Friday Power Lunch

For the December 13, 2024 show, Hosts Finale Norton, Katherine White, and National co-host, Susan Wagner presented a Friday Power Lunch Holiday Carol, The Ghosts of Grassroots Past, Present and Future.

GUESTS

• ANTONIA SCATTON, messaging expert and author of "Reframing America" on Substack
• LYNLEE THORNE, Political Director, Rural GroundGame
• NICK KNUDSEN, Founder, Executive Director of DemCast

The December 6, 2024 Friday Power Lunch focuses on resiliency by discussing "what's important now." The podcast begins with a discussion with hosts Finale Norton, Carrie Short, and Katherine White on how each are apply this to our own lives. Then, they have conversations on the following topics.

Publish the ERA

• Kati Hornung, Co-Founder & Executive Director, VoteEquality, talks about the campaign to urge President Biden to instruct the US Archivist to certify and publish the ERA

Virginia January 7, 2025 Special Election

• Kannan Srinivasan, currently Delegate for HD26, who is running for Senate District 32 and JJ Singh running for HD26 talk about their campaigns.

Legislative Spotlight

• Discussion on unregulated gambling machines placed in convenience stories in predominantly low-income communities with Shantell Rock, Dumfries resident, and Rhena Hicks, Executive Director, Freedom VA

The November 15, 2024 Friday Power Lunch podcast was a special program with co-hosts Katherine White, Finale Norton, an Carrie Short on how to be bold and brave in these trying times by examining the lessons from the Abolition Movement put forth by social movement historian Linda Hirshman in her book "The Color of Abolition: How a Printer, a Prophet, and a Contessa Moved a Nation."

On the November 8, 2024 Friday Power Lunch podcast, co-hosts Katherine White, Finale Norton and Carrie Short were joined by Simon Rosenberg (Founder of Hopium Chronicles) and Delegate Sam Rasoul for a community conversation following the November 5 2024 Presidential election.

On the November 1, 2024 Friday Power Lunch podcast, co-hosts Katherine White, Finale Norton and Carrie Short led a discussion on how to navigate the final hours before election day with joy, inspiration, and a strong "grassroots get it done" attitude.

GUESTS

• Senator Tim Kaine
• Lynlee Thorne, Political Director of Rural GroundGame
• Representative Gerry Connolly (CD11)
• Representative Jennifer McClellan (CD4)
• Natalia Parmly, Vienna Postcard Group
• Kay Briggs, CD-6 Volunteer
• Patti Richards, CD-9 Volunteer

With Halloween a week away and the presidential election two weeks away, the October 28, 2024 national edition of Friday Power Lunch was a discussion of the tricks & treats of the final days of the election. Or, to put it another way, keep calm & GOTV.

GUESTS:

• Tom Bonier (CEO, TARA Group)
• Rachel Bitecofer (Political strategists and Author of "Hit 'Em Where it Hurts")

On the October 18, 2024 Friday Power Lunch, co-hosts Katherine White & Finale Norton talk to guests about dialing up the vote with a focus on Virginia Congressional Districts 1 and 5.

GUESTS:

• Jessica Craven, author of the Substack "Chop Wood, Carry Water"
• Del. Amy Laufer will talk about candidate Gloria Witt's campaign in CD5 (Central Virginia)
• Leslie Mehta , Virginia Congressional Candidate in CD1 (East Central Virginia)

On the October 11, 2024 Friday Power Lunch, co-hosts Katherine White & Finale Norton talk to guests about what we can do to make sure Democratic candidates in Virginia win up and down the ballot with a special focus on CD7.

GUESTS:

• Delegate Josh Cole (HD65)
• Congressional Candidate Eugene Vindman (Virginia CD7)
• Brandon Thurner (Vice Chair, Statewide Affairs in the Providence District Democratic Committee)
• Sara Ratcliffe (Democratic Rural Advocate)
• Jackson Miller (Organizing Director, VA 2024 Coordinated Campaign)

On the October 4, 2024 Friday Power Lunch, co-hosts Finale Norton and Carrie Short lead a conversation on how to effectively communicate with voters and break through the barrage of information noise.

GUESTS:

Elizabeth Chur is a Swing Left San Francisco volunteer and freelance medical writer. She has trained more than 2,500 volunteers nationally through acclaimed workshops: "Phone Bank and Canvassing Training for Introverts (& Friends)," and "You and the 34%: How to Have Meaningful Conversations with High-Potential Voters." She talks about her new book, "The Joy of Talking Politics to Strangers: How to Save Democracy, One Conversation at a Time."

Antonia Scatton is a political communications expert. Her mission is to help us master strategic framing and messaging skills to regain our voice in the public debate. She writes the Reframing America newsletter on Substack.com and trains activists, party leaders, staffers, and candidates. She shares how we can present key issues in an easy-to-understand way.

On the September 27, 2024 Friday Power Lunch (the monthly national show), co-hosts Katherine White, Finale Norton & Susan Wagner speak to representatives from three swing states (Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Arizona) on how out-of-state volunteers can help in the final weeks before the election.

• JAMIE PERRAPATO, Founder, Turn PA Blue
• JEFFREY BERNFELD, Senior Advisor, Special Projects, Mecklenburg County North Carolina Democratic Party
• PATTI O'NEIL, Chair, Maricopa County, Arizona Democratic Party

In recognition of Banned Books Week, DORRI SCOTT, Advocate and research scholar, says a few words about how the issue of book bans is on the ballot this election.