We’re back with Ben, Ben Sheehan to be exact, for an episode on the case that has us politicos at the edge of seats – Moore v. Harper. A case that calls upon a once fringe theory, Independent State Legislature Theory, we talk about whether or not SCOTUS taking this case on will take us on the express train to a constitutional crisis. Naturally, we talk about what’s likely to happen here, how this all came to be, and what we can do now (like literally NOW) to lessen the potential impact. P.S. Go ...
Jul 13, 2022•59 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast We’re trying something ~new and different~ and releasing our top stories of the week segment on Tuesdays. Basically top stories has a new home, making a move from the backend of our weekly interviews to its very own weekly special. You can expect our run throughs every Tuesday covering a few (not all) of the top stories we have our eyes on. This week’s round up of events include: Congress is back in sesh: https://bit.ly/3Ix7aXt The last two Jan. 6 hearings are on the books Schumer has COVID Dett...
Jul 12, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast We talk about getting involved with campaigns until the cows come home, but we’ve often left one part out – what on earth do the many roles on campaigns actually do! And, what they are specifically. And, how they operate together. And, what the experiences are with each. Basically, the fine print. To solve this, we brought in our friend Drisana Hughes who is a well-known and accomplished campaign strategist that has brought her genius to the campaigns of India Walton, Alvin Bragg, Scott Stringer...
Jul 06, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast One of the many layers of the abortion conversation is adoption. It’s a layer we have yet to cover – until this episode, where we were joined by Gretchen Sisson PhD, Sociologist, an expert research in the field to discuss the many nuances of when the adoption conversation crosses path with the abortion conversation. Our conversation of course covers the basics on this intersection, but also what we can expect to see in the coming months ahead (or what might just be a ‘wait and see’). CALL THESE ...
Jun 29, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast If you’re not following Katie Grossbard, I’m going to need you to kindly go follow her, rn. Okay, fine, you can finish reading this description first. She is not only a founding member of the popular voting information resource - i am a voter - but she’s quite the online activist herself. Known for her roundups of top tweets on all-things politics and her in the know shares on politics happening in the moment, Katie is in the game. It’s also one that we (very biased here) think more young people...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast This is an interview that feels less like an interview and more like you’re overhearing a convo at the brunch table, and quite frankly, that’s the whole idea. We were joined by our amazing friend, Miss Tennessee, Tally Bevis for a chit chat on civic literacy, all-things voting, and definitely some things, political journey. Tally shares with us her civic literacy vision with her org, Vote With A Mission and the plan for her podcast, The Suffragette Series (BTW we’re going to be on an upcoming ep...
Jun 15, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast From the title of this episode, you might’ve gathered that this episode is a deep dive into what attorney generals do, how they’re elected, and how they work with their respective state legislatures. Okay, you might’ve just gotten the first bit on that list, but we do cover the other two as well with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. And importantly, we cover the AG’s current run for re-election and why AG elections are so critical to protecting our democracy. This conversation is a can’t m...
Jun 08, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast As of May 26, 2022 there had been 214 mass shootings. There have been additional since that stat was compiled by Insider. It is clear that we have a gun issue in the US (last time we checked, the numbers don’t lie). This issue needs real solutions – now, not later – and there is one elected official that has stepped by to the plate. Cue, the Mayor of San Jose, CA, Sam Liccardo who has introduced innovative gun reform policies in his city. The policy requires gun owners to pay an annual fee and a...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast Now if the name Shannon Williams sounds familiar in the context of Girl and the Gov®, that would be because our amazing guest for this week’s episode has also been a guest on our IG lives. This icon in activism and action is the Director of the Equal Pay Today Campaign at the ERA gave us the 411 on the wage gap, equal pay, occupational segregation, and legislation that can change the status quo. We could’ve chatted with Shannon on this for hours and hours, SO we will obviously be having her back...
May 25, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast WATCH ON YOUTUBE/GO SUBSCRIBE PRETTY PLZ! This episode is super special for a number of reasons. First things first, this is our first ever episode featuring TWO interviews. Our guests are two amazing women in politics, both Democrats running for office – one in a traditionally blue state at the federal level and one in a traditionally red state at the state level. The topic of conversation is reproductive rights, the likely overturning of Roe v. Wade, and legislation in the making and to come. ...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast WATCH ON YOUTUBE/GO SUBSCRIBE PRETTY PLZ! The headlines currently read something along the lines of “Roe v. Wade will be overturned.” But, how did we get here? What took us from almost 50 years of precedent to this unnerving outcome? A ~little~ case titled Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization paired with a conservatively stacked SCOTUS is the dual-pronged answer to that q. In this episode, we walk through the case that brought us here and the legal jargon to boot with the co-lead on the ...
May 11, 2022•59 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast Electing pro-choice candidates at every level is vital. This sentiment is one that EMILY’s List built on and one that we dive into in our interview with Executive Director of EMILY’s List, Emily Cain. This week’s episode takes a tour around the organization, its goals, and how it supports candidates. In conversation, we also chatted about Maine politics from the former elected official (teaser: she took office at just 24 y/o). Oh, and wait, wait, we also talk about strategies for GOTV – basicall...
May 04, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast TBH, ‘Under The Sea’ from the Little Mermaid is stuck in our heads as we write this description, rn. For one, because it’s a great tune, and secondly, because on today’s episode we’re diving into ocean pollution. We’re joined by the amazing Cassia Patel, Director of Programs at Oceanic Global who got us up to speed and more on what ocean pollution is, its intersection across other sectors of pollution, and of course, what Oceanic Global is doing to combat it. We’ll admit, we had about 5 million ...
Apr 27, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Some names in politics are infamous – two of them are in the title of this episode. What they also have in common, is that they’re running for the same Congressional seat for North Carolina. District 11 to be exact. Currently held by infamous person one – Madison Cawthorn (R), the race is heating up. Yes, even in primary season (insert rant here about how vital participating in primaries is here). Infamous person two is making sure of that in her run against the Congressman, with a pragmatic app...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast We love the tea, we love the receipts, and we absolutely love Public Wise’s Insurrection Index. If you’re curious who the players are, and oh, who may have graced the steps of the Capitol on January 6, this Index is going to have you screaming. Like, literal scream and squeal. Honestly, the deats might even put Deux Moi to shame and you know we love Deux Moi. Alas, we got the fulllll skinny on how this tool came about, why it came about, and how it’s being used from Christina Baal-Owens, Executi...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s far from unknown that to run a campaign in this day and age, fundraising is critical. Money, money, money, as they say is a key consideration as to whether a campaign will be successful or not. You’d think it would be based on who’s the best possible representative for a community…but alas, that’s a rant for another day. In this episode, we explore the difference between how state and federal campaigns are funded, AND importantly, how Republicans and Democrats have a very different approach...
Apr 06, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week’s episode features an interview with Wardah Khalid, the amazing founder of Poligon, which works to amplify Muslim voices in Congress. Do we chat about the organization’s work? Yep! Do we chat about Wardah’s journey into politics? Also, yep! And, do we chat about the issues the organization tackles through a policy lens, like Islamophobia? Yep x 3! The conversation takes on these three directions and more, so dive in and share it with a pal. Poligon: https://www.poligonnational.org/ Joi...
Mar 30, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week the SCOTUS confirmation hearings are off to the races with the aim of confirming Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the bench. We love to see it and we’re excited to bring you an episode discussing the ongoing process and Judge Jackson’s epic/next-level qualifications. What’s a public defender? What’s a clerkship? What happens if a nominee isn’t confirmed? We get the answers to these through an interview with the one, only, and amazing Meagan Hatcher-Mays, Director of Democracy Policy at I...
Mar 23, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re joined by the big leagues, and when we mean the big leagues, we mean the Anti-Defamation League. Also known as the ADL, the organization is a leading anti-hate organization, and one founded in response to rising antisemitism. So, what is antisemitism? We get into and more with the ADL’s Director of Community Engagement, Carly Pildis. We also talk about extremist groups, the rise in hate crimes, and the importance of anti-bias training. ADL: https://www.adl.org/ Winc (21+ only): h...
Mar 16, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Florida has been hitting the news cycle BIG TIME these days. We wish we could say it was because they were having a puppy convention or something just as cute and insta-worthy, but unfortunately, the current Governor Ron DeSantis and his Republican state legislature have made sure that anything they do is FAR from cute. From the Don’t Say Gay bill to a 15-week abortion bill passed in the middle of the night, it’s safe to say we’ve had some questions as to what on earth is going on in FL. Cue our...
Mar 09, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re back with part two of our Ukraine explained series with Dr. Margarita M. Balmaceda, Associate at Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and Professor at SHU School of Diplomacy and International Relations. Taking this conflict from a different angle, this episode we learn about the economic elements of this crisis. Specifically, we talk about sanctions, their impact – what they even are in the first place – the industries that have created the geopolitical positioning of late in the region, ...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Part one of our two-part explainer series on the war unfolding un Ukraine begins with our interview with Dr. Mai’a K. Davis Cross. The Editor of the Journal of European Integration and Professor of Political Science and International Affairs – oh, and also the author of books including European-Russian Power Relations in Turbulent Times AND The Politics of Crisis in Europe – Dr. Cross walked us through a plethora of q’s we had on the region and its related politics. Defining NATO, who can be a m...
Feb 28, 2022•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re not screaming, you’re screaming! Okay, we’re screaming too because this week’s conversation with Adrienne Bell, who is the Executive Director at Brand New Congress is motivation 101 for getting clued into the midterm elections. Like, if you’ve been putting it off or dragging your feet, Adrienne gives the 411 inspo on why this is the time to get involved and how to do that. Additionally, and importantly, we chat about the mission behind Brand New Congress and the candidates they support, in...
Feb 23, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast TW: The following episode contains conversations on spousal rape and domestic violence. This episode takes toward a topic we haven’t yet covered – the policy matters of domestic violence, spousal rape, and more. A conversation that makes you yet again scratch your head at how many laws could possibly exist (or not exist) in 2022, we discuss where policy is currently on violence against women. More specifically, through our interview with Professor Michele Dauber, Chair of Enough is Enough Projec...
Feb 16, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fangirl alert – this episode features an interview with an activist that we look up to in all the ways. Like, we are still screaming that she came on the show. Jamira Burley, the Director of Social Impact for Adidas North America joined us this week for a conversation on corporate responsibility. Tapping into understanding what this means as a whole, what corporations are doing (or not doing) in terms of moving the social impact needle, and more, our conversation looks at the power consumers (it...
Feb 09, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Beyonce once said, ring the alarm! In this episode, we dive into the alarm being rung by Let’s Green CA as they look to have a climate emergency declared in the state of California. Led by Heidi Harmon, Senior Public Affairs Director at the Romero institute and former Mayor of San Luis Obispo, this initiative has you guessed it – nuance – and provides context to how we got here and what’s ahead in the climate crisis fight. Another layer in an ever-present issue for all, this interview continu...
Feb 02, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you love us for our tangents, this episode is going to hit it out of the ball park for you. Why is that? Because the tangent queens met a tangent king, and his name is Congressman Tom Suozzi (NY-3). Our very first federal elected official on the show, Congressman Suozzi helped us understand the Ways and Means Committee, Taxes (yes, seasonally appropriate AF), and the issues he’s running on as he switches his focus to his campaign for NY Governor. Our conversation covers the waterfront on why ...
Jan 26, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast We often waiver between calling this organization the TMZ of politics and the Deux Moi of Politics, but either way OpenSecrets brings the tea. Piping hot in fact, because in the world of politics it’s all about that money honey. Some may follow the yellow brick road, but OpenSecrets follows the money, seeing which politicians are funded by who, what companies are throwing their dollars to the dark side and more. Cue this interview with Sarah Bryner, Director of Research & Strategy at OpenSec...
Jan 19, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re back baby and we’re back with Brian Derrick for an episode on redistricting. You’ve heard us talk about it before, but redistricting is in full swing (still) as we get into the 2022 midterm elections year. And now, we have updates. There are so many avenues in which to take this topic and we try to drive down many of them. Hop into the episode and get an update on where redistricting is currently. And, as always, ~we’ll keep you updated~. Brian Derrick’s Grassroots Donor Advising Newslette...
Jan 12, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast 2022 midterm elections are heating up in every state and every edge of the ballot. California, and more specifically Los Angeles, is included in this mix, with one the many positions voters will be casting their ballot for being the mayoral seat. With lots at stake for the iconic American city, City Attorney Mike Feuer (and his mustache – check out his campaign video if you don’t believe us) has thrown his hat in the rink. On this episode, we chat with him on the issues facing LA and how he plan...
Dec 29, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
