The Progressive Happy Hour

In September the Trump administration ended the DACA program, which had allowed many young immigrants to work or go to school without fear of being deported. As 2017 draws to a close, Congress is facing a choice: pass legislation to protect Dreamers, or vote to fund Dreamers' deportations. Hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney sit down with Jonathan Jayes-Green, national coordinator of the UndocuBlack Network, to get up to speed on the fight for Congress to pass a clean DREAM Act.

Last weekend GOP senators passed a cruel and immensely unpopular tax bill that steals from working people to give to the super-rich. In the December 8 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney sit down with TJ Helmstetter, communications director of Americans for Tax Fairness, to get up to speed on the GOP tax scam and where we go from here. Also in this episode, Drew shares his recommendation for the gift-giving season: shop small and shop local.

Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore has been in news for his alleged sexual harassment and assault of young women, including teenage girls. But even before this, Moore's record of extremism was already known, and the willingness of many Republicans to stand by him anyway is itself a scandal. In the Dec. 1 episode, hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney sit down with PFAW Senior Fellow Peter Montgomery, who has been following Roy Moore and other far-right figures for over two decades.

Even in the Trump era, there are things to be thankful for. In a November 22 Thanksgiving mini-episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney join podcast producer Layne Amerikaner to share what they are grateful for—both for their country and also just for themselves. Drew explains that what he's most thankful for right now is local activists: "They are the ones who power the movement."

In the Trump era, our nation's courts have served as a powerful check on this administration's extreme agenda, from blocking the Muslim ban to halting Trump's ban on trans troops. But Republicans are working to fill the federal bench with judges who will rubber-stamp these attacks. In the November 17 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney sit down with PFAW Executive Vice President Marge Baker to talk about Trump's extreme judicial nominees.

Democrats swept the elections, and a diverse group of young candidates won big—from Virginia's Danica Roem, who will be the first openly trans state legislator, to Melvin Carter, elected as the first African American mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota. In the November 10 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney sit down with PFAW's Diallo Brooks to celebrate the election results and strategize about what progressives can learn.

As the country is still reeling from disasterous storms, the Trump administration continues to stake out harmful positions on environmental issues. In the November 3 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney talk with Green For All policy director Kerene Tayloe to learn about Trump's attacks on the environment and the growing movement for environmental justice. Also on the podcast, Drew fills us in on the Great British Bake Off scandal.

Donald Trump's pattern of attempting to discredit and demean powerful women was on full display recently through his attacks on Representative Frederica Wilson as a "wacky" liar. In the October 27 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney sit down with PFAW Senior Policy Advisor Dawn Huckelbridge to talk about Trump's personal attacks on the women who dare to question or oppose him. Also on the podcast, Drew reveals his favorite Janet Jackson song.

The Trump administration is ramping up its attacks on women's rights, announcing a policy change that could cause hundreds of thousands of women to lose access to birth control coverage. In the October 20 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney talk with PFAW Research Editor Miranda Blue about Trump's efforts to undermine women's health—and how the Religious Right couldn't be happier about it. Also, Cici has her outfit ready for the new Black Panther movie.

The Virginia gubernatorial race is heating up, and the Republican candidate has made clear he's eager to take a page out of Trump's racist, anti-immigrant playbook. In the October 13 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," hosts Christin "Cici" Battle and Drew Courtney talk with PFAW Political Director Lizet Ocampo about the offensive new ads from Republican Ed Gillespie in Virginia, who is attempting to paint immigrants as criminals and run a campaign grounded in fearmongering. The hosts also dive into Eminem's freestyle take-down of Trump, and the epic new Star Wars trailer.