At The Kitchen Table

Balancing budget policy & personal wellness: Staci Fox keeps fighting for us and herself

Staci Fox, President & CEO at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute [https://gbpi.org/], joined Caroline and Debra at the kitchen table for an insightful conversation on everything from the state's budget priorities to Fox's own personal battle. Staci has been living with stage‑four lung cancer, a diagnosis that has prompted her and her friend Meagan Davies to co‑author the book Miss You Already. The book blends their personal story with clinical insight, focusing on anticipatory grief — the emotional experience of grief that begins before a loss is certain.

What's the (New)Deal, Debbie?

Our guest at the Kitchen Table this episode is Debbie Cox Bultan [https://newdealleaders.org/members/debbie-cox-bultan/], CEO at NewDeal. NewDEAL [https://newdealleaders.org/about/] is a selective center-left network of state and local elected leaders from across the nation. Ther mission is to scour the country to lift up the best and brightest elected officials who are pragmatic and get results – including councilmembers, county executives, mayors, state legislators, and state-wide leaders below the level of governor. We promote their ideas for expanding opportunity, spurring economic growth, and creating broadly shared, sustainable progress.Hear how Debbie and NewDEAL got their start, how they've navigated their 15-year (so far) journey through some choppy political waters, and what they have their eye on, looking ahead.

Veteran, Mother, Grassroots activist: Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs sees "a future worth fighting for"

Caroline & Debra weigh in on the Eric Swalwell fallout with heavy hearts, but firm in their values. Hear their conversation prior to welcoming a first-time Congressional candidate in the headline-grabbing state of Virginia. Meet Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs [https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elizabethforvirginia.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExdnFDd256RUJOemw0RnRMMHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4UZRXkqAEytTuCN9AmA4Y0UaDY-0qQRYs8ub0jj3R_svhl7STWZCxG9r_Lew_aem_3x2aR-E_PCokfc6SpIRdug&h=AT7YE5I_DmReSOBbgl6tSI_eDcvZEIb71IzEotylcXO8Z98j4bkzXsYtYPoSXfKuIUMIIW0SymierJb2LUQa1BFOrm9o66waoScbOj-Jrpdb_VWmpKd7coPobCTlAFj0fBQVgqDNXgRyX8zTjA], a military veteran, mother, grassroots activist and now candidate for Virginia's 8th Congressional district.

Showing RESOLVE: Danielle Melfi's at the table to talk family planning rights

Danielle Melfi, [https://resolve.org/resolve-appoints-danielle-melfi-as-new-ceo-to-lead-through-critical-period-for-family-building-rights/] new RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association [https://www.facebook.com/resolveinfertilityorg?__tn__=-]K*F] CEO, joined Caroline & Debra to discuss the shockwaves Alabama's IVF ruling sent across the country and what it says about the vulnerability of fertility care rights, and what’s at stake right now, still. Melfi is charting a course for that organization's navigation through a critical period in America's chapter on family-building rights. She has successfully advanced policy changes at both the state and federal levels, including overseeing historic bipartisan increases in family-focused budgets in Wisconsin and national reduction of health care costs. As a skilled fundraiser and leader, Danielle raised tens of millions of dollars as Executive Director of the nonprofit Building Back Together and oversaw large-scale teams in her roles as Chief People Officer at the White House and Chief Program Officer at AmeriCorps. Most recently, Danielle served as a consultant for companies at the forefront of media and health care innovation, including women’s health start-up Allara Health [https://www.allarahealth.com/]. Danielle began her career as an organizer with deep experience centering lived experience and personal storytelling in her work, and she is committed to continuing RESOLVE’s community-focused legacy.Danielle joined Caroline and Debra to provide an update on where family planning rights are in the aftermath of the shocking Alabama Supreme Court 2024 decision imperiling in vitro fertilization.

Amanda Litman: The mantra still, is "Run For Something!"

Hosts Caroline and Debra are no strangers to "getting off the sidelines" and choosing to dive into politics. For Caroline it was swiping right on a dating app just to get an "in" with a presidential campaign she wound up interning and working for. For Debra, it was the 'Dobbs' decision from the US Supreme Court that spurred her into action, inevitably running for office. Their guest this week founded just the left-wing organization that aims to spark that sort of activism from everyday Americans to ... well, "Run For Something." Or to at least get involved. Hear Caroline and Debra catch up with Amanda Litman [https://www.amandalitman.com/], author of "Run For Something" and co-founder of the organization [https://runforsomething.net/] by the same name and see if you, too, become inspired to involve yourself more.