Past Due with Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle

This week, Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) sits down with human rights lawyer, activist, and author Arjun Sethi (@arjunsethi81) to discuss the one year anniversary of his book, American Hate: Survivors Speak Out —as relevant as ever after the massacres in El Paso… and, in the short time since, the arrests of six white men on charges related to mass violence. Arjun and Ana also discuss their frustration with how hate crimes are typically depicted in the media, and how the average American can get involved in the fight against white supremacy. Then, Ibram X. Kendi (@DrIbram) from The Atlantic discusses his bestelling new book, How to Be an Antiracist. In soft-spoken, gentle urgency, Ibram guides us through the idea “there is no neutrality” in the face of racism: there is only racism and anti-racism. Ibram and Ana then discuss his various encounters with cancer; exploring a profound extended metaphor between the disease and racism in America.You can find Arjun’s previous With Friends Like These episode here.The site for Muslim & Jewish Women of Minnesota is here. Their WFLT episode is here.Thanks to our sponsors:We all want to do the right thing to keep our bodies healthy in the long run. It’s only a dollar a day to have all the essential nutrients your body needs, delivered every month — no strings attached. Visit ritual.com/FRIENDSto start your subscription today at 10% off. Honey is a free browser add-on that finds discounts and coupons across 37,000 sites! Amazon, Sephora, Best Buy, Nordstrom, and more. Not bad for something that’s completely free and takes just two clicks to install. Get Honey for free at JoinHoney.com/friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CW: Complex discussions of Christianity, Faith, and Catholicism’s scandals.Washington Post writer Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to explain the seemingly nonsensical evangelical support for Donald Trump. They delve into the suicide-pact between Trump and Jesus Country that seems rooted in apocalyptic nihilism, toxic absolutism, and a devastating cynicism about American politics. With a warmth and sympathy stemming from their own familial connections, Ana and Elizabeth explore this version of Christanity that seems disconnected from their own understanding. Elizabeth and Ana then share the ways they’ve learned to cope in the midst of these turbulent times, and ironically, how their faith helps them face the hopelessness of the headlines.Thanks to our sponsors!  ARC is a new way to achieve professional-level teeth whitening at home for just 30 minutes a day. To help our listeners get a whiter, brighter smile, ARC is offering $15 off your purchase of a Blue Light kit when you visit Arcsmile.com and use promo code FRIENDS at checkout.  Everlane only makes premium essentials, using the finest materials, without traditional markups. Right now, you can check out our personalized collection at Everlane.com/friends and get free shipping on your first order.Rothy’s are the everyday flats for life on the go. They’re stylish and versatile, and they go with everything from yoga pants to dresses and skirts. Rothy’s come in a wide range of colors and patterns, and they’re available in four different silhouettes. Plus, they’re constantly launching new styles, so you’re guaranteed to find a pair—or three—you love. Go to Rothys.com/wflt to get your new favorite flats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the horrifying massacre in El Paso, host Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) and former Minneapolis mayor Betsy Hodges (@BetsyHodges) navigate a complex discussion about race in America that’s all too relevant. Together, they break down the many ways in which racist structures diffuse and reinforce white supremacy. They also tackle the merits (or lack thereof) of calling someone ‘racist,’ and enter into a profound discussion centering around whether white people are “deserving of love.” For their answers on all these topics and much more, join us today.Show references: Diana Butler Bass - All I Need Is Right HereBetsy Hodges was the 47th mayor of Minneapolis. Mayor Hodges currently serves as an advisor to cities and mayors to improve equitable outcomes for people of color, she is a Fellow with the Atlantic Fellowship for Racial Equity (AFRE), and the Aspen Institute. Recently, she served as a Residential Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. She has written about politics and race for CNN and the Huffington Post.Thanks to our sponsors!  It’s time for spring cleaning. Quip’s got an easy way to start — with your brushing habits. Just two minutes, twice a day can help pave the way to a healthier mouth and mind. And now the whole family can get refreshed with quip. Quip starts at just $25 and if you go to getquip.com/friends right now, you can get your first refill pack for free.With Stamps.com you can access all the amazing services of the Post Office, right from your desk, 24/7, when it’s convenient for you. Buy and print official U.S. postage for any letter, any package using your own computer & printer – and the mail carrier picks it up. To get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale, go to Stamps.com, click on the microphone at the top of the homepage and type in FRIENDS.Honey is a free browser add-on that finds discounts and coupons across 37,000 sites! Amazon, Sephora, Best Buy, Nordstrom, and more. Not bad for something that’s completely free and takes just two clicks to install. Get Honey for free at JoinHoney.com/friends.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Content Warning: Sexual Assault. In this week’s episode, E. Jean Carroll (@ejeancarroll) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to answer the age old question: do women really need men? E. Jean tells us about the road trip through femme-named towns and surprise interviews that forms the center of her new memoir, What Do We Need Men for: A Modest Proposal. In this frank conversation, E. Jean speaks about her rape at the hand of the President of the United States, and the coping mechanisms she used to survive. Ana reveals a complicated history of similar experiences, and both women discuss the enormous scrutiny victims face when they come forward, but lose their narrative to the media.If you can, please donate to RAINN. Thanks to our sponsors!  ThirdLove uses data points generated by millions of women who have taken their Fit Finder quiz, to design bras with breast size and shape in mind for a perfect fit and premium feel. Answer a few simple questions to find your perfect fit in 60 seconds. Go to THIRDLOVE.com/FRIENDS now to find your perfect-fitting bra… and get 15% off your first purchase!  When it comes to shopping for clothes most of us are amateurs. So why not let the professionals handle it? Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service that delivers your favorite clothing, shoes, and accessories, directly to you. After completing your style profile, your expert personal stylist will send you a handpicked box of items based on your style and preferences. Get started today at StitchFix.com/friends and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s fascinating episode, Alexandra Minna Stern joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss how white supremicst and white nationalist ideologies became so entrenched in our current political landscape. We’re now in the age of Proud Boys running for office and Alexandra’s new book, Proud Boys and the White Ethnostate: How the Alt-Right Is Warping the American Imagination is the perfect launching pad into the deep, dark underbelly of modern white supremicist media and ideology. Together, they tackle several key issues including how to cover these groups without inflating them and the oft underreported emphasis these groups place on transhophic and misogynist ideologies.Thanks to our sponsors!  Everlane only makes premium essentials, using the finest materials, without traditional markups. Right now, you can check out our personalized collection at Everlane.com/FRIENDS and get free shipping on your first order.We all want to do the right thing to keep our bodies healthy in the long run. It’s only a dollar a day to have all the essential nutrients your body needs, delivered every month — no strings attached. Visit ritual.com/FRIENDSto start your subscription today at 10% off.Bombas are made from super-soft, natural cotton, and every pair comes with arch support, a seamless toe, and a cushioned foot-bed that’s comfy but not too thick. With many colors, patterns, lengths, and styles, Buy your Bombas at BOMBAS.com/friends and get twenty percent off your first purchase.Everyone wants their home to look and feel great. Luckily, Snowe makes it incredibly simple. They create trend-proof, beautiful, functional, luxurious pieces at an affordable price. Snowe is offering our listeners $30 off your first purchase of $150 or more when you go to SnoweHome.com/FRIENDS.Cats are natural born predators - that's why the guys at Petronics invented Mousr, a fully autonomous robotic mouse. Right now, my listeners can save 20% by visiting petronics.io/friends and using code FRIENDS at checkout. This podcast is made possible by you, the listeners! But who are you...? We know that somewhere in the world you downloaded this podcast but we know literally nothing else about you. If you have a few minutes, you can help us make this show a better by telling us more about you and what you want to hear. Just go to (http://go.crooked.com/survey) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Amber Scorah (@amberscorah) and Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) discuss Amber’s new book - Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life. Together, they break into Amber’s former faith with the Jehovah's Witnesses, her complicated marital affair, and a subsequent exit from the church. Amber opens up about her current outlook on religion, and explains how she came to terms with her son’s sudden death. It’s more heartwarming than it sounds, we promise!Thanks to our sponsors! Did you know that millennials have 3 times as much student debt as their parents? That’s not right. But you can get your student loans right by refinancing your loans with SoFi.  It’s a fast and easy process––all online––and only takes 2 minutes to check your rate. Refinancing your student loans could save you thousands. Check your rate in 2 minutes on sofi.com/CROOKED.  Rothy’s are the everyday flats for life on the go. They’re stylish and versatile, and they go with everything from yoga pants to dresses and skirts. Rothy’s come in a wide range of colors and patterns, and they’re available in four different silhouettes. Plus, they’re constantly launching new styles, so you’re guaranteed to find a pair—or three—you love. Go to Rothys.com/wflt to get your new favorite flats.Everlane only makes premium essentials, using the finest materials, without traditional markups. Right now, you can check out our personalized collection at Everlane.com/FRIENDS and get free shipping on your first order. Cats are natural born predators - that's why the guys at Petronics invented Mousr, a fully autonomous robotic mouse. Right now, my listeners can save 20% by visiting petronics.io/friends and using code FRIENDS at checkout.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) and Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) meet for their monthly airing of grievances. Rick and Ana discuss how America is quickly becoming dismissed on the world stage, why a White House social media summit is the pinnacle of dum-dum behavior, how fetishization of normalization is unpleasant, and how the executive order overreaches of the Obama administration (which once caused Republicans to self-immolate) seem quaint in retrospect. Also: A New Game! (What? We can have new games. Lovett doesn’t have a trademark on new games. Lovett, come play our games!)Thanks to our sponsors!  It’s time for spring cleaning. Quip’s got an easy way to start — with your brushing habits. Just two minutes, twice a day can help pave the way to a healthier mouth and mind. And now the whole family can get refreshed with quip. Quip starts at just $25 and if you go to GETQUIP.com/FRIENDS right now, you can get your first refill pack for FREE. With Stamps.com you can access all the amazing services of the Post Office, right from your desk, 24/7, when it’s convenient for you. Buy and print official U.S. postage for any letter, any package using your own computer & printer – and the mail carrier picks it up. To get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale, go to Stamps.com, click on the microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in FRIENDS.If you’ve been listening to this show, you’ve heard me talk about Framebridge. They make it super easy and affordable to frame your favorite things, from art prints and posters to the travel photos sitting on your phone. Go to Framebridge.com and use promo code FRIENDS to save an additional 15% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss how she built the anti-gun violence group Moms Demand Action from the ground up. Shannon’s new book Fight Like A Mother is both a memoir, but also a handbook for replicating these triumphs, as a sort of Activism for Dummies. Ana and Shannon honestly examine MDA’s origins, successes, goals, failures, and how to forge intersectional relationships with surprising allies. Thanks to our Sponsors!ThirdLove uses data points generated by millions of women who have taken their Fit Finder quiz, to design bras with breast size and shape in mind for a perfect fit and premium feel. Answer a few simple questions to find your perfect fit in 60 seconds. Go to THIRDLOVE.com/FRIENDS now to find your perfect-fitting bra… and get 15% off your first purchase! When it comes to shopping for clothes most of us are amateurs. So why not let the professionals handle it? Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service that delivers your favorite clothing, shoes, and accessories, directly to you. After completing your style profile, your expert personal stylist will send you a handpicked box of items based on your style and preferences. Get started today at StitchFix.com/friends and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Anna Merlan (@annamerlan) helps us Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) parse America’s increasingly conspiratorial culture. Anna spent eight years covering conspiracy groups and just came out with a book, Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power. Join us as we discuss vaccinations, UFOs, spying on Quakers, and finding a path forward. Also, check out our bonus mega-mix of Anna Merlin, Will Sommer, Heather Armstrong, Tommy Orange, Will Sommer again, and Vann Newkirk and their most ridiculous secret beliefs. (We had to end Conspiracy Month in the strangest way possible.)Thanks to our sponsors!  Blinkist is the only app that takes the best key takeaways, the need-to-know information from thousands of nonfiction books and condense them down into just 15 minutes that you can read or listen to. Blinkist has a special offer just for our audience. Go to Blinkist.com/withfriends to start your free 7 day trial.Bombas are made from super-soft, natural cotton, and every pair comes with arch support, a seamless toe, and a cushioned foot-bed that’s comfy but not too thick. With many colors, patterns, lengths, and styles, Buy your Bombas at BOMBAS.com/friends TODAY, and get twenty percent off your first purchase. Everyone wants their home to look and feel great. Luckily, Snowe makes it incredibly simple. They create trend-proof, beautiful, functional, luxurious pieces at an affordable price. Snowe is offering our listeners $30 off your first purchase of $150 or more when you go to SnoweHome.com/FRIENDSThe New Yorker represents the best writing in America today. To get a 12 week subscription for just $6 (thats half off!), the New Yorker tote bag, home delivery of the print edition each week, unlimited access to exclusive content on newyorker.com, access to their apps, online archive, crossword puzzles, and more - go to NewYorker.com/FRIENDSWe all want to do the right thing to keep our bodies healthy in the long run. It’s only a dollar a day to have all the essential nutrients your body needs, delivered every month — no strings attached. Visit ritual.com/FRIENDSto start your subscription today at 10% off.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Vann Newkirk (@fivefifths) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to discuss conspiracy and its complex relationship with marginalized groups. Why does conspiratorial thinking appeal to those who feel “othered” within their society? Vann walks us through how the historic mistreatment of people of color has created a baseline of skepticism that can grow into full-on conspiracy. As Vann says: “Black Americans’ belief in conspiracy theories is like the Farmers’ Almanac: accurate enough to keep using.”Thanks to our Sponsors!Most of us have the best of intentions to eat better, cut back on takeout, and spend more time with the family. And then real life happens. Gobble is the meal prep delivery service designed for real life. Get 6 Meals for Just $36, plus Free Shipping when you go to Gobble.com/FRIENDS.A good night’s sleep is like a magic remedy for the brain and body. When we sleep well, we’re more focused and relaxed. And best of all, sleep makes us happier. To establish new habits that support your happiest, healthiest self. For a limited time, With Friends Like These listeners get 25% off a Calm Premium subscription at CALM.COM/FRIENDS. Rothy’s are the everyday flats for life on the go. They’re stylish and versatile, and they go with everything from yoga pants to dresses and skirts. Rothy’s come in a wide range of colors and patterns, and they’re available in four different silhouettes. Plus, they’re constantly launching new styles, so you’re guaranteed to find a pair—or three—you love. Check out all the amazing styles available right now at Rothys.com/wflt.Did you know that millennials have 3 times as much student debt as their parents? That’s not right. But you can get your student loans right by refinancing your loans with SoFi.  It’s a fast and easy process––all online––and only takes 2 minutes to check your rate. Refinancing your student loans could save you thousands. Check your rate in 2 minutes on sofi.com/CROOKED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices