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Jenna Elfman Talks Zombie Preparedness and Dharma & Greg in the Trump Era Aug 09, 2018

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Jenna Elfman talks about joining the cast of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead, shares her strategy for surviving a zombie apocalypse, and reveals how working on the show got her thinking about her own family's emergency preparedness. She discusses her first experience with a "walker" on set, how doing her own stunts has made her a bit of a badass in the eyes of her two young sons, and what it was like to interact with The Walking Dead’s diehard fans at Comicon. Plus Jenna talks about how she and her husband learned that the couple that podcasts together stays together and whether it's time to bring back her other hit TV series Dharma and Greg for the Trump-era.

Season 4 of Fear the Walking Dead returns this Sunday, August, 12 at 9/8C on AMC. Visit www.amc.com for more information. Check out Jenna and her husband's podcast Kicking and Screaming on iTunes or Stitcher, and follow Jenna on twitter at @JennaElfman. Today's podcast is sponsored by Monster Espresso and GooglePlay.

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977 Days Captive By Somali Pirates Aug 06, 2018

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Journalist Michael Scott Moore went to Somalia to write an article about Somali pirates only be kidnapped and held hostage for 977 days as his mother tried to come up with his ransom. He discusses his captivity, his one daring escape attempt, and how he didn’t even believe it when he was finally released. He discusses how pirates use the media to drive up their ransom demands, their shocking naiveté about America, and how the man known as the Somali pirate kingpin didn't even know about US policy against paying for hostages. He shares how one of his guards rationalized being a muslim and a pirate, why the supposed ideological motives for Somali piracy are b.s., and the strange fate that befell his pirate captors after he left.

Order Michael Scott Moore's book The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast on Amazon or Audible. Visit his website at www.radiofreemike.net and follow him on twitter at @MichaelSctMoore. Today's podcast is sponsored by Monster Espresso and GooglePlay.

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"Elder Millennial" Iliza Shlesinger Gives Wedding Advice Aug 02, 2018

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Newlywed comedian and "elder millennial" Iliza Shlesinger returns to talk about her new comedy special and give me a little advice for my own upcoming nuptials. She defends a bride’s right to be a "princess" on her special day, explains why it’s never as simple as just "saying yes to the dress," and makes the case for doing away with the traditional bouquet toss. Iliza also reveals how her walk down the aisle wasn’t exactly what she planned (and neither was the groom’s reaction!) and why she suddenly had to cut her European honeymoon short. She talks about how this milestone has influenced her act, how she got to shoot her latest comedy special on an aircraft carrier, and weighs in on everything from online dating and who makes the first move to shamanic journeys and the most terrifying sound of all...peacocks!

Watch Iliza Shlesinger's new comedy special ILIZA SHLESINGER: ELDER MILLENNIAL on Netflix. Follow her on Twitter at @Iliza and visit www.iliza.com for more fun stuff. Some of her upcoming tour dates include Honolulu, HI (8/4), Calgary, CA (8/12), Edmonton, CA (8/18), and Portland, OR (8/24 & 8/25). Today's podcast is sponsored by Purple Mattress and GooglePlay.

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Bo Burnham Returns to Middle School Jul 30, 2018

Show notes

Comedian Bo Burnham discusses making his directorial debut with his critically acclaimed film EIGHTH GRADE which explores the humor and horrors of modern adolescence. He talks about why he went to great lengths to avoid nostalgia in his portrayal of life in middle school and how casting a real 13 year old girl kept him honest. He shares how he drew inspiration from watching hours of web videos by middle schoolers, how much the internet has changed since he made his own Youtube debut in 2006, and why he doesn’t judge millennials for their addiction to social media. He reveals why he only allowed his lead actress to read the script once before shooting and how the comedian known for very BIG humor learned to appreciate the small moments. Plus a few words of wisdom for kids going through those awkward years!

EIGHTH GRADE is now playing in theatres nationwide. For more information and showtimes, visit www.eighthgrade.movie. Also check out www.boburnham.com and follow him on twitter at @BoBurnham. Today's podcast is sponsored by Dollar Shave Club and GooglePlay.

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Alan Dershowitz on Impeachment and the Criminalization of Politics Jul 26, 2018

Show notes

Famed attorney and lifelong Democrat Alan Dershowitz says even though he make not like Donald Trump's policies, the President is entitled to the same rights as any other American and impeachment is a clearly defined Constitutional procedure not political theatre. He explains exactly what is and is NOT an impeachable offense, why even a criminal act may not necessarily lead to impeachment, and how this applies to Presidents from Andrew Johnson and Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. According to Dershowitz, President Trump has every right to fire the FBI director, shut down investigations, and pardon anyone he wants...perhaps even including himself. He warns against a dangerous trend of criminalizing politics on both sides, argues that the Mueller investigation runs the risk of abusing attorney client privilege, and asks where has the ACLU been throughout it all? Plus he rates Rudy Giuliani’s performance as Trump’s attorney, weighs in on the President’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and advises that Trump should absolutely NOT agree to an interview

with the Mueller investigation.

Order Alan Dershowitz's book THE CASE AGAINST IMPEACHING TRUMP on Amazon or Audible and follow him on twitter at @AlanDershowitz. Today's podcast is sponsored by GooglePlay.

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Jim Gaffigan Talks Tumor Humor and Opening for the Pope Jul 23, 2018

Show notes

Comedian Jim Gaffigan opens up about his wife/writing partner Jeannie’s brain tumor scare and how she was the first person to suggest using it in his new comedy special JIM GAFFIGAN: NOBLE APE. Jim reveals how trial and error led him back to his own authentic voice as a comedian, how he gets inside the head of the audience and plays his own worst critic on stage, and why he’s making fewer and fewer food jokes. He discusses why he’s breaking free of the Netflix model for his latest comedy special and why he’s taken a number of dramatic film roles in no less than 13 films over the next year. Plus Jim Gaffigan riffs on the mixed blessing of hot pockets, the worst part about getting a colonoscopy, and the hardest comedy gig in the world...opening for the Pope.

Comedy Dynamics presents Jim Gaffigan's newest comedy special JIM GAFFIGAN: NOBLE APE in theaters, OnDemand, iTunes, Amazon, and all of your favorite digital platforms. There's eve an album available. Follow Jim on Twitter at @jimgaffigan and visit Jim's website for tour dates and other fun stuff at www.jimgaffigan.com.

Jim's upcoming live shows include Kettering, OH (7/27), Clarkson, MI (7/28), Atlantic City (8/4), Bethlehem, PA (8/5) Santa Rosa, CA (8/9), Fresno, CA (8/12), Casper, WY (8/13) the Iowa State Fair (8/14), ACharleston, SC (8.17).

Today's podcast is sponsored by GooglePlay, Dollar Shave Club, Purple Mattress, and Morning Brew.

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Malcolm Nance Says Trump Is a "Willing Asset" for Putin Jul 19, 2018

Show notes

In the wake of the bizarre Trump-Putin Summit, intelligence expert Malcolm Nance says Trump has gone from being an unwitting asset of Russia to a willing asset deliberately undermining NATO, the European Union, and even his own country. Nance says Donald Trump has betrayed his oath to uphold the Constitution and is the closest thing America's seen to another Benedict Arnold. He reveals Russia’s broader efforts to undermine US and the influential Americans enabling Russian interference including the most powerful gun-rights organization in the country, the politician known Putin’s man in Congress, and the alt-right media baron he calls “the American Goebbles.” What’s Vladimir Putin’s end-game? Malcolm Nance says Putin's ultimate goal is to dismantle western democracy itself!

Order Malcolm Nance's new book The Plot to Destroy Democracy: How Putin and His Spies Are Undermining America and Dismantling the West on Amazon or Audible. Follow him on Twitter at @Malcolm Nance. Today's podcast is sponsored by GooglePlay.

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Ben Rhodes on Hope, Change, and Pragmatism in World Affairs Jul 16, 2018

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Former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes talks about how he survived a full 8 years in the White House, his close friendship with President Barack Obama, and what it was like to travel the world representing America. Ben says the Arab Spring taught him that sometimes hope and change have to take a back seat to pragmatism and the big picture. He reveals how he secretly worked with the Pope to reopen relations with Cuba, how sleeplessness led to some frayed nerves during the Iran nuclear negotiations, and how wild conspiracy theories around Benghazi continue to follow him even today. He throws some cold water on Trump’s accusation that President Obama ordered the FBI to investigate him, discusses how he and Obama emotionally processed Trump’s 2016 victory, and talks about the somber mood on President Obama's final foreign trip as he tried to console/encourage other world leaders like Angela Merkel. Plus the we talk about the Syrian red line, Hillary Clinton’s private server, sanctions against Russia, and Trump’s North Korean photo-op.

Order Ben's book The World as It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House on Amazon or Audible and follow him on twitter at @BRhodes. Today's podcast is sponsored by GooglePlay and Morning Brew.

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Rob Reiner Brings the "Shock and Awe" Jul 12, 2018

Show notes

Rob Reiner returns to talk about the long road to making his latest film Shock and Awe about the journalists who "got it right" about WMD in Iraq and why he says Americans still may not be ready to deal with the mistakes of the Iraq War. How discusses the lesser known news syndicate that uncovered the truth about WMD and why the mainstream media at the time ignored all the warning signs. He talks about his love for classic newsroom films like All the President's Men and his urgency to make a film about great journalism at a time when the free press and the truth are under greater assault than ever. Rob Reiner gives an update on his group the Committee to Investigate Russia, he cautions that the rhetoric on the Left treads a thin line between energizing their base and energizing the other side, and we ponder how Archie Bunker went from a punchline to a political movement.

Rob Reiner's movie Shock and Awe opens in theaters Friday, July 13. Follow Rob Reiner on Twitter at @RobReiner and learn more about The Committee to Investigate Russia at www.investigaterussia.org. Today's podcast is sponsored by Adiamor Jewelry, GooglePlay and Morning Brew.

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David Sedaris on the Lighter Side of Death, Aging, and Travel Jul 09, 2018

Show notes

Bestselling humorist David Sedaris talks about why he doesn’t do social media, how a fitbit has come to rule his life, and his irritation with the British habit of bullying Americans into drinking. David shares how watching his father grow old has him thinking about his own mortality and how he keeps politics from coming between him and his Trump-supporting dad. David Sedaris says his heavy travel schedule has liberated him from the watching the news and he couldn't be happier about it. Plus he shares a few of his favorite travel tips and regional insults from around the globe.

Order David Sedaris's book Calypso on Amazon or Audible. For more, visit www.davidsedarisbooks.com. Today's podcast is sponsored by GooglePlay and Morning Brew.

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