Pantsuit Politics

Nine million Americans have some kind of active interface with incarceration. If incarceration were a city, it would be the largest city in the US. Guest host Sarah Shotland and Beth discuss this issue in depth and how you can make a difference. They also talk Paul Manafort's trial, Nia Wilson's death, and the ongoing crisis of family separation at our southern border. 

Mental health - specifically adolescent mental health - is an issue everyone likes to talk about but Will Powers is actually doing something about. We talk to him about the organization he represents, StAMINA, which works to end the stigma around youth mental health in Kentucky.

Sarah welcomes guest host Jo Kroger to talk about the state of the progressive left and how it's impacted the Democratic party at large. Sarah also hosts a group of Pantsuit Politics listeners with real life campaign experience. They talk about their levels of involvement in a variety of campaigns and what led them to get involved in the first place. 

The odd grammatical clarifications President Trump and the White House keep offering are dominating headlines, but the policy and actions behind them are far more concerning. We return to our conversation about confronting strangers after so much great listener feedback. We also talk to Carri Hicks, who is running for State Senate in Oklahoma. 

Our plans for today's episode were upended by Donald Trump's extraordinary statements in Helsinki. We share our thoughts on Trump's foreign policy across Europe, the Peter Strzok hearing, the new indictments from the Mueller team, and the shocking Trump-Putin press conference in Helsinki.

We're tackling the new Supreme Court nominee, NATO, and Sarah has some things to say to white people with cell phones. This leads us into a conversation about when and how to call out strangers for words and actions we find objectionable. Plus, Beth talks with Emily Fox about her new book about the Trump children, Born Trump.

2,977 people were killed by 19 al Qaeda-backed terrorists on September 11, 2001. Today, as immigration and travel bans dominate the news, we begin a several month exploration of what that day has meant for American government, agencies, policies and culture. We start the show lightning round to cover the this week's headlines. We're also sharing our first gratitude moment, a new regular segment in our Tuesday episodes. 

We hope you're enjoying the holiday week. We couldn't wait until next week to share some special news.  To stay in the loop, head to www.pantsuitpoliticsshow.com and sign up to join our email list. 

Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the Supreme Court this week. We discuss what it may mean for the future of the Court. We also talk about the varied reactions to Justice Kennedy's announcement and how they relate to our discussion of political civility.

Social media has been dominated by the serious stories of immigration atrocities and less serious stories about jackets and restaurants. We cover these stories in our lightning round before talking about the need for civility in our political discourse. Plus, we chat with Tiffany Bond about her run to represent the citizens of Maine in Congress.

All week, we've heard from listeners who, like us, are struggling to process what's happening at our southern border. We talk through the various elements of this crisis as well as our thoughts and feelings surrounding it. Additionally, we discuss how and why we talk politics with our kids.

It's being reported that 2000 children have been separated from their families at the US border between April 19 and May 31. We discuss our perspectives on this horrifying policy as well as reflect on how we view immigration to the United States. We also discuss the recent Supreme Court decision on gerrymandering, immigration issues in the European Union, and our weekly Pride Month moment. 

We address the separation of families at the border, share our reflections on the summit with North Korea, and Beth talks with James Kirchick, author of The End of Europe. Beth and James discuss historical context for our modern diplomacy with European countries, including Russia. 

The President faces backlash from the G7 heading into talks with North Korea, and Robert Mueller's work. We take a closer look at the new indictments and what they mean for the continuing case. We also talk with Diana Butler Bass about the need for civic gratitude. 

There's so much tension in the news this week. International leaders are unhappy with the United States over tariffs, leading to concerns about the ability of the G7 to issue a joint statement. American diplomats in China are being brought home after experiencing neurological symptoms caused by sustained and mysterious sounds. And House GOP leaders are trying to quell and immigration revolt among their members.