Episodes
Subscribe to Crooked Media's newest podcast Rubicon: The Impeachment of Donald Trump go.crooked.com/rubicon The impeachment of Donald Trump is one of the biggest political stories of our lifetimes. It’s a test of whether accountability, election integrity, and the rules of our democracy can withstand the corrupt acts of powerful people. It’s also a story that’s unfolding at such a break-neck pace, it’s absurd. Fortunately, Brian Beutler, Crooked Media’s Editor in Chief, lives for this s**t....
Published 11/08/19
In the final episode of Me, My Self-Care, and I Diosa and Mala talk about the role of women-based spaces in their lives and relationships. Then they chat with Claudia Mendoza, the founder of the Mami Chula Social Club. Mendoza hosts events for young Latinas and their mothers that help the two generations better understand one another.
Published 10/30/19
“What A Day,” Crooked Media’s new daily news podcast, is here! Hosted by comedian Akilah Hughes and politics reporter Gideon Resnick, “What A Day” cuts through the chaos and crimes to break down the biggest news of the day, help you understand what matters, and how you can fix it—all in 15 minutes or less. New episodes come out every morning, Monday through Friday, at 5 a.m. Eastern. Subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Published 10/28/19
This week, Mala and Diosa discuss how self-care in the digital age can simplify the movement to a hashtag. They discuss how the internet brought them together and how it has helped in their self-discoveries. Then, they are joined by poet and tattoo artist Mike Davis, aka Hoodprofet, who uses social media to cultivate healing and growth. They discuss their work, their praxis, advocating for the self, and community care on the web.
Published 10/23/19
This week, Diosa and Mala sit down with culturemakers and artists of the Cumbiaton Collective. This nationwide party collective is creating healing on the dancefloor and through their production, prioritizing and uplifting joy and movement as a tool for resistance. On this episode, Diosa and Mala will examine the ways art and music heals and cares for communities.
Published 10/16/19
October's mini-series, hosted by Mala Muñoz and Diosa Femme, will explore the nuances and complexities of self-care, community care, healthy relationships, and the psychology behind it all. In the first episode the two hosts share their own experiences working with trauma survivors and the impact it had on their definitions of self-care. They are then joined by therapist & poet Thea Monye to discuss who is given access to self-care, selfhood for people of color and how we can shift the...
Published 10/09/19
What happens when the President of the United States is the inspiration for today's most passionate group of conspiracy theorist? In the final episode of State of Conspiracy, Professor Olmsted talks to Daily Beast reporter Will Sommer to dissect the conspiracy theory known as QAnon and the real danger it poses on the future of our democracy.
Published 09/25/19
In this week's episode of State of Conspiracy Prof. Olmsted is joined by Jon Ronson. Jon is a journalist and filmmaker whose own passion for studying conspiracies has inspired him to infiltrate secret societies and come face to face with some of the most prominent conspiracy theorists. They discuss what inspires conspiracy theorists and whether those at the top know how much damage they are doing.
Published 09/18/19
What happens when a conspiracy theory turns out to be true? This week on State of Conspiracy, Professor Kathryn Olmsted is joined by Kevin Kruse, professor of history at Princeton University. Together, they explore the ways the media and historical events of the 60s onwards contributed to an increasing mistrust in both government and media. They explore some of the most absurd cases of government conspiracies that ended up being true and how those revelations changed the trajectory of how...
Published 09/11/19
Are lizard people real? Was 9/11 an inside job? Is the government really out to get you? We can't conclusively answer those questions, but we will be exploring these topics in September's series, State of Conspiracy. State of Conspiracy is hosted by Professor Kathryn Olmsted a professor of History at UC Davis and scholar of conspiracy theories. This week, Professor Olmsted sits down with author Anna Merlan to discuss how Donald Trump successfully used conspiracy theories to gain national...
Published 09/04/19
In the final episode of Rigging North Carolina, Shaniqua McClendon is joined by Dan McCready. He shares what was going through his mind as the news of election fraud broke and a new election was called. We hear more about his platform, what he believes his opponent Dan Bishop stands for and what's at stake in this upcoming election.
Published 08/28/19
In February of 2019 the North Carolina State Board of Elections heard testimony from many of the people who played a key role in the election fraud that tainted Dan McCready and Mark Harris's historic midterm election. The three day hearing ended with a surprise turn of events that led Republican Mark Harris to finally call for a new election. Shaniqua McClendon talks to two people who were in the room. Marc Elias represented Dan McCready throughout the election and argued on behalf of the...
Published 08/21/19
North Carolina has a long history of silencing African American voters, more recently sustained by Republicans in the state that have passed laws with the sole purpose of eliminating their votes. In this episode, Shaniqua McClendon discusses the Republicans' blatant voter suppression efforts with State Representative Pricey Harrison, who’s been trying to find common ground with Republicans, and Marc Elias, a Democratic lawyer who’s spent a lot of his career fighting for voting rights in North...
Published 08/14/19
Leslie McCrae Dowless is a Republican consultant desperate to win. So he did what no one would do: he stole ballots for GOP congressional candidate Mark Harris, creating a scandal in North Carolina's 9th district and one of the biggest election fraud cases in American politics. Shaniqua McClendon, North Carolina native and Crooked's Political Director, speaks with Joe Bruno, the local reporter who broke the story, to walk us through exactly what happened and why it matters.
Published 08/07/19
In the final episode of the series, Ken Harbaugh explores the role of service in our understanding of patriotism. He sits down with Mayor Pete Buttigieg to explore what service means to him and the responsibilities that elected officials have to individuals who sign up for military service. But first, Ken talks to Becky Margiotta, a veteran of an elite special operations unit and founder of the social advocacy group The Billions Institute. Ken talks to Becky Margiotta about the importance of...
Published 07/24/19
This week, Ken Harbaugh sits down with two people who have had to reckon with both the historical and personal implications of patriotism. His first guest, Mike Washington, has had to make sense of his patriotism as both a veteran and as a father who lost his son to the war in Afghanistan. Then, he talks to retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal about reckoning with the impact of both his decisions and the missions he was assigned while leading US and international forces in Afghanistan.
Published 07/17/19
In the second episode of Reclaiming Patriotism Ken Harbaugh reflects on the role of dissent in our understanding of patriotism. Ken talks to Representative Barbara Lee who was the sole vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force after the attacks on September 11th. Together they reflect on her decision and the courage that it took to be the only opposing vote. But first, Ken sits down with Congressman Max Rose to talk about the lessons he took away from dissenters that came...
Published 07/10/19
For July's Crooked Mini series "Reclaiming Patriotism", former Navy pilot and Congressional candidate Ken Harbaugh will be sitting down with a range of guests to discuss what patriotism means in the United States in 2019. In the first episode, Ken is joined by Jon Favreau who discusses his own sense of patriotism and how he saw Obama's love of country questioned during his time as president. Then, Senator Tammy Duckworth shares how patriotism informed her experiences serving in the military...
Published 07/03/19
In the fourth and final episode of Pride on Screen we break down how the media depicts trans folx. Tre’vell Anderson is first joined by Nick Adams, GLAAD’s director of Transgender Representation. Nick provides fascinating updates of the numbers of trans men and women we see on screen today and why that matters. Then, writer Shar Jossell and producer Zackary Drucker sit down with Tre’vell and they get into the impact of movies like Boys Don't Cry and shows from Transparent to Pose.
Published 06/26/19
For the third installment of June's Pride on Screen series Tre’vell Anderson is joined by writer Clarkeisha Kent and Derrick Lemos, host of the podcast Mansplain Yourself. They share the characters in film and TV that have brought nuance to Bi+ representation. They also discuss the ways the media contributes to bisexual erasure and what Pride means to them.  
Published 06/19/19
As part of June’s Pride on Screen series Tre’vell Anderson is sitting down with some of the great minds in the LGBTQ+ community to talk about iconic moments in film and TV that changed the course of representation on screen. This week, we talk lesbian visibility with Trish Bendix of Into magazine and Karen Tongson, a professor of gender and sexuality studies at USC, who discuss the characters and scenes that impacted their lives and what they hope to see in the future.
Published 06/12/19
Tre’vell Anderson, Director of Culture and Entertainment for Out Magazine, kicks off the first episode in a new series looking back at notable LGBTQ+ moments in film and television.Tre'vell is first joined by Jon Lovett. They discuss a moment in television that impacted Jon's life and imagine what a more inclusive future could look like. Then, Tre'vell is joined by legendary actor Darryl Stephens and Jeffrey Masters, host of the podcast LGBTQ&A, to take a look at gay men on screen and...
Published 06/05/19
June's series, "Pride on Screen", hosted by Tre’vell Anderson, director of culture and entertainment at Out Magazine, launches Wednesday, 6/5. Crooked Minis takes a step back from the chaotic breaking news to offer a new series every month that explores an issue or event that reflects cultural, political, or societal changes in America and need more than a 10-minute conversation and a split-second news cycle to unpack. 
Published 06/03/19
In the last episode of On The Brink, Julissa is joined by Sayu Bhojwani, Founder and President of New American Leaders. New American Leaders works to build the power and potential of first and second generation Americans to run for office. They discuss the importance of immigrants to American democracy and what the “For the People Act” or H.R.1 could do to address systemic barriers to voting.  
Published 03/27/19
As part of her ongoing series for Women’s History Month, Julissa Arce talks to Stephanie Hammerman. Hammerman is the owner of Hammer Driven Fitness, a functional fitness-focused gym. They talk about how best to demystify the myths surrounding Cerebral Palsy and how Hammerman has adapted to her life since having been born with CP. She talks about her fitness journey and what inspires her.
Published 03/20/19