American Fever Dream

Latest Episodes:

Media Literacy 101 - What’s Legit & What To Quit Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

00:00 Welcome to your guide on media literacy. V and Sami explore how social media is used in hybrid warfare to manipulate public opinion through disinformation and emphasize the need to rebuild social trust.

16:00 How can you spot a bot? In a few easy steps you too can spot disinformation through fake accounts, false engagement, and artificial intelligence.

50:00 Don’t forget to mind the gap. Sami and V give listeners the tools to combat problematic accounts and how to find reliable information.

1:00:00 Where does this leave trad media? While traditional media can still be used as a reliable source of information, listeners should be wary of their overlords.

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A Vision for Progressive Capitalism & Economic Patriotism Jun 13, 2024

Show notes

1:20 Sami and V are joined by Representative Ro Khanna to share his economic philosophies and proposed changes to the legislative and judicial branches, which already have bipartisan support among voters (though not lawmakers!)

9:00 They discuss the threat of AI to elections and discourse, and what regulations are needed around to rebuild trust in political information on social media.

16:30 They dive into Rep. Khanna’s Political Reform Resolution, which presents a comprehensive roadmap to achieving broad political reform for the federal government through things like court term limits and a binding code of ethics.

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We Are The Exhausted Majority Jun 11, 2024

Show notes

13:00 TEMP CHECK: Will this week’s headlines give you a fever or make you freeze?

45:00 MAIN NEWS: Sami and V define the term ‘Manufactured Consensus’ and how social media has been used to sway popular opinion towards believing that a third party has more support than we think. Not sure how to spot a bot? Make sure to tune in next week for an in depth media literacy lesson.

1:01:40 DOWN BALLOT: Our down ballot girlie of the week goes to The Working Families Party, which is going about the third party thing the right way, while striving to build a multiracial party of working people to transform our country.

1:06:00 AMER-I-CAN’T: Why is the rent so high? Because corporate landlords are fixing it!

Pre-Order Democracy In Retrograde: https://shorturl.at/7xQO2

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Will Social Media Kill Elections? Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

7:55 TEMP CHECK: Sami and V are back this week to check your temperature on 6 new headlines. Have you ever heard of auto-brewery syndrome?

33:40 MAIN NEWS: After reviewing Trump’s convictions, Sami and V uncover how social media could be the end to elections and how foreign interference poses a significant threat to democratic processes (and also the Olympics).

1:01:30 DOWN BALLOT: Representative Kathy Manning was gerrymandered out of her district, but her bill Right to Contraception Act which will be voted on in the senate tomorrow and if passed will guarantee the right for people to obtain contraceptives.

1:03:07 AMER-I-CAN’T: Two UT Austin professors are suing to win the right to fail students for having an abortion, and to refuse to employ a teaching assistant if they have had an abortion.

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Prioritizing Maternal Mental Health May 30, 2024

Show notes

2:00 Sami and V are joined by New York Governor Kathy Hochul to discuss the impact of New York becoming the first state to create a paid family leave program for prenatal care.

8:00 A $1 billion plan was put forward to overhaul New York state’s mental health system, allocating $1.6 million specifically for maternal mental health initiatives. They discuss what happens when mental health issues and law enforcement interface, and how future plans in New York seek to reduce incidents.

24:00 Looking to flip six New York House seats, Governor Hochul reinforces that voter engagement is crucial in upcoming state races to ensure that our democracy is upheld and life-saving legislation is passed.

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The Military Isn’t As Conservative As You Think May 28, 2024

Show notes

2:30 TEMP CHECK: New take on Temp Check where we cover 8 wild headlines. Does your fever spike or sink?

25:15 MAIN NEWS: In honor of Memorial Day, they sound the alarm against the treatment of veterans and the proposed changes to veterans’ benefits under Project 2025. But don’t worry, Biden dropped a new fiscal budget with $369 billion for the DoD and VA.

43:00 DOWN BALLOT: Our Down Ballot bestie this week goes to VoteVets.org. Vote Vets elevates the voices of veterans and military families through progressive legislative policies and electoral endorsements that impact the lives of active service members and their families.

44:30 AMER-I-CAN’T: Sami and V air their frustrations with the lack of etiquette around voice notes and the changing nature of communication among the different generations. How do you use voice notes? Let us know at AmericanFeverDream@betches.com

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Allred for Texas, Adios Ted! May 23, 2024

Show notes

Topics:

Representative Colin Allred discusses his vision for a more equitable Texas and his campaign to unseat Ted Cruz, stressing the need for a more engaged and representative leader.
Allred shares his journey from being an NFL linebacker to a lawyer and now a representative, driven by a desire to represent all 30 million Texans.
Sami and V ask Allred to address looming issues such as the Texas power grid, paternity leave, and the near-total ban on abortion.

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This Is Why We Choose The Bear May 21, 2024

Show notes

4:27 TEMP CHECK: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister, and six passengers were found dead at the site of a helicopter crash on Monday, one month before the next election. Was it foul play or an inevitable accident?

20:30 MAIN NEWS: After uncovering the brutality of P. Diddy’s assault on Cassie Ventura and Sami, V exposes the deadly problem of not believing women, the uniquely American “Boyfriend Loophole,” and the need for comprehensive legislation like the Violence Against Women Act.

43:40 DOWN BALLOT: Our down-ballot girlies of the week are the organization Run for Something, community leader Dulce Vasquez, veterans Marche and Marquetta Johnson, and accomplished Afro-Latino organizer Brandon Fletcher Dominguez.

48:07 AMER-I-CAN’T: Sami and V rant about the state of American healthcare highlights the inefficiencies, lack of communication, and disregard for patient care that they recently witnessed.

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This Is America, You Have The Right To Be Wrong And Stupid May 16, 2024

Show notes

Topics:

Sami is joined by Sharon McMahon, the author of “The Small and the Mighty,” to share how history can be constructed and verified as accurately as possible.
Sharon stresses the importance of local journalism and how it has been the backbone of America’s microcultures.
How different generations navigate gathering information, disseminating it, and learning that the best way to be right is to be wrong first.

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Politicians Need To Say F*ck More May 14, 2024

Show notes

15:55 TEMP CHECK: Vice President Harris spoke at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies’ annual legislative leadership summit and imparted some honest words to the group.

24:30 MAIN NEWS: Sami and V give a rundown of the MANY threats to the 2024 election, from AI and disinformation, to election denial, to voter suppression by Trump’s army of poll-watching volunteers. Plus, what the hell is an incidental election and what are the odds of one happening?

58:07 DOWN BALLOT ERA: Our villain of the week is Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over Trump’s Fulton County, Georgia election interference case and is running for reelection.

1:00:00 AMER-I-CAN’T: Senator Katie Britt of Alabama created the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed Act, which proposes to establish an online government database listing agencies and pregnancy care providers, but excluding abortion-related services. It also collects your health and pregnancy information…what could go wrong?

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