How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

We’ve been counting down the weeks until the November election - we’re at three now, if you’re counting with us. And with everything happening in the world right now, it can be hard to feel motivated about an election. But local wins and little victories are the best antidote to the sadness and helplessness we might feel when we’re scrolling through our news feed. So this week we are so excited to talk to Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s Secretary of State and all-around amazing woman. She’s a voting rights expert and has expanded access to voting across her state, overseeing the most secure and highest-turnout election in Michigan’s history. Jocelyn also shares what she learned in her earlier work researching white supremacist organizations and chats about what a political race and a marathon have in common. It was a pleasure and an honor to have Secretary Benson on the pod.Finally, Amanda, Rachel and Jasmine raise a glass to parents, a great community weekend, and Polish democracy in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”Speaking of Michigan, next week we’ll be joined by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to learn how we as voters can win back our rights. And it’s not too late to RSVP for our October 19th evening with best-selling author Angie Thomas where you can learn about defeating book bans at the ballot box. To learn more about these events or our many other events, both virtual and local, check out our Events Page.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, Jasmine and Rachel share their sadness about what’s happening in Israel. Our hearts go out to the civilians who find their ordinary lives torn apart by violence in the Middle East, in Ukraine, and even in the United States with gun violence. Tragedy can feel far away until it hits close to home, but by continuing to talk to our friends and neighbors, continuing to vote and make our voices heard, we can keep up the momentum and make real change.Then we’re joined by Nikia in Virginia and Ann in Ohio, two Troublemakers who have been out registering voters in their communities. They share what they’ve been hearing on the ground from their neighbors and how they make voting, and voter registration, fun. (T-Rex costume, anyone??)There is so much on the ballot in November, and that includes book bans. So next week we’re talking about book bans with someone who knows all too well what it’s like to have her books banned: one of our favorite past guests, Angie Thomas, the award winning author of The Hate U Give. This special live virtual event is happening on Thursday October 19 and you can sign up here: https://go.redwine.blue/AngieThomasSWP.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

Did you know that just eleven people are responsible for 60% of book bans in this country? This week is National Banned Books Week, and we talk about how a vocal minority is responsible for everything from book bans to gerrymandered maps. And the media is so obsessed with extremists like Donald Trump that a lot of Americans aren’t even aware of the good work being done across the country and in the White House.After their news catch-up, Jasmine and Amanda sit down with State Senator Amanda Cappelletti to talk about her bill to prevent book bans in her home state of Pennsylvania. They also chat about how Sen. Cappelletti was the first PA state senator to give birth while in office, how she calls her daughter “the bipartisan baby,” and how being a mom has made her a better legislator.Finally, Amanda, Rachel and Jasmine raise a glass to Rachel’s new Substack newsletter, Jasmine’s friend’s new coloring book I Am Woman: Unleash Your Inner Warrior, and the amazing organizers in Michigan in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”Red Wine & Blue has been holding a ton of events this week to celebrate banned books! On Wednesday October 4th, we’ll be holding the first meeting of our Little Banned Book Club, where we read and discuss frequently banned children's books. You can learn more and RSVP here.And if you want to bring powerful banned books to kids in your community, you can host your very own Banned Bookmobile! Each kit will contain 20 banned or challenged books, plus stickers, bookmarks, and a Banned Bookmobile sign. You can learn more and purchase a kit 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

This week, hosts Jasmine Clark, Rachel Vindman, and Amanda Weinstein talk about how far the bar has lowered for conduct amongst extremists, whether it’s Georgia Governor Kemp cowardly and dangerously supporting Trump, a man going after someone’s child in a school board meeting, or Ohio’s Frank LaRose changing the rules of democracy to take away women’s reproductive rights. The hosts express concern and sadness at the message that extremists are sending to children: if you’re different in any way, you aren’t worthy of love. As moms, they know that love for a child should be unconditional.After that, Jasmine sits down with Gaby Goldstein, co-founder of Sister District. Sister District has supported Jasmine’s campaign so there were a lot of warm fuzzies as she and Gaby chatted about the importance of diverse candidates, the work that Sister District does, and how red legislatures can prevent blue cities from doing great progressive work.Finally, Amanda, Rachel and Jasmine raise a glass to kids growing up, Yom Kippur, and Amy Poehler and Tina Fey in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”There are a lot of important elections this November and just a handful of votes could make the difference. So we’re encouraging all of our listeners to sign up for Red Wine & Blue’s Rally Your Squad. It’s a fun online tool that helps you track which of your friends and family you’ve spoken to about voting, and it’s actually improved voter turnout by up to 10 percent! To sign up, text the word RALLY to 59868. Message and data rates may apply.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 Missy McGinnes and Shelly Rea to learn all about TroubleNation! It’s a brand-new program from Red Wine & Blue that’s designed to help women all across the country organize for change in their communities. Whether you’ve never been involved in politics before, or you already have a grassroots group and just need some support, TroubleNation can help.But before that, our hosts Rachel Vindman, Jasmine Clark, and Amanda Weinstein channel their anger and frustration at extremist Republicans saying they support families while their actions show the exact opposite. Whether it’s Lauren Boebert vaping in front of a pregnant woman at the theater or the GOP attempting to rebrand itself as “pro-baby,” we know that it doesn't matter what politicians say - it matters what they DO. And everything they do shows us that they don't care about women, children, or families.Finally, Amanda, Rachel and Jasmine raise a glass to great book club discussions, community events, and Rosh Hashanah in this episode’s “Toast to Joy.”You can learn more and sign up for TroubleNation here: https://go.redwine.blue/TNpodFor 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, Amanda Weinstein sits down with Ohio Congresswoman Emilia Sykes. Emilia is an inspiring force for good working hard for the people of her district! She and Amanda chat about how extremist Republicans keep trying to thwart the will of the people and deny women reproductive freedom, her amazing work to protect the victims of domestic violence, and how she won her election despite all the gerrymandering in Ohio. And, of course, they talk about the power of suburban women!On Monday September 18, Red Wine & Blue is holding an exciting virtual event with one of our favorite guests of all time, Heather Cox Richardson! Heather will explain why 2023 is make or break for 2024 and why it’s so important that we all get involved. You can RSVP for that event here: https://pod.redwine.blue/HCR918mt.And if you’d like to watch this interview on video, you can check it out at pod.redwine.blue/SWP.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 Suburban Women Problem is officially back! And this season, we’re doing things a little differently: not only will the audio hit your podcast player every Wednesday, but you can also watch a video version on YouTube! You can find that link here: pod.redwine.blue/SWP.So this week, you KNOW we had to talk about a Fox News anchor calling us “low-information Chardonnay sippers in the suburbs.” They know all too well the power of suburban women, and apparently they’ve decided that if you can’t beat ‘em, insult ‘em! After chatting about that, we also catch up about the Trump indictments, the upcoming elections, and more.Then, we’re joined by Jess Piper - executive director of Blue Missouri, host of “Dirt Road Democrat,” and fierce advocate for public education. Jess chats with the hosts about book bans, PragerU, AP African-American Studies, and why extremists like Betsy DeVos would rather put kids to work than fund their schools. Jess is a force of nature and we were so excited to talk to her this week.Finally, Amanda, Rachel and Jasmine raise a glass to going back to school in this week’s “Toast to Joy.”If you want to stand up against book bans like Jess Piper, we invite you to join us on Thursday, September 7th for a Troublemaker Training. You'll learn how to band together with your neighbors and friends and the best tactics to make your voices heard. You can learn more and register here or by going to redwine.blue.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, Amanda Weinstein is joined by Red Wine & Blue founder Katie Paris to talk about the latest GOP shenanigans to prevent Ohioans from voting for reproductive freedom. In August, voters rejected Issue 1, which would have required a 60% vote on future constitutional amendments. But that wasn't the last Hail Mary pass for Secretary of State Frank LaRose in his attempts to subvert the will of the people. Now, he's pushed through misleading and mansplaining ballot language in hopes of confusing or distracting Ohioans from supporting  the amendment. But Ohioans are smarter than that.The Suburban Women Problem will be back on Wednesday September 6 with a brand-new episode. And if you’re in Ohio, make sure you tell everyone you know to vote YES in November. You can sign up to Rally Your Squad at go.redwine.blue/RYSpod.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

As season 1 of The Cost of Extremism comes to a close, we have one last bonus episode for you. We’re here with @JoJoFromJerz for a deep-dive into three stories that we think are especially important to hear right now. First, we have Mia Tretta from episode one, ‘The Impact of Active Shooter Drills.’ In her episode, Mia told her story of surviving a school shooting and the death of her best friend, Dominic Blackwell. But what’s often untold in these stories is the medical impact these events have on victim’s lives. There isn't a quick fix to being shot and in some cases, physical healing can take years. Eli Erlick and Alejandra Carraballo from episode two,  ‘Anti-Trans Bills are Harming LGBTQ+ Youth,’ explain the impact that anti-trans legislation has had not only on gender affirming care for youth, but adults as well. And Monica Walker from episode four,  ‘The School Board Culture War,’ discusses the banning of teaching accurate American history and the danger that comes from ignoring our past. Resources: https://redwine.blue/thecost/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

Across the country, new right-leaning PACs are pouring money into school board races, aiming to flip control of who governs schools in favor of self-proclaimed ‘parents rights’ advocates.For significantly less than what it would cost them to influence a seat in the House or Senate, these PACs are pouring funds into local school board races and as a result, changing education on a national scale. Their aim? Gain control of more school systems and push back on what is taught about race, sex, gender, and history. Resources: https://redwine.blue/thecost/https://schoolboardpartners.orghttps://www.schoolboardschool.orgFor 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