We couldn't be more excited that Heather Cox Richardson is doing a Red Wine & Blue tour in the weeks before the midterms! Earlier this month, she joined us in Ohio and just a few days ago, she spoke with hundreds of RWB members in North Carolina.

Heather answered questions about whether Trump can rig the election, what we can do, why friend-to-friend organizing is so effective, and if she ever sleeps! Don't miss this injection of hope and history as we count down the days until November 3rd.

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If you used to listen to our podcast The Suburban Women Problem, this week's guest needs no introduction. If this is your first time being introduced to the superwoman who is Rep. Dr. Jasmine Clark, we are so excited to introduce you to her.

Jasmine is a PhD microbiologist. She's a mom. She teaches nursing at Emory University. She's been elected to the Georgia State House of Representatives four times. And now... she's running for US Congress!

It was so fun to catch up with Jasmine and hear all about how her kids are doing, how her Congressional race is going, and what we all need to know going into November's midterms. She also shared wisdom about what it's like running for these high-level offices as a Black woman, how she takes care of herself while doing so many amazing things, and what good she (and other Democrats) can do in Congress over the next 2 years, even with Trump in the White House.

We have a little less than two weeks to bring this election home. Make sure you're talking to everyone you know about voting!

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Stephanie and Paula lead a Network group called Make Good Trouble Reno with more than 500 members on their mailing list! They hold monthly meetings to talk about local and state politics with progressives, people who are nonpartisan, and even former Republicans. Next week, they're hosting a "Ballots and Beverages" party to make sure everyone has the information they need to vote in the midterms.

But Stephanie and Paula didn't start out as rockstar group leaders. They started, like so many of us, by simply wanting to do something. Stephanie went to meet her local city council member, who gave her some simple but powerful advice: just show up.

When Stephanie started Make Good Trouble Reno, it was just her and her husband leading the group. She soon met Paula in the Zoom chat of a Red Wine & Blue webinar (the perfect friendship origin story, no notes) and now the two of them aren't just co-leaders. They're friends who inspire, comfort, and encourage one another.

With only 3 weeks left until the midterms, it's time to follow Stephanie and Paula's example. Make sure everyone you know is voting (early if possible). You can even throw a ballot party like Make Good Trouble Reno. It all starts by just showing up.

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When Liuba Grechen Shirley ran for Congress in 2018, she realized how hard it was to run a campaign at the same time as parenting young kids. She didn't just sit back and accept that was how the world works -- she vowed to change it. Liuba became the first person in America to use campaign funds for childcare, but she didn't stop there. She went on to found Vote Mama, an organization dedicated to helping moms build political power.

It's not just a matter of fairness. It's how we get good policy. When only rich white men are in power, they make laws that benefit other rich white men. It doesn't even have to be malicious -- it's the nature of legislating based on your own experience. But with more moms in office, we can get better policies that support families, like paid parental leave and better healthcare for everyone.

In this episode, Liuba, Katie, and LaFonda also chat about how we can talk to our kids about the horrible things we've been seeing in the news... and how we can deal with all that bad news ourselves too. The good news is that saving the world doesn't have to feel like hard work! With the right people by your side (whether they're a mom or not), advocating for a better country can actually be fun.

You can learn more about Vote Mama and their "Moms Night Out" program at https://votemamafoundation.org/.

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On September 27th, in a high school auditorium near Cleveland, Heather Cox Richardson spoke to a group of nearly 1,000 Red Wine & Blue members. She and Katie Paris talked about the midterms, what's at stake, and what gives Heather hope.

This wasn’t your typical political event. It was a room full of real conversations, real connections, and people ready to make a difference in their communities. Red Wine & Blue has three more in-person HCR events coming up in the next few weeks, and we'll share them all here on the How To Not Lose Your Sh!t podcast.

After you listen, make sure you’re ready for Election Day: check your voter registration, make your voting plan, and help your friends and family make theirs too. You can take our pledge here!

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Climate journalist Emily Atkin is a pessimist. Or maybe she's a realist. Or maybe she's actually hopeful? One thing's for certain: she's not going to stop calling out tech and oil company billionaires or the politicians who are in their pocket.

This week, Katie and LaFonda had a fascinating conversation with Emily about the environment and whether you need to be an optimist to work for change. Emily started her Substack, Heated, back in 2019 -- almost the exact same time that Katie started Red Wine & Blue -- and while the climate is such an important issue on its own, it can also stand in for almost any issue we care about.

There's no shortage of causes that feel hopeless right now, from preserving our democracy and fighting corruption to women's rights to racial equality. If we waited to know for certain that our efforts would pay off, no one would ever take any action at all. Not to mention, the people in power want us to feel hopeless. There's nothing they want more than for us to all throw up our hands and stay home instead of standing up for what we believe in.

And that's exactly why we have to keep fighting. As Emily said, "the future is still being decided and I'm not gonna surrender my part in deciding it." We couldn't agree more.

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This week, Red Wine & Blue founder Katie Paris and our Director of Distributed Organizing Missy McGinnes joined Allison Gill on The Daily Beans to talk about the midterms, friend-to-friend organizing, and how you can join or start your own RWB Network group.

It was such a great conversation that we wanted to share it here! You can expect more bonus episodes as we get closer to election day.

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Romance novels are already political, but one that features two campaign staffers and ends with a call for its readers to run for office is *definitely* political. This week, we were joined by Kate Stayman-London, the author of a new book called See You Next Tuesday. She's worked for many campaigns herself, including as lead digital writer for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, so she knows the ins and outs of the political world.

She also knows about hope. After watching Clinton lose in 2016, and then Harris in 2024, it would be easy to become cynical and jaded. But in politics and in romance, hope is crucial. It keeps us open to new love (whether it's a date or a candidate!) and the possibility that things can get better for ourselves and our communities.

Both women candidates and romance novels are too often dismissed by the establishment -- in no small part because they take women out of the passenger seat and into a position to lead the way. So let's keep putting women in the driver's seat!

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On June 13th in Philadelphia, Red Wine & Blue founder Katie Paris did something she'd never done before: give a TED talk. Three months later, her speech on breaking the old D.C. rules about politics is finally available for everyone to watch!

Today on the podcast, Katie was joined by her TED coach, Kelly Stoetzel, along with Stacy Kunkel, our Deputy Program Director in PA who was on the ground at TED Democracy. They chatted about imposter syndrome, what it was like being around so many people who are passionate about democracy, and how we can mentally prepare ourselves for the hard work of the midterms.

You can watch Katie's TED talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/katie_paris_campaigns_spend_millions_to_influence_voters_this_works_better

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Are you worried about voting rights going into this year's midterm elections? We are too.

But just being worried doesn't fix the problem. In fact, if we let it make us lose our sh!t, that worry can keep us from taking real action to protect our rights.

Luckily, Stacey Abrams is *the* expert on all things voting. She joined us a few weeks ago for a virtual event where she helped us understand how extremists are trying to take away our right to vote and what we can do to stop it. She shared that there are three important questions to ask: Can you register and stay on the rolls? Can you cast a ballot? And does that ballot get counted?

Each of these three questions comes with its own challenges and solutions, but -- crucially -- they help us take action. As Stacey said, "we see villains coming together, and we think the villains have won. But we have power too. And when you believe that we have the ability to be the heroes in our own stories, to be the hero for someone else, then we are not as daunted by the villains."

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Today we're getting back to our local organizing roots with Karen West, the leader of a Red Wine & Blue Network group in Pennsylvania. She recently held a talent show and raised $2000 for a local charity that helps immigrants and refugees -- which for an organization of their size, means more than their year's operating budget!

It would be inspiring enough to see Karen organize a creative event to benefit immigrants in her community, but there's another layer: she was going through a really difficult time in her personal life as her husband was in hospice. Karen cared so much about this fundraiser, it took her sister and an RWB organizer to convince her to postpone the event. And when her group finally held the talent show, of course, it was a rousing success. Let's keep making sure to take care of ourselves and the other "givers" in our lives! We CAN do this work without burning out.

On this episode, we also shared good local news about voting rights in Ohio, a judge siding with students over their schools being renamed after Confederate generals, and bipartisan victories over Flock surveillance cameras.

To reach us directly, email us at comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media:

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Red Wine & Blue is all about taking the "ick" out of politics. We believe that the best way to improve this country is to build community and listen to our neighbors rather than out-of-touch politicians or influencers who just want to make us mad.

Our guest this week, Bennett Rea (aka Cookin' With Congress), is doing something a little different. We couldn't stop laughing about how he's putting the "ick" *back* into politics.

But not in the way you think! He's not platforming billionaires or feeding the outrage machine. Instead, he's cooking.

On Cookin' With Congress, Bennett makes historical recipes from presidents, first ladies, and Congresspeople. And many of these recipes are inarguably... icky. We're talking mayo and jello salad, possum, and more liquor than you can imagine. His goal is to show how these powerful figures, from Andrew Jackson to RFK Jr., are really just people at the end of the day. Weird people with strange tastes, maybe, but people all the same. They're not untouchable. And actually, maybe a lot of them shouldn't have had that much power in the first place.

Katie and LaFonda had such a fun chat with Bennett. But it wasn't all laughs -- we also discovered how a show that isn't technically partisan can actually be very political.

We also started a new segment this week with the Good News You Might've Missed! Americans across the country have been winning against MAGA in school board races, cancelled Flock contracts, and so many places that aren't making headlines. Positive political news, laughter, and community are all helping us not lose our sh!t.

To reach us directly, email us at comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media:

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This week, we were lucky enough to sit down with Sara Wiles: a mom, entrepreneur, political activist, and content creator. Whether it's reaching millions of people on Instagram or door-knocking for a local candidate, Sara is using her time and energy for good.

In an age where "influencers" are often (rightfully) dismissed as shallow or opportunistic, Sara is doing the real work and making a serious difference. She shared how the personal messages she receives give her the hope to keep going, how she approaches political disagreements with a MAGA family member, and how she spurs her followers into taking tangible political action.

More than anything, we came away from this conversation in awe of the power of women. Our country is in a tight spot right now, but we know women can figure this out -- women like Sara, her team, her local candidates, and the generations who have fought for our freedom.

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Red Wine & Blue is a sisterhood of diverse communities working to change the world together. We help you make meaningful connections, organize in your community, and become more effective than you ever imagined. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

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We're continuing the theme of women in the South fighting for democracy this week, and Red Wine & Blue Network leader Carrie Dix is such an inspiration. She lives in Georgia, surrounded by Republican voters, but she's connecting hundreds of other women with political actions that matter... and, just as importantly, with one another.

It's hard feeling isolated with no one who shares your values, but as we discuss in this episode, you're never alone. If you feel like a blue dot in a sea of red, we guarantee that there are other people in your community who feel the same as you. For Carrie, it's even more important to have that fellowship because her own husband is a three-time Trump voter. We so admire Carrie's grit and determination to lead this Network group despite all of the forces she's up against.

We're also joined this week by Sarah Goodman, our RWB Network South organizer, filling in for LaFonda Cousin. Sarah recently went on an organizing road trip through Georgia where she met dozens of organizers like Carrie. We've got a little over 80 days until the midterms now, and it's local groups like Carrie's that are going to carry us over the finish line.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

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Amanda Nelson has become a political powerhouse without really meaning to. After Trump's second inauguration, she started posting online as Amanda's Mild Takes, sharing stories from history alongside Trump's failures and losses. Now, she has almost 2 million fans.

What was so striking, however, was just how many of her perspectives were shared by Red Wine & Blue! Amanda emphasized the importance of local politics and relational organizing -- aka talking to our friends and family about politics. She was truly singing from our songbook.

Amanda's relational organizing is playing out in her Y'all Vote initiative, where she's recruiting small content creators in the South to share information about voting with their audiences. Whether it's a small-town bakery posting resources about registration or someone talking to their neighbor in person about the importance of voting, it all comes down to those real authentic connections.

We're not abandoning our neighbors, whether it's women in the South, other red states, the suburbs, religious groups, or anyone else. We're not throwing our hands up or calling any community a lost cause. We're all Americans, we share so many values, and it's only by working together that we can create a better nation.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

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While presenting at TED Democracy last month, Katie Paris met a fellow presenter named Danielle Roberts. Danielle calls herself an "anti-career coach" and is all about dealing with burnout, finding a better balance, and how to follow our passion. Katie had such great conversations with her at TED that we knew we needed to bring Danielle to the pod to share those conversations with our community.

And Danielle didn't disappoint! She gave some valuable advice about how we can feel more fulfilled in our work and tools to re-evaluate whether we should be doing another kind of work entirely! And her advice isn't limited to traditional jobs with a 40-hour workweek -- it can apply to parenting, volunteering, relationships, or anything else in our life that we care about deeply but can burn us out.

Danielle was an amazing balance point between our resident workaholic Katie and our self-care advocate LaFonda. Whether you work full-time, you're retired, your activism is your work, your family is your work, or anything in between, there's something for everyone to learn from Danielle's wisdom.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

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Kristin Du Mez's book Jesus and John Wayne changed the way that America sees evangelicals. It even inspired many evangelical women to leave the church, giving them words for the gender inequalities they'd felt all along.

Our guest host Aimee Saunders, a Red Wine & Blue organizer in Pennsylvania, is one of these women. She grew up in the evangelical church and did everything that was expected of her: submitting to her husband, homeschooling her kids, and not pursuing her own career. It didn't feel right, but she was told that she was the problem. She just had to pray and obey harder. But reading Jesus and John Wayne with a virtual bookclub six years ago, Aimee realized she needed to break up with the evangelical church.

Kristin Du Mez has a new book coming out in September, Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made. Aimee and Kristin's conversation about gender, community, politics, and the church was fascinating... Aimee lived the history that Kristin writes about in her books! Whether you're from the evangelical world yourself or it's brand new to you, there's something for everyone to learn from these smart thoughtful women.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

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When Julie joined us on our Heather Cox Richardson event this month, she shared how she's supporting immigrants by taking groups of friends to Spanish-speaking restaurants in her town. Heather was so excited about the idea, and Julie was such a ray of sunshine, that we knew we needed to bring her on the podcast!

Julie's a Spanish teacher in Omaha, Nebraska, but she doesn't stop at teaching the language. She shares cultural information about the many Spanish-speaking immigrants in their community and, of course, their delicious food. Food brings us together! The more we can understand and empathize with our immigrant neighbors, the better we can protect them from ICE.

It's been a particularly heartbreaking week as two fathers -- one in Houston and one in Maine -- have been murdered by ICE agents. Resistance to their inhumane methods can take many forms, from protesting detention centers to vigils to legal support. Going out to dinner may feel like an impossibly small way to oppose ICE, but for the immigrant restaurant owners in our communities, it makes a huge difference. 

We can't only fight against what we don't support; we also have to fight for the better world we want. By patronizing immigrant-owned restaurants in our own towns, we contribute not just our dollars but our emotional support. 

And as a bonus, it tastes pretty good too.

If you want to learn more about Julie and her chat shows and restaurant outings, you can visit her website at spanishchatshow.com. And if you'd like to join or start a Bonfire group, you can learn more at redwine.blue/network/bonfire.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

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Allison Gill has lived a lot of lives. She's a Navy veteran, a PhD, a comedian, a whistleblower at the VA, and a podcaster. And we actually consider all of that public service -- even the comedy -- because boy do we ever need a good laugh right now. If we don't laugh, we're liable to cry.

Here at Red Wine & Blue, we're officially announcing a partnership with Allison Gill and the community that has rallied around her podcast, The Daily Beans. Because we're stronger together than we ever could be apart.

With these important midterms coming up in a few months, it's more important than ever that we hold onto our community -- and in fact, that we grow it bigger and stronger than before. That means voting, marching, and, yes, laughing together.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! 

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Last night, we were joined by historian Heather Cox Richardson to celebrate America's 250th birthday -- not with a UFC fight or a poorly-planned "Great American State Fair," but by talking to each other about how we can move this country closer to our ideals. 

Together with Heather, we reflected on our history, celebrated the people who impacted our nation, and acknowledged the work needed to live up to our values. Heather shared how we can celebrate America's 250th in a way that honors our full history and helps us build a better future for all Americans.

We hope you have a meaningful Independence Day that helps you celebrate the ideals and potential of America... your own way.

For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.

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