Episodes

  • A teacher’s witness to trauma, community, and the fierce determination to keep students safe.Teaching Through Terror:

    A teacher’s witness to trauma, community, and the fierce determination to keep students safe.Teaching Through Terror:
    Feb 2 2026
    🌟 Welcome to Episode #10 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟🐓 IN THIS EPISODE:We sit down with Jackie Mosqueda-Jones — longtime educator, former Osseo School Board chair, and current pre-K teacher in Columbia Heights — for a deeply human conversation about what families, educators, and neighbors are facing as ICE activity intensifies across the district.👩‍🏫 Meet JackieFormer Osseo School Board member (6 years; board chair), current pre-K teacher, and a frontline witness to what she describes as “a whole other level” beyond the crises schools carried through COVID and George Floyd.🏫 Columbia Heights Right NowA richly diverse district — roughly 40% Latina (many Ecuadorian refugee families) and about 25% Black/African American, including African immigrants — with a majority of students identifying as children of color.🧸 The Liam Ramos StoryWe discuss the incident that shook the community: families afraid to send children to school, a parent followed from school, a child used to draw a mother outside, and the impossible choices no parent should ever face.📄 DOPA Forms & Emergency PlanningSchools are helping families prepare Delegation of Parental Authority forms in case parents are detained, assisting with notarization, and ensuring emergency guardianship plans are in place.🧑‍⚕️ Teachers as the Last Line of CareEducators and community members are delivering food and supplies, purchasing medicine for families afraid to leave home, transporting students, and stepping in as trusted guardians when needed.📱 Pre-K Online — Built From ScratchJackie created a remote learning option so children can stay safe without losing access to education — designing phone-accessible lessons and supporting families nights and weekends.🧑‍🏫 Leadership That Shows UpPrincipal Jeff Sosick is recognized for leading with compassion — turning meetings into supply drives, preparing food packages for families, and consistently prioritizing care over optics.🚨 How ICE Targets the CommunityReports of activity during school arrival and dismissal, targeting workers at closing time, door-to-door presence near apartment buildings, and a level of surveillance that has reshaped daily life.🧠 The Trauma on KidsChildren struggling to concentrate, fear becoming normalized in playground conversations, and educators carrying the weight of collective trauma alongside their students.💔 The Emotional Toll“We’re not doing well.”Instead of asking “How are you?”, staff now greet each other with:👉 “I’m glad you’re here.”🗳️ Local Elections MatterA reminder that school boards shape communities — research candidates, stay engaged locally, and remember that major political movements often begin at the local level.✨ Hope in the HenhouseMutual aid networks rising, retired educators stepping in, neighbors using their skills to help, and a guiding truth from Paul Wellstone:👉 “We all do better when we all do better.”🛑 Final WordThis is a marathon — not a sprint.Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Take care of yourself. Love will win.❤️ Support Families Impacted in the Columbia Heights School DistrictThese fundraisers directly benefit families across the district:Columbia Heights High Schoolhttps://gofund.me/1b26e2c3cColumbia Academyhttps://gofund.me/b9b785a26Highland Elementaryhttps://gofund.me/271c89166North Park School for Innovationhttps://gofund.me/b9406a952Valley View Elementaryhttps://give.mn/g1iz7gFamily Centerhttps://gofund.me/e090e916a👉 You can also find these links on the Columbia Heights Public Schools website.📚 Jackie’s Donors Choose Project — Tools for Little Mathematicianshttps://www.donorschoose.org/project/tools-for-little-mathematicians/9919647/💌 If this conversation moved you, challenged you, or made you see the world differently — please like, comment, and share. It helps more than you know and expands this growing community.📱 Follow us everywhere: @thepoliticschicks on Substack, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.🧡 Keep shining your light so we can find each other in the dark.We are always stronger together.— Christy & Monica
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    45 mins
  • GROUND ZERO: Life Under Occupation in Minnesota

    GROUND ZERO: Life Under Occupation in Minnesota
    Jan 31 2026
    🌟 Welcome to Episode #9 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟🎙️ After a pause from podcasting, we’re back — not because it’s convenient, but because it’s necessary. Minnesota is at ground zero, and what’s happening here demands to be witnessed, documented, and shared.This episode is not analysis from afar. It’s lived experience.🐓 IN THIS EPISODE:👋 We return to the micChristy and Monica explain why now is the moment to bring the podcast back — as Minnesota faces what many residents are describing as life under occupation.👤 Meet our guest: Anton FriantA lifelong Minnesotan, parent, designer, former MCAD instructor, and community organizer. Anton joins us after writing a powerful Facebook post that captured what it feels like to live inside this moment — a post that resonated far beyond state lines .🗺️ What it’s really like in Minnesota right nowThis is not “just Minneapolis.”ICE activity has spread across suburbs and greater Minnesota — St. Cloud, Rochester, St. Louis Park, and beyond. The Twin Cities are not insular. We are deeply interconnected, and what happens in one neighborhood ripples everywhere .👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parenting young kids in unprecedented timesAnton shares heartbreaking, honest conversations with his 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter:Children who already know the names, faces, and detailsKids asking if this is normalMiddle schoolers grieving strangers as peopleElementary school kids crying at the sound of whistles, afraid they’ll come home to empty apartmentsThis is collective trauma — and our children are carrying it .🚨 When ICE shows up near a schoolAnton recounts witnessing ICE raids across the street from his daughter’s elementary school — patrols forming human chains, whistles blowing, rapid response networks activating — while children inside panic, believing their parents may be taken .🤝 Community response: the quiet miracleOut of fear has come extraordinary coordination:Parents on patrol at school drop-off, recess, and dismissalNeighborhood rapid-response teamsFood, supplies, and mutual aid networksPeople skipping appointments, enduring subzero cold, and showing up day after day — simply because their neighbors need themThis isn’t centralized.It isn’t funded.It’s organic, hyperlocal, and deeply Minnesotan .🕯️ Honoring Alex Pretti and Renée GoodWe reflect on loss, on helping professions, and on what it means that Alex’s final words — spoken while protecting someone else — were “Are you okay?”Their names will live on. So will what they represent .🌍 The ripple effectAnton shares a moment that stopped us cold: his words reached the UK, where a Member of Parliament is organizing a solidarity rally in Nottingham — reading his letter aloud for Minneapolis.The world is watching. And responding .🧠 How people are copingThis is a marathon, not a sprint. We talk about sustaining ourselves, taking breaks, and protecting one another so the work — and the people — endure.🐥 FINAL WORD:This isn’t about politics as sport.This is about human beings, children, neighborhoods, and the refusal to normalize cruelty.Resistance doesn’t only look like marches.It looks like whistles, human chains, shared food, missed appointments, extra hugs at bedtime — and neighbors who refuse to leave each other behind🧭 HOW YOU CAN HELP:We’ll include links in the show notes to:Link to Anton’s Article on our Substack https://substack.com/@thepoliticschicks/p-184814003Stand With Minnesota https://www.standwithminnesota.com/Community support and eviction-prevention efforts https://www.givemn.org/story/arpbcg Calling Governor Walz to support an eviction moratorium is one concrete way to act right now.💌 We’d love to hear from youIf you have resources to share, stories from your community, or topics you want us to cover — reach out. This podcast exists because of you.💌 If this episode moved you, challenged you, or helped you understand what’s happening here — please like, comment, and share.It helps more than you know. It puts these stories in front of more eyes and helps grow this community of people who refuse to look away.📱 Find and follow us on:Substack, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook👉 @thepoliticschicks🧡 Keep shining your light so we can find each other in the dark.We are always stronger together.— Christy & Monica
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    41 mins
  • RESIST and RECHARGE

    RESIST and RECHARGE
    Aug 14 2025

    🌟 Welcome to Episode #8 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟

    🎙️ Before this podcast, we launched our journey on Substack—where we shared sharp takes on current events, deep dives into policy, and personal reflections on the state of politics. Now, we’re bringing that same energy—and our signature voice—straight to your favorite podcast platform!

    🐓 IN THIS EPISODE:
    This week’s conversation covers the “podcast that wasn’t” (thanks, copyright police), a stormy in-person lunch in Minnesota, the chaos and charm of banana ball, a protest in Dana Point, and a sweet surprise—custom Politics Chicks cookies from one of our listeners. We also share an update on Finley’s diagnosis and how you can support his family, break down a few What the Cluck?! political moments, and wrap with the everyday joys that give us hope.

    💬 We cover:
    🍪 Monica’s trip to Minnesota, a stormy lunch with Christy, and a sweet gift from listener Kelly of Cute and Delish—custom Politics Chicks cookies that were as delicious as they were adorable. (Contact Kelly at cuteanddelishbykel.com or cuteanddelishbykel@gmail.com)

    🍌 Christy introduces Monica to Banana Ball—a Harlem Globetrotters-style twist on baseball with trick plays, dancing umpires, and nonstop fan interaction.

    ✊ Monica’s protest in Dana Point along the Pacific Coast Highway—and why showing up still matters.

    🎉 An update on the Dahlson Twins and Finley’s diagnosis of spastic diplegic cerebral palsy—plus how you can help the Dahlsons via their GoFundMe: http://bit.ly/45tSDZu

    💣 What the Cluck?!
    🚨 We unpack a week’s worth of political absurdity, including:

    🗣️ Trump on the White House roof pitching a $200M ballroom and joking about nuclear missiles—while actually stationing nuclear subs near Russia.

    🌙 A reality-TV-star-turned-NASA-head pitching a nuclear reactor on the moon—because apparently there’s no problem here on Earth more urgent.

    📉 Trump blaming the Bureau of Labor and Statistics for unfavorable jobs numbers and accusing them of election manipulation—despite bipartisan confirmation of its leadership and decades of routine data revisions.

    🐥 Peep Cheeps:
    This week we share three personal joys that have nothing to do with politics:
    🎹 Christy learning piano at 55 as a form of mental escape.

    🎶 Monica auditioning for the Orange County Women’s Chorus and looking forward to singing with others again.

    🌳 Being outside, making art, playing games, and spending time with loved ones—because self-care is political, too.

    💡 Hope in the Henhouse:
    💙Our big hope this week? Texas Democrats walking out to block an extreme new gerrymandering push ordered up by Trump himself. They’re making it clear this fight is bigger than Texas—it’s about protecting democracy nationwide.

    🥊And for once, Democrats in other states are signaling they’re willing to respond in kind, even if it means gerrymandering in blue states to level the playing field.

    🙌 Final word?
    Laughter, joy, and connection aren’t luxuries—they’re tools for resilience. Whether it’s calling out political absurdity, standing up for democracy, or savoring a moment of everyday joy, the way we spend our energy matters.

    💌 We would love your input! If you have topics you’d like us to cover, news to share, or a shout-out to give—let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

    💌 If this conversation moved you, taught you, or made you think—please like, comment, and share. It helps us get these stories in front of more eyes and keeps growing this incredible community of listeners who care deeply.

    📱 Find and follow us on Substack, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
    @thepoliticschicks

    🧡 Keep shining your light so we can find each other in the dark. We are always stronger together.
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    49 mins
  • LOVE is LOVE

    LOVE is LOVE
    Jul 23 2025


    🌟 Welcome to Episode #6 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟

    🎙️ Before this podcast, we launched our journey on Substack—where we shared sharp takes on current events, deep dives into policy, and personal reflections on the state of politics. Now, we’re bringing that same energy—and our signature voice—straight to your favorite podcast platform!


    🌈 This week, we’re honored to welcome Cody and Adam Dahlson to the podcast—a married couple who, less than a year ago, became the proud parents of twins. But their path into parenthood has been anything but easy. From a premature birth and days spent in the NICU to the devastating discovery that both Finnley and Hadley have a rare neurological disorder, their story is one of courage, grit, and the kind of love that shows up, even when the future is uncertain.

    👶🏼 In this moving conversation, we talk about:

    • How they met and built a life together 💕
    • The decision to grow their family and the logistics of parenthood as a same-sex couple 🏳️‍🌈
    • What it was like finding out they were having twins 👶🏻👶🏻
    • The early arrival and what life in the NICU taught them about fear, strength, and hope 🏥
    • Noticing something different with Finnley and the long road to answers 🧠
    • Getting a life-changing diagnosis—for both twins—and what that means going forward 💔
    • How they’re turning pain into purpose through advocacy and community 🫂
    • The upcoming KAND conference and what they hope to gain and share there 🎤

    💡 Learn more about KIF1A-Associated Neurological Disorder (KAND):

    🔗 https://www.kif1a.org/

    〽️ To support Ronald McDonald House:

    🔗http://bit.ly/4lcBJnb

    💚 Want to support Cody, Adam, and their twins directly? Donate to their GoFundMe:

    🔗 http://bit.ly/4m8TYKL

    🕯️ This episode is a reminder of what love looks like when it’s tested. When it digs in. When it refuses to give up. Cody and Adam’s story will move you, challenge you, and stay with you.

    💬 If this conversation touched you, please like, comment, and share. It helps us bring these powerful stories to more people—and helps build the kind of compassionate community we all need right now.

    📲 Follow us @thepoliticschicks on Substack, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok, and Bluesky.

    🌟 Thanks for being here. Thanks for caring.

    And remember:

    💙 Keep shining your light so we can find each other in the dark 🔦, and we’re stronger together 🤲.
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    48 mins
  • What the CLUCK is GOING ON?

    What the CLUCK is GOING ON?
    Jul 8 2025

    🌟Welcome to Episode #5 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟

    🎙️ Before this podcast, we launched our journey on Substack—where we shared sharp takes on current events, deep dives into policy, and personal reflections on the state of politics. Now, we’re bringing that same energy—and our signature voice—straight to your favorite podcast platform!

    🐓This week, we’re bringing you our take on some of the craziness in the world, but also some “Hope in the Henhouse:” reasons to keep hope alive.

    🎢 In this episode, we talk about:

    🐊 Trump teaching ICE detainees how to Run from Alligators 🙄

    😬 Lisa Murkowski's (well deserved) awkward moment after being told she was called a sell-out by Sen. Rand Paul.

    🧊 Continued ICE raids around the country and what that looks like:
    Masked agents with no identification or warrants, including the detainment of a father of 3 US Marines in California

    🎤 The Chicks sharing their top three independent journalists

    🌞 Some much-needed Hope in the Henhouse, including finding the beauty in everyday life 🖼️🎶🌹, realizing self-fulfillment by serving others 🎁 , and Monica's 30th wedding anniversary 💕.

    💌We would love your input! If you have topics you’d like to hear about, news to share, a shout-out to give - please let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

    💌 If this conversation moved you, taught you, or made you think—please like, comment, and share. It helps us get these stories in front of more eyes and helps us keep growing this incredible community of listeners who care deeply.

    📱 Find and follow us on Substack, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • What INCLUSION Really MEANS

    What INCLUSION Really MEANS
    Jul 2 2025

    How One School is Rewriting the Story for Kids Like Dempsey

    🌟 Welcome to Episode #4 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟

    🎙️ Before this podcast, we launched our journey on Substack—where we shared sharp takes on current events, deep dives into policy, and personal reflections on the state of politics. Now, we’re bringing that same energy—and our signature voice—straight to your favorite podcast platform!
    This week, we’re honored to bring you one of the most powerful and heartfelt conversations we’ve had so far. ❤️‍🔥

    👩‍🏫 Meet Sher U-F, a trailblazing educator who leads the Compass Classroom at Glen Lake Elementary—a space designed for students with the most significant disabilities.

    👩‍👦 And meet Kelly Becker, mother to Dempsey, a child with complex disabilities whose presence in the world is quietly revolutionary.
    🎢 In this episode, we talk about:

    What true inclusion looks like—and how it transforms everyone involved

    ❤️ How Dempsey, though nonverbal, is teaching his classmates kindness, empathy, and strength

    🧑🏻‍🦼‍➡️Why accessible playgrounds and classrooms are just the beginning

    💔 The pain of public misconceptions and the beauty of breaking them

    👀 Why being seen matters just as much as being accommodated


    🎥 Special thanks to Hopkins School District and videographer Thomas Riley for allowing us to share their moving video about the incredible work being done at Glen Lake Elementary. What they’ve built there isn’t just a program—it’s a model for how schools everywhere could and should show up for kids of all abilities. You can find the video here: https://vimeo.com/1031702405?&login=true#_=_

    📚 We also spotlight a beautiful children’s book A Swing for Samara by Minnesota author and illustrator Nancy Carlson, inspired by Glen Lake’s accessible playground. It’s a joyful reminder that all children deserve to swing, climb, laugh, and play—together. You can find more about Nancy here: https://nancycarlson.com/

    ♿ Build accessible playgrounds! What started as The Glen Lake Accessible Playground Project blossomed into a non-profit. Students at West Middle School in the Hopkins District continue to raise money to build accessible playgrounds across Minnesota. https://www.mnplayforall.org/

    ✨ Whether you’re a parent, teacher, student, policymaker, or just someone who believes in a more compassionate world, this episode is for you. Here are some useful links for inclusive education information:

    • The Pacer Center https://www.pacer.org/
    • The Inclusion Project https://www.inclusionproject.org/
    • The Nora Project https://thenoraproject.ngo/


    💌 If this conversation moved you, taught you, or made you think—please like, comment, and share. It helps us get these stories in front of more eyes and helps us keep growing this incredible community of listeners who care deeply.

    📱 Find and follow us on Substack, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

    🕯️ Keep shining your light so we can find each other in the dark.

    💪 And remember: we are stronger together.

    #ThePoliticsChicks #InclusionMatters #DisabilityAwareness #AccessiblePlay #RepresentationMatters #DempseyStrong #KindnessIsPower #GlenLakeElementary
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • How The ARTS Help Kids Feel SEEN and HEARD

    How The ARTS Help Kids Feel SEEN and HEARD
    Jun 24 2025

    🌟 Welcome to Episode #3 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟

    🎙️ After launching our journey on Substack and hitting our stride with two powerhouse episodes, we’re back—and bringing that same fearless energy to the mic!

    This week, we’re diving into a topic close to our hearts: the power of the arts in education.

    🎭 Our guest this episode is the phenomenal Jennifer Farrell—a high school English teacher, veteran theater director, and all-around arts advocate. Jen just wrapped up her 20th year in public education and shares her insight on everything from teen empathy to theater budgets to deodorant-resistant students. (Yes, really.)

    👯 Christy and Monica talk with Jen about how theater provides a safe haven for LGBTQ+ kids, helps students develop emotional intelligence, and gives all children—regardless of background—a chance to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

    🌈 We also talk about:
    • The importance of funding the arts in public schools 🎨
    • How theater builds empathy, confidence, and community 💬
    • The magic of crying in the dark with strangers during Dear Evan Hansen or Big Fish 😭
    • Why kids need more than just core subjects—they need spaces to belong 🌱

    💌 Got a question, comment, or photo to share? Email us at thepoliticschicks@gmail.com. We might feature it in our weekly Peep Cheeps segment, where we highlight your voices and stories.

    👉 Thanks so much for joining us on this journey. Keep showing up. Keep speaking up. And remember: Be kind. Be loud. Be a good little human. 💖

    💥 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell so you never miss an episode! 💥

    ⸻

    Let’s Stay Connected!
    • Substack | @thepoliticschicks
    • Facebook | @thepoliticschicks
    • Instagram | @thepoliticschicks
    • Bluesky | @thepoliticschicks
    • TikTok | @the.politic.chic

    ⸻

    Keywords:
    Substack • public education • theater education • LGBTQ+ youth • empathy • teacher life • arts funding • social emotional learning • good humans • safe spaces • political podcast • sassy commentary • hopeful dialogue
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Send 'Em to Mars! Our Top 5 Regime Rejects

    Send 'Em to Mars! Our Top 5 Regime Rejects
    Jun 17 2025

    🌟 Welcome to Episode #2 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟

    🎙️ Before this podcast, we launched our journey on Substack—where we shared sharp takes on current events, deep dives into policy, and personal reflections on the state of politics. Now, we’re bringing that same energy—and our signature voice—straight to your favorite podcast platform!

    ✈️ Monica’s back after two weeks in Europe, and she and Christy do a roundup of the past week’s highlights—including the protests shaking up Monica’s adopted home state of California. The Chicks also talk about this weekend's upcoming No KIngs Protests.

    🚀 The duo also share their top five regime officials they’d send to Mars (if only!)—and explain exactly why each one made the list.

    🌱 We’re also sprinkling in a dose of hope—because even in tough times, we believe change starts with a conversation, and that conversation can lead to real impact.

    💌 Got a question, comment, or photo to share? Email us at thepoliticschicks@gmail.com. We might feature it in our weekly Peep Cheeps segment, where we highlight your voices and stories.

    👉 Thanks so much for joining us on this journey. Keep shining your light—so we know where to find you—and remember: We are stronger together!

    💥 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell so you never miss an episode! 💥

    Let's Stay Connected!
    Substack | @thepoliticschicks
    Facebook | @thepoliticschicks
    Instagram | @thepoliticschicks
    Bluesky | @thepoliticschicks
    TikTok | @the.politic.chic
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    55 mins