Alex is joined by host of Crooked’s “Hysteria” podcast, Erin Ryan, to talk about the broader political goals behind the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2026 plan, and how it attempts to punish women who don’t fit their ideals. Catch Runaway Country with Alex Wagner on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Franchesca Ramsey joins Erin and Alyssa to dig into Peter Thiel’s secret society leak, the 4-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision, and the TPUSA Women’s leadership summit. Alyssa shared her experience attending the star-studded opening of the Obama Center. Then they wrap with a petty conversation about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s health, and TV journalist drama.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Star-studded opening for Obama library in Chicago delivers implied rebuke to Trump (The Guardian 6/18)
Four years after the Dobbs decision, abortion access looks very different (NPR 6/6)
Costs and Consequences: Impacts of Abortion Restrictions Four Years Post Dobbs (Institute for Women's Policy Research 6/16)
Dobbs' Lasting Impact on Abortion (Gallup 6/17)
Leak Exposes Members of Peter Thiel’s Secretive ‘Dialog’ Society (Wired 6/16)
How the Peter Thiel-Linked Dialog Club Secretly Ranks Its Members (Wired 6/18)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sophia Bush Defend Ties to Peter Thiel’s Secretive Dialog Group (The Hollywood Reporter 6/19)

In our 42nd episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Alyssa dive deep into the past of the most uptight motherf*cker on the planet, Chief Justice John Roberts. From his early days as a “soberpuss” scholar, to playing the long game to gut the Voting Rights Act, to being the ringleader of malicious intent on the Citizens United ruling, to his obsession with being perceived as a Fancy Law Boy Institutionalist, this may be one of our most phony guys yet.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Sources:

Roberts started on path to success at young age (The Washington Times)

The Supreme Court’s Power Grab (The New York Review)

Entering a new Supreme Court term, John Roberts is as enigmatic as ever (The Christian Science Monitor)

Biographies of the Robes: John Glover Roberts (Thirteen PBS) 

No More Mr. Nice Guy (The New Yorker)

Court Nominee's Life Is Rooted in Faith and Respect for Law (New York Times)

In the Rough (Slate)

Portrait of the Chief Justice as a Family Man (The Washington Post)

Does John Roberts’ Whites-Only Childhood Home Explain the Supreme Court’s Callais Ruling? (Slate)

Roberts' Conflicts Of Interest (CBS News)

Roberts's Rules (The Atlantic)

Did Roberts Help Fuel AIDS Scare? (Science)

Chief justice tumbles after seizure (CNN)

The Pro-Money Court: How the Roberts Supreme Court Dismantled Campaign Finance Law (Brennan Center)

John Roberts: Supreme Court Nomination Hearings from PBS NewsHour and EMK Institute (YouTube)

Money Unlimited (The New Yorker)

‘They come to me’: Jane Roberts’ legal recruiting work involved officials whose agencies had cases before the Supreme Court (Politico)

Trump v. CASA Inc. (Oyez)

Citizens United, Explained (Brennan Center)

Erin and Alyssa round up the latest news from JD Vance’s embarrassing book tour, Bari Weiss’s next fail-upwards, and the future of the USPS’s independence. Then Megan Gailey (Sports Bitches) joins to talk sports news from the UFC to the Knicks and the rise of heteropessimism. They wrap up with a petty conversation about nun podcasts, takeout orders, and Disclosure Day.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Alyssa’s rec: Dominican Sisters Open Mic

JD Vance went on television to plug a faith memoir. ‘The View’ had other plans (AP News 7/16)
Vance’s new book puts his Catholic faith at the center of his story — and his political future (CNN 6/15)
Postal Service Seeks to Block Mail Ballots in States Resisting Trump Demands (NYT 6/11)
CBS News boss Bari Weiss poised to oversee CNN editorial operations: report (NY Post 6/9)
$60M and 7 federal agencies required to stage Trump’s UFC fight at White House (AP News 6/10)
Trump’s UFC Fight Ended With a Slur About Michelle Obama (The Cut 6/15)
The Shocking Secrets of Madison Square Garden’s Surveillance Machine (Wired 4/17)
How Algeria won over a Kansas town – and became the World Cup’s unlikeliest love affair (The Guardian 6/16)
Which World Cup teams, players and officials were denied US visas, entry? (Al Jazeera 6/11)

First Partner of California, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, joins Hysteria for a conversation about her status as a right-wing media target and her new film, Miss Representation: Rise Up. Erin and Alyssa also recap Graham Platner’s slew of scandals that led up to him winning the Democratic nomination for Maine’s Senate seat, discuss Bari Weiss’ next media move, and check in on the latest news from the Epstein files. Then they wrap up with a petty conversation about Gwyneth Paltrow’s politics.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Check out Alyssa’s local library cookbook sale: https://claveracklibrary.org/friends/cookbook-sale-festival/ 

To learn more about Miss Representation: Rise Up and how to get involved, visit missrepresentationriseup.org

Several Women Who Dated Graham Platner Recall ‘Unsettling’ Behavior (NYT 6/4)
Platner says he won’t be an ‘a–hole’ like Fetterman in Senate (The Hill 6/8)
I know firsthand why Graham Platner shouldn’t be a U.S. senator (WaPo 6/8)
Pam Bondi claims Todd Blanche was ‘in charge’ of ‘entire release’ of Epstein files (The  Guardian 6/4)
This agent sent models to meet Jeffrey Epstein. Now he’s trying to explain why. (WaPo 6/8)
Epstein abused them. The Justice Department exposed them. Now they’re under attack by haters (Reuters 6/8)
As 2028 looms, Jennifer Siebel Newsom faces increased conservative attacks (Politico 5/6)

In our 41st episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Alyssa dive deep into the past of the Dumb-a** Daddy’s Boy, Jared Kushner. From slithering into the top Ivy League with help from his corrupt father, to being one of NYC’s most soulless slumlords, to his abhorrent handling of COVID and his Middle East meddling under his father-in-law, this may be one of our more notorious nepo-baby guys yet.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

For Kushner, Israel Policy May Be Shaped by the Personal (NYT)

Jared Kushner’s Mysterious Role in the Trump Administration (The Atlantic)

Epstein Files (DOJ)

Jim McGreevey and His Main Man (NY Mag)

Jared Kushner May Profit From Expanded Israeli Settlements (Jacobin)

Jared Kushner says Gaza’s ‘waterfront property could be very valuable’ (The Guardian)

Jared Kushner’s Psychopathic Incompetence (The New Republic)

“That’s Their Problem”: How Jared Kushner Let the Markets Decide America’s COVID-19 Fate (Vanity Fair)

Five Reasons Why the Abraham Accords Are Ceding Ground to Arab-Iranian De-escalation (Baker Institute)

Jared Kushner’s Grandmother Bemoaned the “Closed Doors” That Faced Refugees to America (Pro Publica)

Jared Kushner’s ‘Breaking History’ Is a Soulless and Very Selective Memoir (NYT)

Why Did Cory Booker Vote to Confirm Jared Kushner’s Dad? (The New Republican)

I worked for Jared Kushner. He’s the wrong businessman to reinvent government. (The Washington Post)

Ivanka Trump Marries Jared Kushner in Lavish Ceremony (People)

Kushner properties accused of illegally inflating rent (CBS News)

AP Report: Kushner Companies regularly filed false documents with NYC (KSL)

Kushner Companies Lied About Rent Stabilized Tenants on 30th Ave, 38th St Properties (QNS)

The group of Kushner Villages tenants says the properties’ fire sprinklers don’t even work. (Legal Reader)

Kushner Cos. fined $210K by New York for false documents (AP News)

Port’s New Head, Sued by Brother, Faces an Inquiry (Observer)

How Jared Kushner’s Bold Bets In The Middle East Made Him A Billionaire (Forbes)

Jared Kushner’s Net Worth Surges as He Joins Exclusive Club With Trump (Newsweek)

Jared Kushner is back – and so are big questions about his financial ties (The Guardian)

Jared Kushner Solicits Funds for His Firm While Working as Mideast Envoy (The New York Times)

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner walked into the White House with troubled finances but left with millions (INews)

Newly Released Transcript Shows Jared Kushner Misled Congress About a Contact Involving Russia (Mother Jones)

The Hill: Dem rep: Kushner ‘lied’, should be investigated (lieu.house)

Kushner ties to Russia questioned as Trump blasts media lies (MPRnews)

Did Jared Kushner Help Russia Hack the Election With Fake News? Trump Son-in-Law’s Digital Operation Under Investigation (Newsweek)

Jared Kushner lied to NYC because he could get away with it (cityandstateny)

Jared Kushner’s Firm to Pay $3.25M for Deceiving & Cheating Tenants in Baltimore’s “Kushnerville” (Democracy Now)

People Are Talking (Again) About How Jared Kushner Got Into Harvard (Vogue)

Trump White House had a secret crypto booster in Jared Kushner, new Mnuchin file dump shows (CNBC)

Report: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner Made Their Secret Service Detail Go to Extreme Lengths “to Find a Bathroom” (Vanity Fair)

Secret Service spent more than $16,000 on Kushner’s UAE and Qatar trip. Both countries invested in his firm (Citizens For Ethics)

What Secret Service spent on Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's Whistler trip (CBS News)

Kushner Deal in Serbia Follows Earlier Interest by Trump (The New York Times)

Jared Kushner 'admitted Donald Trump lies to his base because he thinks they're stupid' (Independent)

Jared Kushner once wanted Kanye West to lead a ‘healing church service’ at the White House (Forward)

Political Contributor and Developer Charles Kushner Sentenced to Maximum 24 Months for Witness Retaliation and Other Crimes (Justice.gov)

Trump Pardons Jared Kushner’s Dad, Who Paid a Prostitute to Seduce His Brother-in-Law (People)

Trump chooses Jared Kushner's father for ambassador to France (BBC)

U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner banned from meeting with French government over summons no-show (NBC News)

Alyssa and Erin get into the results from Tuesday’s primary, round up Trump’s latest slew of flops, and discuss why we are tired of men with checkered pasts running for office like nobody’s gonna find out. Then Alyssa sits down with actress Sepideh Moafi about her role in The Pitt, her childhood as an Iranian refugee, and her latest role in the play New Born. They wrap up with a petty conversation about the best frozen summer treats, and Costco finds.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

California Primary Election Results (NYT 6/3)
Trump’s UFC arena towers over the White House as new photo shows scope of event (Independent 6/1)
Standoff between Republicans and White House over the 'anti-weaponization' fund remains unresolved (PBS 6/1)

Erin and Alyssa cover Trump’s nemesis Thomas Massie’s loss in Kentucky, a positive (for now) Mifepristone update, the ridiculous Garden of Heroes, and what the hell is going on in California politics. Then, Reshma Saujani joins to discuss her new documentary No Country for Mothers, and the real issues moms face. They wrap up in the sanity corner with rave reviews of Cookie Queens and Widow's Bay.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

You can sign up to attend or host a screening of No Country for Mothers at nocountryformothers.com

Cookie Queens 

Massie race breaks spending record as pro-Israel groups target Trump critic (Aljazeera 5/18)
Abortion Pill Lawsuit Leaves Trump Silent, and in a Political Bind (NYT 5/19)
Trump announces planned D.C. site for massive sculpture garden (Washington Post 5/15)
What is California's ‘jungle primary’ — and why does it matter so much for the governor’s race? (LAist 5/18)