Okay, But Why?

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.org

https://www.schoolboardschool.org

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].
You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Twitter: @TheSWPpod and @RedWineBlueUSA

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As Season 2 of The Cost of Extremism draws to a close, we're excited to bring you a final bonus episode. Today, we're joined by @JoJoFromJerz for an in-depth conversation about three stories that are particularly relevant today.

First, we have author Seyward Darby from episode 5, The Crunchy Mom to Alt-Right Pipeline. During our interview about white women’s role in the alt-right supremacy movement, Seyward discussed the historical portrayal of white women as martyrs. From literature to popular media, the image of the sacrificial white woman has been perpetuated through countless depictions, all in an attempt to recruit more followers into their white supremacy organizations.

Then we have Cherisse Scott, the founder and CEO of Sister Reach, a non-profit that supports the reproductive autonomy of their community through the framework of Reproductive Justice. In episode 1, Crisis Pregnancy Centers: An Anti-Abortion Healthcare Crisis, Cherisse highlighted the different ways Sister Reach has worked to meet people where they are in their advocacy work.

Finally, we have Nic Stone from episode 2, The Growing Movement to Ban Books. As the New York Times Bestselling author of Dear Martin and other young adult books, Nic theorizes that the push to limit access to specific books originates from a fundamental lack of appreciation for reading among those advocating for bans.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].
You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Twitter: @TheSWPpod and @RedWineBlueUSA

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA

YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

Last year, extreme weather cost us hundreds of American lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. So... why is the Trump Administration defunding the Weather Service?

The Weather Service is part of NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We need NOAA to help us predict storms and warn people when they need to evacuate. The data is used by airports to make sure planes can fly safely, by farmers to know when to plant their crops, by fishing companies to know when it’s safe to send boats out on the water, and by construction companies to plan the best time to pour concrete and calculate the right risks of wildfires or flooding. And individual Americans rely on their weather apps and local meteorologists to tell them when it’s safe to go out for a hike or what to pack for an upcoming vacation. The weather app on your phone isn’t magical - it relies on weather data provided by NOAA.

Climate and weather may be complicated, but the reason why Trump is cutting NOAA is very simple: it’s in Project 2025.

What Project 2025 wants to do is make NOAA a private, for-profit service. But some things are a public good - like schools, parks, and information. Who benefits when climate and weather information is suddenly paywalled? The millionaires and billionaires who run the companies that now own that information.

If we want to survive and thrive over the next few generations, we need access to the best information about our atmosphere and oceans. Weather isn’t a partisan issue and we should keep it that way.

In this first episode of our limited series "Okay, But Why?", we're taking a deep dive into voting rights.

We all want free and fair elections where everyone who’s legally able to vote can make their voice heard. But every time the experts study voter fraud, they find almost zero evidence that undocumented immigrants or anyone else is voting illegally. So then... why are there so many new voting laws out there?
Today, we're examining the history of voting rights and taking a closer look at why politicians are trying so hard to keep some Americans from voting.

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].

So far on our miniseries The American Fabric, we’ve learned more about immigrants and why they come to this country. We’ve busted myths and decried disinformation. And we’ve heard immigrants tell their stories in their own words.

Today, on the final episode, we’re talking about why this year’s election is so important. We have the opportunity to choose leaders who understand that immigrants are a cornerstone of this country and want to find humane bipartisan solutions. Leaders who don’t demonize vulnerable people for their own political gain. The outcome in November is crucial.

The federal government hasn’t passed meaningful immigration reform since 1986. On today’s episode, we hear more from Congresswoman Delia Ramirez as well as our own Suburban Women Problem co-host Rep. Jasmine Clark about how Republicans are choosing their own political power over policies that would actually help people.

Balancing America’s national security and humanitarian needs is far from simple, but extremists like Trump and JD Vance aren’t interested in solving problems. They want us to be a nation of hate. Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and all of the incredible leaders on the state and local level want to lead us back to our ideals. We’re a nation of immigrants. A nation of hope and opportunity.

So it’s up to us now. We have to talk to everyone we know and make sure they understand what’s on the line. Let’s make sure that on election day, hope and freedom triumph.

Thanks for listening to The American Fabric.
To learn more about our guests:
Lt. Colonel (retired) Alexander VindmanCongresswoman Delia RamirezDr. Andrea Bonior, psychologist and professor
Dr. Sara Sadhwani, professor of politics and immigration
Dr. Nancy MacLean, political historian and author

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].
You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media!

Twitter: @TheSWPpod and @RedWineBlueUSA

Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA

Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA

YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA