Couverture de The Politics Chicks Podcast

The Politics Chicks Podcast

The Politics Chicks Podcast

De : Christy Branham & Monica Healy
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 Welcome to The Politics Chicks—two chicks who care about politics, people, and making sense of the mess with a side of humor and heart.© 2025 The Politic Chicks Politique et gouvernement Sciences politiques Sciences sociales
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    • Meet Up North Daddy: The artist behind the protest photo that made the internet catch it's breath.

      Meet Up North Daddy: The artist behind the protest photo that made the internet catch it's breath.
      Feb 23 2026

      🌟 Welcome to Episode #12 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟

      🎙️ Before this podcast, we launched our journey on Substack—where we shared sharp takes on current events, deep dives into policy, and personal reflections on the state of politics. Now, we’re bringing that same energy—and our signature voice—straight to your favorite podcast platform.

      In this episode, we’re joined by Erik Espeland—the photographer behind one of the most iconic images to come out of Minnesota’s Operation Metro Surge protests, in the tense days following the murder of Renee Good. If you’ve seen the photo (you’ve probably seen it), you already know why we needed him on the show.

      This conversation is about art as witness, Minnesota as a character, and why being decent is both revolutionary and contagious.


      🧑‍🎨 Meet Our Guest: Erik Espeland

      Erik is a professional photographer (and longtime creative) who came to photography through a very Minnesota story: family, work, nervous energy, and the need to make meaning out of what’s happening right in front of you.

      • Artist and graphic designer
      • Former Target corporate photo studio experience
      • Shoots thousands of images a year, primarily youth sports
      • A proud “modest Minnesotan”
      • Still surprised by the photo


      📸 The Photo That Stopped People Cold
      Erik walks us through how the iconic image came to be—how it wasn’t staged, how it was instinct and timing and composition and wind.

      The subject’s whole presence—pure Minnesota symbolism, including those legendary boots
      Erik says when he saw it on his computer, he “kind of stopped breathing.”

      Same, buddy. Same.

      👤 Who Is “Dan”?

      Erik didn’t even meet the man in the photo—Dan—until about two weeks later.

      When he finally did:
      Dan hadn’t fully realized he’d become that guy on the internet
      Erik thanked him for being “the face of Minnesota” in that moment
      The image had already gone global—Erik estimates close to 10 million views across countries and continent
      And Dan’s response?

      Classic Minnesota: “Let’s ride this wave.”

      🌲 “Minnesota Nice” Isn’t a Meme—It’s a Force

      We talk a lot about how Minnesota has shown up through all of this—how people here don’t just post, they do things.

      🎶 Art as Resistance: Signs, Songs, and the “Singing Resistance”

      Monica shares a powerful piece of what protest has looked like here:

      Minnesota’s choral community and the Singing Resistance—marching, stopping at hotels known to house ICE, and using music as moral confrontation.

      Erik reflects on the question we all ask:

      Do the people carrying out cruelty feel anything when confronted with beauty?

      Or does the job require them to turn the human part off completely?

      🧠 Creativity, Guilt, and Trying to Breathe in the Middle of Crisis

      Christy talks about the weird guilt creatives feel right now—like making art is somehow indulgent when everything is on fire.

      📈 Going Viral Overnight: “What the Hell Do You Do With That?”

      Erik posted the photo on Threads the same night.


      🏞️ National Parks, Perspective, and What Travel Teaches Kids

      Erik’s also a huge National Parks geek (same, honestly), and we talk about why nature and travel matter—especially now.
      Favorites include Olympic, Yellowstone, Bryce (snow on hoodoos = unreal)

      Their family uses the National Parks passport to plan trips

      Food, culture, conversations—it expands the soul.

      Which is exactly why authoritarianism hates it.

      🧡 Final Words That Wrecked Us (In the Best Way)

      Erik closes with a simple message that is somehow the most radical thing you can say right now:

      Hug someone
      Smile at strangers
      Let people tell their story
      Don’t hold grudges
      It’s not hard to be nice—and it’s contagious as hell
      Monica cried.

      Christy got misty.

      We all needed it.


      📌 FOLLOW / SUPPORT

      If this episode moved you, taught you something, or made you see what’s happening here through a new lens:

      ✅ Like
      ✅ Comment
      ✅ Share
      ✅ Subscribe

      It helps more than you know—and it tells the algorithm we’re not doing “both sides” bedtime stories over here.

      📱 Find us everywhere: @thepoliticschicks

      Substack • YouTube • Threads • Bluesky • Instagram • TikTok • Facebook

      🧡 Keep shining your light so we can find each other in the dark.


      We are always stronger together.


      — Christy & Monica
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      41 min
    • Meet The Election Geek!

      Meet The Election Geek!
      Feb 19 2026
      🌟 Welcome to Episode #11 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟🎙️ In this episode, Christy & Monica sit down with Minnesota CD6 Congressional candidate Doug Chapin — self-described “election geek,” nationally recognized elections expert, and the guy who can explain the machinery of democracy without making your eyes glaze over. Joining him is his partner, Stephanie Tomlinson, a healthcare policy strategist (and Maple Grove Planning Commission member) who brings equal parts heart, grit, and “here’s why local government actually matters.”This conversation is part civics crash course, part campaign story, and part Minnesota love letter — with a very clear message: democracy doesn’t defend itself.🐓 IN THIS EPISODE:👋 Show SummaryDoug Chapin breaks down how elections actually work in the United States (hint: there is no such thing as a “federal election official”), why Republicans’ “election fear” bills are often smoke-and-mirrors, and what policies like the SAVE Act would do to voter access. Stephanie digs into the local pipeline of power — school boards, planning commissions, city councils — and why those elections aren’t “small,” they’re foundational.They also share what pushed Doug to run for Congress (spoiler: it wasn’t on his bingo card), what “neighborism” looks like during crisis, and how Minnesotans are showing up for one another through the occupation — with courage, joy, and stubborn hope.👤 Meet Our GuestsDoug Chapin — CD6 Congressional candidate, elections expert, educator, and lifelong democracy nerd (in the best way). Doug has spent nearly 40 years working in elections, democracy, public policy, and law — including work on Capitol Hill, in advocacy, and teaching election administration.Stephanie Tomlinson — healthcare policy strategist, legislative/regulatory advocacy expert, Maple Grove Planning Commission member, and Doug’s partner in both life and this campaign. Stephanie brings deep knowledge of how systems work — and why local governance is the beating heart of everything.🗺️ Show Highlights• Doug’s origin story: decades in elections work…until the moment he realized he needed to defend democracy from the front, not the inside• Stephanie’s “oh my God, we’re doing this” moment (including the email barrage that gave it away)• The power of a naturalization ceremony — and the emotional whiplash of watching democracy fray in real time afterward• What “neighborism” looks like in practice: community protection, volunteer door guards, and restaurants rallying back after ICE raids• Why elections in the U.S. are a “crazy quilt” — state by state, county by county, sometimes community by community• The truth about the federal government’s role in elections (and why Trump can’t just “take over”)• HAVA (Help America Vote Act): what it is, how the funds work, and why Minnesota Republicans’ bill threatening to withhold funds is basically “taking away the presents you already opened”• The SAVE Act: what “documentary proof of citizenship” would mean in real life for voters and election officials (and why it’s designed to create barriers)• Why local elections matter more than people realize: school boards, planning commissions, zoning, city councils — and how culture shifts from the ground up• The detention center issue: why local governments can block them through zoning, permits, and environmental reviews• Data centers and AI server farms: massive energy, heat, water demands — and why communities like Monticello and Becker are paying attention• Doug’s closing message: your vote is the most powerful thing you have — protect it, but more importantly, use it• Stephanie’s closing message: don’t be shy — ask questions, get involved, and show up even when you’re scared🔗 LINKS + RESOURCES🌐 Doug Chapin for Congress: chapinforcongress.comFollow on THREADS: @chapinforcongress INSTAGRAM: @chapinforcongress FACKEBOOK: @dougchapinforcongress BLUESKY: @chapinforcongress.bky.social TIK TOK: @chapinforcongress2026📌 ACTION ITEMS✅ If you live in Minnesota CD6: get involved, volunteer, and share Doug’s campaign with friends and neighbors✅ Pay attention to local elections (school board candidates matter more than you think)✅ Show up at city council meetings when zoning decisions impact detention centers, data centers, environmental impact, and community safety✅ Vote. In every election. Not just presidential years.🐥 FINAL WORD:This isn’t politics as sport.This is democracy as infrastructure.It’s zoning boards and voter registration databases. It’s school boards and city councils. It’s neighbors protecting neighbors because the federal government won’t.If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, this episode is your reminder: the most ...
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      39 min
    • A teacher’s witness to trauma, community, and the fierce determination to keep students safe.Teaching Through Terror:

      A teacher’s witness to trauma, community, and the fierce determination to keep students safe.Teaching Through Terror:
      Feb 2 2026
      🌟 Welcome to Episode #10 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟🐓 IN THIS EPISODE:We sit down with Jackie Mosqueda-Jones — longtime educator, former Osseo School Board chair, and current pre-K teacher in Columbia Heights — for a deeply human conversation about what families, educators, and neighbors are facing as ICE activity intensifies across the district.👩‍🏫 Meet JackieFormer Osseo School Board member (6 years; board chair), current pre-K teacher, and a frontline witness to what she describes as “a whole other level” beyond the crises schools carried through COVID and George Floyd.🏫 Columbia Heights Right NowA richly diverse district — roughly 40% Latina (many Ecuadorian refugee families) and about 25% Black/African American, including African immigrants — with a majority of students identifying as children of color.🧸 The Liam Ramos StoryWe discuss the incident that shook the community: families afraid to send children to school, a parent followed from school, a child used to draw a mother outside, and the impossible choices no parent should ever face.📄 DOPA Forms & Emergency PlanningSchools are helping families prepare Delegation of Parental Authority forms in case parents are detained, assisting with notarization, and ensuring emergency guardianship plans are in place.🧑‍⚕️ Teachers as the Last Line of CareEducators and community members are delivering food and supplies, purchasing medicine for families afraid to leave home, transporting students, and stepping in as trusted guardians when needed.📱 Pre-K Online — Built From ScratchJackie created a remote learning option so children can stay safe without losing access to education — designing phone-accessible lessons and supporting families nights and weekends.🧑‍🏫 Leadership That Shows UpPrincipal Jeff Sosick is recognized for leading with compassion — turning meetings into supply drives, preparing food packages for families, and consistently prioritizing care over optics.🚨 How ICE Targets the CommunityReports of activity during school arrival and dismissal, targeting workers at closing time, door-to-door presence near apartment buildings, and a level of surveillance that has reshaped daily life.🧠 The Trauma on KidsChildren struggling to concentrate, fear becoming normalized in playground conversations, and educators carrying the weight of collective trauma alongside their students.💔 The Emotional Toll“We’re not doing well.”Instead of asking “How are you?”, staff now greet each other with:👉 “I’m glad you’re here.”🗳️ Local Elections MatterA reminder that school boards shape communities — research candidates, stay engaged locally, and remember that major political movements often begin at the local level.✨ Hope in the HenhouseMutual aid networks rising, retired educators stepping in, neighbors using their skills to help, and a guiding truth from Paul Wellstone:👉 “We all do better when we all do better.”🛑 Final WordThis is a marathon — not a sprint.Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Take care of yourself. Love will win.❤️ Support Families Impacted in the Columbia Heights School DistrictThese fundraisers directly benefit families across the district:Columbia Heights High Schoolhttps://gofund.me/1b26e2c3cColumbia Academyhttps://gofund.me/b9b785a26Highland Elementaryhttps://gofund.me/271c89166North Park School for Innovationhttps://gofund.me/b9406a952Valley View Elementaryhttps://give.mn/g1iz7gFamily Centerhttps://gofund.me/e090e916a👉 You can also find these links on the Columbia Heights Public Schools website.📚 Jackie’s Donors Choose Project — Tools for Little Mathematicianshttps://www.donorschoose.org/project/tools-for-little-mathematicians/9919647/💌 If this conversation moved you, challenged you, or made you see the world differently — please like, comment, and share. It helps more than you know and expands this growing community.📱 Follow us everywhere: @thepoliticschicks on Substack, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.🧡 Keep shining your light so we can find each other in the dark.We are always stronger together.— Christy & Monica
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      45 min
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