Breaking Through with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (Powered by MomsRising)

On the radio show this week, we dive into wins for Paid Family Medical Leave at the state level, as well as the decades-long fight for a national paid family medical leave program and recent legislative wins like the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP Act. We hear about the economic impact of unpaid care work, with mothers contributing an estimated $450 billion in unpaid labor annually and facing significant wage gaps and workplace discrimination, particularly mothers of color. We cover the challenges of family separation, the lack of legal representation for unaccompanied minors, and the cruel Trump practices that are unfairly terrorizing immigrant families and communities. We discuss strategies to close the wage gap between men and women (and between moms and dads), and how closing the wage gap would boost the overall economy.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Sharita Gruberg, National Partnership for Women and Families, @npfw; Kate Bond, Institute for Women's Policy Research, @IWPRResearch; Jennifer Hojaiban, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), @supportKIND, @supportkind.org; Deborah Vagins, Equal Rights Advocates & Equal Pay Today, @debvagins, @EqualRightsAdv, @EqualPay2dayOrg

On the radio show this week, we dive into the attacks on Planned Parenthood and how the Republican budget could close 200 health centers and impact over a million people's access to reproductive health care. We hear about the unprecedented emergency happening right now to our democracy and how the SAVE Act could disenfranchise 69 million women voters and threaten fundamental voting rights. We cover the expanding wage gap for moms and the economic implications, and how Republican budget cuts could further harm economic opportunities for women and families. We discuss the devastating cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and more in the Big, Bad Betrayal Bill, exposing how the Republican budget could eliminate health care for 16 million Americans and potentially cause 51,000 deaths annually.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, @PPFA, @ppfa.org; Celina Stewart, League of Women Voters, @LWV, @lwvus.bsky.social‬; Jocelyn Samuels, Former EEOC Commissioner, @JSamuelsEEOC; Alex Lawson, Social Security Works, @SSWorks, ‪@socialsecurityworks.org

On the radio show this week, we cover the many powerful ways that you can help save democracy, and why the rule of law still matters. We also dive into the One Big, Ugly Budget that is now heading to the U.S. Senate, and correct false narratives about "work requirements." Next, we discuss how the House-passed budget will impact child care funding and how we keep fighting for universal child care for all. We close the show talking about the complex and evolving nature of immigration law, including important Know Your Rights resources for immigrant families.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Fatima Goss Graves, National Women's Law Center, @nwlc, @nwlc.org; Peggy Bailey, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, @CenterOnBudget, @centeronbudget.bsky.social‬; Erica Gallegos, The Child Care for Every Family Network; @CC4EFN, @childcareforeveryfamily.org‬; Viviana Westbrook, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), @CLINICLegal, @cliniclegal.bsky.social‬

On the radio show this week, we discuss how the wage gap that moms experience impacts our families and our economy, with May marking not just Mother's Day, but also Moms Equal Pay Day. We talk about how the Trump administration is using our tax dollars for human rights abuses against immigrant families, and how you can speak up to your members of Congress and support mixed-status families in your community. We also dive into the rural mental health crisis, especially for rural moms experiencing isolation and barriers to treatment, and why the proposed cuts to Medicaid would make this even worse. We close the show with an inside discussion about what's happening in Washington, DC right now with the Republican proposed budget, and why you need to call your U.S. Representative right away and tell them to protect Medicaid, SNAP, child care and more.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Taylor Austin, MomsRising, @MomsRising, @momsrising.org; Wendy Cervantes, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), @CLASP_DC, @clasp.org; Chuck Strand, Rural Minds, @ruralminds; Elyssa Schmier, MomsRising, @MomsRising, @momsrising.org

On the radio show this week, we dive into the overwhelming attacks on democratic institutions coming out of this White House and DOGE, and local actions you can take to protect democracy that really make a difference nationally. We discuss the huge economic benefits of Medicaid, including job creation for care workers and coverage of essential services for aging and disability care, so you can call your representatives and tell them to protect Medicaid! Next, we cover the devastating economic and moral impacts of mass human rights abuses, and how to provide support in your community for immigrant families. Finally, we talk about the loss of expertise and resources at the U.S. Department of Education under the Trump administration, and how to fight back against further attacks.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Skye Perryman, Democracy Forward, @DemocracyFwd, @democracyforward.org; Ai-jen Poo, National Domestic Workers Alliance & Caring Across Generations, @domesticworkers, @caringacrossgen, @domesticworkers.bsky.social; Lisette Engel, UnidosUS, @weareunidosus, @weareunidosus.bsky.social; Denise Forte, EdTrust, @EdTrus, @edtrust.bsky.social

On the radio show this week, we dive into Donald Trump's latest round of harmful, destructive executive orders and outlandish ideas, like medals for motherhood and classes about menstrual cycles to increase the birth rate — instead of policies that moms, families, businesses, and our economy really need to thrive! We also discuss the rise in discriminatory policies affecting LGBTQ youth and the misrepresentation of civil rights law. Next, we hear about how parents and teachers living abroad on military bases are handling this onslaught of attacks on public education. Finally, we cover how community support and advocacy can help children caught up in our inhumane immigration system receive the legal representation they need and deserve.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Monifa Bandele, MomsRising, @MomsRising, @momsrising.org; Brian Dittmeier, GLSEN, @glsen, @glsen.bsky.social; Kristen Smith, European Parent Teacher Association; Elinor Jordan, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, @Michimmigrant

On the radio show this week, we dive into how your health care stories have helped sway Republican – yes Republican — lawmakers to protect Medicaid, and why everyone needs to be in this fight for Medicaid Next, we hear about a campaign in New York to rally state and federal efforts to improve child care. We cover Meals On Wheels, and how even a program considered the "gold-standard" for private-public partnerships and cost-savings is under threat because of the Trump administration's reckless cuts. Finally, we discuss Black Maternal Health Week and why this is yet another occasion to call your lawmaker about protecting Medicaid.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Jenn Stowe, National Domestic Workers Alliance, @domesticworkers, @domesticworkers.bsky.social; Shoshana Hershkowitz, Empire State Campaign for Child Care, @empirestateccc, @empirestateccc.bsky.social; Josh Protas, Meals on Wheels America, @MealsOnWheels, @MealsOnWheels; Monifa Bandele, MomsRising, @momsrising, @momsrising.org

On the radio show this week, we dive into the importance of electing women, and how political parity protects us from dangerous policies, like the current move by Republicans to strip millions of women of our right to vote. We hear about how MomsRising is bringing the over 1.2 million voices of our members to the halls of Congress to oppose cuts to Medicaid. We cover how the dehumanizing immigration policy and rhetoric out of the Trump White House is hurting families, businesses, and the economy. Finally, we celebrate recent wins in maternal health policy, and how we can fight to protect this progress in honor of Black Maternal Health Week April 11 - 17.

SPECIAL GUESTS:

A'shanti Gholar, Emerge America, @EmergeAmerica, @emergeamerica.bsky.social; Felicia Burnett, MomsRising, @MomsRising, @momsrising.org; Adriana Cadena, @PIFCoalition; Tina Sherman, MomsRising, MomsRising, @MomsRising, @momsrising.org

On the radio show this week, we bust the negative myths that Republicans are pushing out about immigrant families; we discuss how care policies (like childcare, healthcare/Medicaid, and paid family/medical leave) boost our economy; we cover how K-12 education is under attack and the ways to fight back; and we close the show covering where we're seeing glimmers of hope for protecting our democracy.

*Special guests include: Heidi Altman, National Immigration Law Center, @nilc, @nilc.org; Jocelyn Frye, National Partnership for Women & Families, @npwf @jocelyncfrye; Dr. Mary Wall, Education Leader; Ruth Martin and Donna Norton, MomsRising, @MomsRising.

On the radio show this week we cover the problems with the damaging effects of the proposed cuts to Medicaid; the latest with the maternal health emergency in America; how access to childcare is under attack; and how to use a no cost direct file tool for your taxes.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Joan Alker, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, @JoanAlker1, @georgetownccf, @georgetownccf.bsky.social; Tina Sherman, MomsRising, @TinaShermanNC @MomsRising @MamasConPoder, @momsrising.org @mamasconpoder.org; Martin Balben, Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children, @IdahoAEYC; Susan Harley, Public Citizen, @Public_Citizen, @publiccitizen.bsky.social.