Richland County, Ohio used to be a major manufacturing hub. Now, as the plants have closed, residents are looking to renewable energy to revive jobs and development. There’s just one problem: their board of county commissioners issued a blanket ban on large-scale solar and wind projects last summer, bringing those efforts to a halt. Now, residents are waging a historic fight to overturn the ban. In this episode, host Gloria Riviera speaks with two locals behind the campaign: Brian McPeek, Business Manager and Financial Secretary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and Shayna Fritz, the Executive Director for the Ohio Conservative Energy Forum. Together, they break down what’s at stake, from job development and homegrown energy to the rights of farmers and landowners to earn a living from their property, and how Richland County can be a model for communities across the country to shape their energy futures.

To learn more about the campaign to reject the ban on large scale solar and wind in Richland County, visit nobanonpropertyrights.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if you could lower your utility bill at the polls? In Georgia, that’s exactly what voters have had the opportunity to do. By flipping two Public Service Commission seats in 2025, they’ve shown that elected officials can be held accountable for rising energy costs. In this episode, host Gloria Riviera speaks with Leslie Palomino, Georgia State Director at Poder Latinx, about how the organization has been mobilizing Latino voters around energy affordability and what’s at stake for upcoming elections later this year. 

This episode was made in partnership with Poder Latinx. To learn more about their work, visit poderlatinx.org

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate solutions aren’t out of reach. They’re already here, and California is leading the way. In 2025, the state hit a historic milestone: for more than 200 days, its grid hit 100 percent clean energy, often for hours at a time, making it the largest economy in the world to reach this goal. In this episode, host Gloria Riviera speaks with Mary Creasman, CEO of California Environmental Voters, about the state’s race toward total clean energy by 2045, what this transformation means for tackling wildfires, flooding and droughts, and how we can all push politics toward climate solutions that work. 

This episode was made in partnership with California Environmental Voters. To learn more about their work, visit envirovoters.org. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the people best suited to transform the justice system are the ones who know what it's like to live inside of it? In prisons across the country, incarcerated organizers have long fought for policy change, but they’ve rarely had the resources to communicate with the outside world and stay up-to-date on current events. In this episode, host Maya Rupert speaks with James King, Director of Programs at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, about how the organization is changing that through their Inside/Outside Policy Fellowship. Now in its fifth year, the program pairs incarcerated Inside Fellows with formerly incarcerated Outside Fellows to lead system reform together. In working to shape campaigns like the California Racial Justice Act, and ensuring that incarcerated fellows are fairly compensated for their work, Fellows are transforming both the system and their own lives.

This episode is created in partnership with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. 

Learn more about the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights at ellabakercenter.org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Across the country, kids in the juvenile justice system face a hidden burden: fines and fees that can follow them well into adulthood, affecting their credit, education, and ability to get a job. In this episode, host Maya Rupert speaks with Cameron D. Clark, Co-Coordinator of Debt Free Justice, about their work to eliminate fines and fees placed on youth and their families. In partnership with local communities, Debt Free Justice works to transform the system in states like Hawaii, where youth organizers are advocating for Native Hawaiian accountability practices instead of financial punishment. Through it all, Debt Free Justice is showing us what's possible when we replace punitive fines and fees with real opportunities for growth and accountability.

This episode is created in partnership with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Learn more about Debt Free Justice at debtfreejustice.org

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Great teaching changes lives, but even the best teachers need support. In this episode, we highlight a bright spot in New York City Public Schools where students achieved remarkable gains in reading proficiency. To uncover what led to these results, host Gloria Riviera speaks with Teaching Lab CEO Sarah Johnson and explores how investing in teachers can transform classrooms, boost student learning, and create a ripple effect of success. You’ll also hear from a New York City teacher and his teaching coach about what coaching looks like in practice – and the tangible impact it has in the classroom.

This episode is created in partnership with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. 

Learn more about Teaching Lab at teachinglab.org. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the premiere episode of Wiser Than Me’s new season, Julia Louis-Dreyfus sits down with 78-year-old comedy icon and Saturday Night Live original cast member, Jane Curtin. They reminisce about the 50th anniversary celebration of SNL and the enduring friendships Jane formed with the women of that first cast. Jane shares the story of meeting her husband of 50 years, Patrick Lynch, their hands-on parenting, and navigating grief after his recent passing. Plus, Julia’s 91-year-old mom, Judy, recalls Julia landing the SNL job.

After you listen, search Wiser Than Me, for more episodes wherever you get your podcasts or you can head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/wiserthanmefd

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2023, multiple wildfires broke out in Hawaii, devastating the island of Maui. The town of Lahaina was destroyed, with more than 2000 buildings burned, and over a hundred deaths. The wildfires shocked the country, but there were people on the ground in Hawaii who had been raising the alarm for years. Elizabeth Pickett, the Co-Director of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, joins us to discuss her efforts to raise awareness about the growing wildfire vulnerabilities in Hawaii over the last two decades. Now she’s helping the state lead the charge in wildfire prevention, making sure its communities continue to stand strong.  

This episode is presented by America Wins With Water. From the pipes, plants, and pools to the streams, lakes, and rivers that connect our 50 states, protecting and investing in water is all about protecting and investing in America. Learn more at americawinswithwater.org. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A year ago, North Carolina experienced one of the worst storms in history when Hurricane Helene hit. As a result of the historic rainfall, several rivers in the region overflowed, causing major destruction and over a hundred deaths. Two council members in North Carolina have been at the forefront of helping rebuild their communities from the ground up. Councilwoman Maggie Ullman and Councilman Anthony Sutton join us to discuss their response both during the hurricane and its aftermath, including their efforts to secure more recovery funds from D.C. and ensure their towns can rebuild stronger, giving them a fighting chance during hurricane season. 

This episode is presented by America Wins With Water. From the pipes, plants, and pools to the streams, lakes, and rivers that connect our 50 states, protecting and investing in water is all about protecting and investing in America. Learn more at americawinswithwater.org. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America is experiencing a maternal health crisis. We are witnessing the worst maternal death rate for Black mothers amongst developed nations. Shawnee Gibson is ensuring we don't forget the women behind the numbers. She lost her daughter to a pulmonary embolism a few weeks after giving birth and has been fighting for reproductive justice with her organization, The ARIAH Foundation. She joins Danielle Atkinson, founder of Mothering Justice, to talk about the “In Her Honor Project,” a series of portraits featuring women who have died due to maternal health complications.

This episode is presented by Mothering Justice, a grassroots policy advocacy organization that provides mothers of color in America with the resources and tools to use their power to make equitable changes in policy. Learn more and get involved at motheringjustice.org.  Thank you to The ARIAH Foundation, whose mission is to support individuals, families, and communities who experience the devastating aftershock associated with maternal/infant morbidity and mortality. For more information, visit theariahfoundation.org.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.