Hysteria

Erin Ryan and Melissa Murray (Strict Scrutiny) dive into the multi-state legal battle over custody of a child born via surrogacy and the firestorm of politics swirling around it, and Natalie Harp’s creepy relationship with Donald Trump. Then Kate Glavan (Seamossgirlies) stops by to talk about Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop’s partnership with Big Tech. They wrap up in the sanity corner with a toast to the late great Dolly Parton and rant about Oreogate.Inside the McKenna West Case (Katie Couric Media 8/18)One Woman Conceived a Baby. One Carried Him. Who’s the Mother? (NYT 8/25)The White House Freak-Out Over Natalie Harp (The Atlantic 8/20)Sean Duffy in the Real World (The New Yorker 8/23)The Goop Emoji (Puck 8/25)Hate listening to ads? Become a Friends of the Pod subscriber for ad-free episodes of Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, Runaway Country, Offline with Jon Favreau, and more—plus exclusive content, including bonus episodes of Pod Save America. Subscribe now at crooked.com/friends, on Apple Podcasts, or through the Pod Save America YouTube channel.You can request a transcript by emailing [email protected]. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.

Erin and guest host Leigh McGowan (The PoliticsGirl Podcast) discuss Attorney General Todd Blanche’s corrupt first weeks in the new post, the administration's blatant denial of the chaos unfolding on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, Trump’s scheme to take over the U.S. banking system, and the new data centers popping up all over the country. Then they analyze the rising cultural conversation around family estrangement. Then they wrap with a petty conversation about Trump’s BBC lawsuit and foodborne illness.You can request a transcript by emailing [email protected]. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.

In our 45th episode of This F*cking Guy, Erin and Alyssa dive deep into the past of the wimpy blobfish himself, Ted Cruz. From his pedantic debate team days, to his impeccable vacation timing with natural disasters, to bending the knee to Trump after he degraded his wife, to getting dog-walked by Tucker Carlson, this may be our most craven guy, yet!Ted Cruz: The Distinguished Wacko Bird from Texas (GQ)Rafael Cruz, father of Ted Cruz, stars as 2016 campaign supersurrogate (Washington Times)Ted Cruz paints over graffiti in Houston targeting late conservative figure Charlie Kirk (USA Today)Ted Cruz’s family story: Poignant but incomplete (McClatchy DC)Ted Cruz Reads ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ on Senate Floor — And That’s Not the Weird Part (McClatchy DC)Ted Cruz says there is a "cancer" of rising anti-semitism on the right (Reddit)Ted Cruz thanks Trump for "getting rid of that ridiculous red card." (Reddit)Cruz burns Trump (Politico)Sen. Ted Cruz: “How about we all come together and say let's stop attacking pedophiles?" (Reddit)US election: Ted Cruz fights back for not endorsing Trump (BBC) Ted Cruz tried to insult James Talarico’s masculinity. It backfired immediately. (LGBTQ Nation)There’s No Greater Joy Than Watching Ted Cruz Humiliate Himself (Esquire)Meet some of Ted Cruz's harshest critics - Republicans (BBC) Ted Cruz 10 years ago freaking out over rumors told about his family (Reddit)Tucker Carlson calls Ted Cruz 'morally repulsive' as drama between the two grows (Houston Chronicle)Screenshot of Ted Cruz Liking a 'Sexual Post' Video on 9/11 Resurfaces After Calling Out a Democrat Candidate (International Business Times)Tucker Carlson Tears Into Ted Cruz In The Most Gloriously Awkward Interview You'll See (Huff Post)Ted Cruz: Donald Trump Is a 'Pathological Liar' (YouTube)Ted Cruz and his wife lived apart for the first 7 years of their marriage (The Week)Rafael Cruz, father of Ted Cruz, stars as 2016 campaign supersurrogate (Washington Times)Ted Cruz’s Father Worked With Supplements Maker Sued by Investors (NYT)Ted Cruz Mocked After Warning on Space Pirate Threat (Newser)Sen. Ted Cruz wants to settle Twitter feud with wrestling match between actor Ron Perlman and Rep. Jim Jordan (Washington Post)Jimmy Kimmel, Ted Cruz sweat their way to bad basketball glory in Blobfish Classic (ABC News)Ted Cruz and Jimmy Kimmel are better at raising money for charity than they are at playing basketball (CNN)The Basketball Game That Promises Very Little: Ted Cruz Vs. Jimmy Kimmel (NPR)Texas Senator Ted Cruz flew to Cancun, Mexico, amid weather crisis (BBC)Ted Cruz Punches Then Elbows His Wife in the Head and Face (YouTube)Trump says Cruz would be a 'guarantee' for Supreme Court (FOX 7 Austin)From 'Lyin' Ted' To 'Beautiful': How Trump And Cruz Found Political Love (NPR)Trump under fire for jabs aimed at Cruz's wife (PBS News)These 43 Republicans Voted Against Capping Insulin Costs (Newsweek)Ted Cruz addresses NRA convention the day after refusing to discuss 'politics' of Uvalde shooting (Houston Chronicle)Ted Cruz and 16 other Texans refused to certify the 2020 election. None would say whether they see it as legitimate today. (Texas Tribune)Ted Cruz took refuge in supply closet during January 6 riot, book reveals (The Guardian)Ted Cruz Jokes to Oil Lobbyists About Eating Someone’s Son – (Mother Jones)Trump leads Rubio Even Head To Head in Florida (Public Policy Polling)Things you probably didn’t know about Ted Cruz: From avocados to ‘The Princess Bride’ (Yahoo News)Sen. Ted Cruz Faces Backlash For His Role In Capitol Violence : (NPR)Audio shows Cruz outlining plan to Fox News to delay 2020 election certification (The Hill)Ted Cruz's Weird, Anti-conservative Posturing on Elections (Cato Institute)Ted Cruz reimbursed himself $555,000 after successfully challenging a political spending law at the Supreme Court (Business Insider)This awful bill shows how Ted Cruz threatens the citizenship rights of all Americans (The Week)Ted Cruz’s misleading memories of his 2013 gun proposal (The Washington Post)All the terrible things Ted Cruz has voted against this year already | (The Independent)Ted Cruz Doesn’t Believe You Have the Right to Masturbate (Vanity Fair)Ted Cruz’s college days as a widely hated masturbator have come back to haunt him. (The New Republic)Fuckin' Craig Mazin: An Appreciation of Ted Cruz's College Roommate (Jezebel)Ted Cruz’s college roommate recalls his creepy habits (My San Antonio)Ted Cruz Sex Scandal Story Just the Latest Bombshell in a Bizarre Campaign (US News)Why is US Senator Ted Cruz trending for porn? (BBC)Ted Cruz and porn: a brief history (CNN Politics)Ted Cruz flew to Cancún as millions of Texans endure power outages (Texas Tribune)Tragic Details About Ted Cruz's Relationship With His Daughter Caroline (The List)Special airport security escort for political VIPs moving forward in Congress (Politico)Cruz’s Podcast Deal Appears to Have Illegally Funneled Soft Money into Elections | (Campaign Legal Center)Ted Cruz’s Growing Scandals (Texas Democratic Party)Ted Cruz: the GOP's self-made monster (The Guardian)

Erin Ryan and Sami Sage (Betches Media) dig into the Trump administration’s move to terminate millions of dollars of federal grants for teen pregnancy prevention and what that says about the administration’s vision of women. Then, they dive into Emily Wilson’s scathing review of the Odyssey. Plus, Annie Andrews, Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, stops by to discuss her race and how the death of Lindsay Graham is shaking things up. And as always, we end with sanipetty.Emily Wilson: An Uncomplicated Man Government Overhauls Teen Pregnancy Program to Focus on Marriage and Starting Families (NYT 7/22 + NPR 7/7)A Nobel Prize winner decodes why people aren’t having kids (NYT OPED 2025 + Claudia’s Original Research & Ruben Gallego 7/23)

Erin and Alyssa get into Pete Hegseth’s new testosterone policy, and the latest on the Tate Brothers arrest. Then they do a supersized Sani-Petty with producer Caroline and sprinkle a little joy into the week to celebrate Alyssa’s last episode!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.US military to start screening for testosterone deficiency, Hegseth says (BBC 7/16)Estrogen patches are hard to find, and it may not be resolved any time soon (CNBC 6/26)Will the Tate brothers be extradited from the US to the UK? (BBC 7/20)Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested on rape, trafficking charges. What to know. (Washington Post 7/19)