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Betches founder and Morning Announcements host Sami Sage returns as America barrels toward midterm elections and the potential for wider oversight investigations should Democrats retake the House. She shares why she thinks Americans need to be more angry about how corrupt American leadership is right now, what a Democratic House should actually do for oversight and accountability over the administration, and how the delusions of American society can help explain this moment. Mentioned in this episode Jena Friedman's Motherf*cker show at Soho Playhouse Betches founder Sami Sage  YouTube: JD Vance heckled Puck: Hegseth Impeachment Chatter The Guardian: US Lawmakers Unveil Bill to Hold Epstein’s Wall Street-Connected Bosses to Account CNN: New Mexico attorney general files civil lawsuit against two Epstein advisers Julia Molchonova vs First Bank Substack: Sami Sage Says  Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do institutions continue to excuse and protect male violence? Elise and Jena sit down with gender and politics writer Andrea Gonzalez-Ramirez, of New York Magazine’s The Cut, to discuss institutional power and why systems continue failing to hold sexual aggressors and abusers accountable. She explains the reason why it feels like #metoo never happened, and the research-backed steps to make societies safer for everyone. Mentioned in this episode Congress.gov: Epstein Files Transparency Act II Telegraph: Democrats Begin Leaking Names from Epstein Files CNN on Instagram: Ossoff and Rogers clash over Epstein files NBC News: Trump Protester Attacked in ‘Senseless’ Political Violence The Guardian: Leon Botstein Forced to Resign InStyle: Sarah Ferguson Stripped of Charitable Honor People: Carole Radziwill addresses Maxwell friendship Vulture: Carole Radziwill has more to say on the Epstein files The Cut: Andrea Gonzalez-Ramirez The Cut: The Student Journalists Who Broke the Cornell Rape Case EFBC: Trumpworld’s Other Sex Trafficking Scandal (Andrew Tate episode) Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the uproar over Cornell University’s response to allegations of gang rape by fraternity members on its campus, feminist philosopher and Cornell professor Dr. Kate Manne returns to discuss what it’s like on the Ivy League university's campus now, whether the #metoo movement made any progress, and why she believes abolishing fraternities is a responsible, legitimate way to address to the campus rape epidemic. Mentioned in this episode More to Hate, the Kate Manne Substack Ban the F*****g Frats by Kate Manne NYMag: Kate Manne on Cornell 7 NYMag: How Student Journalists Broke the Cornell 7 Case Cornell University: Cynthia Miller-Idriss on Violent Male Extremism Kate Manne on EFBC in March 2026 Substack: Seven Good Boys by Bess Kalb Thick by Tressie McMillan Cottom Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Male Extremism by Cynthia Miller-Idriss Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In light of the latest Jane Doe to bravely step forward with accusations of heinous rape and violence, this time against seven undergraduate fraternity members at Cornell University, we are bringing back an episode with Cornell professor and feminist philosopher Kate Manne, who painstakingly reviewed the interviews of Jane Doe 4, the woman who, says that at 13, was trafficked to Donald Trump by Jeffrey Epstein. A system that excuses sexual assault allows sexual predators into positions atop businesses, society, and governments. The Epstein network is the clearest example of the rape culture in which we live. Mentioned in this episode More to Hate, the Kate Manne Substack NYMag The Cut: What it feels like at Cornell right now Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final part of our two-parter with independent journalist and attorney Katie Phang, who brought a historic lawsuit against the DOJ to release of all Epstein files , Phang explains why the original Epstein Files Transparency Act needs to be bolstered with the new bill — EFTA 2 — and the oversight and accountability that can come with a new Congress in January, if voters swing the balance of power back to the Democrats. Mentioned in this episode Katie Phang on YouTube Katie Phang on Substack Congress.gov: Epstein Files Transparency Act II ⁠CNN:⁠ Democrats eye a new tool to hold Trump accountable if they win the House Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Independent journalist and attorney Katie Phang brought a historic lawsuit to stand up for survivors and for the release of all Epstein files as the Epstein Files Transparency Act requires. Phang joins the show this week in part one of a two part interview, about how there must not be two tiers of justice. The self-described “gunner” gives us the state of play on her transparency push, explains why accountability and affordability are interdependent, and shares her expectations for oversight under a Democratic Congress, should Democrats take control next session. Mentioned in this episode Katie Phang on YouTube Katie Phang on Substack Congress.gov: Epstein Files Transparency Act II Washington Post: Europeans investigating Epstein say DOJ has not agreed to requests for help Julie K Brown Substack: The Empty Promise of the Epstein Files CNN: Democrats eye a new tool to hold Trump accountable if they win the House Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Sponsor Thanks to Stamped Bills for sponsoring our podcast! Visit them at https://stampedbills.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Epstein’s most generous client, Leon Black, is suing the House Oversight committee just as lawmakers press him for nondisclosure agreements that the billionaire is refusing to share. So this week, Julie Roginsky, who helped pass two federal laws to limit the threat and power of NDAs for victims of sexual assault or harassment, joins the show to discuss the chilling effect of these agreements, why Leon Black is loathe to give them up, and how newer legislation like the Speak Out Act is intended to give victims and witnesses a voice. Mentioned in this episode Thomas Massie on X, on EFTA II WSJ: Epstein “Assistant” Julia Stepanova Speaks Out Politico: Leon Black Defies House Oversight, Sues Congress WWLP: GOP Convention Site Redirects to Epstein Files EFBC: Flings of Leon with William Cohan (our previous Leon Black episode) Salty Politics (Julie Roginsky on Substack) Congress.gov: The Speak Out Act Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The computer scientist behind Epstein-Data.com joins the show to discuss how he came to maintain, map, and make sense of the three million+ DOJ records released earlier this year, and highlights all the missing files that the public should still demand. He also takes us into his reading on Glenn and Eva Dubin. Glenn is a hedge fund guy and alleged co-conspirator to sexual trafficking and abuse. He is married to Eva, a former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein’s. Why were the Dubins so close to Jeffrey Epstein? And what are the reasons Glenn Dubin's on Rep Thomas Massie's list of folks who should be investigated and prosecuted?  Mentioned in the episode YouTube: Rho Khanna and Thomas Massie on Epstein Files Transparency Act II PBS News: WATCH: Massie names 14 Epstein associates to 'shame' DOJ ABC News: Bondi faces lawmaker grilling over Epstein files NYT: Elite Doctors Served Jeffrey Epstein While Treating His ‘Girls’ NBC News: Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries competent to face sex trafficking trial, judge rules Document Zero: Rye Howard-Stone on Substack Epstein-Data.com Ellie Leonard’s The Panicked Writer on Substack Nobody’s Girl, Virginia Giuffre’s bestselling book Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot more Epstein-related files are expected soon on two fronts, and independent journalist Ellie Leonard is back on the show to explain why the unsealing of documents in the Virginia Giuffre-Ghislaine Maxwell suit could be so potentially explosive, and how they could help us move closer to accountability. Ellie also has the latest in the Katie Phang lawsuit for unredacted files, including key interviews related to Donald Trump and his alleged abuse of Jane Doe 4, a teenaged girl in the 1980s. Mentioned in this episode NBC: Judge Rejects Maxwell Bid to Toss Conviction KOB-TV: New Mexico Moves to Rename Zorro Ranch Highway After Survivors TMZ: New York Department of Health Investigating Epstein’s Doctor Network The Lantern: Les Wexner Steps Down from Medical Center Board EFBC: Doctors Without Boundaries (Harry Fisch Episode) NYT: Elite Doctors Served Jeffrey Epstein While Treating His ‘Girls’ Ellie Leonard’s The Panicked Writer on Substack Live with Katie Phang x Ellie Leonard The Epstein Files by Julie K Brown, on Substack Blue Amp Media Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another trove of Epstein-related documents are set to be released soon, from the late Virginia Giuffre’s successful defamation suit against Ghislaine Maxwell. Giuffre’s widely known for her fearlessness in taking down some of the world’s most powerful people, but few knew about her private battle at home, and her painful final months in Australia. This week, Elise and Jena sit down with Australian journalists Mel Fyfe and Carla Hildebrandt to discuss Giuffre’s heroism, secret struggles, and the justice that she was ultimately seeking.  Mentioned in this episode NYPost: Damning New Evidence Could Be Coming Politico: Comer Threatens Contempt in Battle with Black James Comey’s letter to Leon Black Courthouse News: Feds Struggle To Explain Redactions  NewsNation: Hefner Rape Tip about Epstein Was Ignored, Playmate Alleges Virginia: The Age and SMH Investigates Yahoo News: Jimmy Fallon jokes about Donald Trump Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com 💼 For business inquiries & sponsorship 👉 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At least 22 people connected to Jeffrey Epstein have died under either somewhat suspicious or super sketchy circumstances. Among them are Epstein himself, Ghislaine Maxwell’s father, two modeling agents, and two higher-ups at Deutsche Bank. This week, writer and comedian Ginny Hogan does her reading and brings us her research on these deaths, and explains why they deserve more scrutiny (and in some cases, why they aren’t so suspicious after all). Mentioned in this episode Politico: Jeffrey Epstein’s Death Was Supposed To Bury The Truth PBS: New Mexico Sues DOJ for Blocking Access to Unredacted Epstein Files BBC: Modeling scout linked to Epstein found dead in Paris Ginny Hogan Obey in Advance: How to Survive (and Thrive) Under Authoritarianism  Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com 💼 For business inquiries & sponsorship 👉 https://socialdb.xyz/podcast/the-epstein-files-book-club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration may be on the verge of a “second Epstein scandal” that could prove “worse” in some ways, according to this week’s guest, political journalist Brian Beutler. Brian, Elise and Jena discuss the alarming abuse of girls and women at the hands of right-wing influencers the Tate Brothers, the striking (and perhaps not well-known) similarities with the Epstein operation, and Trump world’s significant ties with both.  Mentioned in this episode Bloomberg: BofA, Chase, Deustche Bank Enable Epstein, Senator Says Santa Fe New Mexican: New Mexico AJ Sues Todd Blanche for Epstein Records The Guardian: DOJ Appears To Ignore New Mexico Deadline Business Insider: How Jeffrey Epstein’s Island Became a Nightmare for Influencers The New Yorker: Andrew Tate’s Empire of Abuse Brian Beutler’s Substack Off Message Politix podcast Call Your Reps with 5Calls Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com 💼 For business inquiries & sponsorship 👉 https://socialdb.xyz/podcast/the-epstein-files-book-club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Epstein a spy? Our guest says he didn’t need to be. Instead, investigative reporter Murtaza Hussain of Dropsite News explains how Epstein was far more powerful by using his contacts as a kind of global “fixer,” facilitating security agreements and arms sales for Israel, working with Emiratis to further their interests in Africa, establishing a backchannel between Israel and Russia during the Syrian Civil War, and more. Hussain unpacks the way Epstein was a player in a “replacement establishment” — allowing him to make end-runs around traditional governmental institutions and operate largely above the law. Mentioned in this episode Politico: Todd Blanche ‘conceded’ violating law on Epstein files Federal Judge’s ruling on DOJ violating Epstein Files Transparency Act Daily Mail: Tate Brothers party with Trump and Melania’s matchmaker WHCA Katharine Graham Award to the WSJ for Epstein reporting NYT: Profile on Karyna Shuliak Forbes: What Trump Suing BBC Could Reveal About His Finances Detroit Free Press: Sexual Abuse and Assult Investigation Underway at Interlochen JKBrown Substack: Another Epstein Recruiter Found Dead Dropsite News Murtaza Hussain on Twitter Dropsite: Epstein and Israel series Dropsite: Epstein helped sell a surveillance state to Cote d'Ivoire Dropsite: Jeffrey Epstein and the Mossad: How The Sex-Trafficker Helped Israel Build a Backchannel to Russia Amid Syrian Civil War Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you can buy a royal seal of approval — like Jeffrey Epstein did with former Prince Andrew — you get the keys to some of the most influential people in the world. In today’s crossover episode from our friends across the pond at the Disorder podcast, host Jason Pack is joined by British historian Andrew Lownie, author of the Sunday Times bestseller, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York. The pair look at what made Andrew’s personality so easily corruptible, how Andrew’s narcissism and megalomania were fueled, and why there could be more nasty revelations about what the royals have been up to yet to come. Plus, they discuss making the royal family more accountable, transparent, and better at serving the British people. Elise and Jena will be back next week. Mentioned in this episode Disorder podcast Entitled: The Rise and Fall of House of York, by Andrew Lownie Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s headlines, Todd Blanche is grilled in his Senate confirmation hearing, Goldman Sachs exec Kathy Ruemmler goes before House Oversight, and the FBI admits it made training videos to teach Epstein file redaction. Then, we zoom in on Ghislaine Maxwell, the only Epstein co-conspirator currently behind bars. In this episode, Ghislaine Maxwell documentarian Barbara Shearer explains the stunning parallels between Maxwell’s fraudster father and Jeffrey Epstein, both of whom died under mysterious circumstances, and what she believes will happen next for Epstein’s longtime shadow. Mentioned in this episode Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell Barbara Shearer’s imdb BBC: Epstein “Mistakes” and Trump Ties - Key Takeaways from Blanche Hearing New Republic: FBI Admits Training Videos Exist The Independent: Kathy Ruemmler before House Oversight The Wrap: JD Vance admits administration mishandled Epstein files release InTouch: Casey Wasserman slashes the price of his LA home CBC: Fashion mogul Peter Nygard found guilty of sexual assault in Montreal The Guardian: The Murky Life and Death of Robert Maxwell Join our Patreon community at Patreon.com/EpsteinFilesBookclub Email us anytime at eliseandjena [at] gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices