Crooked Media

An American progressive political podcast "for people not yet ready to give up or go insane." Pod Save America airs twice weekly, with the Monday edition hosted by Favreau, Vietor, and Lovett, and the Thursday edition by Favreau and Pfeiffer. Pod Save America is noted for its focus on activism.[10][12][13]

There were also two special series in the Pod Save America vein during the Primary and General Election of 2020: Pod Save America: On the ground in Iowa and That's The Ticket.

In Pod Save America: On the Ground in Iowa, Pod Save America host Tommy Vietor took listeners to Iowa to "spend time with the candidates, staffers and undecided voters who will determine who wins. Tommy will explain why Iowa is first, how the caucuses work, and try to figure out what it takes to win. And finally he’ll explore the question: is this really the best way to pick a president?".[14]

In 'That's The Ticket', a three part mini-series, Dan Pfeiffer and Alyssa Mastromonaco break down the vetting for vice presidential candidates – how it happens, why it's so secret, and what can go wrong. They'll talk you through the history of the vetting process, their experiences on the Kerry and Obama campaigns, and how they think the Biden campaign is approaching the process.[15]

Hosted by organizer and activist DeRay Mckesson,[16][17] Pod Save the People talks about culture, social justice, and politics by exploring the history, the language, and the people who are shaping the struggle for progress — and talking about the steps that each individual can take to make a difference.[18]

Hosted by Vietor and former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, Pod Save the World discusses foreign policy and international relations.[19]

Hosted by Lovett, former speech and joke writer for President Obama. Lovett or Leave it is a recording of a weekly live show and features the eponymous host dissecting the news with a panel of guests. The show features a variety of games, as well as one-on-one interviews that center around the week's news and American politics.[20]

Hosted by political journalist Ana Marie Cox. With Friends Like These delves into social, cultural, and, to a lesser extent, political issues through in-depth interviews. Namely, how to bridge divides in our society and approach through conversations with peers. Cox focuses on attempting to have difficult conversations in a public space.[13]

Hosted by members of the company's 'Crooked Contributor' network. Crooked Conversations features deeper dives into topics less tied to the latest headlines.[21]

Hosted by culture critic and columnist Ira Madison III, Louis Virtel, and Aida Osman (Originally Kara Brown).[22] Comedians, journalists, actors, musicians, activists, politicians, and others join Madison for a conversation at the intersection of pop culture and politics.[23]

Hosted by Erin Ryan, Alyssa Mastromonaco, and a rotating set of women including Blair Imani, Grace Parra, Kiran Deol, Megan Gailey, and Ziwe Fumudoh, Hysteria discusses news, politics, and cultural stories that affect women's lives.[24]

Hosted by Jon Favreau, The Wilderness is a docuseries about the history and future of the Democratic Party.[25]

Hosted by Rebecca Nagle, This Land focuses on the case of Carpenter v. Murphy.[26]

Hosted by Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, America Dissected explores the nuanced role of health in American culture, often detailing the establishment history and political connections of the healthcare industry.[27]

Hosted by comedian Akilah Hughes and journalist Gideon Resnick, What a Day is a daily news podcast dedicated to "[breaking] down the biggest news of the day." [28]

Hosted by Ben Rhodes, Missing America is the "story of what happens when the United States, under Trump, abdicates our role as an example for the world. In this absence of leadership, a host of political diseases sweep the planet. Beyond COVID-19, its own international crisis, we’re seeing nationalism, authoritarianism, sectarianism and disinformation take shape like never before. Host and former Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama Ben Rhodes speaks to inspiring leaders and activists who are fighting hard to take up the slack in America’s absence. Learning from their examples and advice, we’ll discover what the US must do to confront these challenges."[29]

It's 1990. The Berlin Wall has just come down. The Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse. A heavy metal band from West Germany, the Scorpions, releases a power ballad, “Wind of Change.” The song becomes the soundtrack to the peaceful revolution sweeping Europe — and one of the biggest rock singles ever. According to some fans, it's the song that ended the Cold War.

Decades later, New Yorker writer Patrick Radden Keefe hears a rumor from a source: the Scorpions didn't actually write “Wind of Change.” The CIA did.

This is Patrick's journey to find the truth. Among former operatives and leather-clad rockers, from Moscow to Kiev to a GI Joe convention in Ohio, it's a story about spies doing the unthinkable, about propaganda hidden in pop music, and a maze of government secrets. “Wind of Change.” An offbeat eight part investigation.[30]

Fox Sports host and comic Rachel Bonnetta (“Lock It In”, “@Buzzer”) and comedy writer Rachna Fruchbom (“Fresh Off the Boat”, “Parks and Recreation”) aren't your garden variety sports fans. Sure, they obsessively root for Cleveland (the Browns and the Cavaliers, respectively), but they get even more excited by those crazy moments in sports that become almost legendary. We all know the sensationalistic scandals about cheating, gambling and sex, but Rachel and Rachna want to discover the humanity behind the headlines.

That's why they started Hall of Shame — every week Rachel and Rachna "take each other through some of the biggest scandals in sports, from the thrill of Dock Ellis’ no-hitter to the agony of Rosie Ruiz's marathon lies. With humor and a healthy dose of perspective, they get to the bottom of what exactly went down, why these stories matter, and how they're still relevant today. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel more invested in sports than you ever thought possible."[31]

Journalist Phillip Picardi "re-evaluates his relationship with faith, spirituality and God. Picardi takes listeners on his quest to better understand his relationship with spirituality by learning how faith plays a role in other people’s lives, and with the help of the spiritual, religious, and agnostic, Picardi will guide listeners through the ethereal and worldly problems of the day, informed by his own on-and-off relationship with God. Through lenses both saintly and secular, Picardi will take a look at everything from sex to climate change, and how religion informs those discussions."[32]

Six Feet Apart with Alex Wagner (journalist and co-host of Showtime's The Circus) "offers a window into the hidden worlds of this pandemic: the chaos and fear, the resilience and innovation — all of which have been necessary parts of survival in this extraordinary moment. Through conversations with individuals on the frontline, from the grocery store to the criminal justice system, this new series will delve into what’s likely to be the defining event of our lifetimes."[33]

The impeachment of Donald Trump is one of the biggest political stories of our lifetimes. It is a "test of whether accountability, election integrity, and the rules of our democracy can withstand the corrupt acts of powerful people. It’s also a story that is unfolding at such a break-neck pace, it’s absurd. Fortunately, Brian Beutler, Crooked Media’s Editor in Chief, lives for this s**t. Brian breaks down the most important developments in the impeachment fight with legal, political, and congressional experts to help you figure out how this is all going to end and what you can do to play your part in one of the most important moments in American history. Yeah, it’s that big."[34]

In August 2018, Crooked Media launched Vote Save America, a one-stop shop for all the resources people need to get informed, get involved, and get out and vote. On the website, someone can: Register to vote or check that you're still registered; Request your absentee ballot to vote by mail; See what will be on the ballot before Election Day; Volunteer from home; 'Adopt-A-State' that will have a big impact on the results of the 2020 election; getting details on candidates running for the White House, the Senate, the House, and further down the ballot; and learning exactly how elections work. $2.7 million was also raised for competitive races and more than 22,000 volunteer shifts were filled across the country in the 2018 midterms, according to numbers provided by the company.[37]

In May 2019, Vote Save America launched the Fuck Gerry(mandering) fund with Data for Progress to identify the races in Virginia where money was most needed to help flip the state legislature blue. The Vote Save America community supported 14 of the closest races in Virginia.[39][40] They also launched the Unify or Die Fund which went to the Democratic candidate for president and raised over 1 million dollars.

In August 2019, Crooked Media launched a partnership through "Vote Save America" with Fair Fight 2020, an organization devoted to fighting voter suppression lead by Stacey Abrams.[41] Crooked Media partners with VoteRiders to provide state-specific information on voter ID requirements and donates a portion of proceeds generated from "Vote Save America" merchandise to VoteRiders, which Crooked Media describes as "the leading organization focused on voter ID."[42]

Ahead of the 2020 cycle, under the umbrella of Vote Save America, they raised $32 million in the third quarter of 2020, the lion's share of which flowed into their Get Mitch or Die Trying fund backing Democratic candidates in competitive races who, together, could flip the Senate and pull Mitch McConnell out of the Majority Leader's chair.[43]