Pantsuit Politics

One of the hardest parts of paying attention to international news is wondering: what can I, one person, do about this? Today's guest, Gwyn Ridenhour, asked herself that question and answered in an extraordinary way. She moved to Lviv, Ukraine, to put books in the hands of children living through the war. Her project, Vinok Libraries, is small and specific and a quiet wonder. Today, she tells us about the work she's doing and how we can help. Topics discussed:What drew Gwyn to Ukraine — and why she moved there during the warHow Vinok Libraries works: sourcing books, shipping them to Ukraine, distributing to schoolsThe language politics of children's books in Ukraine (Ukrainian, English, and the gap)Delivering books near the front line and what that looked like in personWhat $500 means to a school that's been bombedThe bookmobile dream and how to support it
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While Sarah's on summer break, Beth talks with writer and urban planner Angie Schmitt about giving yourself permission to feel lighter about the news this summer, then digs into what's gone wrong with how American cities and neighborhoods are built for kids — from car-dependent suburbs to vanishing teen hangouts.

Topics discussed:

Taking an emotional break from the news without checking out entirely

ICE shootings, cabinet confirmation hearings, and the Iran war

Why car-dependent neighborhoods limit kids' independence

The nationwide school bus driver shortage

Disappearing teen hangouts and rules around unsupervised kids

How lawsuit-aversion backfires on children's wellbeing

Rebuilding civic infrastructure — rec leagues, public pools, community schools

Book recommendations: Shiloh and The Sheep Detectives

Join us in Minneapolis on August 29th for a live show and after party — details and tickets at pantsuitpoliticsshow.com
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Beth is joined by guest host Alex McCoy, a progressive organizer focused on holding Big Tech accountable, for a conversation about what breaks trust and how to rebuild it. They start with what the collapse of the Graham Platner campaign reveals about the progressive movement's relationship with imperfect candidates, then turn to the accountability vacuum around AI — who's making decisions about our jobs, our data, and our lives, and why almost nobody is calling their member of Congress about it.

Topics discussed:

Graham Platner's Senate campaign collapse and what it means for progressive candidate recruitment

Trust, accountability, and the "the groups are the problem" debate in Democratic politics

What voters actually want from elected officials

AI's growing role in hiring, firing, workplace surveillance, and government decisions

The AI industry's political spending and lobbying power

How to actually get your member of Congress to pay attention to AI

Alex McCoy's immersive medieval battle reenactment hobby

Beth talked with Alex about the kind of in-person community his medieval weekends create — that's exactly what's waiting in Minneapolis on August 29. Grab tickets here.
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Beth sits down with Lauren Pinkston, an independent candidate for governor of Tennessee, on the same day Governor Beshear sent Senator Mitch McConnell a letter asking about his month-long hospitalization. They use that story, plus Graham Platner's exit from the Maine Senate race, to get at something bigger: what "honor" means in public life when authenticity and elitism both fall short. Then they turn to what that looks like in practice — data centers, classrooms, and a possible return of family dinners to the governor's residence.

Topics discussed:

Transparency and elected officials' health, from Mitch McConnell to Tom Kean Jr.

Graham Platner's exit from the Maine Senate race and what it says about party incentives

Elitism, authenticity, and what "honor" means in public service

Money in politics and running a campaign without party infrastructure

A proposed moratorium on data centers in Tennessee

Rebuilding public education: vouchers, Montessori models, screen time, and special education

Parenting lessons Lauren brings to how she'd govern

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Sarah's on summer break this week, so Beth sits down with chef, culinary historian, and seventh-grade history teacher Mica Chavez to trace how food actually built the world we live in — from the Columbian Exchange and the science behind corn, to slavery, immigration, and the industrial food system we're stuck with today.

Topics discussed:

The Columbian Exchange: how corn, chili, potatoes, and tomatoes reshaped diets on both sides of the Atlantic

The science of nixtamalization — why New World corn didn't wreck teeth the way Old World wheat did

How chili peppers spread across the globe via birds

The Irish potato famine's surprising link to New Mexico settlement history

Indigenous and Spanish foodways merging in the Southwest: acequias, sheep, and companion planting

How mechanization and post-WWII food policy created the mass-produced, processed food system

Precision farming, AI, and the tension between efficiency and sustainability

What to cook this summer (hint: it's pie)

Speaking of good food and good company — the Minneapolis live show after party has both! Get your tickets here.
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