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American Fever Dream

American Fever Dream
From under the desk to in your ears, V. Spehar joins Betches Media in a new podcast dedicated to curing the collective malaise brought on by our chaotic political environment. Every week, Spehar and co-host Sami Saage will tenderly guide you through the biggest moments in politics and pop culture with a healing dose of perspective and humor. Rather than spiral over the latest unprecedented event, the hosts dig for the 2024 political tea you *really* want to hear while offering all the information you need to be an empowered citizen, without the side of despair to keep you up at night.
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Latest Episodes

Where to Start

Friday, May 30th, 2025 - Tariff whiplash - again; Chinese student visas revoked; Paramount lawsuit; HHS cuts bird flu vax funds; Musk is out

Today’s Headlines: The US Court of International Trade ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority by imposing global tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, canceling most tariffs—only for the appeals court to reinstate them during the ongoing appeal. Meanwhile, ASEAN countries agreed to protect each other’s economies against harmful US trade deals amid mounting tariff tensions. The State Department, led by Marco Rubio, announced plans to revoke visas of Chinese students with ties to the Communist Party and pause new student visa interviews to enhance vetting. In other news, Qatar hesitates to finalize the transfer of Trump’s private jet due to costly maintenance and demands for clear legal disclaimers. Paramount offered $15 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit over a CBS News interview, but Trump wants $25 million plus an apology, leveraging the studio’s pending merger approval. Moderna lost millions in HHS funding for its bird flu vaccine development, and Elon Musk resigned from DOGE after 114 days, having achieved only a fraction of his deficit-cutting goals while stirring controversy on multiple fronts. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CNBC: Trump tariffs reinstated by appeals court for now Fox Business: Federal court rejects Trump's 'unbounded authority' to impose worldwide tariffs Reuters: ASEAN leaders agree tariff deals with US should not harm fellow members MFA Malaysia: ASEAN-GCC-CHINA  27 MAY 2025 - Press Releases  WSJ: U.S. to Revoke Visas of Chinese Students WA Post: Trump’s Air Force One deal with Qatar not final despite U.S. claims  WSJ: Paramount Has Offered $15 Million to Settle CBS Lawsuit. Trump Wants More. WA Post: HHS cancels funding for Moderna to develop vaccines to combat bird flu  NBC News: Elon Musk officially leaves the White House Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

Thursday, May 29th, 2025 - “TACO Trade”; Sketchy pardons update; Fannie and Freddie go public; ICE pressure; Tate bros charged in the UK

Today’s Headlines: Trump dismissed Wall Street's new "TACO trade" nickname — Trump Always Chickens Out — used by investors profiting off his tariff tweets, calling it “the nastiest question.” Meanwhile, he continued his pardon/commutation spree, finalizing the Chrisley’s as well as to a corrupt Virginia sheriff, ex-Rep. Michael Grimm, a convicted gang leader, and rapper NBA YoungBoy, among others. He also announced plans to take Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public while keeping government loan guarantees, boosting their stocks to 2008 levels. Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem reportedly pressured ICE to triple daily immigrant arrests to 3,000, using job threats as leverage. Lastly, the Tate brothers now face 21 charges in the UK tied to rape, trafficking, and abuse, while also battling similar cases in Romania, where they remain under legal proceedings. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CNN: Trump was just asked about the ‘TACO trade’ for the first time. He called it the ‘nastiest question’   Axios: Trump pardons criminals with MAGA credentials or big money Bloomberg: Fannie, Freddie to Keep US Guarantee If Taken Public, Trump Says Axios: Scoop: Stephen Miller, Noem tell ICE to supercharge immigrant arrests  AP News: Tate brothers face rape and trafficking charges in the UK  Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 - Trump vs. Putin & Netanyahu; King Charles speech; Sketchy pardons; RFK Jr.’s vax rollback; Student visa freeze

Today’s Headlines: Tensions appear to be rising between Trump and Putin, with Trump acknowledging for the first time that Putin may not want peace in Ukraine. Trump warned that Putin is “playing with fire,” prompting a veiled threat from a top Russian official referencing World War III. Meanwhile, Trump reportedly warned Israeli PM Netanyahu not to sabotage U.S.–Iran nuclear talks, fearing unilateral action from Israel. In Canada, King Charles delivered a pointed speech defending democracy and international cooperation, widely interpreted as a jab at Trump. Trump later suggested Canada should become a U.S. state to benefit from his proposed (and likely fictional) “golden dome” missile shield. Trump also issued several controversial pardons, including for reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley and Florida nursing home exec Paul Walczak—whose mother donated $1M to Trump and attended a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser. In other news, HHS Secretary RFK Jr. announced that COVID vaccines will no longer be recommended for pregnant women and healthy children, despite no supporting data and warnings from medical experts. Lastly, the Trump administration suspended all international student visa processing, citing plans to expand social media screening—just days after trying to block international enrollment at Harvard. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: The Independent: Donald Trump grows angrier as Vladimir Putin exposes his impotence  Axios: Trump cautioned Netanyahu to avoid steps that undermine Iran nuclear talks  WSJ: King Charles Defends Canada’s Sovereignty From Trump  NBC News: Trump to pardon reality TV couple convicted on federal fraud charges NY Times: Trump Pardoned Tax Cheat After Mother Attended $1 Million Dinner  CNN: RFK Jr. says Covid-19 shot will no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

The Hosts

Sami Sage
Sami Sage is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Betches. She’s the host of the @Betches and Morning Announcements podcasts and in her spare time likes to scroll on her phone and stare at her dogs, Bruce Bader Ginsburg and Larry David.
V. Spehar (They/Them)
Vitus “V” Spehar is an accomplished TikToker, political advocate, and host of the newest podcast from Betches Media. Their signature brand, Under The Desk News, started out as a series expanding on news events in a nutshell and quickly became GenZ and Millennials go-to source for news. V’s in-depth citizen journalism led them to collaborate with notable figures like former President Obama, President Biden and more than a dozen members of Congress to inform their massive audience in a sustainable way while pushing for civic participation.

Featured Guests
Katie Couric
Tammy Duckworth
Kirsten Gillibrand

Reviews

My favorite way to get the news
“Just the vibe I need to hear troubling news in a crazy world”
Informative and fun to digest
“This podcast is amazing! With the news constantly being such a drag, it’s great to have a safe place to learn what’s going on, with a side of comic relief. Can’t recommend it enough!”
Digestible and entertaining
“I’m a news junkie and I work in media. The Sup is one of my favorites. They’re incredibly entertaining, relatable, and knowledgeable. They make news concepts digestible and reach out to a broader audience than many traditional media organizations do.”
All Podcasts

@Betches

Co-founders Aleen Dreksler, Jordana Abraham, and Sami Sage — aka the OG Betches friend group that started it all — welcome you to their pop culture group chat. Each week, they cover all the latest in celeb drama, the hottest TV and movies out now, and never fail to say some v funny sh*t (ofc). Come for the hot takes, stay for the group chat vibe.

American Fever Dream

From under the desk to in your ears, V. Spehar joins Betches Media in a new podcast dedicated to curing the collective malaise brought on by our chaotic political environment. Every week, Spehar and co-host Sami Sage will tenderly guide you through the biggest moments in politics and pop culture with a healing dose of perspective and humor. Rather than spiral over the latest unprecedented event, the hosts dig for the 2024 political tea you *really* want to hear while offering all the information you need to be an empowered citizen, without the side of despair to keep you up at night.

Mention It All

Bravo, Bravo, f*cking Bravo. Three times a week, we break down everything Real Housewives and more, from episode recaps to social media drama.

Morning Announcements

Every morning, Betches co-founder and host Sami Sage gives you quick daily updates with the most important info you need to know about politics and current events.

Oversharing

Think of Jordana and Dr. Naomi as your BFF and your therapist, sitting side-by-side at the brunch table trying to help you get through your problems. Because sometimes we really need advice from people with no skin in the game. And let’s face it, your friends can’t stand to hear that story one more time.

The Betchelor

We’re here to say all the things you’re screaming at your TV while watching The Bachelor — because that finale dress was disgusting.

U Up?

From interpreting dating app messages and weird sexual encounters, to defining the relationship and everything in between, we’re here to make sure you don’t die alone.