Best Shion Podcasts (2024)

1
Christian Nationalism, Violence, and the Right with Dr. Heidi Beirich, Co-Founder Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (E 59) 43:31

44m ago43:31

43:31

Stephanie chats with Dr. Heidi Beirich, the co-founder and chief strategy officer for Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. The authoritarian movements across the world share underlying discriminatory ideologies, and too often have been exported from the U.S. The consequence of the growth in these movements is violence and the dangerous integr…

1
Coping with Hope. 58 Abby Kisicki, Gun Violence Prevention Organizer 29:04

10d ago29:04

29:04

Abby Kisciki, a Gen Z alumna of Arena Academy (check out Ep. 47 Lauren Baer, Mg Dir), is an organizer for Newtown Action Alliance and gun violence prevention. We talk about coping with hope, and using hope responsibly, especially in gun violence prevention. Abby started getting involved in political advocacy as a college student and, after survivin…

1
Raising Arizona. And Michigan. And all 50 states. Charles Gaba, ACA Data Analyst and Democratic Activist 28:10

16d ago28:10

28:10

Stephanie talks to Charles Gaba, an ACA data analyst and activist who started raising money for Dem candidates online in 2018. He operates a simple website, blue24.org with links to slates of Democratic candidates on Act Blue that makes it easy to donate to several candidates at a time, or just one or two. In 2020, he raised a total of 6 million do…

1
56. Mother’s Always Right. Nancy Thompson, Founder of Mothers Against Greg Abbott 49:19

23d ago49:19

49:19

Stephanie chats with Nancy Thompson, founder and head of Mothers Against Greg Abbott about the fascism Texas is fighting right NOW, and how Nancy had enough, showed up with a sign to protest, and launched a movement that grows every time Greg Abbot, TX Gov, speaks. https://mothersagainstgregabbott.com/ Questions: sgwilson@gmail.com…

1
55. Making Dems Competitive Everywhere: Madeline Eden, CTO Movement Labs and Contest Every Race 37:50

1M ago37:50

37:50

Stephanie talks with Madeline Eden, CTO of Movement Labs and Contest Every Race. We’re letting 100,000 Republican candidates win every year without a challenger. We all know that when we put up Democratic candidates in state and local races, even in deeply red districts, more voters turn out, more people become engaged, and Democrats can win seats …

1
54. A Place to Call Home: Conversation with Shion Deysarkar, CEO of Unified social media community 36:17

1M ago36:17

36:17

Stephanie chatted with Shion Desarkar about creating community among pro-democracy activists. Right now I know we’re on a billion social media platforms to try to reach people who will reach others in real life. The promise of Unified is that if activists have a single platform to talk to each other, we can learn from each other, contact each other…

1
53. Paolo Cremidis, ED of Outrun Coalition on electing young and diverse candidates in rural areas to office. 43:13

2M ago43:13

43:13

Stephanie talks to Paolo Cremidis about running candidates who are young and diverse in rural areas. Outrun coalition has gone from electing 6 candidates in upstate NY in 2020 to more than 470 across the country currently. They believe that anyone and everyone should run for office and reject the notion that rural=white. Here are a couple of organi…

1
52. Dmitri Melhorn, co-founder of Invest in US on saving democracy from a funder’s point of view. 46:32

2M ago46:32

46:32

Stephanie talks with Dmitri Melhorn, cofounder of the Invest in US investment fund with Reid Hoffman. Stephanie and Dmitri discuss what investments Melhorn believes are the most effective for President Biden to win in November. The organization invests in advocacy organizations, voter outreach groups, media outlets, electoral strategy groups, and o…

1
51. Brianna Wu on Jew Hatred in the Progressive Movement since 10/7 43:21

2M ago43:21

43:21

Stephanie speaks with Brianna Wu, a former congressional candidate in MA and present activist and fundraiser. They discuss running for office and post October 7 dynamics of the progressive movement, Jew-hatred, compassion, and inclusion. This was recorded before the events at Columbia, University (and other colleges and universities across the coun…

1
50. Andra Watkins, NYT Bestselling Author, on Christo-Fascism and Project 2025 41:30

2M ago41:30

41:30

Stephanie talks to NYT Bestselling Author Andra Watkins about Project 2025 and its Christo-Fascist core. Watkins is the author of the substack newsletter, “How Project 2025 will Ruin Your Life,” which decodes the Heritage Foundation authoritarian playbook for a Trump or Republican presidency. Project 2025 is written in “evangelicalese,” coded so th…

1
49. Brian Hansbury, Co-Founder of Media and Democracy Project on The Failing Legacy Media 47:47

2M ago47:47

47:47

Stephanie talks to Brian Hansbury, one of the co-founders of Media and Democracy Project. They discuss what the corporate media is doing wrong, and how we can make a difference, participate in the Media and Democracy Project’s actions, and tell people we know IRL about what Republicans plan to do TO THEM if they win at the national level. www.media…

1
48, Tara McGowan, CEO and Publisher of Courier Newsroom on the importance of values and fact based journalism 46:23

3M ago46:23

46:23

Stephanie talks to Tara McGowan, founder and publisher of Courier Newsroom and CEO of Good Information Inc., a civic incubator that invests in solutions to counter disinformation online. We talked about the need for values-based, pro-democracy news locally and nationally. Find Courier Newsroom and its newsletters at https://couriernewsroom.com/. **…

1
47. Lauren Baer, Managing Director of Arena on Training Campaign Staff and Organizers to Win 25:39

3M ago25:39

25:39

Stephanie talks to Lauren Baer, the Managing Director of Arena Inc about recruiting and training campaign staff, deploy them to game-changing campaigns, and support both staff and candidates on the path to victory. They also train organizers at every stage in their careers to train them for movement work in the field. www.arena.run (At least) 2 Are…

1
46 Dr. Matthew Taylor, Senior Scholar ICJS on wacky but powerful extreme Christian Nationalists 1:02:50

3M ago1:02:50

1:02:50

This week Stephanie talks to Dr. Matthew Taylor, who studies the extreme, violent, prophesy-spouting Christian Nationalists who are way too close to Donald Trump and Mike Johnson. He is the creator of the acclaimed audio-documentary series “Charismatic Revival Fury: The New Apostolic Reformation,” which details how networks of extremist Christian l…

1
45. Jeremy Smith, Co-founder and CEO of Civitech on useful data, registering voters, and organizing tools 47:59

3M ago47:59

47:59

Stephanie talks to Jeremy Smith, CEO of Civitech on better tools and data for activists and candidates to use to register and reach voters. We discussed the importance of contesting every state and local race, what it takes to find the unregistered voters in an area and get them registered (hint: the most effective way is not standing at a street f…

1
44. Erin Reed, Independent Journalist, Trans Activist, Author of Erin in the Morning 36:10

4M ago36:10

36:10

Stephanie talks to Erin Reed, trans activist, independent journalist and writer of Erin in the Morning, which reports on the anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ bills and laws around the country, including the 400+ that have been filed in 2024 alone. We discuss the death of Nex Benedict in Oklahoma, and the ongoing risk to trans adults in MAGA captured stat…

1
43. Julie Fernatt and Llama Habern, Co-founders Rural Organizing Initiative in Arizona 36:34

4M ago36:34

36:34

Stephanie talks to Julie Fernatt and Llama Habern of Rural Organizing Initiative in Arizona. They've done great work organizing young people, candidates for local and state offices, and helping people come together without preconditions. www.roi.vote --- Find a transcript of this podcast at our substack. Please introduce one person in real life to …

1
42. JoAnn Loulan, Co-founder of Democratic Messaging Project on getting the message out, especially to Gen Z 34:31

4M ago34:31

34:31

Stephanie talks to JoAnn Loulan of Democratic Messaging project about messaging in battleground states. This was before last week's multiple fiascos, so remember to talk about the distinction: do you want a wise man who will maintain freedom and liberty, or an old man the same age wanting to be a dictator who spouts nonsense. That's the choice. htt…

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41. Amanda Litman, Co-founder Run for Something, on recruiting and training the next generation of state and local Dem candidates 37:05

5M ago37:05

37:05

Stephanie talks with Amanda LItman, co-founder of Run for Something, about the support Run for Something provides to people who want to run for office for the first time. Since the founding on Jan 20, 2017, more than 150,000 people have raised their hand to run. More than 1000 RFS candidates have won their elections. Donate to Run for Something: ru…

1
40. Stephanie Schriock, Fmr Director Emily's List on the importance of progressive media 48:30

5M ago48:30

48:30

Stephanie talks with Stephanie Schriock, the former executive director of Emily's List about the importance of owning the means of information distribution. In other words, wealthy progressives need to buy local and national media outlets. And we need a platform where all Dems can get good info for social sharing. Find a transcript of this podcast …

1
39. Zooey Zephyr, First Trans Legislator in Montana Statehouse, on why MAGA won't succeed in erasing trans people 34:21

5M ago34:21

34:21

Stephanie talks with Zooey Zephyr, First Trans Legislator in Montana, about how MAGA is trying to fracture the American population to gain power, and how their anti-trans legislation is deeply unpopular and will ultimately fail. https://www.zooeyzephyr.com/ ----more---- Find a transcript of this podcast at our substack. Please introduce one person …

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38. Ron Fein, Legal Director of Free Speech for People on Trump's disqualification from the presidency by the 14th Amendment 32:37

5M ago32:37

32:37

Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech for People (freespeechforpeople.org) talks about the constitutional case for Trump’s ineligibility for office. His clear and concise explanation of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is must-listen if you want to understand the amendment, the original meaning, and how his organization and many others believe it …

1
37. Mark Riddle, President of Future Majority on Freedom, Discipline, and Making the Voter the Hero 38:17

6M ago38:17

38:17

Mark Riddle is President of Future Majority, founded in 2017 to fill the critical need for an outside, non-biased, data-driven strategy center focused on brand, storytelling, and policy to advise leaders as they think about issues and governing. https://futuremajority.org/ Stephanie also talks about putting January 6 into the context of Trump and M…

1
36. Fentrice Driskell, Florida House Minority Leader, on the Freedom to Be Healthy, Prosperous, and Safe 39:26

6M ago39:26

39:26

Stephanie talks with Fentrice Driskell, Florida House Minority Leader, about how we all can be superheroes without capes, the Florida freedom agenda, the special election on January 16, 2024, and how we can help Florida residents regain their freedom. www.fentriceforflorida.com ----more---- MERCH! Our Bonfire Store ----more---- Find a transcript of…

1
Firefly Wings 6:18

6M ago6:18

6:18

Yuna is an average girl from her era who wants to see her mother. But she accidentally travels to the future due to her parents' untimely deaths. Five years later, Yuna meets a mysterious young man, and they embark on their grand journey. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing at the Jotoheim of Chanines. Credits: Yu Rivers (Creator) Kevin Rivers (Executive…

1
35.Stephanie wishes you respite, light, joy, and health over the holidays. 2:21

7M ago2:21

2:21

Hi friends, Wishing you a wonderful holiday season. See you back on January 2 with some wonderful and invigorating interviews, including Fentrice Driskell of the Florida House of Representatives and others. Here is my list of some notable books of 2023...the works of authors I've interviewed (or want to interview)! You'll also find a link to freedo…

1
34. What happens to Abortion if Trump Wins. (Project 2025) Dr. Katie McHugh, OBGYN and Abortion Provider on Reproductive Freedom 39:22

7M ago39:22

39:22

Stephanie discusses the stakes of the 2024 presidential race, particularly on the first "Promise" of Project 2025, which a nationwide abortion ban. Project 2025 outlines Republican plans if Trump wins, developed by the Heritage Foundation and other RW think tanks. Spoiler alert: Nationwide abortion ban, contraception ban, and more war on women. Dr.…

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33. What Happens if Trump Wins (Project 2025). Jeff Sharlet, author of NYT Notable Book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War 48:55

7M ago48:55

48:55

Stephanie discusses the stakes of the 2024 presidential race, focusing on Project 2025, which outlines Republican plans if Trump wins, developed by the Heritage Foundation and other RW think tanks. Spoiler alert: Trump weaponizes DOJ, purges civil service, puts military on US streets, and rounds up immigrants and puts them into camps. and Jeff Shar…

1
32. Stephanie’s take on Thanksgiving mythology and who is a real American. Professor Ben Railton on teaching honest history. 41:00

7M ago41:00

41:00

Stephanie explores Thanksgiving mythology in the context of her conversation with Professor Ben Railton about teaching honest history and its importance in defining who counts as a real American. ----more---- Support the podcast with a paid subscription to hoosiervictoryalliance.substack.com or patreon.com/freedomoverfascism Please leave a review o…

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31. Scott Aaron Rogers, Independent Hoosier Activist on Who is Funding MAGA Candidates like Mike Braun 21:51

7M ago21:51

21:51

Stephanie discusses the notable 2023 electoral wins and the dark money funding MAGA campaigns nationwide. She then talks to Scott Aaron Rogers, host of the HoosLeft podcast, about who is funding (buying?) MAGA Republican Mike Braun's campaign for governor. ----more---- Support the podcast with a paid subscription to hoosiervictoryalliance.substack.…

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30. Andrea Miller, ED of Center for Common Ground on Turning Out the Black Vote 50:48

8M ago50:48

50:48

Andrea Miller, Executive Director and Founding Board Member talks with Stephanie about turning out the BIPOC vote in Virginia with Democracy Centers, paid phone banks, good campaign tools, and organizational fundamentals. www.centerforcommonground.org ----more---- Support the podcast: patreon.com/freedomoverfascism Patrons will receive bonus conten…

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29. Debbie Cox Bultan, CEO New Deal Leaders 44:54

8M ago44:54

44:54

Stephanie talks to Debbie Cox Bultan, Co-founder and CEO of New Deal Leaders, an organization that helps select state and local leaders formulate policy once they've been elected. The NewDEAL is a selective national network of pro-growth progressive state and local elected officials. Their mission is to scour the country to lift up the best and bri…

1
28. Aaron Rupar, Independent Journalist and Publisher, Public Notice 37:29

8M ago37:29

37:29

Aaron Rupar publishes and reports for the independent online publication Public Notice and is a prolific tweeter (Xer?), following and live tweeting public hearings, debates, and other political events. Public Notice describes itself this way: “it is fair, but not impartial. We think democracy and fair elections are good things and, unlike a lot of…

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27. Chelsea McDonnel, Co-founder MAD Voters 37:27

8M ago37:27

37:27

Chelsea McDonnel is a co-founder of MAD voters, a personal private baker (her confections are amazing!) and a community activist. She talks with us about reaching new and potential voters, and advocating for equal rights and freedoms for the entire individual. She's currently focused on advocacy to remove the tax on menstruation products in Indiana…

1
26. Stephanie’s Take on MAGA’s ”othering” of LGBTQ+ folks. Lance Preston, Rainbow Youth Project 42:54

9M ago42:54

42:54

In honor of National Coming Out Day and World Mental Health Month, both occurring this week, Stephanie provides context and a new analysis for the MAGA attack on LGBTQ+ youth and adults, followed by an archive recording of our September 2023 interview of Lance Preston, who talks about the mental health crisis among queer youth and the dangers of an…

1
25. Professor Ben Railton, American Studies Professor, Fitchburg State University 39:51

9M ago39:51

39:51

Our resident American History Professor Ben Railton joins us to discuss the battles over history curriculum in Florida and across the country. Ben Railton teaches American Studies of Fitchburg State University in MA. He is author of six books on American identity, national narratives, and collective memory, most recently Of Thee I Sing: The Contest…

1
24. Jeff Sharlet, Author of Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War 48:19

9M ago48:19

48:19

Jeff Sharlet is an author, journalist, professor and producer of “The Family” on Netflix. He joins the podcast to discuss his latest book, The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War and his experiences investigating and interviewing the religious right. Jeff is a contributing editor for Vanity Fair and best-selling author or editor of seven books, …

1
23. Tennessee Representative Gloria Johnson, Dem Candidate for US Senate 38:55

9M ago38:55

38:55

Gloria Johnson's Website TN State Representative Gloria Johnson has dedicated her life to serving Tenneseans, fighting for justice and standing tall for all who have been left out, left behind, or left without a voice. Early on Gloria’s family instilled in her the drive to put people first, no matter the cost. Growing up, Gloria remembers sleeping …

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22. Emily Voorde, Founder INTO Strategies, Fmr White House Liaison to Disabled Americans, Fmr Pete for America Staff 40:51

10M ago40:51

40:51

Emily Voorde is Founder and CEO of INTO Strategies, a Disabled-led firm bringing people into moments, movements, and campaigns. Emily also serves as a Presidentially-appointed Councilmember on the National Council on Disability. She previously served as an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement as the Biden-Harris Adminis…

1
21. Lance Preston, ED & Founder Rainbow Youth Project, LGBTQIA+ Legal Advocate 40:50

10M ago40:50

40:50

As a gay youth growing up in a small, deep South farming town in Tennessee, Lance Preston experienced an enormous amount of religious hate from the Southern Baptist Church. Though his family was always supportive, accepting, and loving, his struggles between living his truth and living in Christianity led to a suicide attempt at the age of 19. As a…

1
20. Dr Katie McHugh, Abortion Provider, Patient Advocate, Board Certified OBGYN 37:23

10M ago37:23

37:23

Dr. Katie McHugh is a board certified OBGYN and an abortion provider, chronic pain specialist, and patient advocate. She is currently licensed in 3 states (Indiana, Ohio, and Maryland) and travels to provide abortion care in various locations in these states to provide compassionate, trauma-informed, patient-empowering abortion care. While the work…

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19. Jocelyn Vare, City Council Fishers, IN; Barbara Shoup, YA Author; Tracy Richardson, YA Author 47:26

10M ago47:26

47:26

Jocelyn Vare is an at-large member of Fishers Indiana City Council and currently serves as the first Democrat ever elected to Fishers municipal office. She is running for re-election in 2023. Her city is at the center of an ever-growing battle between MAGA far right radicals and Moms for Tyranny and public libraries and schools. Find more here and …

1
Stay Radical: A Final Goodbye from Dylan and Jess 21:38

11M ago21:38

21:38

The Radical AI Podcast has unfortunately reached its end. In this episode, Dylan and Jess say goodbye to the podcast and thank you listeners for your unwavering support throughout the years.By Radical AI

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18. Jess Craven: Chop Wood, Carry Water 36:20

11M ago36:20

36:20

Best Of: Jessica Craven is a community organizer, activist, mom, and elected member of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. She’s also the author of "Chop Wood, Carry Water," a daily actions e-mail that’s been published five days a week since November of 2016. She’s a member of the CADem Environmental Caucus, a climate activist, and a grassroot…

1
17. Jonathan Zucker: Founder of Every State Blue 42:47

11M ago42:47

42:47

Best of: Jonathan Zucker, founder of Every State Blue, Is a political technology entrepreneur and campaign finance attorney. He was the first COO and second CEO of ActBlue. He talks to Heidi and Stephanie about the idea behind Every State Blue (Blue Missouri, Blue Ohio, Blue Texas, and hopefully Blue Indiana). The goal is to crowdfund money to prov…

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16. Brynn Tannehill: Author, Trans Activist, Combat Vet 36:28

11M ago36:28

36:28

Freedom Over Fascism was formerly known as What the Gerrymander. Brynn Tannehill is a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy and the Air Force Institute of Technology with degrees in Computer Science and Operations Research. She is a Naval Aviator who did four deployments to locations such as the Adriatic, Middle East, and the North Atlantic. After le…

1
15. Simon Rosenberg: Hopium Chronicles and Democratic Strategist 40:48

11M ago40:48

40:48

"It's time to go on offense." Simon Rosenberg has been a top Democratic operative for a long time. He founded NDN, a democracy research and advocacy group in 1996. Recently, he started to believe that the United States is entering a new political era that requires new strategies and approaches. He created a new project, Hopium Chronicles, as a way …

1
14. Veronica Pejril: Only Elected Trans person in IN, City Council Member Greencastle IN 33:55

12M ago33:55

33:55

Veronical Pejril, is a city council member in Greencastle, IN and the only elected transgender individual in Indiana. Veronica is also an assistant professor in DePauw University’s School of Music, where she teaches courses in music technology and provides leadership for the university’s instructional technology team. She’s a member of Hoosier Wome…

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13.Ben Railton: American Studies Prof, Competing Ideas of Patriotism and Who is American 44:49

12M ago44:49

44:49

In our special Best Of series, we're featuring this episode on patriotism for the 4th of July holiday. Ben Railton teaches American Studies of Fitchburg State University in MA. He is author of six books on American identity, national narratives, and collective memory, most recently Of Thee I Sing: The Contested History of American Patriotism (2021)…

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