How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

Over the weekend, President Joe Biden announced that he would be stepping down as the nominee and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. We’ve had every reaction imaginable: excitement, appreciation for Biden's great work, fear over the racist and sexist attacks that are already coming, and everything in between. But despite our anxieties we are energized and ready to go! The conversations we have with our friends and family in the next 100 days will be make or break for democracy.And we couldn’t have asked for better timing with our guest this week because we are joined by Sam Schwartz, an inspiring Gen Z activist who is currently leading the youth-driven Tour To Save Democracy. Sam’s cousin Alex was tragically killed in the Parkland school shooting, and ever since then Sam has been a passionate advocate against gun violence. We were thrilled to have his perspective on the 2024 election, what young people think about VP Harris, and how we can get Gen Z to the polls in November.Finally, Rachel, Amanda and Jasmine raise a glass to Leslie Odom Jr., spending time outdoors with family, and conversations with constituents in this week's Toast to Joy.You can watch a video of our virtual event with Heather Cox Richardson here on YouTube and view our Project 2025 toolkit here. And next week we have another exciting event with Senator Elizabeth Warren! She’ll be joining us to discuss Project 2025 and the economy - you can learn more and RSVP here.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

On a Monday night in the middle of summer, hundreds of thousands of people watched a virtual event where a historian spoke about a 900-page Republican playbook. It sounds like some DC-based strategist’s dream, but it was just another day at Red Wine & Blue!This past Monday July 15th, Heather Cox Richardson joined us to talk about Project 2025, and we wanted to share the audio of that conversation with you. Whether you missed the event or just wanted to listen to Heather again, please enjoy this conversation about Project 2025.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

This week we’re joined by one of our favorite guest hosts, political strategist Jess McIntosh. You know what they say… come to discuss the electoral process, stay to discuss the latest shocking thing to hit our newsfeeds. Jess, Amanda and Jasmine discuss the events of the weekend, the recent increase in political violence and violent rhetoric, and emphasize that we need to settle our policy differences at the ballot box. But “lowering the temperature in our politics” doesn’t mean that we suddenly stop talking about extremist policies that threaten our country.After that conversation, we’re joined by Scott Anderson of The Strategic Victory Fund to demystify our election process. How do elections work? Are they really secure? How does the electoral college work, and can we change it? Scott answers all of our questions and more.Finally, Jess, Amanda and Jasmine raise a glass to Portland, DoorDash, and Rudy Giuliani having to pay the campaign workers he defamed in this week's Toast to Joy.If you have questions about Project 2025 and want to learn more, you can view our online toolkit here.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

We’re all still recovering from last week’s debate and what it means for the election, but like we said in our last episode, the stakes have not changed. There’s Project 2025, the right-wing plan to overturn democracy in America. There’s the constant attacks on reproductive rights. There’s even Mark Robinson, the MAGA candidate for governor in North Carolina, saying that “some folks need killing”! Democrats might be in the midst of a family debate over our nominee in November, but the most important thing is to ensure that we're united against extremism.This week, we’re joined by Emily Amick, a digital media superstar who’s on a mission to make civic engagement part of self-care. Along with Sami Sage, she’s the co-author of a new book called Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives. Emily tells us how in the heck politics can feel like self care and how we can make a real difference in our communities by stepping up and getting involved.Finally, Rachel, Amanda and Jasmine raise a glass to the people of Arkansas and Ohio, to spending the 4th of July with community, and to good election results across the world in this week's Toast to Joy.If you have questions about Project 2025 and what's at stake, we invite you to join us at a virtual event with Heather Cox Richardson on Monday, July 15 at 7:00pm Eastern. You can learn more and RSVP here.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

The past week has been tough. The presidential debate did not exactly go as we hoped. The Supreme Court ruled that Trump has absolute immunity for “official acts” as President. But all of that only makes the election in November more crucial. The choice is literally between a dictatorship and a democracy, and it’s essential that we encourage everyone we know to vote. Which brings us to our interview of the week: Daria Dawson, the Executive Director of America Votes. Daria explains why our vote is so important – if it wasn’t, why are some trying so hard to suppress it? – and how getting out the vote, or rather “spreading out the vote,” will help us keep our democracy this year. If you want more details about Project 2025, we encourage you to check out our info page here. And finally, because we definitely needed a little joy this week, Rachel, Amanda and Jasmine raise a glass to communities and the nourishing power of giving back in this week's Toast to Joy.If you haven’t signed up for Red Wine & Blue yet, please join us at pod.redwine.blue/join and encourage your friends to join too. The fight for democracy is far from over and the time to take action is now.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

This is our last episode of June, so before Pride Month is over, we wanted to talk to some more Troublemakers who are doing great work supporting the LGBTQ community. Amanda got the chance to sit down with Lisa and Dani with Pride & Less Prejudice, an organization that provides inclusive books to classrooms to help students and teachers to “Read out loud, read out proud.” If you're a schoolteacher and want free inclusive books, please reach out to them here!And before that, the hosts catch up on the news, including a chat about Rachel’s brother-in-law Eugene winning his congressional primary and Louisiana classrooms now being required to display the 10 Commandments. This week also marks 2 years since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v Wade, a grim reminder of the rights we’ve lost and what is at stake in November. Finally, Rachel, Amanda and Jasmine raise a glass to baby showers, grandparents, and no place like home in this week's Toast to Joy.This week, our Troublemaker Training is about effective messaging for transgender rights. Extremists are spreading disinformation about the trans community as a way to push their political agenda and cause division. If you want some guidance on the best way to have conversations about it, join us on Thursday June 27th at 7:30 Eastern.And don’t forget to sign up for our Substack newsletter! It’s free and we’d love to hear from you in the comments.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

This week’s episode is coming out on Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. But before we can get to our discussion about it (including how JD Vance recently introduced a “Dismantle DEI” bill to roll back Biden’s diversity programs), it seems there’s always more reproductive healthcare news to talk about. Last week, Senate Republicans blocked a bill to protect the right to IVF, and the Southern Baptist Church just voted to oppose IVF as well. And that’s not even the only repro news to talk about, because the Supreme Court just rejected a challenge to mifepristone, the abortion pill, saying there was no standing to sue. This is good news... but (there’s always a “but”!) this decision allows them to delay a merits decision on this issue until after the election. The fight is far from over.Then Jasmine sits down with Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead, a professor, author, and leader who is also known as the #BlackMommyActivist. Dr. Kaye is an incredible storyteller and walks us through the origins of Juneteenth, how being a mom has inspired her activism, and how it’s not just famous leaders but also everyday people who have done the hard work to make real change. We encourage everyone to learn more about her work with the African American Policy Forum and Critical Race Theory Summer School, as well as read her book Letters to My Black Sons: Raising Boys in a Post-Racial America.Finally, Amanda and Jasmine raise a glass to fathers and family reunions in this week's Toast to Joy.It's hard to believe, but this Monday will mark 2 years since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v Wade. If you want to learn about how you can fight for reproductive freedom, we invite you to join Red Wine & Blue and Sister District for a virtual event this Monday June 24th at 8pm Eastern.And don’t forget to sign up for our Substack newsletter! It’s free and we’d love to hear from you in the comments.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

It’s June, which means it’s Pride Month! Whether we’re standing up for birth control, libraries, diversity and inclusion, or trans rights, it’s all the same fight against extremism. Right-wing leaders like Ron DeSantis might try banning rainbow lights on bridges this month by calling it “Freedom Summer,” but what’s more free than a beautiful rainbow?Last week, all but 2 Republican Senators blocked a bill that would protect access to birth control, despite Republicans continuing to insist that they support access. Some, like JD Vance, were too cowardly to even vote - but their silence spoke just as loudly as a No vote. Access to birth control helps prevent abortions, but it’s clear they don’t actually care about that. It’s just about control.Then we’re joined by Vanessa Joy, a trans woman in Ohio who was disqualified from running for the Ohio House of Representatives for not putting her former name on her petition. Vanessa explains why she wanted to run for office in the first place and the “gotcha” law that prevented her candidacy. But she’s not letting this stop her - she’s still a passionate advocate, hosting a podcast called Transcending Humanity and serving as Co-Executive Director of Ohio Equal Rights.Finally, Amanda and Jasmine raise a glass to self-care and great questions from kids in this week's Toast to Joy.If you want to support the LGBTQ community with us this summer, our Pride collection is now available. We have shirts, stickers, buttons, and a new mug perfect for proud moms, members of the LGBTQ community, and anyone who wants to support Pride.And don’t forget to sign up for our Substack newsletter! It’s free and we’d love to hear from you in the comments.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Whether we’re talking about the devastating consequences of abortion bans or the legitimacy of Trump’s criminal trial, there are too many people in this country who can’t seem to handle the truth. Stories like that of Ryan and Jess Hamilton, who couldn’t get medical care in Texas after a miscarriage, might be difficult to read but that doesn’t make them false. We can only solve problems by facing them head-on, so here on The Suburban Women Problem we want to loudly proclaim that yes, we CAN handle the truth!Gun violence is another issue where we must first confront difficult realities before we can make real change. So this week we’re joined by Sefanie Feldman and Greg Jackson from the new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Greg and Stefanie share some wins that they’ve already been able to accomplish and what got them interested in working on this work personally. We also get to hear what it’s like to work with Vice President Harris!Finally, Rachel and Jasmine raise a glass to summer in this week's Toast to Joy.The Senate vote on the Right to Contraception Act is set for Wednesday 6/5. If you want to learn more about the bill, who voted for it (and who didn’t!), and what we can do now, please join us on Tuesday June 11th for an emergency Troublemaker Turnout. You can learn more and RSVP here.And don’t forget to sign up for our Substack newsletter! It’s free and we’d love to hear from you in the comments.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

When we hear news like Nikki Haley changing her tune and endorsing Trump, there’s no denying that politics can feel icky. But we have the power to make our voices heard - not just at the ballot box, but by reaching out to our representatives between elections too. This week, Amanda and Rachel sat down with NPR reporter Sarah McCammon to learn more about her new book The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. It may be hard to understand how the evangelical church came to support someone like Trump, but Sarah walked us through the connections between evangelicalism and right-wing politics as well as her own journey with the church.Finally, Amanda, Rachel and Jasmine raise a glass to naps, kids growing up, and not waiting until everything is “perfect” in this week's Toast to Joy.On June 5th, the Senate will vote on whether to protect birth control, so it's important that we call our senators and tell them to vote yes to protect our rights. Even if you think your senator is a definite “yes” (or a definite “no”), we need to flood the Senate with calls so they know how much we care about this issue. If you click here, you can be connected to your senators and urge them to do the right thing.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSAFacebook: @RedWineBlueUSAYouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA