The Um, Sir Podcast

Congress is investigating the Super Bowl halftime show (because priorities), the Epstein files are still a mess, and somehow Dr. Oz wants us to trust him again. Cool, cool.

This week, Emily, Samie, and special guest Cindy Goble (elections queen, law degree holder, civic enthusiast) break down the Grammys fashion chaos, Bad Bunny’s culture-shifting halftime show, Jake Paul’s colonizer nonsense, and why Republicans are ma...

Um, Sir: Part Two picks up an unfiltered, wide-ranging conversation with Ryan Johnson that dives headfirst into immigration, ICE, labor exploitation, and who actually benefits from the system as it exists. From a blue-collar truck driver’s perspective, the hosts unpack why employer accountability (not worker punishment) is the missing piece in the immigration debate, drawing clear lines between labor trafficking, modern-da...

Um, Sir… why is everything terrible, radioactive, and somehow still about bathrooms?

Emily and Samie are joined by Ryan Johnson, a veteran truck driver and Teamster, to unpack how trucking, labor rights, and basic human dignity collide. Ryan breaks down how trucking is structured to reward long hours, unpaid waiting time, and “pay by the mile” systems that leave workers absorbing all the risk — including the fight t...

This week on Um, Sir, Emily and Samie are joined by veteran educator Steve Cross for a wide-ranging conversation that connects everyday chaos to the very real stakes of public education. From teaching middle school and surviving ninth graders to Caribbean travel detours and student protests, they manage to discuss it all. 

Listen as they attempt to break down school levies and bonds, share how property taxes actually fu...

Emily walks Ashley (and all of us) through how a bill actually becomes law in Washington. Spoiler: it’s messy, slow, and absolutely designed to kill your idea. Using the fictional Rhythm Reduction Act (RIP dancing), they break down committees, sponsors, lobbyists, hearings, caucuses, companion bills, and why a 60-day session turns everyone feral. Along the way: dinosaurs, pickleball, Bic pens, why the minority party contro...

In this messy New Year’s edition of Um, Sir Podcast, Emily holds down the mic solo and rings in the new year with Everett real estate powerhouse Ashley Bolden for a raw, wide-ranging conversation that spirals exactly where it needs to. From Costco sticker shock and the true cost of living, to housing affordability, civil liberties, nihilism vs. hope, and whether West Virginia is a secret real-estate opportunity or an absol...

Keith Macaulay joins Emily in Everett for a wide-ranging, slightly unhinged (in a good way) conversation about sports, money, vibes, and why fan culture actually matters. From soccer chants and Mariners loyalty to NIL chaos, stadium politics, FIFA corruption, and the economics behind who wins (and who tanks), this episode connects the dots between sports, power, and civic life with strong opinions, petty moments, and plent...

Emily is joined by Washington State Rep. Julio Cortes for an Um, Civics crash course on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, what it means for Everett and Washington State, and how government actually prepares for global events. They also dig into banning masked law enforcement interactions, protecting immigrant families, fixing Washington’s upside-down tax code, and what to expect from a tough legislative session ahead. Civics, but m...

This week on Um, Sir, we’re joined by Matt Hansen, EOS implementer, mountain enthusiast, inventor with nine patents, and a genuinely thoughtful guide to how systems actually work. We talk Cascades hikes, Patagonia’s values vs. capitalism tension, Washington’s upcoming tax fights, and what it really takes to build something with intention. Matt helps us connect business frameworks to civic life, while we ask the eternal que...

This week on Um, Sir, the world is still on fire, and Trump, tariffs, tire factories, and meat mail all made the same episode. Samie and Emily kick things off with Trump spending Thanksgiving tossing around the R-word like a stale dinner roll, while simultaneously dismantling the Department of Education like it’s a Black Friday doorbuster.  

Meanwhile, Boy Scouts and immigrant truckers are suddenly on the GOP’s hit list...

Emily returns from Arizona with a suitcase full of political chaos and sunscreen residue, and Samie settles in to hear all about it. From right-to-work headaches to a legislature held together by vibes, Emily breaks down Arizona’s wild policy landscape, including their billion-dollar school voucher fiasco (yes, someone bought lingerie with public education money).

They also reintroduce themselves to new listeners, one r...

RELEASE THE FILES! Wait… WHAT?!

Emily and Samie break down a wild week in politics and life. From MTG’s surprise resignation to the newly released Epstein emails implicating major political players. They roast Trump’s fantasy “$2,000 tariff checks,” dive into hidden million-dollar payouts for GOP senators, and react to a federal move letting foster parents misgender kids. Between political chaos, cadaver dogs in Snohomish, ...

Democrats crushed Election Night, and Emily and the Sams break down the biggest wins, from Mamdani’s historic New York victory to major flips in Virginia, New Jersey, and beyond. They delve into why margins were so large, how national politics influenced local races, and what the data nerds were tracking in real-time.

The crew also tackles the controversial “Deciding to Win” memo, debating whether Democrats should ever “mod...

This week on The Um, Sir Podcast, Emily and Samie welcome their first-ever guest, Sam from Curmudgeon’s Corner, for a dive into the week’s chaos: GOP youth leaders caught sharing racist “jokes,” millions losing food benefits thanks to Trump’s shutdown, and DoorDash stepping in as America’s new hunger relief program (yikes).

They rant about medical debt, healthcare scams, and a Supreme Court juggling guns, weed, and voti...

Emily and Samie celebrate Election Day with their trademark mix of humor and real-talk civics. From ballot tracking and signature checks to how votes are counted and why write-ins cost money, they break down Washington’s election process in plain language.

The episode also touches on local races, the “No Kings” rally, and how to turn protest energy into real action. Join the sass, laughs, and side-eye for bad candidates. It...

Emily and Samie tackle the week’s chaos. From Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show and Turning Point USA’s (TPUSA!) cringey “All-American Halftime” response to Epstein file drama, RFK Jr.’s latest circum-science, and the Pentagon’s new press restrictions.

They roast Kid Rock’s creepy lyrics, mock performative patriotism, and expose Trump’s failing D.C. hotel grift — all while calling out America’s addiction to lies and powe...

In this Um, Civics episode, Emily and Samie take a haunting journey through the history (and modern echoes) of witch hunts, from 1600s Sweden to 1990s Wenatchee, Washington.

They unpack Mona Chollet’s “In Defense of Witches”, dive into the Torsåker Witch Trials, and draw uncomfortable parallels between centuries-old misogyny and how society still punishes women for independence, ambition, aging, or simply existing outside t...

Samie (with Emily’s help) roasts RFK Jr.’s promise to “cure autism” by banning Tylenol (🙄), breaks down what’s actually true about acetaminophen and pregnancy, and reminds everyone that correlation ≠ causation.

They dive into the wild history of autism diagnoses, drag the government for threatening WIC funding and the shutdown, and give side-eye to voter ID laws designed to harm women and trans voters.

California’s “secret ...

In this, Um, Civics lesson, Emily and Samie deliver a crash course in democracy, local gossip, and feminist rage, starting with a troll who accidentally inspired a civics lesson on misogyny and city budgets. From Bob Ferguson’s cat influencer to suffragist ghosts and Pete Buttigieg, the episode reminds us that politics is everywhere, whether we like it or not.

The takeaway? Register to vote, and do something useful, say “st...