Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

A Democrat’s Guide to Challenging Trump on Iran, ICE, and Dollars (w/ Rep Ansari)

What can international pro-democracy activists teach us about taking on authoritarianism here in the US? Stacey opens the show with reflections from the Salzburg Global Forum Democracy Resilience Conference featuring reformers from Bolivia, to Hungary, to Nepal. Then she’s joined by Representative Yassamin Ansari, a freshman from Arizona and the only Iranian-American in Congress. She tells Stacey about her opposition to Trump’s war with Iran, the horrific conditions she’s seen firsthand when visiting ICE detention centers, and how we demand a practical response to the competing harms coming out of Washington. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/nAvRH3Uu9RU]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date. Learn & Do More:  * Be Curious: Check out the Substack “The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook” [https://antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com/] by Scot Nakagawa, President of the 22nd Century Initiative.  * Solve Problems: Step Six in the “Ten Steps to Freedom and Power” is disruption. Visit Stacey’s Substack “Assembly Notes” [https://staceyabrams.substack.com/] to read her recent post about taking action. Do Good: Visit the nonprofit FreedomforImmigrants.org [http://freedomforimmigrants.org] to donate to their commissary fund – proceeds are directly deposited into commissary accounts at detention centers across the country.

What Is America Beyond Trump? (w/ Astead Herndon)

Do you want the government spying on you, or do you want it to catch bad guys? This week, Stacey opens the show by pointing out the false binary Americans are being presented with as Congress debates renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Then she speaks to reporter Astead Herndon, host of “America, Actually” at Vox Media. They break down how to talk about and report on America without focusing exclusively on Trump, why both parties should consider non-systems candidates in 2028, and the big realignments among groups like voters of color and faith-based voters. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/AXrNLQJeayI]. 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 Astead’s new podcast America, Actually and his reporting for Vox.  * Solve Problems: American reporter Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been detained in Kuwait for the past six weeks. Visit the Committee to Protect Journalists to learn more about his unjust detention and sign the petition demanding his release [https://cpj.movements.mov/pet/kuwait-release-journalist-ahmed-shihab-eldin-from-detention]. * Do Good: As Trump’s war in the Middle East continues, the needs of members of our military, military families, and veterans are often overlooked. Check out organizations like Operation Homefront, which provides relief and recurring family support for members of our military and helps members transition to civilian life. Visit operationhomefront.org [http://operationhomefront.org] to find ways to donate and get involved.

Orban Ousted in Hungary, and Trump Picks Fights Over Childcare (w/ Reshma Saujani)

This week Stacey opens the show with a response to Viktor Orban’s stunning loss in the Hungarian elections, and what we can learn from the defeat of an authoritarian in Europe. Then she speaks to Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First, about childcare (or lack thereof) in the United States. Stacey and Reshma break down why affordability and childcare are intricately linked, the long term impacts on opportunities for women, and react to President Trump saying that the federal government “can’t do daycare” because they need to fund wars.  Learn & Do More:  * Be Curious: To dive deeper into the systemic issues that are helping fuel the affordability crisis - and what we should be demanding from our leaders, check out Reshma’s 2022 book, Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It's Different Than You Think) [https://www.amazon.com/Pay-Up-Future-Women-Different/dp/1982191570].  * Solve Problems: Visit Moms First at momsfirst.us [http://momsfirst.us] to learn more about their work and get involved. If you are an expectant parent and not sure what your options are for paid leave, check out the Moms First paidleave.ai [http://paidleave.ai] chatbot for helpful guidance. As the federal government remains stagnant on this issue,, you can also urge your state lawmakers to follow the lead of states like New Mexico and support paid leave and childcare access.  * Do Good: Visit ReadThemHome.org [http://readthemhome.org] and record yourself reading a children’s book to the kids being held in family detention centers. We’ve already exceeded more than 4M impressions, but we need your help to keep this 30 day activation going. You'll be joining voices like Glennon Doyle, Michael Reitz, and Miss Rachel as we remind Americans that children are ours to take care of, not incarcerate. So, please, take 5 minutes today to read a children’s story into your camera and post your video with the hashtag #readthemhome.

How Trump Plans to Gut the Environment to Pay for Iran (w/Ayana Elizabeth Johnson)

While the war with Iran rages on, President Trump has asked Congress for a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget, offset in part by further draconian cuts to environmental programs. This week, Stacey is joined by marine biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, to talk about what climate scientists and activists can still do in the face of an administration that pretends the climate crisis doesn’t exist. They talk about the environmental impacts of military conflict, how race plays into climate politics, and how  local action is a powerful frontier when fighting the crisis. With Earth Day and the paperback release of Johnson’s book, “What If We Get It Right?” coming up, they also focus on reframing the conversation around what is possible if we continue to fight for change. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/qjcA3IKxn74]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.   Learn & Do More:  * Be Curious: Pick up a copy of Dr. Johnson’s smart, action-oriented book “What If We Get It Right: Visions of Climate Futures [https://www.getitright.earth/]”  * Solve Problems: Join a local group like Sunrise Movement [https://archive.ph/o/AeqGO/https://www.sunrisemovement.org/] (for youth), Third Act [https://archive.ph/o/AeqGO/https://thirdact.org/] (for seniors), and  Citizens Climate Lobby [https://archive.ph/o/AeqGO/https://citizensclimatelobby.org/about-ccl/chapters/], 350.org [https://archive.ph/o/AeqGO/350.org/], Surfrider [https://archive.ph/o/AeqGO/surfrider.org/], and the Sierra Club [https://archive.ph/o/AeqGO/https://www.sierraclub.org/chapters] for everyone. And finally, visit the Environmental Voter Project at environmentalvoter.org [http://environmentalvoter.org] to donate and get involved. Together, you can let your state and local electeds know it is time for city governments to take the lead when it comes to protecting our climate and environment, and demand that candidates for local office commit to supporting pro-environmental policies. The fossil fuel industry is often inadvertently financed by us through our investment portfolios. Make sure to take a closer look at where your money is and divest from fossil fuels.  * Do Good: The 10 Steps Campaign in partnership with the National Domestic Workers Association, The National Educators Association, The American Federation of Teachers, SEIU, and others have launched the Read Them Home Initiative – a 12 hour vigil and month-long activation to call attention to the scourge of family detention centers. We are encouraging participants to pick your favorite children’s story, record yourself reading and post it to social media - every child deserves a story of hope.Visit readthemhome.org [http://readthemhome.org] to learn more.

Real Non-Violence, Feminism, and Fighting Authoritarianism (w/ Roxane Gay)

This week Stacey is joined for a wide-ranging interview with best-selling author and professor, Roxane Gay. They discuss the difference between non-violence and civility in fighting against ICE, the hypocrisy exposed by the Epstein Files, and what sets today’s student activism apart from previous generations. Stick around to learn the importance of attending a local city council meeting, and much more.  Learn & Do More:  * Be Curious: Check out the Substack “How to Resist [https://howtoresist.substack.com/]” for real life examples on how to take action based on nonviolence, mutual aid, and community building. * Do Good: Reach out to your local foodbanks and homeless shelters and offer support. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here [https://youtu.be/tO-Kdo5tlz4]. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.