Shows
Deep Dive with ShawnDead Democracy Walking: A Farewell (w/ Dr. Sara Benesh)Send us a textWhat does it feel like to watch democracy crumble in real time? In this raw, deeply personal conversation that marks the (maybe) final episode of Deep Dive, host Shawn C. Fettig and political scientist Dr. Sara Benesh confront the terrifying reality of America's democratic collapse and our collective failure to respond.After three and a half years of weekly episodes, Fettig explains his decision to step back from punditry about how bad things are and pivot toward developing content focused on effective resistance strategies. This shift comes from a growing recognition...
2025-08-2444 min
Deep Dive with ShawnState of the Union: 2024 (w/ Drs. Sara Benesh, Edward Watts, & James Hawdon)Send us a textIt's the end of the year, and that means our annual State of the Union episode is here! In this episode, I'm joined by judicial scholar Dr. Sara Benesh, historian and expert on the fall of Rome, Dr. Edward Watts, and scholar of political violence, Dr. James Hawdon. We draw striking parallels between Rome's transition from a republic to an autocracy and the current state of American politics, and we discuss the erosion of institutional integrity, the rise of political violence, and the unsettling warning sign found in events like the January 6th...
2024-12-2953 min
Deep Dive with ShawnAre We Past the Rubicon? - After 'After America'Send us a textDeep Dive returns! In this episode we bring back a number of contributors to our recently concluded limited series - After America - and ask if they have hope for American democracy, or if we already past the Rubicon. Can American democracy survive the storm of voter disenfranchisement, misinformation, and rising authoritarianism? This episode promises not just a look at the challenges, but also a glimmer of hope for our democratic future.We explore the perennial struggle to uphold the ideals of equality and the essential role of our political institutions...
2024-09-2242 min
SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis MewhirterHermosa Open Recap: The Vibes, The Partnerships, The Play -- The Purest Beach Volleyball TournamentThe Hermosa Open was AWESOME, one of the purest beach volleyball tournaments we've been to in a long time. All good vibes from the players and fans, streamed on VBTV, fun new teams to watch -- all of it. And, we had some scintillating play, INCLUDING:
- A DOUBLE-FINAL on the women's side between Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes and Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft
- Finally a domestic win for Chase Budinger and Miles Evans, long-awaited, in a fun final against Miles Partain and Alex Ranghieri
- April Ross' final tournament as...
2024-09-0908 min
SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis MewhirterManhattan Beach Open Preview: The Return of The OlympiansWelcome back to Beach Access, where Travis Mewhirter and Kyle Friend break down, preview, and chat about all things AVP Beach Volleyball and the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. Today, we're previewing the Manhattan Beach Open, which begins with Thursday's qualifier and ends on Sunday with someone getting their name on the Pier. The big question: Who?
We chat about that and a whole lot more, including:
How will Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, and Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, rebound from a disappointing finish at the Paris Olympic Games?
Will Miles Partain and A...
2024-08-1544 min
Deep Dive with ShawnAfter America E7: Courting Disaster - Exploiting Judicial Power for Authoritarian EndsSend us a textWhat happens when a cornerstone of democracy begins to show cracks? On this episode of After America as we scrutinize the U.S. Supreme Court's transformation and its far-reaching impacts on American democracy. We trace key moments from Justice Antonin Scalia's death to the rapid confirmation of conservative justices under President Trump. This episode unpacks the historical roots of the judiciary, its intended role as an independent arbiter of justice, and the seismic shifts that have led to a 6-3 conservative supermajority.We confront the controversies marring the Supreme Court's image...
2024-08-1154 minSANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis MewhirterParis Pod: USA Volleyball continues rolling; give me double-elim or give me deathWelcome back to the Paris Pod, where Travis Mewhirter and occasionally a guest break down the Olympic volleyball action. Today we're in the Bayview Studios with producers 1 and 2, previewing the Olympic beach volleyball playoffs, where all four USA teams -- Chase Budinger and Miles Evans, Miles Partain and Andy Benesh, Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth -- have made the playoffs, and a shout-out to the indoor teams for making it to the quarterfinals as well! On this episode, Travis chats about:
Chase and Miles’ excellent performance against Australians Thomas Hodges and Zach Schubert in...
2024-08-0419 min
Deep Dive with ShawnAfter America E2: The Oppressed Majority - How the Constitution Aids AuthoritarianismSend us a textWhat if the very institutions designed to protect American democracy are now its greatest threat? In this episode, we scrutinize why Donald Trump remains a formidable candidate nearly four years later, and how key democratic norms and institutions like the rule of law, free and fair elections, and a free press are being systematically eroded. This sets the stage for the 2024 election, framing it as a critical battle between authoritarianism and democracy.We also unpack the structural weaknesses that plague American democracy today, focusing on the Senate, the Electoral College, and...
2024-07-0744 min
Deep Dive with ShawnCountdown to After America: What Extreme Shifts on the Court Mean for American Democracy with Dr. Sara BeneshSend us a text As we count down to the release of the limited series After America, we are revisiting some past episodes of Deep Dive to help lay the groundwork for this important project that will attempt to answer the question - What would it actually look like if American democracy were to fail?Dark Tales: Music by Rahul Bhardwaj from Pixabay-------------As the gears of our democracy grind toward the 2024 election, the shadow of authoritarianism looms ever larger. Dr. Sara Benesh discusses the Supreme Court's seismic shift to the ri...
2024-05-2656 min
SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis MewhirterRoad to Paris, World Champs Edition: SIX USA teams win poolThe Beach Volleyball World Championships have arrived, and we are halfway through, with six @USAVolleyball teams winning their pool: Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles, Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft, Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner, and Miles Partain and Andy Benesh. But as anyone knows: The real tournament begins Wednesday, where it's single elimination from here on forward.
ENJOY!
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We FINALLY have an alcohol sponsor, y'all! Bartender In A Box is here. SANDCAST and Bartender in a Box invite you and 12 of your friends to...
2023-10-1006 min
SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis MewhirterBeach Volleyball Mailbag: What’s up with the AVP’s streaming? Can anyone stop Benesh and Partain? Is Klineman coming back?What’s up with the AVP’s streaming? Is Alix Klineman making a run at the Olympics? Are Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes on a slump? (if so, I’d like to slump like them). Can ANYONE stop Miles Partain and Andy Benesh?
These are but a small sampling of the questions we tackled on this week’s SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball With Tri Bourne and Travis Mewhirter, as well as Savvy Simo. AVP Atlanta seemed to be a tipping point for the fans, as more than 60 percent of our record-setting number of questions was on the AVP streamin...
2023-08-161h 22
SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis MewhirterRoad to Paris No. 10: Bend the Knee to Mel and Brandie -- the real Queens of CanadaMelissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson should be crowned the real queens of Canada after their GOLD MEDAL at home in the Montreal Elite16. They were phenomenal all weekend long, surviving one three-setter after another – against Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, Xinyi Xia and Chen Xue, Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles – to win their second gold of the season. On this episode of The Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the beach volleyball Olympic race, we cover that, as well as:
How Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles jumped up to No. 7 in the...
2023-08-0128 minDeep Dive with ShawnSara Benesh: SCOTUS 2023 (The End of Equal Dignity)Send us a textThe Supreme Court ended its most recent term on June 30th and it was another blockbuster term. The Court made some surprising and some not-so surprising decisions. It upheld precedent in some places and smashed it in others. While this new Court is still trying to figure out its character, the past two terms have made it pretty clear that this is a conservative majority that intends to reinterpret our long-held understanding of some important constitutional principles and in doing so, reshape the legal, social, and political landscape in the United States.
2023-07-1447 min
SANDCAST: Beach Volleyball with Tri Bourne and Travis MewhirterRoad to Paris No. 8: ’Americans don’t take well to losing’This is episode No. 8 of The Road to Paris, where Travis Mewhirter breaks down the race to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. This episode follows the @volleyballworld Gstaad Elite16, where Andy Benesh and Miles Partain just won perhaps the most significant gold medal since Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser won gold at the Beijing Olympic Games. That's not all, either: Twice, they topped Anders Mol and Christian Sorum. Meanwhile...
- Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes took another silver medal and a cowbell
- Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth won bronze
- Germans Cinja Tillman an...
2023-07-1122 minDeep Dive with ShawnAnn Thomas - Transgender Talent (And, then a trip to Judicialville)Send us a textIn the first part of this episode, I'm talking to Ann Thomas – founder, CEO, and manager of Transgender Talent – an independent production company and talent management for trans performers and artists. We talk about the entertainment industry, how its changed (and in some ways how it hasn’t), challenges that trans performers and artists experience in the industry, how trans artists can navigate an increasingly dangerous political environment, why it's important to support these artists, and how you can do that. Then I’m talking to friend of the pod, Dr. Sara Bene...
2023-04-141h 12Deep Dive with Shawn2022 State of the UnionSend us a textI’ve had a hard time characterizing this past year – has it been uniformly dire? No – there have been some promising signs. The midterms were a disaster for Republicans. They took the House, but by a vanishingly small margin and they were unable to flip the Senate. Election deniers up and down the ticket lost their elections (although some did win), and abortion-rights movements had a strong showing across the country after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Additionally, the Respect for Marriage Act, enshrining the right to marriage for same-sex and bi-rac...
2022-12-231h 06Deep Dive with ShawnSara Benesh - SCOTUS Lays Waste to AmericaSend us a text**This episode was recorded September 29th - four days before the Court began it's 2022-23 term.The United States Supreme Court began its new term on October 3rd, and judging on the cases that the Court has accepted for review, this term looks to be every bit as controversial and consequential, if not more so, than last term. On the docket this term includes cases that could dramatically impact things like affirmative action programming, voting protections, the ability of a state to regulate industries beyond its own borders, and if the...
2022-10-1453 minDeep Dive with ShawnGreatest Hit - Sara Benesh: Everything Is Made Up (and is Roe in Danger with this Supreme Court?)Send us a textWhile Deep Dive is on break between seasons, here's a Greatest Hit from Season One to enjoy! This is the premiere episode of Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig and was originally released on May 29, 2002. -----Welcome to the premiere of Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig. For this week only, two episodes will release - one today and one Friday, June 3. After this week, a new episode will release each Friday morning.In this premiere episode, I'm talking to my friend, Dr. Sara Benesh , a judicial scholar and...
2022-09-091h 00Deep Dive with ShawnSara Benesh: Welcome to Gilead (We Had a Good Run)Send us a text**Note - I apologize for some audio quality issues at certain spots in this recording. But, it's surviveable!**Welcome to a bonus episode of Deep Dive! Dr. Sara Benesh (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) returns to do a post-mortem on constitutional law following the end of the Supreme Court's 2021 term. We discuss the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the limiting of states' ability to regulate guns and the administration's ability to combat climate change. We talk about the new test the Court has developed to determine the constitutionality of laws and policies and...
2022-07-051h 08Deep Dive with ShawnSara Benesh: Everything Is Made Up (and is Roe in Danger with this Supreme Court?)Send us a textWelcome to the premiere of Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig. For this week only, two episodes will release - one today and one Friday, June 3. After this week, a new episode will release each Friday morning.In this premiere episode, I'm talking to my friend, Dr. Sara Benesh , a judicial scholar and professor at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, about the United States Supreme Court - its legitimacy and what we might expect if it starts issuing a slew of controversial decisions that overturn established precedent. With the leaked...
2022-05-291h 00
2021-12-0103 min
TatterEpisode 61: Legitimate Authority (w/ Sara Benesh)ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Many people discuss the public's trust in, and willingness to accord legitimacy to, U.S. courts, especially the Supreme Court. But why does that trust and legitimacy matter? What factors determine it? How might recent Republican maneuvering affect legitimacy, including maneuvering that has recently resulted in the confirmation of President Trump's third Supreme Court nomineee? What might be the impact of Democrats' increasing the number of seats on the Supreme Court? How might race matter for any of these questions? I discuss such questions with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee political scientist Sara Benesh.
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2020-10-3032 min