This week, Jo gets raw and real with Senator Ruben Gallego for a deep dive into what happens when Congress ghosts the hard truths and survivors are left carrying the weight in silence. Against the backdrop of another performative escape to summer recess, Jo shares the most personal Substack yet: a letter to survivors who watch their abusers rise to power while the world shrugs. Gallego joins to talk about what courage in service and policy actually looks like, calling out those who dodge the work—whether it’s justice for the abused, real border solutions, or protecting veterans from becoming bargaining chips.

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Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman joins Jojo from Jerz in the July heat (cicadas and all) to break down a week when political theater has nothing on the real-world consequences of cowardice and cover-ups. From Trump’s “Ukraine Pivot” to the MAGA meltdown over the Epstein files, Vindman pulls zero punches.

They unpack Tulsi Gabbard’s attempts to get back in the Trump camp, what’s really holding up peace in Ukraine (hint: it’s not Kyiv), and why Russia’s old playbook keeps working on both sides of the Atlantic. Jo digs deep for the “WTF” of it all, how far right narratives fuel chaos, and what’s at stake when America’s so-called leaders would rather distract, duck cameras, or chase conspiracies than actually govern.

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While the Epstein files scandal explodes and unfinished business piles up, Speaker Mike Johnson just sprinted for the exits—slamming the gavel on an early summer recess before anyone could say “roll call.” Congress didn’t just adjourn; it staged a getaway, ducking the cameras and dodging the receipts.

Jojo from Jerz grabs the megaphone and sits down with Congressman Jim Himes to drag everything into the July sunlight: Who’s really winning when the People’s House turns into the People’s Airbnb? Why is “governance” optional when the headlines get too hot? And does Johnson seriously think democracy just pauses itself for a vacation?

They torch the vanishing act that left critical crises in limbo, break down the art of hiding from hard votes, and lay out exactly why the rest of us should be demanding more than out-of-office messages and way fewer empty Chambers.

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Congressman Jamie Raskin joins Jo in the middle of a week when American democracy feels like it’s on the clearance rack. From Congress giving away its power with the Recessions Act, to lawmakers cosplaying as fiscal hawks while slashing PBS and NPR before even considering a billionaire tax cut, Jo and Raskin unpack what’s happening beneath the circus.

They go deep on the Epstein files detonating what’s left of MAGA credibility, and the staggering hypocrisy of Republicans demanding “transparency” until it lands at their own feet. Raskin connects the dots—from the House’s refusal to release the files, to the gutting of programs that fight sex trafficking, to a so-called “rescue” bill that throws millions off health care and SNAP, explodes the deficit, and hands China the keys to America’s clean energy future.

With his signature clarity, Raskin exposes the schemes behind those “beautiful” bills, the real-world impact on his Maryland district’s federal workers, and why the Founders never meant for public service to be a playground for kings and cronies. If you’re exhausted by performative investigations, billionaire giveaways, anti-government crusades, or just want to know how to hold the damn line, this episode is your permission slip to get mad, get clear, and get in the fight.

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Congressman Jared Moskowitz joins Jo for a no-holds-barred breakdown of a week so stupid you can’t make it up: Congress duck-walks away from the Epstein files, Republicans lock arms to shield the secrets their own base is demanding, and suddenly the MAGA mob is eating itself while Trump twirls behind the curtain. Moskowitz drags the whole charade from Russian nesting dolls of lies, binder theatrics, Bondi’s “desk,” and a GOP so tangled they can’t remember which version they’re selling.

But it’s not just the spectacle. Jo and Moskowitz dig into the GOP’s next-level sabotage on disaster response; how Kristi Noem gutted FEMA, why children in Texas paid the price, and why Republicans are poised to claim “government doesn’t work” after personally setting it on fire. You’ll hear why outrage matters annd exactly what Democrats must do: stay on offense, call out the lies, and never trust the old rulebook.

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Jo sits down with Senator Angus King—Maine’s straight-shooting Independent and connoisseur of constitutional reality checks—for a conversation that blows the lid off Washington’s latest “power of the purse” giveaway. From Congress rolling over on the Rescissions Act (“one more building block in the edifice of authoritarianism”) to the boneheaded crusade against PBS, NPR, and USAID, Senator King calls out the dangerous shift: lawmakers too scared to do their jobs, too eager to hand the President a blank check.

They break down why these budget “rescissions” aren’t about fraud or waste—they’re about ideology and giving the executive free rein to decide what gets funded, what gets axed, and whose voices and lives are on the chopping block. If you want a sanity check on what the Founders actually intended, and why the final line of defense is still us, this is the alarm bell you can’t afford to sleep through.

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Jo sits down with Tom Malinowski—former Congressman, Assistant Secretary of State, and expert on foreign policy and democracy. From Trump’s super awkward NATO deals and unpredictable tariff threats to the devastating impact of the big bad “Billionaire Boner Bill,” they unpack the real consequences for working families, small businesses, and America’s global standing. Later, Tom shares insider insights on the complex dance between Trump and Putin, the challenges facing Ukraine’s defense, and the alarming cuts to the State Department that threaten U.S. soft power.

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Journalist, author, and “Just Ask the Question” podcast host Brian Karem joins Jo for a raw, unfiltered conversation about journalism in the age of chaos. 

Brian shares what it’s like to be marginalized in the White House briefing room, the evolution of propaganda from the podium, and why the current administration’s contempt for truth is unlike anything he’s seen in four decades of reporting. Together, they dig into the real human cost of policy—families grieving lost children, communities left without leadership, and the looming threat of due process being stripped away for everyone, not just immigrants.

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David Pakman - host of The David Pakman Show- joins Jo for a raw, honest, and unexpectedly hopeful conversation about life in America after "The Billionaire Boner Bill." David and Jo revisit their first meeting at The White House- before "the shit show came in for season two" - and reflect on just how quickly things have unraveled. Together, they break down what the new bill really means for working class families, the dangers of finger-pointing on the Left, and the urgent need for more voices - big and small - telling the human storiesbehind the headlines. The conversation includes:

📢 This isn’t just commentary—it’s a call to action.

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Jo welcomes comedian, SiriusXM host, and author John Fugelsang for a brutally honest—and frequently hilarious—conversation about America’s relentless cruelty, the billionaire boner bill, and why the GOP’s Bible-thumping is pure performance. With his new book coming out August 19th (preorder it now), Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, Fugelsang digs into the white supremacy at the core of U.S. immigration policy, the hypocrisy of politicians who wrap themselves in Christianity while gutting healthcare and nutrition for millions, and why “the cruelty is the point.”

Jo and John don’t hold back: they call out the media’s cowardice, the cult of personality around Trump, and the Democrats’ chronic inability to fight fire with fire. Fugelsang shares how his own upbringing—by ex-clergy parents—shaped his view of faith, and why nobody who actually reads the Bible could square it with today’s right-wing politics. There are dick jokes, there’s righteous anger, and there’s a guide for anyone who’s tired of watching religion used as a weapon against the most vulnerable.

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