With Friends Like These

We kick off 2018 with our monthly Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) check in. [00:57] On the agenda: what we *should* be paying attention to in all this Bannon-Trump drama — like, say, nuclear war. And, we find out how the Never Trump movement is doing. Then, we talk with BuzzFeed writer and author Scaachi Koul (@Scaachi) [38:14] about the controversy over Youtube star Logan Paul’s posting of a video from Japan’s “suicide forest,” where we draw familiar parallels to the Trump era. Read Scaachi’s piece about Paul here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/scaachikoul/even-when-he-loses-logan-paul-wins?utm_term=.pe5Y1zNJn#.uw2LjkYR1 She also has an essay collection, out now, called One Day We’ll All Be Dead And None Of This Will Matter: https://www.amazon.com/Well-Dead-None-This-Matter/dp/1250121027) Ana mentioned another BuzzFeed piece about child exploitation on Youtube, here: https://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/youtube-is-addressing-its-massive-child-exploitation-problem?utm_term=.wndwD2dEr#.xkMplYmjL Send us an email with a question and we’ll get our #friendsofthepod to answer it: withfriendslikepod@gmail.com Tweet the show at @crooked_friends. Thank you to our sponsors! Third Love: Get 15% off your first order at ThirdLove.com/Friends Stamps.com: Get a four-week trial plus postage by visiting stamps.com with promo code Friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, [3:05] we revisit Ana’s interview with Red State contributor and Never Trump stalwart Ben Howe (@benhowe) about what the Left can learn from the Tea Party. Ben also discusses how leaving the conservative movement has changed his thinking on social issues like abortion. Then, [56:41] another throwback to when Adam Savage (“Mythbusters,” Tested.com) joined the pod to help a WFLT listener whose sister has embraced right-wing conspiracy theories.  BONUS: join Ana on a journey through the editor’s comments on Milo Yiannopoulos’ pulled manuscript, which Simon & Schuster submitted to court as evidence the book was bad. You can read the manuscript here: https://iappscontent.courts.state.ny.us/NYSCEF/live/EXHIBIT_B.pdf Send us an email with a question and we’ll get our #friendsofthepod to answer it in the new year: withfriendslikepod@gmail.com. Tweet us at @crooked_friends. Our awesome sponsors!  Everlane: Free shipping on your first order at Everlane.com/friends Texture: Get a free trial when you go to texture.com/FRIENDS and save 30 percent a month on the regular price if you choose to continue your subscription. Helix: Go to HelixSleep.com/Ana and get $50 off your order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We revisit a very honest conversation between Ana and writer Rembert Browne (@rembert) about Colin Kaepernick, America, and why it’s imperative we talk about race, especially when it makes us feel uncomfortable. You can read Rembert’s profile on Kap here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2732670-colin-kaepernick-anthem-race-in-america Send us an email with a question and we’ll get our #friendsofthepod to answer it in the new year: withfriendslikepod@gmail.com. Tweet us at @crooked_friends. Happy holidays to our sponsors! National Endowment for Financial Education: visit NEFE’s new financial literacy website SmartAboutMoney.org/friends to learn how to make a financial plan. Stamps.com: Get a four-week trial plus postage by visiting stamps.com with promo code Friends. Everlane: Free shipping on your first order at Everlane.com/friends Texture: Get a free trial when you go to texture.com/FRIENDS and save 30 percent a month on the regular price if you choose to continue your subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WNYC’s Rebecca Carroll [2:58] gives us her perspective on an aspect of #MeToo we should be talking about more: the denigration of black women. Also, if you thanked black women on Twitter for Doug Jones’ win in Alabama, you might want to listen in for some tips on how to put that support into concrete action.  Then, [36:28] writer Amy Sullivan helps us unpack a listener question about abortion, religion and politics. Specifically: why hasn’t the Left followed the Right’s lead in framing abortion as a religious issue? Ana and Amy reaffirm that, yes, it is possible to be pro-choice and a person of faith. Rebecca’s Esquire piece can be read here: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a13978884/charlie-rose-sexual-harassment-accuser-story/ Our guests have pods, too! Stay tuned for Rebecca’s upcoming show Black Folk, which will air on WNYC.  Amy has a podcast about politics and religion, called Impolite Company, which you can find on iTunes. Please keep sending us your questions to withfriendslikepod@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter at @crooked_friends. Can’t forget our wonderful sponsors! Kind: Go to KindSnacks.com/wflt for more details on how to buy a Kind Cube. Thrive: Get $20 off your first 3 orders of $49 or more, plus free shipping by visiting thrivemarket.com/FRIENDS The Great Courses Plus: Sign up for your free month by visiting thegreatcoursesplus.com/Friends. Framebridge: Go to Framebridge.com and use promo code FRIENDS for 15% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, [3:17] author and theologian Diana Butler Bass (@dianabutlerbass) drops by to give us an explainer on the really long theological history behind Trump’s decision to proclaim Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and how that decision appeals specifically to members of his conservative evangelical base who believe in dispensational premillennialism (more popular than one might think). Diana and Ana conclude it is possible to change people’s minds on Armageddon. Then, [43:50] Ana checks in with GOP media guy Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) for his insight on how his party is (mis)handling Roy Moore. The main question: can the Republican Party get any lower than standing behind a pedophile?  Listeners, direct emails to withfriendslikepod@gmail.com, or find us on Twitter at @crooked_friends. Thank you sponsors! The Great Courses Plus: sign up for your free month by visiting thegreatcoursesplus.com/Friends. Hello Fresh: Get $30 off your first week by going to HelloFresh.com and using promo code WithFriends30. TrackR: Receive 20% off your order at TheTrackR.com/friends. Parachute: Visit ParachuteHome.com/friends for free shipping and returns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Serwer (@AdamSerwer), senior editor at The Atlantic, joins Ana this week [5:43] to discuss his latest piece unpacking the white nationalism of Trump voters. He argues a lot more people believe in white supremacy in America than we want to talk about, but says having that conversation is unavoidable. The discussion also draws parallels between white supremacy and patriarchy. Then, [52:11] Lizzy O’Leary (@lizzieohreally) of Marketplace talks sexual harassment and bad behaviour — that “grey area” — in the media, including her own encounters with men she shrugged off as a young reporter, but now horrify her. She wrote about those experiences here: https://www.thecut.com/2017/11/lizzie-oleary-describes-sexual-harassment-in-journalism.html.  A link to Adam’s piece, The Nationalist’s Delusion, is here: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/the-nationalists-delusion/546356/ Send us an email! Thoughts and questions to withfriendslikepod@gmail.com, or find us on Twitter at @crooked_friends. If you have had experience with any kind of sexual assault or violation, you are not alone. There is help. Two resources available: - RAINN (the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network): Call their hotline (800-656-4673) or use their anonymous chat feature at their website, RAINN.org - The Crisis Text Line is anonymous and available 24 hours a day to help with a wide variety of problems, including sexual assault and mental health or just an emotionally difficult time: 741741.  Thanks to our sponsors! The Great Courses Plus: sign up for your free month by visiting thegreatcoursesplus.com/Friends Texture: Get a free trial when you go to texture.com/FRIENDS and save 30 percent a month on the regular price if you choose to continue your subscription. Everlane: Free shipping on your first order at Everlane.com/friends Stamps.com: Get a four-week trial plus postage by visiting stamps.com with promo code Friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode, Ana takes a field trip to Chicago to visit with a group of voters long misunderstood by the coastal elites but who played a pivotal role in the 2016 election: that’s right... Hillary voters. What makes them tick? Why do they have such affection for her? Will they continue to support her, no matter what? Also, we try to humanize them a bit: Hillary voters may seem different, but really, they’re just like you or me! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Moe of “The Hilarious World of Depression” podcast (@johnmoe) returns to the show for a special Thanksgiving episode dedicated to self care. Ana and John share some coping mechanisms for those tough days, like setting boundaries and giving your anxiety a name. Two important reminders: you have worth, and it gets better. If you missed John last time he was on the pod, find that episode here: https://crooked.com/podcast/the-help-is-coming-from-inside-the-house/ You can also listen to John’s podcast, right here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hilarious-world-of-depression/id1181589175?mt=2 If you are struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK. Be well. You are loved. We read every email we get! Please send us a message: withfriendslikepod@gmail.com Or tweet us at @crooked_friends on Twitter. Thanks to our sponsors! Framebridge: Go to Framebridge.com and use promo code FRIENDS for 15% off your first order. TrackR: Receive 20% off any order at TheTrackR.com/friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, [3:35] newest Crooked Media pod host Ira Madison III (@ira) drops by to talk about why “good men” should be prepared to lose something when it comes to facing and assessing their past behaviour, which includes acknowledging a system that has afforded white men so much success. Ira and Ana start by asking: should Al Franken resign? Then, [36:00] former South Carolina Republican congressman Bob Inglis (@bobinglis) is back to help us make sense of why many Evangelical Christians in Alabama continue to stick by Roy Moore even after numerous women have accused him of sexual misconduct, which leads to a discussion about identity politics.  You can tweet us at @crooked_friends on Twitter or send us your thoughts via email at withfriendslikepod@gmail.com Thanks a bunch to our sponsors! KIND: Find your free sample box at KindSnacks.com/friends HELIX: Go to HelixSleep.com/Ana and get $50 off your order. EVERLANE: Free shipping on your first order at Everlane.com/friends PARACHUTE: Visit ParachuteHome.com/friends for free shipping and returns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, New York Mag writer and author Rebecca Traister (@rtraister) stops by to mark one year since the election of Donald Trump with an episode dedicated to Hillary Clinton. No, we don’t re-litigate her campaign or make jokes about Wisconsin. We do put in context the first female presidential candidate ever nominated by a major party, her life and her feminism — and help Ana, a self-described Hillary skeptic, make sense of some complicated feelings about the historic figure that is HRC. In the face of mounting scandals regarding sexual predators, Ana and Rebecca also take on the question that haunts many modern feminists: “But what about Bill?” If you have had experience with any kind of sexual assault or violation, you are not alone. There is help. Two resources available: - RAINN (the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network): Call their hotline (800-656-4673) or use their anonymous chat feature at their website, RAINN.org - The Crisis Text Line is anonymous and available 24 hours a day to help with a wide variety of problems, including sexual assault and mental health or just an emotionally difficult time: 741741.  Find us on Twitter at @crooked_friends and email your questions and comments to withfriendslikepod@gmail.com. Our sponsors! ZIPRECRUITER: Post jobs for free at  ZipRecruiter.com/friends THRIVE: Get $60 of free organic groceries, free shipping and 30 day trial membership by going to thrivemarket.com/FRIENDS.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, [3:55] we check in with our pal Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) to discuss what the Mueller indictments mean for the future of Trump’s administration, the big question being: how much longer will Congressional Republicans continue to protect this president in the face of mounting evidence? Rick has a somewhat sunnier view than Ana on how things will play out. Then, [38:29] Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig) stops by for a discussion about poverty and morality in relation to the GOP tax plan, which is in essence an attack on the nation’s poorest people. Find the pod on Twitter at @crooked_friends. Have a question? Send an email to withfriendslikepod@gmail.com. Go to crooked.com for more info. And check out our sponsors!  The ACLU’s Let People Vote Campaign: Help defend the right to vote by visiting vote.peoplepower.org. Hello Fresh: Get $30 off your first week by going to HelloFresh.com and using promo code WithFriends30. TrackR: Receive 20% off any order at TheTrackR.com/friends. Stamps.com: Get a four-week trial plus postage by visiting stamps.com with promo code Friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, [3:10] Crooked Media’s Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) stops by to answer a listener’s question about the role of gay men in #metoo, which leads to an honest discussion about female vs. male leadership. Then, [19:40] we sit down with Afghanistan war veteran Nate Bethea (@inthesedeserts) to explore how progressives should situate themselves in relation to the military (spoiler: plenty of people who serve are leftists, if not as overtly so as right-leaning troops). We also ask, is it OK to criticize the military, and who should be doing the criticizing? Finally, we acknowledge that standing for troops at airports can be uncomfortable for all parties, and settle on saying hi one-on-one instead. Tweet the pod at @crooked_friends and email us your questions at withfriendslikepod@gmail.com. Check out crooked.com for a full reading list and sources. Thanks to our excellent sponsors! The Better Off podcast, where Emmy-nominated Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger takes on uncomfortable and sometimes controversial money and investing issues. Framebridge: Go to Framebridge.com and use promo code FRIENDS for 15% off your first order. Texture: Get a free trial when you go to texture.com/FRIENDS and save 30 percent a month on the regular price if you choose to continue your subscription. Everlane: Free shipping on your first order at Everlane.com/friends Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We sit down with friend of the pod Vann R. Newkirk II (@fivefifths) to discuss how white people in America can do more to fight white supremacy, The System (tip: go out and talk to people who don’t look and sound like you). Helen Rosner (@hels) also joins us to help answer a listener question from a man who admits he’s committed a sexual assault of his own, where we ask, what's the other half of #metoo? Finally, we end with some positive musings about ethical porn. Find the pod on Twitter at @crooked_friends and reach us on email at withfriendslikepod@gmail.com. Head to crooked.com for a full reading list and sources. Please check out our sponsors!  HELIX: Go to HelixSleep.com/Ana and get $50 off your order. ZIPRECRUITER: Post jobs for free at  ZipRecruiter.com/friends PARACHUTE: Visit ParachuteHome.com/friends for free shipping and returns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“The Human Shock Doctrine hits Puerto Rico” w/ Naomi Klein and Jamil Smith With a friend like the United States, does Puerto Rico need enemies? Naomi Klein (@NaomiAKlein) stops by to discuss how the U.S. government created the preconditions for the island’s *un*natural (very much man-made) disaster. And Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) helps answer a listener question about an awkward conversation at the office. Bonus mini-essay for listeners that make it all the way to the end. Find us on Twitter at @crooked_friends. Email us at withfriendslikepod@gmail.com. Thank you to our wonderful sponsors!   TrackR: Receive 20% off any order at TheTrackR.com/friends   Stamps.com: Get a four-week trial plus postage by visiting stamps.com with promo code FRIENDS.   Helix: Go to HelixSleep.com/Ana and get $50 off your order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, [4:10] Sam Sinyangwe (@samswey) joins us to talk about how media coverage of the Las Vegas massacre largely ignored America’s long history of mass shootings, including the deadliest mass shooting ever, perpetrated by white supremacists. You can read Sam’s tweets about the topic here: https://twitter.com/samswey/status/914963280501858304. We also discuss why gun control policies need to be conscious of race and racism, and why mixing sports and politics continues to be a good thing. Next, [40:16] regular friend and ally of the pod Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) is back to point out the irony in the Right not being more alarmed by Trump’s expansion of federal power — in particular ICE and Homeland Security. We also discuss voting rights and Rick responds to a listener seeking advice on how to have productive conversations with conservatives about gun control in the wake of Vegas. Rick and Ana try and don't entirely fail in modeling that conversation. We love hearing from you! Tweet the pod at @crooked_friends and email questions and thoughts to withfriendslikepod@gmail.com. Please give love to our sponsors! KIND: Find your free sample box at KindSnacks.com/friends TRACKR: Receive 20% off any order at theTrackR.com/friends EVERLANE: Free shipping on your first order at Everlane.com/friends TEXTURE: Get a 14 day free trial when you go to texture.com/FRIENDS Facts about guns and suicide: https://www.vox.com/2015/6/3/8721267/gun-suicide-gun-control More gun facts: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/2/16399418/us-gun-violence-statistics-maps-charts Voter suppression facts: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/02/15/do-voter-identification-laws-suppress-minority-voting-yes-we-did-the-research/?utm_term=.639b69b17053 Voter fraud facts: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/31/13478134/voter-fraud-id-2016-trump Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices