Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

What's the future of organizing? + Ken Martin with Vote Save America’s Shaniqua McClendon (Crooked Con)

Live from Crooked Con, Shaniqua McClendon, Vice President of Politics at Crooked Media, hosts Maurice Mitchell of the Working Families Party, Ezra Levin of Indivisible, DeRay Mckesson of Pod Save the People, Kate Barr of Can’t Win Victory Fund, and Melissa Morales of Somos Votantes to talk about the best ways to contact and engage the low-information voters we know we desperately need. Then, Shaniqua McClendon sits down with the chairman of the DNC, Ken Martin to answer questions about how the party is rebuilding and where we go from here.  For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/ZtQGejeUhj0]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Redrawing Democracy: Prop 50, Trump’s Maps, and the Battle for 2026

The battle for 2026 has already begun, and it’s all about the maps. Step three in the 10 steps to authoritarianism is to weaken competing powers, and step 10 is to end democracy itself by disrupting election systems and restricting who can vote so no meaningful opposition can ever win again. In California, voters passed Prop 50, the Election Rigging Response Act as a way to fire back at Republican gerrymandering in Texas that was designed to steal power by making it harder for voters to make their voices heard. Now, the battle lines for a competitive democracy are being redrawn, with partisanship, not representation, as the explicit strategy. More than 13 states across the country are seeing mid-census redistricting efforts taken on by Republicans, with Democrats fighting back. This week, Stacey is joined by co-host of Pod Save America, author of The Message Box, and Crooked Media’s resident polling expert Dan Pfeiffer to break down what this redistricting war means for democracy, why it’s a fight for survival, and what it reveals about the Democratic Party’s future.  For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/ol5tskjR054]. 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 Dan Pfeiffer, subscribe to his weekly Message Box [https://www.messageboxnews.com/] newsletter, where he breaks down the latest polls, key events, and political trends—it’s one of my go-to sources for analysis and insight. You can also become a Friend of the Pod [https://crooked.com/friends-of-the-pod-subscription/] here at Crooked Media and get access to his subscriber only shows like Pollercoaster! * Solve Problems: As Dan said, polling can offer useful insight into where people stand, but it is a reflector, not a predictor. However, we have the ability to shape outcomes using polling as an illuminator: what people are hearing, what worries them and what they want for the future. Instead of slipping into anxiety, we can channel that energy into action - starting now. Voting is the end of the process, but the work starts immediately: encourage your neighbors, your community, your friends, and your family to understand how politics will affect them, whether they know it or not. Look for issues that resonate, and work together to see who is responsible for making it better. The midterms are more than Congressional races. City, county and school boards will also be impacted. All of this may feel far away, but they’ll be here before we know it. Start planting seeds now. Volunteer with organizers. Knock on doors. Have real conversations with people - asking what they need to make their lives better. Percentages can only tell you so much, but talking to real people can tell you everything. * Do Good: This past weekend, more than a thousand Starbucks workers went on strike across 40+ cities [https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/13/starbucks-workers-launch-strike], due to stalled contract negotiations. Organizers say they’re ready to widen the strike if executives don’t budge—and they’re asking customers to stand with them by steering clear of Starbucks as part of the ‘No Contract, No Coffee’ campaign. We’ve talked a lot on this show about the power of protest, and boycotts are one of the most effective tools we have. It’s also a muscle we have to flex if we want to be ready for broader actions.  So please: do your part. Skip the latte. Stand with the workers.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Samantha Bee on How the Funny Can Fight Trump and Republicans

Late night comedians have become some of the most recent high profile targets for Donald Trump and Republicans, because like most wannabe authoritarians, they can dish it out, but certainly can’t take a joke. This week, Stacey is joined by comedian, podcast host, writer, and former host of Full Frontal, Samantha Bee to discuss comedy’s role in pushing back against political censorship with relentless humor. They take on the current state of late night comedy, the very real threats to truth and free speech, and how we can all process this very fraught moment.  For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/hXHHkOmDgu4]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More: * Be Curious: Take a listen to Samantha Bee’s podcast, Choice Words [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/choice-words-with-samantha-bee/id1522072002] to hear inspiring stories from people we all admire about the power of the choices we make. * Solve Problems: Keep up the pressure to demand affordable healthcare, especially since the government shutdown is coming to an end without solving the issue. Visit https://10stepscampaign.org/JUST-FIX-IT [https://10stepscampaign.org/JUST-FIX-IT] and make your voice heard. * Do Good: Help families who are struggling to put food on the table and in the crosshairs of Trump and Republicans who are targeting SNAP benefits. Ask local businesses if they can set up a community fridge to donate to, in addition to contacting food banks and anti-hunger organizations in your area. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gaza Under Siege: Netanyahu’s Use of Violence to Maintain Power

Authoritarianism is on the rise globally, from hard-line leaders in Europe to despots in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Wherever they emerge, these leaders are doing whatever it takes to stay in power, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is no different. In this episode of Assembly Required, Stacey looks at how Netanyahu has overseen the erosion of Democracy in his country, and how it’s coincided with the devastating campaign of violence carried out against the Palestinian people after Israel was attacked on October 7th — a war that experts and allies across the globe, and across the political spectrum have labeled as genocide. This week, Stacey is joined by foreign policy analyst and author Rula Jebreal to discuss the current state of the conflict. Senator Chris Van Hollen also joins to share how he is trying to bring accountability into America’s relationship with Israel. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/E_M3Yi4yF0U]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More: * Be Curious: Learn more about the history of Israel and Palestine. Pick up a copy of Rashid Khalidi’s 100 Years’ War on Palestine [https://www.shoppalestine.org/products/the-hundred-years-war-on-palestine?srsltid=AfmBOoqGgAGJ8Ii8ROhfk4lfIX9HQkcQtMrtAam87Kaxo0uUU5kFBrsF] to gain a deeper understanding of the region and how we arrived at the current tragedy. * Solve Problems: Authoritarianism and the abuses that sustain it are wrong, no matter who is responsible. Call your members of Congress and ask them to enforce the Lahey Law. * Do Good: More than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, facing widespread starvation, destitution, and preventable deaths. Over one million more are experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity. Organizations like the World Food Programme [https://www.wfp.org/] are scaling up operations and aim to feed up to 1.6 million people over the next three months. If you can, please donate. Doctors Without Borders [https://give.doctorswithoutborders.org/campaign/690149/donate?c_src=ADD2301U3U49&c_src2=google.cpc.CKMSF-BRAND_DWB-GS-ALL-DWBBrand_E-BO-18t65P-RSA-Evergreen25_1-ONETIME&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CKMSF-BRAND_DWB-GS-ALL-DWBBrand_E-BO-18t65P-RSA-Evergreen25_1-ONETIME&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=791446267&gbraid=0AAAAACM3OZWIU3SGGcCpmiifC-Zr8NUOg&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5abIBhCaARIsAM3-zFXmFpZ2Yks4R8U204Yy_IlCpKtrTaswJek67SbAVJZ4bTB2nwHTjXYaAs-4EALw_wcB], the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund [https://www.pcrf.net/], and World Central Kitchen [https://wck.org/?utm_source=googlesearch&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=evergreen-brand&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21364245970&gbraid=0AAAAApcxQJtVSdY8xiknbSnlSshH0KHqc&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5abIBhCaARIsAM3-zFWmM1foLU50bCxUX7P0HxToZQIpuxjIgNLg1ejxu89AAMjMMEHf29EaAtZFEALw_wcB]are also excellent places to contribute. Notes: * The New Yorker: Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of Chaos [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/27/itamar-ben-gvir-israels-minister-of-chaos#:~:text=Ben%2DGvir%2C%20who%20is%20forty,Netanyahu%20to%20change%20his%20mind] * The New York Times: U.S. Considers Sending Israel 24,000 Assault Rifles Held Back Under Biden [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/us/politics/us-israel-assault-rifles.html] *  Memo in a Bunker, Intercepted Communications and Hamas’s Oct. 7 Plans [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-plans.html] * Crisisgroup.org [http://crisisgroup.org]: Mapping Israeli Settlement Expansion in the Occupied West Bank [https://www.crisisgroup.org/visual-explainers/israeli-settlements/] * The Times of Israel: For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it’s blown up in our faces [https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/] * Middle East Eye: Israel opposition leader says Netanyahu arming 'equivalent of Isis' gangs in Gaza [https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-opposition-leader-says-netanyahu-arming-criminal-gangs-gaza] * Al Jazeera: Israel releases five Palestinian prisoners as killings continue in Gaza [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/3/israel-releases-five-palestinian-prisoners-as-killings-continue-in-gaza#:~:text=Israeli%20ceasefire%20violations,to%20reignite%20full%2Dscale%20hostilities] * Haaretz: Hundreds of Prominent Jews and Israelis Urge World Powers to Hold Israel Accountable 'For Gaza Atrocities' [https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2025-10-22/ty-article/.premium/prominent-jewish-figures-urge-world-to-hold-israel-accountable-for-gaza-atrocities/0000019a-0b46-d2fc-a79a-9f56776a0000] * The Guardian: BBC reckons with bias accusations over Israel and Palestine coverage [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/jun/29/bbc-reckons-with-bias-accusations-over-israel-and-palestine-coverage] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How 3.5% of People Can Change Everything

The act of protest is a vital, visible, and essential tool in resisting the fall of democracy, and it takes commitment,  disruption, and denial – three  of the ten steps to freedom and power. While protest gives us a platform to voice our grievances, foster solidarity, and demand change, it is not the only tool we have in our toolbox. When combined with other forms of direct nonviolent action — such as strikes, economic boycott, documenting abuses of power, and providing mutual aid like meals , and more — the impact multiplies. And one of the leading scholars of resistance has a theory: if just 3.5% of a nation’s population engages in sustained nonviolent civil resistance, they will succeed. This week on Assembly Required, Stacey Abrams is joined by Erica Chenoweth, the professor and political scientist behind the 3.5% theory, who talks about how making a difference is more within reach than we imagine.  For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/X6BWGxQNEsk]. 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 Erica about the power of peaceful protest, check out their book Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict [https://www.ericachenoweth.com/research/wcrw]. * Solve Problems: As we discussed in this episode, physical protest is just one tactic in the broader act of nonviolent civil resistance. As we lay out in the 10 Steps campaign, on the road to freedom and power, we don’t all need to do the same thing, but we can all do something. Donate to causes you care about, participate in economic boycotts, vote in local elections, or contact your elected officials. And if you do decide to physically protest, remember to know your rights and stay safe. Visit the American Civil Liberties Union for a guide to knowing your rights as a protester, and check out Wired’s article on how to protest safely [https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-protest-safely-gear-tips/]. * Do Good: The Trump administration and Republicans are refusing to tap into a $6 billion contingency fund to cover SNAP benefits if the shutdown continues into next month. That means in November, 42 million Americans will not receive food assistance. This unprecedented cruelty demands action. Please consider making donations to your local food bank or volunteering. Organizations like Feeding America can help you find places to volunteer near you. And get your kids involved. Feeding America has an age appropriate guide for ways families can help together, like hosting a food drive. Finally, call your governor and ask them to urge the secretary of agriculture to reverse this devastating decision. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.