Pantsuit Politics

We're waiting on the midterms like everyone else. Instead of reading polls, Sarah and Beth draft their personal midterm 'Avengers' team, spotlighting Jon Ossoff, Roy Cooper, Adam Hamilton, James Talarico, Abdul El-Sayed, Marilyn Zayas, and more. They cover:

A draft of favorite midterm candidates, including Jon Ossoff and Roy Cooper

Must-watch races in Kansas, Texas, and Michigan, and what makes them stand out

Down-ballot and across-the-aisle picks, from Marilyn Zayas in Ohio to Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania

Kentucky races to watch, including Sarah Cole McIntosh and Melissa Strange

Outside of Politics: Sarah shares her family's new Thursday night open-invite pizza ritual for teens

Links:

Our pre-midterms premium sale (25% off our annual rate)

Our conversation with Zach Dembo
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and Beth break down the pervasive corruption in the Trump administration, from White House renovations to rare earth mineral deals, and cover:

Alina Habba, Ric Grenell, and high-dollar pardons

How White House renovations became a marketplace for influence, with major corporations making anonymous, tax-deductible donations

The scale of government contracts and rare earth mineral deals tied to the Trump family and allies

The impact of unchecked corruption on public trust and the upcoming midterm elections

Outside of Politics: Kelly Clarkson's viral feud with a Brooklyn shop over a mechanical bird

Next week, we're featuring great candidates for office in a draft-style episode and would love to hear your nominations. You can also help us prepare for our Halloween episode--a political version of the "a haunted house but it's just..." meme. Join the conversation on Substack (and sign up for our 25% discounted annual rate before the election) or by emailing hello@pantsuitpoliticsshow.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the midterms close, Sarah and Beth step back to ask how a profit-first mindset came to shape so much of public life and what might replace it. Inspired by Chris Marquis's New York Times guest essay on closing business schools, they discuss:

the pervasive influence of MBA thinking on leadership and society

the need for philosophy, art, and new vocabularies about values and priorities

rethinking measurement and growth

Outside of politics (not really!): The Social Reckoning

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Attorney General Rob Bonta joins Beth to talk about how state attorneys general are preparing for this election and pushing back on federal overreach. They discuss:

the security of mail-in ballots

the fight over "citizenship lists"

preparations to safeguard against intimidation at the polls

the Supreme Court's emergency docket and strain on the court system

immigration enforcement

AI and the tools needed to protect citizens

outside of politics: soccer brings people together

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We did not expect to be discussing the death penalty less than a month before midterm elections, but here we are. Today, Sarah and Beth discuss:

Our individual perspectives on the death penalty

Tennessee's failed attempt to execute Christa Pike

Pete Hegseth's plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan

Outside of politics: seeing leaves last week in New England and Quebec

Mentioned in the episode:

Still Listening, our free pop-up book club for the midterms

Pew Research polling on the death penalty

Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery"

Common Ground Pilgrimages
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices