In our first episode of the year, veteran journalist Ron Brownstein returns to offer a cogent analysis about the larger ongoing, existential battle over the identity of this nation and the fears and anxieties animating the Trump coalition. 

Ron, Steve and Sharline discuss voter behavior in the 2024 election cycle, from racial and gender dynamics in the presidential contest to the economic conditions that impacted turnout for both Democrats and Republicans. 

Ron explains what led to Democrats’ resurgence in 2025 and he breaks down why Trump’s approval rating will be a key factor in how the party performs this fall, particularly in key Senate races. 

Ronald Brownstein - @RonBrownstein

CNN Portfolio

In our final episode of 2025, Representative Crockett joins us to talk about what kind of leadership this moment requires. 

Recorded just days before she officially entered the race, she shares her journey as a civil rights lawyer turned legislator and the experiences that led her to run for Congress. 

She highlights key issues Texans are facing and discusses what it’s going to take to win her Senate race in 2026.

Jasmine Crockett Senate Campaign Website

@jasmineforus

Happy Thanksgiving! Our team is taking a break this week, so we’re re-sharing one of our most popular episodes from last year featuring somatics coach Viveka Chen, now with a brand-new intro from our co-host Sharline Chang.

In This Episode: 
Let’s pause for a moment and remember that we need to take care of ourselves. 

Leadership coach, transformative justice practitioner, and somatics coach Viveka Chen (she/they) discusses the intersection of personal healing and collective liberation. Viveka shares insights from their work helping activists, organizers, and community leaders build resilience and foster connection in the face of systemic injustice.

Viveka discusses healthy ways to deepen our capacity for change, how to transform burnout into sustainable action, and she shares grounding practices for getting through the holiday season and beyond.

Viveka, Steve, and Sharline also share how they’re each finding gratitude in this moment and take a moment to breathe deeply and reflect.

Viveka Chen - Strozzi Institute

co-LAB Collective's Radical Sabbatical

co-LAB Collective's Helpful Frameworks for Hard Times

When No Thing Works: A Zen and Indigenous Perspective on Resilience, Shared Purpose, and Leadership in the Timeplace of Collapse // Norma Wong

The 19th News’ childcare and economy reporter Chabeli Carrazana discusses the unique beat she’s formed and why reporting on the economy from a gender lens matters.

Chabeli explains how the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted women of color, and she discusses the challenges faced by immigrant childcare workers in the wake of Trump’s immigration crackdowns. She shares the undue burden LGBTQ+ mothers face when it comes to healthcare, and she gives insight into the groundbreaking universal childcare program implemented in New Mexico. 

She also points to NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s agenda as a possible model for the next wave of universal childcare.

Chabeli Carrazzana - @ChabeliC_

The 19th News - Author Bio & Articles

Breaking the News - Documentary

For the Bay Area Book Festival’s inaugural Merritt Dialogue Speaker Series, Steve and writer Rebecca Solnit join Working Families Party California State Director Jane Kim for a hopeful conversation on changing the narrative and imagining a better future.

They cover several issues relevant to this political moment including, voter suppression, the climate crisis, youth activism, and media misinformation and disinformation. They also discuss why harnessing the power of the New American Majority hinges on progressives unapologetically fighting for racial justice and equality.

They share what is giving them hope in these harrowing times and answer questions from the audience. 

Rebecca Solnit - Website 

Jane Kim - Website // @JaneKim

Bay Area Book Festival - Website // Merritt Dialogue Speaker Series

Somos Votantes founder and president Melissa Morales returns to discuss the critical role of the Latino electorate and what her organization is hearing from voters about our current political climate.

She unpacks how voter behavior among Latino communities shifted from 2020 to 2024 and the impact of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign to be the first woman president of the United States. 

Morales also explains recent polling data that shows waning support among Latinos for Trump’s policies, particularly as it relates to the economy and looming threats of deportation by ICE in immigrant communities. 

Somos Votantes - somosvotantes.com // @SomosVotantes

"Trump's Standing with Latino Voters Beginning to Collapse as Latino Men and Young Voters Decisively Turn Away" - Poll

Executive Director of Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) Fahd Ahmed discusses Zohran Mamdani’s historic race for New York City mayor and the lessons for Democrats and progressives in future elections.

Ahmed explains how DRUM Beats NYC (DRUM’s sibling organization) has mobilized South Asians and working-class immigrants across the political spectrum in support of Mamdani, whose platform centers the material needs of working-class New Yorkers, such as housing, childcare, and transportation, as well as global issues including the war in Gaza.

Ahmed shares his view on the reluctance of some established Democratic leaders to endorse Mamdani and the implications of his potential victory for the future of the Democratic Party and progressive politics in the United States.

Fahd Ahmed, Executive Director, DRUM Beats NYC - @DRUMBeatsNYC // drumbeatsnyc.org

San Francisco Chronicle’s senior political writer, and longtime observer of California politics, Joe Garofoli offers historical and political context to California’s growing role as a bastion against the Trump administration’s march towards fascism. 

He breaks down the upcoming November ballot measure to redistrict the state and neutralize the five additional Republican seats created in Texas. He also shares his view of Governor Gavin Newsom’s political trajectory, former Vice President Kamala Harris’ next move, and what all of this spells for 2026 and 2028.

Joe Garofoli - @joegarofoli // San Francisco Chronicle

Steve and Sharline reflect on Steve’s latest manuscript before diving into how they’ve been coping and surviving these last eight months of the second Trump administration.

They cover the key bellwether elections of 2025 that will be dominating headlines this fall from New York City’s mayoral race to the historic gubernatorial race in Virginia, one that will elect its first female governor. 

They discuss the significance of these upcoming elections and they touch on two key Senate races that could reshape Democrats' congressional power in 2026.

Emmy Ruiz, former advisor to the President during the Biden-Harris administration, and White House director of political strategy and outreach, returns to discuss the redistricting showdown in Texas. 

She dives into the impact of gerrymandering on democracy, and offers her thoughts on the response from Democratic-led states to Republicans' redistricting efforts. She also shares her insights on grassroots organizing, mobilizing voter turnout in key districts, and the evolving landscape of Latino voter behavior. 

Emmy Ruiz - Twitter/X

United We Dream Co-founder Cristina Jiménez joins Steve to discuss her new book, Dreaming of Home: How We Turn Fear Into Pride, Power & Real Change. 

She shares the impact of American foreign policy around the world, but particularly in her home country of Ecuador, that led to mass migration movements in search of safety and stability. She discusses the role of eugenics in immigration policy, and how her experiences as a young person led her to activism. Cristina also shares what she’s learned as an organizer and what she believes is necessary to navigate this current political landscape.