JD Vance meets with Rupert Murdoch shortly before the bombshell Wall Street Journal piece on Trump’s letter to Epstein, Trump’s swollen ankles raise new questions about his health, Andrew Tate is accused, yet again, of assault, and Coldplay concerts are ground zero for cheating. Then Erin and Alyssa find some sanity in Indigo Girls concerts and podcasts about the history of Mongols. Plus, author Bridget Read stops by to discuss her new book Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America.

Trump Was Diagnosed With Chronic Venous Insufficiency. What Is It? (NYT 7/17)

White House Tries to Shake Off Trump’s Bizarre Hand Make-Up (Daily Beast 7/16)

JD Vance Visited the Murdochs Right Before the WSJ Dropped Trump’s Letter to Epstein (Esquire 7/21)

Trump and Epstein Photo Is Placed Near U.S. Embassy in London as Protesters Rally Against President’s U.K. Visits (Time 7/21)

JD Vance to spend summer vacation in UK countryside spot beloved by A-listers after Disney disaster: report (The Independent 7/21)

Lauren Southern, Former Right-Wing Commentator, Says Andrew Tate Assaulted Her (NYT 7/17)

Unpacking the Fallout From Coldplay Exposing Astronomer CEO's Alleged Affair (E! News 7/21)

E. Jean Carroll joins to dish on beating Trump in court, what it was like to go camping with Fran Lebowitz, and how to give the best advice. Erin and Alyssa also round up the latest Epstein files insanity, Elon Musk and Greg Abbott's “intimate” emails, and the future of student loans. Then they take a trip to the sanity corner to discuss Lena Dunham’s new show Too Much, and children’s TV theme music that goes too hard.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Read Not My Type: One Woman Vs. a President

Sign up to run for office: votesaveamerica.com/run

Texas camp leader waited over an hour after flood warning to evacuate (The Guardian 7/14)

What the Republicans’ New Policy Bill Means for Higher Education (NYT 7/3)

Why Gov. Greg Abbott Won’t Release His Emails With Elon Musk (ProPublica 7/14)

Wife of Texas AG Ken Paxton files for divorce ‘on biblical grounds’ (CNN 7/10)

VP Vance visits Disneyland as protesters gather nearby (OC Register 7/12)

Trump comes to Pam Bondi’s defense on Epstein: ‘She’s really done a very good job’ (Politico 7/15)

After the devastating floods in central Texas, Erin and Alyssa reflect on the tragic loss of life, what went wrong, and what it means to “politicize a tragedy.” Then, journalist T.J. Raphael joins for a discussion about her new podcast Liberty Lost, a heart-wrenching investigation into the dystopian birthing home run out of Liberty University. They wrap up in the Sanity Corner to rave about Summer produce and Love Island USA.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Listen to Liberty Lost: https://wondery.com/shows/liberty-lost/

How state lawmakers should respond to Central Texas floods (Dallas Morning News 7/8)

What to know about the flash floods in Texas that killed over 100 people (AP News 7/7)

National Weather Service defends its flood warnings amid fresh scrutiny of Trump staff cuts (NBC News 7/6)