Today’s pod is a Candid Conversation with acclaimed writer Julie Kohler, host of award winning White Picket Fence podcast which focuses on how suburban women have become some of the most contested political actors. Over three seasons, the podcast has examined the social disruptions that have pushed a political realignment among women. I’m having Julie on today to discuss how  motherhood itself is being weaponized for political gain. In the name of “protecting children” and “parental rights” this particular group has been manipulated to advance the darkest of political agendas. You can see the efforts of this work on our school boards, with school choice, anti-CRT laws and anti-LGBTQ laws. It’s the ugly underbelly of what should be a positive group looking out for what’s best for children but who are, in reality, using their seemingly innocent identity to truly undermine people’s rights.  Guest social: https://www.juliekkohler.com/ Twitter: @juliekkohler1 Insta: juliekohlerwrites Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl   No Sponsor Today because I want you to send your money or spend your time on the Wisconsin Supreme Court Race instead! https://wisdems.org/

Today’s pod is a Candid Conversation with the Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass. On day one the newly elected mayor declared a State of Emergency in LA  to deal with the crisis of the unhoused, and 100 days in she’s tackling the problem with the urgency it deserves, and the heart and humility of a new kind of leader. So far the program, which is aligning every level of government, is truly making a difference, and if the second biggest city in America can pull it off, these are programs that can be rolled out across the country. Successful policies are contagious. Whether those are negative policies like abortion bans or trans bans, or positive programs like dealing with homelessness or expanded school lunch programs, once they’re working they can spread. That’s why it’s essential we put the right leaders, with the right values, in positions of power.  Guest social: https://mayor.lacity.gov/ Twitter: @MayorOfLA Insta: mayorofla Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward!   All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl   Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.lomi.com/politicsgirl PromoCode: PoliticsGirl

Today’s pod is a Candid Conversation with US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. We’ll talk what to look forward to as the Infrastructure & Jobs Act comes to our towns and cities, what we should be paying attention to after the recent train derailment in East Palestine, and we’ll get a little insight on how Secretary Buttigieg is able to handle all the disinformation and spin thrown at him, and what we take from his innate skill to bring into own lives. Guest social: https://www.transportation.gov/meet-secretary/secretary-pete-buttigieg Twitter: @SecretaryPete | @PeteButtigieg Insta: pete.buttigieg Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.lomi.com/politicsgirl PromoCode: PoliticsGirl

Today’s pod is part of a new series called Road to 24 where we will deal with the issues, organizations and candidates who are working to push our country in the direction of democracy and away from the encroaching threat of authoritarianism. This series will include action items to help keep our country on a progressive path and away from the regressive road many would force us down. Today’s guest is Congressman Ruben Gallego, the Democrat running to replace the newly independent Kyrsten Sinema in the US Senate. With such a slim majority, losing Arizona isn’t an option, and with Democrats defending twice as many Senate seats as Republicans in 24, protecting our slim majority hinges on his state. I’m having Ruben on early because Sinema hasn’t publicly declared if she’s running, and I’d like to make him such a viable candidate, that she starts thinking maybe it’s not in her best interest to even run. Ruben is a Marine combat vet, a 5 term Congressman and a strong latino contender who can connect with the working class American and represent the freedom, fairness and values of the Democratic party. Winning 2024 will take all of us. We start protecting democracy today.   Guest social: https://gallegoforarizona.com/ https://rubengallego.house.gov/ Twitter: @RubenGallego @RepRubenGallego Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward!   All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl   Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.athleticgreens.com/politicsgirl

For the most part, the war in Ukraine is not really on people’s radar anymore. It sits somewhere in the periphery, far away and confusing. It doesn't affect many of us directly so we’ve kinda checked out, which leaves us susceptible to misinformation, lies and even Russian propaganda. But what’s happening with this war isn’t just about what happens to the good people of Ukraine, it’s about what happens to our world. Who wins this war will set the tone for our entire geopolitical landscape. Will we live on a planet where “might means right” and an autocratic country can simply invade a democracy, destroy their economy and commit genocide and we do nothing? Or do we live in a world where there are consequences for this kind of horror? Is democracy strong enough to prevail or are we heading to a future where dictators simply take what they want? You want to know what’s going on because ultimately, it will affect you. This podcast is one year of information compressed into less than one hour of your time. Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward!   All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl   Thank you to today’s sponsor! www.thrivecausemetics.com/politicsgirl

Reality is crashing in for all Americans whose identity has been based on a false origin story. As we learn more about how things really were, the less some people want to know, and the more angry they feel that they’re being forced to know it. Join me and Matthew Cooke, filmmaker, writer and viral social media storyteller, as we talk about what’s going on these days in the good ol’ US of A, and we discuss his new podcast ‘American Origin Stories’ that covers the true narratives that shape our collective reality. So many of us don’t know our real history, and with education and critical thought under increasing attack, these lessons into our past couldn’t come at a better time. Guest social: https://www.matthewcooke.com/ Twitter: @thematthewcooke Insta: @matthewcookeofficial YouTube: @MatthewCookeOfficial Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward!   All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl   Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.greenchef.com/PoliticsGirl60 Promo code: PoliticsGirl60 www.littlespoon.com Promo Code: PoliticsGirl

The Wisconsin Supreme Court election on April 4th is THE most important election of 2023. This election will decide everything from if abortion is outlawed in the state, to if the gerrymander that has turned Wisconsin into a one party state is allowed to stand, to whether this ultimate swing state is allowed to send electors to Washington who didn’t win the popular vote, potentially swinging the 2024 Presidential Election to Republicans even if the Democrats win. Democracy itself is literally on the line with this election, not just in Wisconsin but for the entire nation. To get you fired up and passionate about this game changing moment in time, I’m talking to Ben Wikler, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin who not only knows everything about Wisconsin politics, but he knows how to win even when it seems the game is rigged against him. If you want to live in a country with a functioning democracy, there is nothing more important for you to be paying attention to right now that this one special election.  Guest social: https://wisdems.org/ ActBlue for the Election: wisdems.org/donate wisdems.org/volunteer Twitter: @WisDems @benwikler Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@benwikler Post: post.news/benwikler Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward!   All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.lomi.com/politicsgirl Code: PoliticsGirl

Today we are joined by National Climate Advisor, Ali Zaidi, who leads the White House Climate Policy Office to talk about all the positive climate initiatives we can look forward to thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. This legislation isn’t one step forward, it’s a giant leap into the future, and not just good for the planet, but good for our pocketbooks. For too long people have believed that the choice comes down to the planet OR the economy, but that’s not the case. Helping the environment, securing our future on this planet, can also be an absolute boon to our country's financial health, and it sets America once again on the path to be a world leader in innovation and opportunity. As we discover in this conversation, the story of the climate doesn’t have to be one of doom & gloom, but can really be one of possibility & hope. As Ali says, “This isn’t theoretical. The IRA matters IRL.” It’s not just policy. It’s our future. Guest social: White House: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ Twitter: @alizaidi46 Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.athleticgreens.com/politicsgirl

Today we are joined by American political journalist and author, David Corn. David is the Washington DC bureau chief for Mother Jones Magazine, a major cable news commentator, analyst for MSNBC, and best-selling author of a slew of books about American politics including the one we’ll be discussing today “American Psychosis: A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy”. According to David’s research, the insanity currently going on with the GOP is not so much a departure from the norms, as a logical conclusion of an established pattern. Since the 1950’s, the Republicans have knowingly encouraged and exploited extremism, bigotry, and paranoia to retain or gain power. As one review put it, “American Psychosis is a sobering look at the ideological destruction, born of cynicism and opportunism, of a once principled party.” Guest social: David Corn Books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=david+corn+books&i=audible&crid=1K6H03Z77Z53C&sprefix=david+corn+book%2Caudible%2C145&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 Our Land Newsletter: https://www.motherjones.com/topics/our-land/ Twitter: @DavidCornDC Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.littlespoon.com Promo Code: PoliticsGirl

We are joined today by Dahlia Lithwick, the brilliant award winning journalist who’s been writing about the Supreme Court for over 20 years, to get her take on where this increasingly compromised court is taking us and what we can do if we don’t want to go. Author of “Lady Justice: Women, the Law and the Battle to Save America” Lithwick reminds us that for every big name hero we hope will save us, there are 100 unnamed people working behind the scenes making a difference, and we can be one of them. It’s tempting to see everything through the lens of politics in America, but we also have to look at it through the lens of the law, of organization and of inspiration. The Supreme Court clearly needs reform, our electoral system needs reimagining, our voting rights require protection, and everyone should choosing something to focus on to make it happen.  Guest social: Lady Justice: https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Justice-Women-Battle-America/dp/0525561382 Slate: https://slate.com/author/dahlia-lithwick Twitter: @Dahlialithwick Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward!   All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl   Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.greenchef.com/politicsgirl60 Promo Code: PoliticsGirl60

Author of “White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America” Professor Anthea Butler is one of the foremost experts on Christian nationalism. We discuss how evangelical racism, propelled by the benefits of whiteness, is attempting to take over our government and our country. That Christianity is being systematically weaponized in a quest for power and control, and that Christian nationalism, the kind we see in places like Hungary, with its top down control and “traditional values”, is not only on the rise in America but already in positions of the highest power. This conversation is a reminder for all of us, who believe in a true multi-cultural, pluralistic democracy with freedom and justice for ALL, that we must insist on the separation of church and state and recognize that without our efforts, we will end up losing a war we didn’t even know we were in. Guest social: White Evangelical Racism Book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/white-evangelical-racism-the-politics-of-morality-in-america-anthea-butler/15267034?ean=9781469661179 Twitter: @AntheaButler Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward!   All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl   Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.lomi.com/politicsgirl Promo Code: PoliticsGirl www.littlespoon.com Promo Code: PoliticsGirl

It’s hard not to be cynical about American politics and the American experiment with all that’s going on, but the truth of the matter is we have tremendous leadership right now. The country is doing extremely well. Legislation that became law over the past two years is set to become tangible reality in the next two. Yes, we are looking at an increasingly undemocratic Republican Party who can’t even compromise with itself long enough to get their speaker elected, but we’re also looking at competent, fresh new leadership to counter them, along with new factories, new jobs, new infrastructure. We’re looking at lower drug prices and major corporations paying taxes for the first time. We’re going to have universal broadband for all our citizens, gun legislation and climate protections. Yes, it’ll be an uphill battle to fight back these authoritarian extremists, especially since they now have power, but that’s just hard, not impossible, and with the right leadership and the right attitude, I think we got this.  Guest social: Website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ Twitter: @PressSec Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward!   All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl   Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.athleticgreens.com/PoliticsGirl www.thrivecausemetics.com/politicsgirl

This is our last episode before the break, and I can’t imagine closing out the year without a dedicated conversation about democracy, so today’s pod is a Candid Conversation with democracy’s super lawyer Marc Elias. Marc is an American Democratic Party elections lawyer who served as general counsel for the Hillary Clinton and John Kerry presidential campaigns, and is the founder of the Elias Law Group who oversaw the state by state response to the 60+ Trump campaign lawsuits contesting the 2020 presidential election, where he won all but one minor case, which was later overturned in his favor. It is Marc and the Elias Group who, as the Republicans and their allies turn their attention to using litigation as a weapon against democracy, have been at the front line fighting back. This is a wonderful and inspiring episode with a wonderful and inspiring man. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Holidays! See you in the New Year! Guest social: Websites: https://www.elias.law/ https://www.democracydocket.com/ New Podcast: Defending Democracy Available anywhere you get your pods https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/goodbye-2022-hello-2023/id1660317917?i=1000590439797 Twitter: @marceelias @DemocracyDocket Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.athleticgreens.com/PoliticsGirl www.Bombas.com/PoliticsGirl Promo code: PoliticsGirl www.TryMiracle.com/politicsgirl If You Laugh, I’m Starting this Book Over https://www.amazon.com/Laugh-Starting-This-Book-Over/dp/0316424889/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9J1Y4G0IGRWD&keywords=if+you+laugh+i'm+starting+this+book+over&qid=1671472287&sprefix=If+you+lau,aps,260&sr=8-1

As we go into the holiday season, join me and the amazing Dr. Allison Gill, founder and CEO of MSW Media as we discuss where we are in America right now, so we’re able to go into our seasonal gatherings armed with the facts. Allison is the host of the, now infamous, Mueller She Wrote podcast, which broke down the minutia of the Mueller investigation and ended up getting her fired from her job at the Department of Veteran Affairs because the truth made President Trump mad. She’s the co-host of Cleanup on Aisle 45, where she and Andrew Torrez report on the Justice Department & Intelligence Agencies as they rebuild after the damage caused by the Trump Administration. She’s the host of the Daily Beans, the amazing daily news podcast, and her newest show Jack just launched, where she and former Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, document the actions of the new special council Jack Smith and his ongoing DOJ investigations into Trump’s many crimes. Allison is one of those people who knows everything about everything, and I thought she was the perfect person to give us all a little perspective and insight as we come to the end of the year. Guest social: Website: https://mswmedia.com/ Podcast: The Daily Beans https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily-beans/id1473747182 Clean Up on Aisle 45 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily-beans/id1473747182 Jack https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jack/id1317481380 Mueller She Wrote: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily-beans/id1473747182 Twitter: @MuellerSheWrote @allisongill @dailybeanspod Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.athleticgreens.com/PoliticsGirl www.nutrafol.com Promo code: PoliticsGirl www.thrivecausemetics.com/politicsgirl www.uncommongoods.com/politicsgirl

Join me and brilliant Georgetown history professor, author of Democracy Americana and host of the ’Is This Democracy’ podcast as we discuss where democracy is in America post the 2022 midterms. The Declaration of Independence might talk about a country where all men are created equal, but if we’re honest with ourselves, that’s not what everyone wants. History tells us there are those, an entire party in fact, who’d prefer to have a certain group in charge and know they don’t need the majority to achieve it. They simply need to convince enough people in the center that their worldview is better than what the left is offering and we could find ourselves in permanent minority rule. The truth of the matter is, our country is incredibly divided, and it’s up to us, every single one of us, to decide which way we want to go. There’s no middle ground left, no more excuses to be made, people must choose.  Guest social: Website: https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/0033600001q9V3MAAU/thomas-zimmer Podcast: Is This Democracy https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/is-this-democracy/id1652741954 Substack: Democracy Americana https://thomaszimmer.substack.com/ Twitter: @tzimmer_history Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl   Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.thrivecausemetics.com/politicsgirl www.bombas.com/politicsgirl Code: PoliticsGirl www.lomi.com/politicsgirl www.uncommongoods.com/politicsgirl

Join brilliant political analyst, expert, and author David Rothkopf as we discuss his new book, American Resistance: The Inside Story of How the Deep State Saved the Nation, about how a host of government officials worked together to keep our dangerous, unhinged, ill prepared president, and his enablers, from doing irreparable damage to the US, our allies, and the planet as a whole. There are a lot of unsung heroes of the Trump presidency and many of them are faceless bureaucrats, military, even some civilians, who did everything they could to help preserve democracy during the greatest constitutional crisis the country has faced since the civil war. And now…apparently we’re thinking of doing it all again? What are we thinking?! Let’s find out!   Guest social:  The Rothkopf Group: https://trgmedia.com  Deep State Radio:https://pod.link/1245002955 Twitter: @djrothkopf Amazon for books:https://www.amazon.com/David-J.-Rothkopf/e/B001H6O2A0%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl   Don’t forget to send questions via email, video or audio for the ASK PG Episode to: ask@politicsgirl.com   Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.athleticgreens.com/politicsgirl

In the wake of the horrific shooting at Club Q in Colorado, it’s time we bring humanity back into the conversation, because hate is literally killing people. Join me and Broadway & Television superstar Alexandra Billings, as we discuss the Trans experience, the best way to be an ally, and remind everyone that the world is better when we make room for all of us. Despite the tragedies unfolding every day, this episode is the opposite of a downer. It’s an absolutely delightful, entertaining, and eye opening conversation with the most generous woman. I really can’t recommend this conversation highly enough. Guest social: Instagram: @therealalexandrabillings TikTok: @therealalexandrabillings Amazon books: This Time For Me - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=alexandra+billings&i=stripbooks&crid=3R1XLLDLCC94W&sprefix=alexandra+billings%2Cstripbooks%2C153&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.lomi.com/politicsgirl Promo Code: PoliticsGirl

Ron Klain joins us for the post-midterm wrap up. Though not all the results are in, we do know that Democrats will hold the Senate, no election deniers will be in charge of elections, that Democrats have gained governorships and made headway in state houses and the power of hate and division might be on the wain. However, it shakes out, the midterms were a good day for democracy. We might be in for a contentious 2 years, but then again, aren’t we used to that by now? The bottom line is people took this election as their opportunity to register their distaste for extremism, election denialism and political violence. They came out to vote for human rights and bodily autonomy and a properly functioning government. If the country is sick, these elections feels a bit like a fever break. Are we out of the woods? Not by a long shot, but we live to fight another day and should be damn proud of our efforts.  Guest social: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ Twitter: @WHCOS YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiteHouse Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward!   All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.aspiration.com/tree www.nutrafol.com Promo code: PoliticsGirl

No matter which way election day goes, there will be a tomorrow, so what happens next? Join me for a candid conversation with Thom Hartmann, #1 Progressive Radio Host and New York Times bestselling author of 25 books. I’m having Thom on today because he’s one of the smartest people I know, and no matter how this all shakes out, and I believe it will go the right way, we will still have a lot of work to do to heal what ails this country. Join Thom and me as we start to break down the issues that lie ahead, because we can only solve problems if we understand them. Guest social: https://www.thomhartmann.com/ The Hartmann Report: https://hartmannreport.com/ Twitter:@Thom_Hartmann Amazon books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=thom+hartmann+books&crid=3K4V9MX81WSF0&sprefix=thom+har%2Caps%2C177&ref=nb_sb_ss_pltr-ranker-20mins_1_8 Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl Thank you to today’s sponsors! www.lomi.com/politicsgirl Promo Code: PoliticsGirl www.athleticgreens.com/politicsgirl

This is the last episode before the midterms. I’ll be back to the regular schedule and topics starting next week but I want to thank everyone for sticking with me through the season and the Candidate Conversations. I hope you are going into this election knowing you left it all on the floor. No matter which way this goes, there will be a tomorrow and an America to fight for but boy, would it be great if it went democracy’s way. Last 3 days my friends! Make them count! Please RATE and SUBSCRIBE so we can grow the show, open the dialogue, and inspire change moving forward! All show links here!: https://linktr.ee/politicsgirl The PoliticsGirl Podcast is a MeidasTouch original podcast produced by Happy Warrior Entertainment.