Alyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry

Our guest this week is Jill Twiss. Jill is a former writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, where she won Emmy and Peabody awards and wrote “A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo.” She’s the author of the new children’s book about voting called “Everyone Gets a Say.”
About Everyone Gets a Say:
Don't miss this picture book about voting from the #1 New York Times bestselling team behind Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents: A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo and The Someone New.

Pudding the snail and his friends can’t seem to agree on anything. Whatever Jitterbug the chipmunk wants, Geezer the goose does not. Whatever Toast the butterfly wants, Duffles and Nudge the otters are absolutely against. And if somehow Toast and Duffles and Jitterbug and Nudge all agree on something, then Geezer is not having it.

So when Toast suggests they need a leader, the friends try to figure out the best way to pick someone to be in charge. Should that someone be the fastest? The fluffiest? The squishiest? Or can Pudding show his friends that there just might be a way where everyone gets a say?

In this follow-up to The Someone New, Jill Twiss and EG Keller cleverly underscore the importance of speaking up and using your voice.

Sex is the elephant in the room that most people can’t stop thinking about but also which most of us have no good language to discuss. We hide it, or we flaunt it, and far too many learn from porn, which is so rarely a good teacher about good sex.

We owe it to ourselves to be better. We deserve the ability to talk about sex without hiding from it, to have clear and honest discussions of what we want—assuming those conversations are with partners who also want to have these discussions and not just women you happen to see on the internet—and find shameless ways to realize those desires.
Our guest this week is Dr. Nan Wise. Nan is a neuroscientist and sex therapist, and author of the book “Why Good Sex Matters.” It’s such an important discussion, but be aware that it does contain frank conversation about sex and sexual trauma, and listeners should use their own discretion. Additionally, this episode focuses on sex and sexual pleasure and as such does not specifically discuss asexuality. We see, support and acknowledge our Ace listeners. To learn more about Asexuality, visit the Trevor Project.

In the view of this podcast, the National Rifle Association is one of the most evil organizations in America. Through its financial influence, it’s allowed the wholesale slaughter of 40,000 Americans a year so that its funders can keep making money. But things are not all rosy at the NRA, and we’ve asked Tim Mak, NPR’s Washington Investigative Correspondent and author of the new book “Misfire: Inside the Downfall of the NRA” to join us to discuss.
Praise For Misfire: Inside The Downfall Of The NRA...

“From the reporter who broke the story of the NRA-Russia connection, Misfire is a searching expose of the corruption and crookedness that pushed the NRA itself into ruin. The nonstop revelations are told with gripping detail and intimate insider knowledge.”—David Frum, Staff Writer at The Atlantic and New York Times bestselling author of Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic
“To tell the story of the NRA is to reveal how a political power has defined, for much of the last century, how we live and how we die in America. Misfire is among the most important works documenting this era in American history, a story of ideology and unbelievable scandal, corruption, and rot. Tim Mak has given us the definitive account of the NRA—deeply and meticulously reported, colorfully and precisely written.”—Olivia Nuzzi, Washington Correspondent at New York magazine
“Tim Mak has written the definitive book on the fall of the NRA. It’s fun, packed with insider reporting, and authoritative. Unbiased but unforgiving, this book is one of the most enjoyable reads imaginable for a topic you don’t normally associate with page-turners: the confluence of political lobbying, financial mismanagement, and organizational corruption. You will devour this book.”—Matt Fuller, Politics Editor at The Daily Beast
“Tim Mak has been at the forefront of the NRA story for years now. He has broken numerous exclusive stories that provide insight into the group's infighting and the impact on their finances. His reporting is invaluable to anyone from any political perspective who simply wants to know the truth about what's going on inside the National Rifle Association.”—Stephen Gutowski, former Staff Writer at the Washington Free Beacon and Founder of The Reload
“Tim Mak has written the defining story of America's most powerful lobbying organization. It is investigative journalism at its best. His reporting is tenacious, careful and incisive. Read this book.”—Jonathan Swan, National Political Correspondent at Axios

For a special episode of Sorry Not Sorry, Alyssa Milano leaves the host's microphone and takes the guest chair to discuss her new book "Sorry Not Sorry," which releases October 26th. She discusses the process of writing, her life as an activist, her family, and her recent trip to Washington DC to advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Praise for Sorry Not Sorry
“Actor Milano puts her political activism center stage in these resonant and hopeful essays that grapple with systemic racism, abortion rights, #MeToo, and living through the pandemic... Milano’s writing is compassionate, direct, and sincere. Her fans are in for a treat.”—Publishers Weekly
“[Alyssa Milano] is earnest and edgy... as she shares sharp observations, impassioned pleas, and tough assessments on the current state of American society. Readers interested in discussing contemporary issues will find much to agree (or disagree) with in this engaging and provocative volume.”—Booklist
“In this book, Alyssa Milano demonstrates the importance of using your platform—no matter how big or small—to shape social change unapologetically, without fear of backlash.”
—Gabrielle Union, New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine
“You may know Alyssa Milano for her public acts of bravery and compassion, but in these essays, her personal example helps each of us to become braver and more effective, too. Read Sorry, Not Sorry and find a friend.”
—Gloria Steinem
“These essays capture the American spirit at its best—bold, patriotic, progressive, and honest. In difficult times, they were a pleasure to read.”
—Speaker Nancy Pelosi
“Alyssa Milano is a real fighter, a caring person and passionate advocate who has helped move the needle on so many progressive issues that matter to our democracy and America.”
—Chuck Schumer
“Honest, incisive, funny, real and all too human, Sorry Not Sorry gives you insight into what it means to be both an artist and activist in today’s America.”
—Andrew Yang

“Honest, unsparing, and at times humorous self reflection that gets at where we are and what we’ve been through together.”
—Beto O’Rourke
“This book is an unflinching and self-aware look into the life of one of the most visible progressives in America. Everyone who cares about this country should read it.”
—Ro Khanna, member of Congress
“Alyssa Milano is smart, thoughtful, leader who leads with courage, sincerity, and love. Her essays offer critical insights and important solutions to many of the formidable issues of our time, providing a pathway for us to come together and navigate through our country’s greatest challenges.”
—Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State
“Alyssa Milano is an actress, activist, and great patriot, whose love of country shines through her book, Sorry Not Sorry. Part memoir, part call to action, Milano delivers critical insights and lessons on life, politics, family and country, and always with humor and passion. In vivid prose, she invites the reader into her heart and home, and gives us a keen sense of what drives her advocacy. Alyssa has been a fearless champion for people, and it’s no surprise that her book is an unsparing look at the fights of the last decade, and the present struggle to save our democracy.”
—Adam Schiff

The past several years shocked both our national and global economies. As the government undertakes massive spending programs to counteract the damage, the national debt, the deficit, and inflation have become issues of national debate. We’ve invited Stephanie Kelton, author of The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People's Economy to take us behind the rhetoric and make the case for a different way of looking at the way we raise and spend money at the federal level.