Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

74: War with Iran, and Award Shows in This Political Moment

This week, Stacey opens the show with the war the Trump administration launched against Iran, a deadly and expensive undertaking pursued by the president without seeking congressional approval. Then, she turns her attention to the upcoming Academy Awards and examines the role the film and entertainment industry plays in America’s current political and cultural moment. Stacey is joined by Sam Sanders, host of The Sam Sanders Show on KCRW, and Hunter Harris, host of the Lemme Say This podcast and author of the Hung Up column on Substack. They discuss the movies and moments with political messages this year, the way media consolidation will impact studio decisions in the future, and the art and performances that will stick with us for years to come. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/edw3ZqHVI64]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More:  * Be Curious: Check out The Sam Sanders Show on KCRW, Hunter Harris’ Substack, Hung Up, and her podcast Lemme Say This. * Solve Problems: Support organizations that uplift independent filmmakers and diverse voices in the industry. Check out Chickeneggfilms.org [http://chickeneggfilms.org], the NAACP’s entertainment initiatives [https://naacp.org/our-work/diversity-entertainment/entertainment-industry-initiatives], and GLAAD’s [https://glaad.org/reference/entertainment/] efforts to bring inclusivity to film and gaming.   * Do Good: There have already been many civilian casualties because of the war against Iran. Donate to doctorswithoutborders.org [http://doctorswithoutborders.org] and unicef.org [http://unicef.org] to support families in the region.

73: Here’s How Democrats Can Win Back Latino Voters

Latinos are a growing and increasingly powerful part of America’s electorate, with both parties fighting for their favor. While 48% of Latino voters chose Trump in 2024, recent polls show that many are having second thoughts. This week, Stacey is joined by Chuck Rocha, founder and president of Solidarity Strategies, and Clarissa Martinez de Castro, Vice President of the Latino Vote Initiative at Unidos US. They discuss common assumptions and misconceptions about the issues animating these voters, , how ICE and Trump’s deportation policies are backfiring, and what it means for Democrats to authentically engage with diverse Latino communities on a wide variety of issues to win them back in 2026 and beyond.  For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/TcAD9LItiZI]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More:  * Be Curious: If you want to learn more about latino voters and stay up to date on polling trends, visit Unidosus.org [http://unidosus.org] and check out their Hispanic electoral data hub. And pick up a copy of Chuck’s book, Tío Bernie: The Inside Story of How Bernie Sanders Brought Latinos Into the Political Revolution [https://www.amazon.com/T%C3%ADo-Bernie-Sanders-Political-Revolution/dp/1947492527]. * Solve Problems: If an ICE detention facility is being built in your town, consider organizing a protest. Call your Mayor and City Councilors to register your opposition, and ask them to put pressure on warehouse owners not to sell. * Do Good: The Dilley Immigration Processing Center has made headlines for its inhumane, untenable conditions, particularly for children. Call Dilley and demand they release families as their cases are pending. You can call Dilley at (830) 378-6500 or CoreCivic at 877-834-1550.

72: America’s Affordability Crisis and How MAGA is Making it Worse

America is in an affordability crisis. Basic needs like groceries, rent, childcare, and healthcare keep getting more expensive, while wages struggle to keep up. Seventy-four percent of Americans say the economy is in poor shape, and for many Millennials and Gen Zers, the idea of owning a home is becoming laughable. Yet Donald Trump and his MAGA allies insist the economy has never been better. This week, Stacey sits down with U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal and New York Times Business Reporter Talmon Smith to break down the growing disconnect between what Americans are feeling in their wallets and what the White House is selling from the podium. They dig into the real state of the economy, the latest jobs numbers, and whether Democrats have found a message on affordability that actually meets the moment. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/UQ4kcT6ig3s]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More: * Be Curious: If you enjoyed my conversation with Talmon Smith, check out his work at The New York Times and keep an eye out for his upcoming book, Clout and Capital, published by Simon & Schuster, when it’s released later this year. * Solve Problems: Seventy percent of Americans say raising children is too expensive. Many Democrats in Congress have joined forces in support of the Child Care for Every Community Act [https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/388], which would lower childcare costs. Call your members of Congress and urge them to support this legislation. Call your governor and state representatives [https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/] to ask them to back state legislation that would secure universal childcare in your state, like they have done in New Mexico. * Do Good: This year marks the 50th anniversary of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit with roots in Georgia that builds safe, affordable housing around the world. Consider volunteering or donating to help families in your community who lack affordable housing. And it’s the most wonderful time of year—Girl Scout cookie season. Girl Scouts of Greater New York Troop 6000 is a first-of-its-kind program serving families in temporary housing in the New York City shelter system, helping them transition to permanent housing. Visit https://www.girlscoutsnyc.org/troop6000 [https://www.girlscoutsnyc.org/troop6000] to purchase cookies from their digital store.

71: How Billionaires Are Destroying the Media (with Joy Reid)

The media landscape in the US continues to undergo drastic transformations, with billionaire ownership and corporate consolidation leading to mass layoffs and content censorship. This week, Stacey is joined by Joy Reid, host of the Joy Reid Show and the first black woman to host a primetime program on cable news. They talk about the layoffs at the Washington Post, why she transitioned into independent media, what is lost when Black journalists are no longer at the table, and what people can do to inform themselves in an era where billionaires with agendas control the news. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/0xfpA2q5_TI]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More: * Be Curious:  If you enjoyed my conversation with Joy Reid, check out her podcast, “The Joy Reid Show” [https://www.youtube.com/@TheJoyReidShow] and her Substack, “Joy’s House [https://www.joyannreid.com/].”  * Solve Problems: Quality, well-funded journalism is essential to holding power to account, and local journalism is particularly essential. Subscribe to your local paper today. Also, please consider contributing to the Invest in Black Media campaign, which is highlighting the National Association of Black Journalists this month. Go to NABJ.org [http://nabj.org] > click the donate button > and select the “Jubilee Endowment-Black History Month Match” to contribute. Onyx Impact is matching up to $100,000 for the fund. * Do Good: As RFK Jr continues to dismantle our healthcare system and sow doubt and fear about the safety of vaccines, it is incumbent upon all of us to fight back, especially with measles cases on the rise.. Be watchful of friends and loved ones who are slipping into vaccine hesitancy, and push back on misinformation and disinformation you see on your social platforms. Visit vaccineinformation.org [http://vaccineinformation.org] to get accurate , shareable information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent.

70: Federal Power, Voter Data, and the ICE State (with Jon Favreau)

Voting rights are the Trump administration’s next big target. This week, Stacey is joined by Pod Save America’s Jon Favreau to discuss the aftermath of a raid by federal authorities in Fulton County, GA for boxes of election related materials from the 2020 cycle. They also talk about the Democrats leveraged a government shutdown to insist on ICE reforms, the latest polling data,  how this all intersects with the continued ICE raids in Minnesota, and what it means for Democrats to lead in this moment.  For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/yYhwFzmZu_U]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.  Learn & Do More: * Be Curious: If you enjoyed my conversation with Jon Favreau check out Pod Save America and Offline.  * Solve Problems: The fight to defend voting rights starts now. If you haven’t already, find out about signing up as a poll worker or volunteer with the League of Women Voters [https://www.lwv.org/], Fair Fight [https://www.fairfight.com/] and Common Cause [https://www.commoncause.org/].  * Do Good: The people of Minnesota continue to live under siege. Donate to the immigrant rapid response fund, which provides food, supplies, housing, and healthcare to immigrants in need. Rent relief funds can help those who are unable to work right now but still need to pay their bills. Minneapolis rapid response needs donations to help legal observers access safety gear and PPE. Check out the show notes for  an article from New York Magazine’s The Cut [https://www.thecut.com/article/how-to-help-minnesota-right-now.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=s1&utm_campaign=nym] that includes links to these organizations and other ways to help.