Andrew’s back and there’s so much to cover: the DOJ withheld Epstein files about allegations that Trump sexually assaulted a 13 year old girl and Trump invades Iran to distract from that story. Trump ruins the Olympics and the US men’s hockey team fails a basic humanity test. Plus, the Supreme Court tariffs decision isn’t what you thought, a federal appeals court botches a decision on the Ten Commandments, and Tucker Carlson interviews Mike Huckabee, our ambassador to Israel, and they talk about the Bible influencing public policy—kind of. 

NPR story “Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump”

Link to Strict Scrutiny episode referenced

Tucker Carlson interviews Mike Huckabee

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Fish Stark joins Andrew to talk about bringing empathy back to America and how folks can get $1,000 grants for empathy projects that will take place across the country on May 2. This is much bigger than just a single project, this is an answer to the toxicity of Christian Nationalism, MAGA politics, and the division in this country. But it could also be the answer for growing the secular movement. This is the very time Fish and Andrew have chatted and history is lucky it was (mostly) recorded. 

• The American Empathy Project. Empathy project guidelines. I donated $100 and hope y’all will too. 
• The American Humanist Association can be found here
• Bittersoutherner.com

If you can’t support AHA or the project, you can still spread the word by sharing the social media videos announcing the project. Or just share them anyway.

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Andrew brings back Annika Brockschmidt, friend of the pod, German historian and expert on American Christian nationalism. One year after her first appearance in the inaugural episode, Annika tells Andrew how the US is doing on its slide toward authoritarianism/fascism. A wide ranging and surprising conversation. 

Brockschmidt is a journalist, scholar, and author of Amerikas Gotteskrieger: Wie die Religiöse Rechte die Demokratie gefährdet (roughly translated as “America’s Godly Warriors: How Religious Right Endangers Democracy”). 

Annika’s socials: Instagram Bluesky

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The Trump regime is arresting journalists, raiding their houses, assaulting citizens, murdering people in the streets, and more, but we’re fighting back. Minnesota is leading the way, judges are freeing people illegally arrested, including 5-year-old Liam Ramos, Texans in deep red Tarrant County are voting blue, and more.

Adam Serwer’s Atlantic article “Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong” is here.

Judge Biery’s opinion in the Liam Ramos case can be read here.

Looking for books for self-care?

• My Books to Make you Rethink Everything List at Bookshop.org
• My favorite NON-FICTION Reads of 2025: https://bookshop.org/lists/andrew-s-favorite-nonfiction-reads-2025 
• My favorite FICTION Reads of 2025: https://bookshop.org/lists/andrew-s-favorite-fiction-reads-2025 

More self-care: Come Cruise the Caribbean with Andrew: http://freethoughtcruise.com/

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The Trump Regime and Bondi’s DOJ are going after anti-ICE protesters who protested in a church that has an ICE Pastor (it’s a thing). The FACE Act is the newest talking point and prosecution point for the regime. What is the FACE Act? Why was it passed? How is it being used against these protesters? Andrew explains it all. But first, the regime altered photos of the arrest of the protester in deliberately cruel ways. 

The Guardian article with the photo tool

NAACP lynching stats

Isabel Wilkerson’s book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is here and on my Books to Make you Rethink Everything List at Bookshop.org

Hemant Mehta’s article, “The anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church was a justified rebuke of the pastor's cruelty.” 

The text of the FACE Act is here.

Trump pardons FACE Act violators by lying about “anti-Christian bias”

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The entire Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is going to hear oral argument on two cases involving laws that force public schools to display a version of the Ten Commandments drafted by politicians who think they know better than parents. Andrew examines the basis for these law: the claim that the Ten Commandments are foundation of American law and government. 

Here’s a link to some screenshots of the Google NGram graphs that I mentioned.

Here’s the full text of Thomas Jefferson’s letter to James Fishback (Draft), 27 September 1809, at the National Archives.

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There’s a lot to catch up on after a vacation, but self-care these days is important. After diving into the horrific ICE shooting in Minnesota and the US military assault on Venezuela, Andrew explains how he survived 2025: Books. Books are a big part of the reason. Andrew goes over some of his favorite reads of 2025 (fiction and non-fiction). Full lists appear below. 

Slate article on prosecuting ICE officers: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/01/is-minneapolis-ice-shooter-immune-state-prosecution-supreme-court.html 

Come Cruise the Caribbean with Andrew: http://freethoughtcruise.com/ 

Andrew’s Favorite NON-FICTION Reads of 2025: https://bookshop.org/lists/andrew-s-favorite-nonfiction-reads-2025 

Andrew’s Favorite FICTION Reads of 2025: https://bookshop.org/lists/andrew-s-favorite-fiction-reads-2025

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Purity Culture has devastated Americans for decades but Erica Smith has been helping people shed the shame and disinformation around sex and purity. Andrew and Erica delve into the harm of purity culture—it’s racism, bigotry, obsession with virginity—but also talk about how people can recover and find their true self and live healthy, happy, sexual lives. Purity Culture is a Christian Nationalist ploy to breed more straight, white American Christians. 

Pre-order Erica Smith’s book The Purity Culture Recovery Guide: The Shame-Free Sex Education You Deserve today (and tell your library to get a copy too!)

Erica Smith’s website is here.

Her Instagram is here.

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Rob Boston has been fighting Christian Nationalism for nearly 40 years. This week, he retires from Americans United for Separation of Church and State. A role model and mentor for Andrew, Rob and Andrew talk about what Rob’s learned over his decades of work and why he has hope for the future. 

Support Rob’s legacy and Americans United here.

Get Rob’s books (while supporting your local bookstore) here.

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Andrew begins with some good news out of Oklahoma and a Christian Nationalist meltdown; he talks about Rob Reiner’s God + Country documentary and Trump’s reaction to Rob and Michele Singer Reiner’s murder. Then, Andrew wonders about Trump and Steven Miller’s real reasons for targeting Venezuela, especially in light of recent reporting and their dabbling with the Alien Enemies Act. Plus, the joy of the Vanity Fair article on White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and the accompanying photo spread. 

Part 1 of Vanity Fair’s masterpiece

Reuters’ investigation of 600 employees purged post-Kirk

WaPo reporting on Steven Miller’s wish for war with Mexico becoming a potential war with Venezuela.

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