Trigger warning: SA discussion

Courtney and Jennifer continue discussing how the USA hides its empire (with a focus on using oil as thinly veiled excuse for “liberation”) referencing the book “How to Hide an Empire” by Daniel Immerwahr which was covered in the previous episode. But before they do, they catch up on the Duggars (2 sexual predators and counting), Kristi Noem’s husband’s obsession with “bimbofication” despite her best efforts to erase LGBTQ identity, what “SWANA” means and why it matters, and more!

(This was recorded a week ago which is like a year ago in today’s f*cked up dimension)

Courtney tells Jen about the book “How to Hide an Empire” by Daniel Emmerwahr , a very entertaining account of the real role the United States plays around the globe.

Emmerwahr’s entertaining and relevant anecdotes subtly distracts the anger readers may feel upon reading the non-whitewashed version of United States’ history and its role in global affairs. Re: Godzilla 🦖 and the forced removal of Micronesians for nuclear testing in the 1940s.

Usual tangents include, but are not limited to:

* The Epstein files (we won’t stop talking about this)

* Religious extremism in the Middle East United States (something about the rapture and don’t forget threatening to kill women who seek reproductive healthcare)

* Which conspiracy theories to give credence to (the $21T bunker for the ultra elite) and which ones to ignore (chem trails causing hurricanes)

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In today’s hopeful episode, Courtney and Jen discuss to connection between gay hockey romance, the rise in popularity of women’s sports, the slow fall of misogyny, and why Democrats ultimately suck. In their usual round about way, Jen and Courtney use Rachel Reid’s spicy romance novel to discuss visibility for gay sport fans, reminds straight people that sports can be gay, and normalizes love and equality for all!

The moral of this episode is: WATCH WOMEN’S SPORTS! You can stream Women’s Professional Hockey League on YouTube here…for free, or on Prime if you’re into that sort of thing.

Join Jen and Courtney as they highlight the most watched Super Bowl show in HISTORY…and we’re not talking about the Puppy Bowl…even though it had nearly 3 times more views than TPUSA’s flop of show.

Why Bad Bunny’s legendary half-time show angered the people of the United States more than the fact that we have actual PDFiles running our country, we will never know…But a self-proclaimed statutory 🍇-ist performing in TPUSA’s anti-Superbowl halftime show is irony not lost on Jen and Court.

But before they get into Benito’s beautiful moments, they kick-off Black History month with some inspiring Black stories…like the first Black woman, Autumn Lockwood, to coach/win a Super Bowl, and Black figure skater, Surya Bonaly, who probably inspired the movie Blades of Glory by landing an illegal back flip on one foot to defy judge’s racial biases in the 1998 Winter Olympics.

However, it wouldn’t be the United States of ‘Merica without egregiously racist acts and legislation put into play by some of the most racist politicians in office: Ron DeSantis and of course, Trump. Although not surprising, coming from a known PDFiler, the posting of the Obama’s as apes in a White House approved video is nothing short of a disgusting and racist move by our disgraceful president during Black History month.

While Desantis’ move did not involve portraying Black people as apes, it is no less disgusting. A Florida A&M University College of Law student, Aaliyah Steward, says she was told to strip the word “Black” from promotional flyers for a Black History Month due to the university saying it will be operating in “full compliance” with Desantis’ racist legislation, which prohibist state universities in Florida from using state or federal dollars for programs or activities defined as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The university said it supports free expression and academic inquiry while adhering to the law (so not really). Thanks to @hipmagazineorg for the story.

Speaking of Black history, be sure to follow the show to be notified of the next episode covering the highly censored 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones, titled so because the year 1619 marked the year when the first enslaved Africans were brought to Virginia. This project aims to re-examine the legacy of slavery and its impact on the United States and to re-frame the country’s history, to better understand the consequences of slavery and how Black Americans and their contributions are at the center of America’s story, despite the traditional and biased white-washed history we learned in school.

But the bulk of this episode is about art and joy, specifically Latino art and joy, as a form of resistance. Ranging from Benito’s symbolic Grammy-gifting to all the baby Baby Bunny’s, the nod to El Apagóns and the gentrification and blackouts Puerto Rico has faced, Ricky Martin’s own “emotional tsunami” of a performance reminding/informing the world about Hawaii’s cultural displacement and Puerto Rico’s resistance to follow in her footsteps, and even the hilarious cameo of Bad Bunny’s biggest fan: Juan Jamón (John Hamm), Courtney and Jen recount all the joy Bad Bunny brought to us this past Sunday evening.

Courtney and Jen take on the children’s picture book Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, with illustrations by Jennifer Zivoin.

This book cuts through the noise with a rare clarity—offering a way to talk about racial injustice to kids without drowning them in despair. It also exposes a harsh truth: white children often grow up cocooned from these realities in ways children of color never do.

Amid these weighty discussions, Jennifer and Courtney find lighter moments such as: If Mad Men were a drink, would it be whiskey? And procedurals like Bones—are they more like wine coolers or Kirkland Light? And why must significant others be so judgy about the TV shows we like?

It’s near impossible to unpack every crisis swirling around us today, but this episode’s mantra seems to be: “Know better, do better.” Keep those tough conversations alive about the value of every life, and keep pushing back against the idea that white lives hold more worth than Black, Brown, Indigenous, or any other lives. In 2026 alone, at least 9 people have lost their lives due to the Trump administration’s illegal and inhumane policies. Say their names just as much as you say the names of Pretti and Renee Good, and if you don’t know them, educate yourself: Keith Porter, Geraldo Lunas Campos, Victor Manuel Diaz, Parady La, Luis Beltran Yanez–Cruz, Heber Sanchez Dominguez, and Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres.

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Listen in as Jennifer and Courtney sit down to talk with this book’s amazing and inspiring author, Elisa Stone Leahy. Topics range from silencing the loud minority (Moms for Liberty) 🤡, the importance of amplifying stories anonymously 📣, the dangers of quiet censorship 🤫, and the power of reading 📖.

Why are bestsellers always about things like dogs 🐶 and dragons 🐉 ? Nothing against books about dogs or dragons…We love them! ❤️ But we have to wonder…Why do books that spotlight sensitive topics, (like a 7th grader juggling the science fair 🔭 , challenging relationships with friends 👯‍♀️ and family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦, and looming deportation threats by ICE 🧊) more often find themselves on the “banned” list, and not the “bestseller” list? 📚

And no, it’s not because kids do not find these books relatable… “Tethered to Other Stars” has the awards🏆 to prove that:

* Garden State Book Award Nominee for Fiction (Grades 6-8) (2026)

* CYBILS Award Nominee for Middle Grade Fiction (2023)

Young readers (and their adults!) need books like “Tethered to Other Stars” now more than ever…If not to serve as mirrors 🪞 that support their own experiences, then as windows 🪟 to help build empathy ❤️ and awareness 🧐 for others.

🚨What can YOU do?🚨

✅ Request "Tethered to Other Stars” at your local library, ✅ your kids school library, and ✅ buy it from your local bookstore! Don’t have a local bookstore? Buy it here!

Courtney tells Jennifer about the 1954 Guatemalan coup and how the United States’ was involved…Spoiler alert…They weren’t great.

Let’s be honest, 2026 is shaping up to be a real doozy…why not start it out with an informational podcast about the history of United States corruption? Remember, knowledge is power and reading is resistance.

Tune in to learn how the United States used bananas as an excuse 72 years ago and how they’re using cocaine as an excuse now.

Jennifer tells Courtney about the eerie similarities between ICE’s perpetual torment on America’s migrant community and the YA novel Tethered to Other Stars by Elisa Stone Leahy…A book that you’d be hard pressed to find in the public school libraries of today’s ‘Merica.

The book follows seventh grader, Wendy Toledo, as she navigates the nuances of friends, bullies, and science fairs, while also trying to make sense of the woman hiding out from ICE in her local church…as well as her own family’s “legal status”.

Despite its similarities, there are a few major differences between this novel and today’s reality…one being that people can no longer seek sanctuary in a church. There aren’t many places that the Proud Boys, I mean ICE, won’t illegally enter to kidnap you.

Something that hasn’t changed, though, is church support. Many (not all) churches across the country are offering their assistance with securing food, housing, education, employment to people impacted by Trump’s secret polICE.

In addition to concrete support, many churches are sending messages that advocate for “meaningful immigration reform,” and call for an end to “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence” through their nativity scenes. See zip-tied Baby Jesus below (on Substack):

This particular scene was put together by volunteers at Lake Street Church in Evanston, Il, and serves as a reminder that Jesus himself was a brown-skinned immigrant.

Listen to the whole episode to hear more on Trump’s Secret PolICE and their worsening agenda to rid our country of the very people who helped build it, but also some good news stories of people like us who see the seriousness of fighting back.