The Progressive Happy Hour

For some people the census is a form they fill out every ten years and never think about again, but the decennial census count affects our lives and our democracy in profound ways. In the February 23 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney sit down with Chris Soyong Harley, the director of 2020 Census Counts, to talk about why the census matters.

Jeff Sessions has now been attorney general for one year, and under his leadership, much of the Justice Department's past progress in safeguarding civil rights is rapidly being eroded. In the February 16 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney sit down with Diallo Brooks to talk about the sea change at the Justice Department around voting rights, police misconduct, civil rights enforcement, and more.

This month the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that threatens to undermine the ability of working people to come together in unions and fight for fair pay and equitable workplaces. In the February 9 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney sat down with Jobs With Justice Executive Director Sarita Gupta to learn more about the Janus v. AFSCME case and what's at stake for workers' rights.

Donald Trump gave his first State of the Union address, pushing a cruel agenda and hiding behind trappings of normalcy during anything-but-normal times in our country.

In the February 2 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," we sit down with Working Families Party Senior Adviser Valerie Ervin to unpack Trump's speech and talk about where we go from here.

Tens of thousands of anti-choice activists came to D.C. this month to demonstrate against the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, but some abortion-rights opponents aren't stopping at marches. In this episode, we sit down with freelance writer Robin Marty, the author of a new Right Wing Watch article about a slice of the anti-choice movement that is trying out tactics to push the limits of a decades-old law that prevents protesters from physically blocking the entrances to abortion clinics.

This weekend marks the eighth anniversary of the infamous Supreme Court Citizens United decision, which paved the way for corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money influencing elections. In the January 19 episode, we sat down with Rio Tazewell, PFAW's Government By the People Campaign Manager, to talk about the destructive legacy of Citizens United and the ways in which people across the country are successfully pushing for money in politics reform.

The 2017 elections saw big victories for Democrats—with diverse, progressive candidates winning across the country. Will this momentum carry through in 2018? Hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney talked with PFAW Political Director Lizet Ocampo about the lay of the land for the 2018 elections, and what's at stake on Election Day for the issues we care about. Also in this episode, Drew and Cici unpack Oprah's epic Golden Globes speech.

Trump's attacks on LGBTQ communities in his first year, including his decision to fire all members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, highlights the threat his administration poses to LGBTQ rights. In the January 5 episode, hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney talk with PFAW Senior Fellow Peter Montgomery about the dismissal of the HIV/AIDS council and Trump's ongoing efforts to undermine LGBTQ equality. In addition, Cici remembers the life and legacy of Erica Garner.

Happy New Year from The Progressive Happy Hour! In a December 29 mini-episode, hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney join PFAW staffers Bradley Williams and Layne Amerikaner to share their New Year's resolutions—both for their country and also just for themselves. There was no shortage of goals for 2018, from attending more protests to simply staying hopeful. Tweet at @TheProgressHH and tell us your own resolutions!

From unexpected election results to the biggest demonstration in U.S. history, 2017 has been quite a year. In the Dec. 21 episode, hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney sit down with Ben Wikler, Washington director of Move On, to look back at 2017 and lessons learned along the way. Ben, Cici, and Drew outline progressive victories of 2017, like the defeat of the Affordable Care Act repeal, as well as some of the losses, like the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.