Women Rule

Fitness mogul Melanie Whelan puts her spin on leadership, politics, and why women rule in the fitness space. Whelan also teases a possible expansion of the SoulCycle brand.

Iranian-born actress and activist Nazanin Boniadi, who was protesting at the United Nations last week while Trump denounced the nuclear deal in an address to the General Assembly, said that the focus on the nuclear deal distracts from another pressing issue – human rights violations in Iran. She details how the international agreement has affected her humanitarian work, minority representation in Hollywood and more.

Obama’s immigration architect, Cecilia Muñoz, advises lawmakers in her party to forget broader immigration reform and ‘stay focused on the DREAM Act.’ In the latest episode, Muñoz recalls the lengthy West Wing deliberations leading up to Obama’s executive action on DACA, and the political landmines it entailed for the Democratic Party. Muñoz also touches on her own journey from the world of immigration advocacy to the White House —-- and what advice she would give to women of color navigating Washington.

In early August, President Donald Trump vowed to formally dub the U.S. opioid crisis a “national emergency.” But nearly a month later, the president has yet to officially declare a state of emergency — a move that would enable the federal government to pump funds into addressing the drug epidemic. Two women on the front lines of the opioid fight — June Sivilli, the chief of the public health division in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and Dr. Cece McNamara Spitznas, ONDCP’s senior science policy adviser – try to explain why Trump still hasn’t made that formal declaration. Women Rule spoke to Sivilli and Spitznas about the administration's drug control priorities and how the opioid crisis has uniquely affected women.

On this episode of "Women Rule," two ambassadors to the U.S., Vlora Çitaku from Kosovo and Mathilde Mukantabana from Rwanda, tell their deeply personal stories about life after genocide. They explain what got them through those trying times and how they continued to live – and thrive – in the face of those devastating circumstances, and along the way, they point out how women were integral in rebuilding their societies after war.

After President Trump took to Twitter last week to announce a ban on transgender military personnel, one former Navy SEAL lobs a warning at the White House: “You just smacked the hornet’s nest with a baseball bat." In this episode, POLITICO's Luiza Savage interviews Kristin Beck - a transgender war veteran - and discusses this turning point for the LGBT community.

The mayors of Baltimore, Charlotte and Salt Lake City wrestle with some of the most contentious issues dominating national policy conversations, including health care and improving public school systems.   These city leaders also all happen to be female – and are tired of having some of their cities’ most thorny issues singled out as “women’s issues.” Mayors Jennifer Roberts (of Charlotte), Catherine Pugh (of Baltimore) and Jackie Biskupski (of Salt Lake City) discuss critical policy areas and what it's like to be a local lady boss.

In the wake of the 2016 election, former vice presidential candidate and long-time Republican digital strategist Mindy Finn may be leaving the GOP –- and Washington -– altogether. In this episode of "Women Rule," Finn, who ran alongside independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin last year, delivers a harsh critique of her party, its leaders in Congress, and President Trump.

Actress Allison Williams says she doesn’t like to get political – a feature, she claims, of being the daughter of NBC News anchor Brian Williams. But she has some distinct opinions about how President Donald Trump would have knocked her hit HBO show “Girls” in a dramatically different direction. In the latest episode of "Women Rule," Williams talks politics, millennial activism, and women in Hollywood.

Women are more politically mobilized than ever before, but that hasn't been enough to get them into office. With women stalled at 20 percent of Congress and 1 in 4 elected offices nationwide, POLITICO investigates the causes of this persistent gender gap — and what’s really stopping women from breaking through. Luiza Savage talks with journalist Amanda Ripley and American University professor Jennifer Lawless about the findings of POLITICO's deep dive into women and the political pipeline.

While the GOP swept into control of both chambers on Capitol Hill, the number of Republican women in Congress actually decreased in the last election. Collectively, they make up only 9% of Republicans on the Hill. By comparison, women are about one third of all Democrats in the Congress. To discuss this gap -- and possible solutions to decrease it -- Women Rule brought together three experienced Republican strategists: Andrea Bozek, the communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2016 election cycle; Liesl Hickey, the executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee; and Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. The conversation was moderated by POLITICO Live’s editorial director Luiza Savage and journalist Amanda Ripley, author of the Women Rule investigation into women and politics.

With President Trump confronting multiple Russia investigations, a stalled legislative agenda, and tense relationships with foreign allies, Carly Fiorina has some sharp words of advice: “Stop tweeting.” In the latest episode of Women Rule, the former Hewlett-Packard executive-turned-U.S. presidential candidate weighed in on a wide array of political topics, but also discussed some deeply personal stories: her first Washington meeting at a strip club in the ‘80s, how she felt responding to Trump’s campaign trail insults of her appearance, and why she abhors the female-centric discussion around the “fear of failure.”

The FBI has never had a female director. But Fran Townsend, the former homeland security adviser for President George W. Bush, could change that. She confirms that the Trump administration has approached her about the job and weighs in on what she believes is a historic candidacy. In this week's Women Rule podcast, Townsend joins two other prominent women from the Bush White House – Candi Wolff, former assistant for legislative affairs, and Julie Cram, former deputy assistant and director of the Public Liaison Office – to reflect on their stints in the executive branch and offer up advice for the current Republican administration.

Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada made history last year when she was elected the first Latina member of the U.S. Senate. She’s now working to become less of a novelty. The Nevada senator talks with Women Rule about her push for a more diverse legislative body, whether she could work with the Trump administration, and how women bond in the Senate. Plus: A reporters roundtable with two of POLITICO's star Capitol Hill journalists, Rachael Bade and Seung Min Kim.

In a special episode of "Women Rule," POLITICO's “Off Message” podcast takes over the feed with an interview featuring actress and political activist Sophia Bush. POLITICO editor Carrie Budoff Brown hands over the reins to her colleague Isaac Dovere for the bonus interview, where we hear Sophia Bush delve deep into issues Women Rule listeners are familiar with: women in politics and sexism in the workplace.