Ep. 222: Aging Boldly w/ Menopause Coach Micheline Foss
EQ: How can understanding and openly talking about menopause transform it from a silent struggle into an empowering stage of growth, health, and self-discovery for women and the people who support them?
In this episode of IWL, we take time for an important conversation some of us are having in the shadows. Aging and menopause. Micheline talks us through what menopause really is, how our understanding of it evolves over time, and why she’s committed to changing the narrative around this huge life transition. From navigating medical dismissals and making informed decisions about HRT, Micheline helps us reframe our thinking about this phase of life. We wrap with three simple things anyone can do today to feel better during perimenopause or menopause and what gives her hope as the conversation finally starts to shift.
Check out her website and work Aging Boldly, her menopause playbook and free resources.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: I shouldn’t recommend things I haven’t read yet and our expert guest can weight in on their thoughts about this book, but I recently had someone in my life recommend Genderqueer Menopause by Lasara Firefox Allen, which looks promising. That’s not my actual homework, thought–my actual homework is to spend time reflecting on how menopause affects queer, always including trans, people in unique ways as an exercise in allyship and empathy.
Hope: Don’t be afraid to talk about menopause, or perimenopause–host a party where you and your friends can learn together (shout out to Crissy Calera)
Micheline: Let’s connect—follow me in Instagram!
Ep. 221: Who Gets to Be the Hero w/ Author Natasha Bowen
EQ: How can storytelling rooted in myth, history, and identity help reclaim forgotten narratives and reimagine who gets to be the hero in fantasy worlds?
Guest: Natasha Bowen; follow her on Instagram @natasha_bowen_
YA author Natasha Bowen takes a moment from her writing deadline to join us on the podcast to discuss how she moved from the classroom to full time writing, why the fantasy genre (and especially mermaids captured her imagination) and what it feels like to build a world shaped by real folklore, history, and creativity. We talk about the moment she knew she had to write Skin of the Sea, the research behind West African mythology and the Mami Wata, and the role the sea plays as both a setting and a symbol. Natasha explains how her writing choices are influenced by her obsessive personality, her resistance to being told what to do, and her joy of fun, fast-paced and visceral reading experiences. Natasha shares why it was important to her to center protagonists that exist outside the lens of colonization, showing a wider range of representation, joy, power, and myth. She also gives us a look at her upcoming novel, Call of the Dragon.
Annie: Please support Natasha’s work via a local bookseller like King’s Books in Tacoma and please heed my perpetual advice–just read. Don’t make excuses. Pick up a book, okay? It’s a good time to be super literate.
Hope: Find the thing your obsessed with and find what another culture or country believes about that topic.
Natasha: Go out of your comfort zone and try to find books and authors who write stories you haven’t read before.
Ep. 220: Jaw and Order
EQ: What does the idea of “Mar-a-Lago Face” reveal about how politics has become not just about beliefs, but about identity, aesthetics, and the faces we show the world?
This episode takes a closer look at one of the strangest overlaps between politics and pop culture: the rise of “MAGA face.” It started as a viral trend but has turned into a look that says as much about power and belonging as it does about personal style. From viral “Mar-A-Lago Face” headlines to plastic surgery modeled after Ivanka Trump, this aesthetic isn’t really about beauty; it’s about power, wealth, and identity. The discussion explores how politicians have become influencers, how cosmetic surgery can act as a form of political branding, and the irony of condemning gender-affirming care while embracing its own version through fillers and facelifts. Ultimately, we ask what it says about our culture when political identity can be read right off someone’s face.
Related Resources:
Do Your Fudging Homework
Annie: Do some personal reflection on what gender-affirming care actually is. We need to have more nuanced conversations about gender anyway, and this is a fair place to start. Please jump on the Channel 253 Slack and share your thoughts on this topic. We’re always interested in listener perspectives and this one is pretty fraught.
Hope: Find peace and accept who you are as you are. Stop trying to please other people in your pursuit of beauty and health.
Ep. 219: Moving Beyond Choice Into Reproductive Justice w/ Loretta J. Ross and Marlene Gerber Fried
Guests: Loretta J. Ross and Marlene Gerber Fried
EQ: How can reproductive justice move us beyond debates about individual choice to confront the broader systems that shape people’s ability to have children, not have children, and raise families in safe, supportive communities?
With our guests, we wrestle with how reframing the abortion debate as a conversation about reproductive justice broadens the conversation, connecting personal experiences to larger systems of oppression including racism, white supremacy, eugenics, and patriarchy. The discussion covers the historical and policy context of abortion in the United States, the power of language like reprocide, the necessity of coalition building across political and social lines, and the importance of community-based, judgment-free support services. Our guests also share the core principles of reproductive justice, the origins of the framework, and how activists can apply a justice lens in practice, both nationally and internationally, to secure reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy for all.
Additional Resources:
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Loretta: We’re going to have to use calling in techniques to build power to stop human rights violations. Recent publication “Calling In How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel”
Marlene: Break the rules!
Annie: Every one of our listeners is affected directly by reproductive justice issues and it’s all of our responsibility to be better informed about what’s at stake in the current political environment. If you want to take an actionable step today to engage meaningfully, check out the National Network of Abortion Funds at abortionfunds.org and contribute what you can.
Hope: Buy a copy of the book Abortion & Reproductive Justice: An Essential Guide For Resistance
Ep. 218: The Heart of Tacoma’s Queer Youth Community
EQ: What role do queer youth centers play in the community and what unique challenges do they face in the current political climate?
Guest: Wayne Rowser, Oasis Youth Center
In this episode, Hope and Annie sit down with a longtime advocate and community leader from Oasis Youth Center to talk about what “queer” means today and why spaces like Oasis are so important for Tacoma’s LGBTQ+ youth. We explore the history of the organization, how it began, the programs it offers, and the key role of a drop-in coordinator in creating safety and belonging. Our guest reflects on years of volunteering with queer organizations, how that work has evolved, and how it has shaped their own understanding of identity and community. We also discuss what it’s like to lead a queer youth organization in today’s political climate, how young people are experiencing it, and how it influences Oasis’s work. As the school year begins, our guest shares practical advice for educators and families on supporting LGBTQ+ students and offers meaningful ways the Tacoma community can show up for Oasis and the youth it serves.
👎🏻RFK Jr. continues to be on his BS, directing the department of Health and Human Services to slash $122 million from 200 different research initiatives focused on DEI and LGBTQ+ issues.
🥂The National Institutes of Health has just awarded a major grant to doctors and scientists at Oregon Health Sciences University to study the health outcomes of three people from various places in the world who were unexpectedly cured of HIV after receiving stem cell transplants for cancer. P
🥂Tiktok/Instagramer sharing how to prepare if Obergefell v. Hodges will be review & overturned
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Put your money where you beliefs are
Annie: Whether you live in Tacoma or elsewhere, find an organization like Oasis that you can support with a donation of your money, resources, or time.
Wayne: support local small businesses; support local performers/drag queens (The Hause of Lyfe)
Ep. 217: Sharp Humor, Big Hearts and a Touch of Murder: Jesse Sutanto Returns
EQ: How are contemporary authors exploring themes of belonging, identity, and inclusion in today’s writing landscape?
Bestselling author Jesse Sutanto is back to talk about the whirlwind success of Dial A for Aunties and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, reflecting on how her career has shifted in recent years and how cultural and political landscapes shape her work. She shares the inspiration behind Vera Wong, and how she mixes humor with more serious themes around family, belonging, and identity in her novels. Jesse also describes how she navigates stereotypes, the importance of authentic representation in publishing, the impact of BookTok and social media on her connection with readers. We get a little hint at what she’s working on next!
Related Link:
Oprah and Mindy Khaling’s Production Company to produce TV show on Vera
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: We’re facing down a literacy crisis in America the likes of which we’ve never seen. So, really, you should be reading more in general and why not start with Jesse’s books? Support a creative who’s doing groundbreaking work while bettering yourself in the process.
Hope: Ditto (and go read the Vera Wong series!)
Jesse: Abandoned Queens by Richard Panchyk
Ep. 216: Twenty-Three and Not Me
EQ: Why are white people so obsessed with genealogy and what are the ethical implications when genealogy becomes entangled with nationalism?
Guest: Zach Powers, communications director of a Pierce County health equity and access nonprofit and a freelance nonfiction writer who contributes frequently to the Seattle Times' Pacific Northwest Magazine.
This week we're getting into the messy, strange obsession with genealogy and DNA tests. From being Team 23andMe, believing the feds are spying on us to TikTok takes and sports metaphors about fandom and heritage, we ruminate on why many Americans are tracing their roots. Our guest, Zach Powers, helps us connect loyalty, community, and the way ancestry shapes identity be it in the form of fandom or nationalism. We talk about the gap between geographic vs. national heritage (because, sorry, free-kicks bend, but ancestry tests don’t), how white Americans flex Native ancestry, and how facing uncomfortable histories can open pathways to healing. Are ancestry tests a flex, a way to belong or necessary to pick your next World Cup team? TBD.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: If you choose to research your family history, use your best discretion when disclosing personal information. Some groups that run genealogy websites are not neutral third parties and have a vested interested in collecting information about you. Protect yourself online.
Zach: “The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are” by Libby Copeland
Ep. 215: Skinny Jeans Were Never the Real Enemy
EQ: To what extent is the conception of things being “cringe” reinforcing fascist ideology and manifesting white supremacy?
Cringe isn’t the enemy—conformity is. In this episode, Hope and Annie expose how cringe culture became a social weapon, keeping people in line and silencing individuality. From Gen Z’s obsession with “the ick” to the weird war on Millennial behaviors, we trace the real dangers behind calling something cringe and why it plays right into the hands of control and fascism. Our hot take? To be cringe is to be free. It’s time to stop worrying about jean cuts and start worrying about our civil liberties.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Watch Legendary!
Annie: Be annoying and loud and uncool. We don’t have time right now to be quiet and demure and hungry for the taste of boot leather. To be cringe is to be free, so be free.
Ep. 214: Shelf Awareness w/ Sweetpea Flaherty
EQ: What should we be reading this fall?
Guest: Sweeatpea Flaherty of King’s Books and Tacoma celebrity status has returned to grade us with their expertise and book recommendations for the fall! Sweetpea has been a bookseller since 2000, lived in Tacoma since 2003, and took over King's Books in 2010. They host events weekly and have 13 book clubs (now 15). kingsbookstore.com
Sweetpea joined us for Ep 184: Hot & Steamy Summer Reads and Ep 186: Pumpkin Spice & Bookish Advice; Ep 196: New Year, Fresh Reads
Other questions:
Worst book you've read this year so far?
Book with the most promise but failed to deliver?
Most underrated book you've read this year?
Book that pleasantly surprised by– better than expected or otherwise–Nico Case memoir The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You” and John Wistwell “Someone You can Build a Nest In”
Non Fiction:
Against the Machine : On the Unmaking of Humanity, Paul Kingsnorth
Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave : My Cemetery Journeys, Mariana Enriquez
Once and Future Riot, Joe Sacco
We Survived the Night, Julian Brave NoiseCat
Black-Owned : The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore, Char Adams
Food/Drinks:
Good Things : Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love, Samin Nosrat
Korean Vegan: Homemade : Recipes and Stories from My Kitchen, Joanne Lee Molinaro
To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes, Rosie Grant
Poetry:
New Book : Poems, Letters, Blurbs, and Things, Nikki Giovanni
Startlement : New and Selected Poems, Ada Limón
You Must Live : New Poetry from Palestine (Bilingual edition), Sherah Bloor
Memoir/Biography
Positive Obsession : The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler, Susana M. Morris
Baldwin: A Love Story, Nicholas Boggs
Girl Warrior : On Coming of Age, Joy Harjo
Fiction:
Black Flame, Gretchen Felker-Martin
Katabasis, R. F. Kuang
Moonflow, Bitter Karella
Veal, Mackenzie Nolan
Son of the Morning, Akwaeke Emezi
Great Books:
Back to Font : Behind the Typefaces You Thought You Knew, Anitra Nottingham
E Is for Edward : A Centennial Celebration of the Mischievous Mind of Edward Gorey, Edward Gorey
Water of the Sky : A Dictionary of 2,000 Japanese Rain Words, Miya Ando
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: American War & What Strange Paradise, Egyptian-Canadian Omar El Akkad autobiography One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This (“One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” )
Annie: Andrea Gibson, rest in power. Find new and interesting ways to support authors - Alice Oseman on Patreon. Seattle’s first all-romance bookstore, Lovestruck. FMC in Missoula. Niche bookstores and public libraries in new cities!
Sweetpea: Pre-order books signal to publisher
Ep. 213: Caucasity in the Kitchen
EQ: What do viral TikTok trends like deviled eggs, water-based recipes, and beef tallow skincare reveal about how social media shapes our food culture and redefines what we consider craveable or creative cuisine?
Today, the three IWLs get into the ridiculousness of social trends. From the resurgence of deviled eggs, to a seeming obsession to integrating beef tallow into one’s skin care routine. This episode topic is ridiculous and we know it. Perhaps our nonsense will bring some levity to your summer.
Related Resources:
A 17minute primer on The Devilish History of Deviled Eggs
Champagne & Real Pain:
🥂 The gal who made fake home goods decor & snuck it into the store “this house is filled with Love and natural Gas”
🥂The Bellingham bee-keeper community coming together when 40 million bee were released after the semi carrying them tipped over.
Do Your Fudging Homework (Annie):
Annie: find a good ole recipe
Megan: Write down your family recipes now
Hope: Weber Cooks and Apple Cider Vinegar on Netflix (the true story behind)
Ep. 212: Yes, It is That Deep
EQ: Are you making everything too political?
In this episode, Hope and Annie discuss how to respond to people who accuse you of making everything political. From running 5ks with Palestinian flags to Trump watching Les Mis at the Kennedy Center, more often than not, yes it is political. And that should be just fine.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Just don’t.
Hope: The Story of Stuff
Ep. 211: Telling the Truth Without Selling Out w/ Katie Wallace
EQ: How do institutions navigate the line between storytelling as advocacy and storytelling as exploitation—especially when funding is on the line?
In this episode, we welcome back educator and youth advocate Katie Wallace who joined us back on Episode 83: Kill the Ogre of Post Secondary Ed w/ Katie. With over 18 years of experience in education and nonprofit leadership, Katie returns to share her two cents on the line between advocacy and exploitation. We wrestle with the ethics of storytelling in a post-affirmative action landscape, where Black and Brown students are increasingly expected to turn their trauma into personal narratives for gatekeepers' approval. From the rise of the "trauma essay" to fundraising strategies that tiptoe or trample over the line into white saviorism, we try to pin down a very complex and abstract topic by centering human dignity. Katie brings insight, honesty, and hope as she discusses how to shift power in storytelling and how to ensure young people, especially those from marginalized communities, retain full agency over their own narratives.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes (The Lesbiana’s Guide To Catholic School)
Megan:
Katie: Tipping Point - Trevor Noah with Malcolm Gladwell - its ok to change your mind
Ep. 210: We Listen AND We Judge
Note to Listeners: We recorded this episode on June 28. Since then, the Supreme Court has dropped a few more opinions and rulings.
As expected, the Supreme Court had a busy end of June. Some significant surprises dropped Friday morning. Annie and Hope jumped onto the mic to try to make sense of the rulings.
Related Links:
Ep. 209: State of Pride 2025
EQ: What’s the state of Pride in 2025 and how are the vibes?
Happy Pride! Every June, all the LGBTQ+ people who spend the rest of the year doing stuff like commuting to work and spending quality time with family and friends and engaging in hobbies and going to the gym and agonizing over what to cook for dinner before settling on spaghetti because we already have it in the pantry. LGBTQ+ people still do all of those things, but with more rainbows.
In this episode of IWL, we start by unpacking Target’s Pride meltdown— from cutting its DEI programs to putting out a collection that feels more “in the closet” than celebratory. Brands are dialing back their Pride campaigns, worried about backlash from the right, and it shows in the uninspiring merch, reduced donations, and a lot less visibility for LGBTQ+ people. You may want to read The Year Pride Went Beige. We also get into the ridiculous false choices we’re presented with such as why we shouldn’t celebrate Pride because it’s Men’s Mental Health Month and other nonsense. We touch on something close to home for many in the community: biphobia. There’s been controversy this year around a few well-known bisexual figures, and it highlights how much we still need to do to confront harmful attitudes within our own spaces.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: living in ignorance is unsexy in 2025, so it’s time to do some reading about how the first Pride celebration was actually a riot and discover what responsibilities Americans, both LGBTQ+ and allies, have in the fight for queer issues which, consequently, affect the rights of straight people, too, especially the right to privacy. Get learnin’, everybody.
Hope: The Broposal, Sonora Reyes!
Megan: Look up the legislation that has passed regarding LGBTQIA+
Ep. 208: Intro to the Budget Crisis In Tacoma Public Schools
EQ: What does Tacoma public school’s budget crisis reveal about the future of public education in underfunded communities?
In this episode, we get real about what’s going on in Tacoma’s schools — a growing budget crisis that’s forced layoffs, cuts to programs, and tough choices about where resources go. Rising administrative salaries, restrictive state funding, and declining enrollment have all played a role, putting pressure on a district already stretched thin. We discuss how policy decisions made years earlier and a heavy reliance on temporary COVID funding paved the way for today’s struggles, and what it signals for underfunded districts across the country. As a crucial June 26 budget meeting approaches, the future of education in Tacoma hangs in the balance — and the community’s voice is more important than ever.
Related Links:
Ep. 207: Rights, Rulings, and a Constitutional Reckoning
NEW NOTE: Check out the SCOTUS ruling here! They actually did the right thing!
Note: Since the recording of this episode…
Supreme Court Declined to Hear Gun Control Challenges
The Supreme Court has added 4 new cases for 2025-26
EQ: What do the current SCOTUS cases and corresponding decisions reveal about the current state of the U.S. Constitution and what might they signal for the future of our democracy?
In this episode, we break down what a constitutional crisis actually is, why people are sounding the alarm, and where recent events—like Trump’s defiance of constitutional norms—fall on the crisis spectrum. Then, we dig into a wild lineup of Supreme Court cases that could shake up everything from who gets to stay in the country to who gets to stay in school. We’ll also revisit Federalist 78 and ask: if the courts have neither the purse nor the sword, how much power do they really have left? From beef over birthright citizenship to bans on gender-affirming care and challenges to disability accommodations in schools, the Supreme Court is about to make decisions that could fundamentally reshape Americans' rights—and redefine the limits of government power.
References:
United States v. Skrmetti- concerns a Tennessee law that bans gender affirming care for minors.
Mahmoud v. Taylor –is whether the use of LGBTQ-inclusive storybooks and teaching on gender and sexuality in public schools interferes with the First Amendment free exercise of religion clause.
Chiles v Salazar - Questions if Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors infringes on free speech and the free exercise clause; Vox Supreme Court Conversion Therapy
A.J.T. V. Osseo Area Schools, et al —discrimination under the ADA and Rehabilitation Act.
Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v Drummond - Can a state exclude religious schools from its charter program without violating the Free Exercise Clause?
Becerra v. Braidwood Management, Inc. The latest case centers on the ACA’s mandate that most private insurance plans cover recommended preventive services at no cost.
Read more about impact here
Alliance for Justice: 2024-25 Supreme Court Term Preview
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Parable of the Sower–depressing but necessary
Megan: Ditto
Annie: educate yourself further
Ep. 206: Protecting Disability Rights in Tumultuous Times with Carrie Griffin Basas
EQ: How is the current political, legal, and social climate in Washington State and across the U.S. shaping the future of disability rights — and what must advocates do to protect and advance justice for disabled communities today?
In this episode, we reconnect with Carrie Griffin Basas, attorney, organizational consultant and the founder of CoDesign Works. In episode 18 “Save your Hemorrhoids Story for Facebook”, we considered how disability justice and racial justice are intertwined. For both IWLs, this conversation shifted our perspective on disability justice. Carrie has had a full circle journey since our last conversation—moving away from Washington State and then returning. We get an update on life including their work in the 2023 Rooted in Rights series Parenting Without Pity, and the founding of their new organization, CoDesign Works PLLC. As a woman- and disabled-owned firm, CoDesign is focused on centering community expertise in designing solutions for the social impact sector—offering both legal and strategic support to tax-exempt organizations. We talk about what it really means to “champion inclusive solutions across sectors” and how that shows up in practice. From there, the conversation moves into the current landscape of disability rights in Washington State—what’s working, where the gaps are, and how the state compares nationally. We also get into the bigger picture: emerging legal battles at the federal level, the impact of pharmaceutical shortages on disabled communities, and just how alarmed we should be by recent attacks on the Department of Education and disability-related protections like IEPs and 504 plans.
Relevant Resources:
Guilty Favesies:
Annie: eating the same foods basically every day (until 2 PM).
Hope: dark chocolate
Carrie: Love is Blind, Sweden; little people show
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: there’s been a lot of discussion lately around autism spectrum disorder, especially in light of rather frightening and unhinged comments coming from people working within the federal government. Honestly, it’s poorly understood and the day-to-day discourse around it in society is ignorant at best and extremely harmful at worst. If you’re not autistic and/or don’t understand autism well, please educate yourself about it and be armed with information for these conversations. For a very basic rundown, find a reputable academic source, such as the Cleveland Clinic, to get information. Do not rely on federal government resources at this time.
Ep. 205: Becoming a “Good Relative” with Author Hilary Giovale
EQ: How can individuals of European descent acknowledge their ancestral histories and take meaningful steps toward truth, healing, and repair in their relationships with Indigenous and Black communities?
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Hilary Giovale, author of Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers Toward Truth, Healing, and Repair, to explore how individuals of European descent can reckon with their ancestral histories and engage in meaningful truth, healing, and repair with Indigenous and Black communities. Hilary shares her personal journey of uncovering Celtic, Germanic, and Nordic roots, awakening to the harms of settler colonialism, and redefining what it means to be a “good relative” in today’s world. We discuss the significance of settler identity, the concept of “white peril,” the role of rituals and spiritual practices in healing, and her ten guidelines for building respectful, cross-cultural relationships. Through honest reflection and a deep commitment to relational accountability, Hilary offers a vision for how white settlers can move beyond denial toward connection, responsibility, and repair.
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Annie: Do Hilary’s homework–dig into your past/lineage/ways you can
Hilary: Following this guide, make a personal reparations plan
Sign up for a monthly contribution to a Land Tax program (all those I know about are listed on this page)
Read An Indigenous People's History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Hope: Support Tacoma Reparations
Ep. 204: Sips & Sustainability--The Story of Tacoma Green Drinks
EQ: Can social gatherings really spark environmental change?
Guests: Crissy Cooley and Robb Krehbiel
In this episode, we’re chatting all about Tacoma Green Drinks—how it got started, how it’s grown, and the impact it’s making in the local sustainability scene. We explore the mission behind Green Drinks and how it’s become a unique space that balances social connection with solution-focused conversations. Our guest shares what goes into organizing these community-driven events—from picking the perfect venue to setting the right vibe—and how the events have grown more inclusive over time. We highlight the kinds of people and causes that show up, the local impact of networking over a drink, and a powerful success story that came from a Green Drinks connection. Plus, we discuss the importance of community in tackling environmental issues and how listeners can get involved.
Champagne & Real Pain:
🥂Communities for a Healthy Bay
👎🏻Trump Admin approach to National Parks & National Forests–cuts to National Park Funding and half of National Forests are open for logging
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Get involved in something local!
Annie: DO drink your calories. For our sober friends, many of these places where Green Drinks is holding events also have great NA options! Remove barriers for yourself to get out there
Crissy: Check out Aquagua’s and Earthwise’s
Ep. 203: DOGE--Dismantling Our Government Entirely
Note to listeners: we recorded this about a month ago, so of course things have worsened.
EQ: How does the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) exemplify the dangers of unchecked executive power, and what are the legal and democratic consequences of its overreach?
In this episode, we unpack the strange and sweeping saga of DOGE—no, not the meme coin, but Trump’s rebranded tech task force aimed at “modernizing” the federal government. What started as a quiet Obama-era initiative under the OMB has now morphed into a mysterious Silicon Valley bro-squad operating directly under the Executive Office of the President. With mass firings, lawsuits from 18 states, and wild stories involving 90 beers and zero critical thinking, we’re asking: What exactly is DOGE? Is it constitutional? Who’s really in charge—and can the courts keep up? From firings of inspectors general to stalled humanitarian aid and lawsuits flying from every direction, this episode attempts to survey the mess of legal battles, power grabs, and digital disruption defining one of the most quietly dangerous moves of this administration.
Resources Referenced in the conversation:
GSAi has automated the jobs of over 1500 employees so far.
18 States have filed a lawsuit against the trump administration over violations of federal law in the mass firings.
Top notable cases in court right now to keep an eye on - Trump Administration hit with over 100 lawsuits since Inaugration:
Washington State is known for challenging the Trump administration
Coalition of Attorneys General v. Trump Administration- New York et al. v. Scott Bessent et al.
Withholding of Federal Funds; National Endowment for Democracy v. Trump Administration
Birthright Citizenship Restrictions-State of Washington v. Trump
Environmental Funding Freeze - Climate United Fund v. EPA and Citibank
Tribal Education Employment Cuts - Native American Tribes and Students v. Trump Administration; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policies; National Urban League v. Trump; San Francisco AIDS Foundation v. Trump
Transgender Healthcare Restrictions- PFLAG v. Trump; Washington State v. Trump
Champagne & Real Paine:
🥂On Tyranny Tim Snyder
🥂Brooke Harrington Trump's “Broligarchy” of Tech Billionaires
👎🏻 The guy pouring beer over ice
👎🏻The dem party can’t get themselves together
Do Your Fudging Homework:
Hope: Find some orgs–use your egg money to support
Megan: You only need to check the news once a day. Choose a reputable source (NPR, BBC, etc.). Also, contact your members of Congress AND contact any members from swing districts around you and communicate your concerns and ask for direct action in stopping Trump.
Annie: Fight the Fasch—drink water, get some sleep, eat something healthy and get a little exercise.