Breaking Through with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (Powered by MomsRising)
If Congress doesn't act before 11:59pm on December 31st, then our nation could go over the "fiscal cliff." This week on the #RADIO show we talk about our national economy and what the cliff could look like for all of us.

*Special guests include: Imara Jones, Economic Justice contributor for ColorLines Magazine; Sarah Anderson, IPS Global Economy Project Director;  Nick Hanauer, entrepreneur, author, and activist;  U.S. Representative Donna Edwards;  and Jared Solomon, Senior Director, Budget Policy at First Focus.

Direct download: MomsRising_122912_Ep34.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:36pm EDT

What happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School was an unspeakable tragedy. There have been 16 mass shootings this year in the United States alone that have risen to the level of national news, as well as many mass shootings that don't ever make it into the national dialogue. In fact, each day 34 people are murdered with guns in our nation. This is not okay. It's time to improve our gun safety laws.
On this show we talk about turning this trend around, about gun violence prevention, and about protecting our children and communities.
*Special guests include: Lori Haas, parent of VA Tech survivor, Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG); Cliff Schecter, best-selling author and gun violence prevention expert; Ashley Boyd, MomsRising; Byron Hurt, award winning filmmaker; and Dean Baker -Co-Director Center for Economic and Policy Research.
Direct download: MomsRising_122212_Ep33.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:13pm EDT

On this show we're talking with a billionaire, moms, economists, and experts about our national priorities, taxes, and what the budget says about who we are as a nation.  Times have changed. In our modern economy, the "safety net" is also a ladder to opportunity in important new ways that we explore with lively guests.

*Special guests include: Nick Hanauer, entrepreneur, author, and activist; Jo Comerford, Executive Director, National Priorities Project; Alex Lawson, Social Security Works;  Monifa Bandele and Dream Hampton, MomsRising Super Women; Margie Omero, Momentum, DC.
Direct download: MomsRising_121512_Ep32.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:57pm EDT

Money, politics, and bears… Oh my!  From moms bringing bears (Yes, bears!) to Congress to urge them not to put moms & families in an "unbearable" financial situation, to the latest on the full implementation of health reform and the fiscal cliff, this week we cover the top topics facing our nation in lively conversations.

*Special guests include: Sarah Anderson, IPS Global Economy Project Director;  Imara Jones is the Economic Justice contributor for Colorlines.com; U.S. Representative Donna Edwards; Ruth Martin and Charlie Rose, MomsRising; and Carrie Fitzgerald, Senior Policy Advisor and Jared Solomon, Senior Director, Budget Policy at First Focus.
Direct download: MomsRising_120812_Ep31.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:41am EDT

Artists, activists, advocates, and experts all tackle the latest on what's at stake with the fiscal cliff.  From trees to childcare, this show covers it all--and even covers how to take the best photographs to spark civic engagement around the fiscal cliff and other issues online.
*Special guests include: David Rolfe, International VP SEIU; Emily Goldstein, photographer, Wild and Crazy Pearl blogger, and advocate; Ruth Martin, MomsRising Superwoman; Helen Blank, National Women's Law Center; David Goldston, National Resources Defense Council.  
Direct download: MomsRising_120112_Ep30.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:44am EDT

The election may be over, but our work has just begun.  If Congress doesn’t act, massive across-the-board cuts could cost millions of jobs and hurt health care, education, aid to state and local governments, and vital programs that kids and families depend on, such as Head Start, child care, and food safety.  Even worse, some lawmakers are trying to use this high-stakes moment of legislative complexity as an opportunity to attempt to sneak in drastic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.  

We're going to to talk about the fiscal cliff, our economy, election mandates, and even about cupcakes with experts, business owners, and advocates on this show.

*Special guests include: Dr. Maya Rockeymoore, Global Policy Solutions; Rinku Sen, President and Executive Director of the Applied Research Center (ARC) and the publisher of Colorlines.com; Monifa Bandele and Ashly Boyd, MomsRising; Rashad Robinson, Executive Director, ColorOfChange and Lisa Lopez, WalMart employee; Jody Hall, owner of Cupcake Royale and board member of Main Street Alliance.
Direct download: MomsRising_112412_Ep29.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:58am EDT

"Is it an action scene in a James Bond movie?"  No.   You can't watch the news without hearing the "fiscal cliff" that Congress must address by the end of the year.  One of the biggest items on the table:  Congress must decide before the end of the year whether to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans--and to protect investments in working and middle-class families, as well as in Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.  

But, other than sounding like a movie scene from Skyfall, what does this "fiscal cliff" mean to you in your daily life?  We're going to talk about it on this show with experts, economists, and advocates in a lively conversation about our national economy and how the fiscal cliff could impact our daily lives.

*Thank you to special guests: Kimberly Inez McGuire, Senior Policy Analyst; National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health; Joan Entmacher, National Women's Law Center; Jared Bernstein, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities; Melanie Campbell - CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener of the Black Women's Roundtable; Hilary Shelton, Vice President, NAACP.
Direct download: MomsRising_111712_Ep28.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:47pm EDT

What an election!  There was a clear choice before our nation on Election Day and people--including women and moms--made a strong statement.  On this show we talk with experts, pollsters, media corespondents and advocates about who voted and what those votes meant,  We also discuss how social media impacted the election, why more women won Congressional seats, and what's ahead for our nation.

*Special guests include: Siobhan “Sam” Bennett, President and CEO of the Women’s Campaign Fund; Matt Barreto, Latino Decisions and professor at the University of Washington; Kimberly C. Ellis, Ph.D., affectionately known as Dr. Goddess, is a writer, entertainer, entrepreneur, scholar, and activist; David Shuster, Emmy Award-winning broadcast news anchor and correspondent for Current TV; Eric Liu, author and served as a White House speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and as deputy domestic policy adviser. 
Direct download: MomsRising_111012_Ep27.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:54am EDT

On this show we rock the vote, covering what policies are at stake in this election for women's health, for students, for the Latino community, for domestic workers, and more.  And, we hear the latest on tactics that some are using to try to suppress the vote--as well as what you can do to make sure everyone who can vote, is able to vote.
*Special guests include: Heather Smith, President and Chief Rocker, Rock the Vote; Barbara Arnwine, Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Ai-jen Poo, Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA); Judy Waxman, Vice President of Health and Reproductive Rights at the National Women's Law Center; Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA de Maryland.
Direct download: MomsRising_110312_Ep26.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:21am EDT

Bayonets, Big Bird, and Binders: The presidential debates, according to internet memes, were brought to you by the letter "B."  On this show we analyze the latest from the campaign trail on topics ranging from gender equality to foreign policy, from domestic policy to voter suppression, and also human rights.  And we cap the show off with a look into pumpkin policy, AKA political pumpkin carving, that you don't want to miss.

*Special guests include: Galye TzemachNew York Times best-selling author of The Dressmaker of Khair Khana and the deputy director of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Women and Foreign Policy program; Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of ColorofChange.orgMark Levine, Senior fellow at the Truman National Security Project and talk show host; Michelle Ringuette, Amnesty International USA's Chief of Campaigns and Programs; and Sarah Francis & Ruth Martin, MomsRising.
Direct download: MomsRising_102712_Ep25.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:12am EDT

Fair pay, binders, dinner, and women! During this show we discuss and analyze the second Presidential debate from what the "binders" moment meant, to what the candidate's body language told us about what they're really thinking.  We uncover new polling data, and talk about undecided voters with a rock star pollster. And we even learn about the latest political Halloween costumes--and how you can make them (Want to be a, ahem, "binder"?).
*Special guests include: Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, Executive Director of National Council of Negro Women; Joel Silberman, Founder of Media Talent 2.0 Inc.; Celinda Lake, Lake Research Partners; Claire Moshenberg, MomsRising; Lisa Maatz, Public Policy and Government Relations Director, American Association of University Women.
Direct download: MomsRising_102012_Ep24.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:33pm EDT

On this show we explore key takeaways from the 1st Presidential debate of 2012--from an interview with a media coach about what the candidates did right (and wrong); to a cutting edge conversation about how Twitter is impacting candidates and traditional media; how women's reproductive health issues are being used as political footballs; and also how to talk with your kids about the birth control topics that candidates debate; and closing with how to get engaged and have an impact on November 6th.  It's a great show!

*Thank you to special guests, including: Joel Silberman, Founder of Media Talent 2.0 Inc;  "Dr. Goddess," Kimberly C. Ellis, Ph.D., Scholar of American and Africana Studies, an Artist, Activist and Entrepreneur; Dana Singiser, a Vice President at Planned Parenthood Action; Leslie Kantor, Vice President of Education at Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO at Voto Latino.

Direct download: MomsRising_101312_Ep23_Radio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:35pm EDT

As the November 6th general election draws near, candidates across the country are talking about the issues they think will get them the most votes.  But are they missing out on important topics?  Let's face it women comprise more than half the electorate, yet too often the top priority issues of women are missing from center stage.

On this show we explore the priority topics, issues, and policies for women that are missing from the spotlight with pollsters, experts, advocates, and moms.

*SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE: Stephanie Coontz, author, professor, and Co-Chair and Director of Public Education at the Council on Contemporary FamiliesKellyanne Elizabeth Conway is CEO and President of the polling company™, inc./WomanTrend; Amy Allina is Program Director for the National Women’s Health Network (NWHN);  Marilyn Watkins, Economic Opportunity Institute; Jeffrey Hayes, Institute for Women's Policy Research; and Ashley Boyd, MomsRising.
Direct download: MomsRising_100612_Ep22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:03pm EDT

Election day is the one day that we’re all equal—rich or poor, young or old, male or female – we all have one equal vote.  The November 6th election is fast approaching, and early polls are showing that a record voter turnout is expected. But that doesn’t mean that a lot of shenanigans aren’t going on leading up to the election.  It turns out that some politicians are trying to rig the system for their own gain so that only some people can vote.  During this show we talk with authors, experts, and advocates about the fight for our democracy.

*Special guests include: Brenton Mock, a New Orleans–based journalist who serves as lead reporter on Voting Rights Watch;  Keesha Gaskins, Senior Counsel in the Brennan Center's Democracy Program; Stephanie Porta, Executive Director of Organize Now in Florida; Celinda Lake, top pollster and strategist; and Tova Wang, author and Fellow at The Century Foundation.

Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_21_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:54pm EDT

On this show, we're joined by authors, experts, economists, and hard-hitting analysts as we ask the key question: If the media portrayed women's real issues instead of focusing coverage mainly on objectifying women's bodies, then would that impact what policies actually move in Congress? Would we, for example, have better educated leaders and fewer candidates doing things like dismissing 47% of our population, many of whom are women, working parents, seniors and veterans?

*Special guests include: Tamara Draut, Vice President of Policy and Research at Demos; Jessica Valenti, found of Feministing.com and author of many books, including her most recent, Why Have Kids?; Elaine Maag, Senior Researcher at the Urban Institute; Melissa Silverstein from Women and Hollywood; and Tiffany Dufu who is CEO of the White House Project.

Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_20_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:17pm EDT

It’s time to take back the word “mom.” In the wake of the lovefest for the word “mom” at both the Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention, it’s time to get real about what the word “mom” really means in our nation.

Here’s the deal.  For far too long the word “mom” has been used to disempower and discriminate. This hurts more than feelings, this hurts pocketbooks.  One study found that women without children make 90 cents to a man’s dollar, moms make 73 cents to a man’s dollar, and single moms make only 60 cents to a man’s dollar.  Women of color experience increased wage hits on top of that. This is a big deal. Over 80% of women in our nation have children by the time they’re forty-four and we all have mothers—so this impacts all of us. Our families are hurt too since three-quarters of moms are now in the labor force and half of them are the primary breadwinner for their family.

*Joining us in this lively conversation are: Kuae Kelch Mattox is National President of Mocha Moms; Jennifer Pozner, author and founder of Women In Media & News; Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the National Board of Directors for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Tamara Winfrey Harris, author, and blogger at What Tami Said; and Lisa Belkin, author, NY Times writer, and Huffington Post editor.

Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_19_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:53pm EDT

Direct from the Time Warner Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina this show brings you fresh, insider perspectives on policy issues that are front and center in our national conversations.
*Special guests include:  Author, Leader and Ambassador Swanee Hunt; Lisa Maatz of the American Association of University Women; U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Ellie Smeal of Feminist Majority;  and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky.
Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_18_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:03pm EDT

Junk food. Let's face it.  We have a problem in our nation: Nearly 23 million school age children are overweight or obese, making them more likely to suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and more. But hope is on the horizon.  For the first time in 15 years, the school lunches that 32 million kids eat are getting healthier because of new USDA nutritional standards. 

On this show, we reveal the new changes we'll see on our kids’ lunch plates due to updated USDA standards, talk with food experts, moms, and even hear from the White House chef the latest news on food, kids, and you. We also talk about what else can be done to make the school day healthier. 


*Special guests include: Dr. Janey Thornton, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services; Jessica Donze Black, Director, Kids Safe and Healthful Food Project, Pew Health Group; Alison Crockett, vocalist, pianist, and MsDivaBlue blogger; Cynthia Liu, mom and author; and Sam Kass, White House Assistant Chef and Food Initiative Coordinator. 
Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_17_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:53pm EDT

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg ignited a firestorm of controversy with his recent policy to make breastfeeding support a priority in NYC hospitals that made headlines across the nation.

What could possibly be controversial about breastfeeding?  On this show, we explore breastfeeding, the controversy, and the reality. 

But first, hold on to your hats for some stats to ground us in this conversation: Over 80% of American women have children by the time they’re forty-four years old.  And of those women, 75% start out breastfeeding, but only 13% end up nursing exclusively when their babies are 6 months old as doctors universally recommend. 

That’s a big gap.

This show goes beyond the hyped up tabloid style controversies about breastfeeding, and uncovers the real deal about where this gap is coming from, what can be done to close it, and why it matters in a lively conversation with doctors, moms, and advocates.  

*Special guests include: Dr. Lorraine Boyd, Medical Director for the New York City Health Department’s Bureau of Maternal, Infant & Reproductive Health; Dr. Kathleen Marinelli, the USBC Chair Elect US Breastfeeding Committee; Kimberly Seals Allers, blogger, activist and founder of mochamanual.com; Ashley Foxx, MomsRising Mom; Wendy Fery, Kaiser Permanente.

Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_16_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:16pm EDT

The race to the Presidency. With the election fast approaching, things are heating up. And while talking about federal budget proposals can be like a cold, wet blanket on any conversation.  This year, these conversations are blazing hot.  In fact, one federal budget proposal is at the very center of the race to the Presidency. 

That budget has been called, “The Path to Prosperity.”  It's also been called the “Reverse Robin Hood" budget, “The Path to Poverty,” “The War on Families budget,” the "blueprint for dismantling the American middle class," and much more.

Why's it at the center of the race to the Presidency?  The author of this highly controversial federal budget proposal, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, has been selected as the Vice Presidential candidate to run alongside Mitt Romney.

During this show we talk about what this budget proposal tell us about where these candidates really stand on a wide variety of public policies that impact us all. And we also talk about the history of the Vice Presidency, including asking the critical question of: Are we going backwards because neither party has a woman on the ticket this election cycle?  Not-to-be-missed are also lively conversations about how you can make a difference and be sure your vote counts; what it's like to serve with Rep. Paul Ryan in the House. 

*Special guests include: Joan Entmacher, National Women's Law Center; Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards; Barbara R. Arnwine, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Ilyse Hogue, author and Friends of Democracy; and Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, author and Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication and Walter and Leonore Annenberg Director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_15_Second_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:55am EDT

On this show we cover the Super 8: The 8 new free women's preventative health services that started on August 1st of 2012.  Services like access to free well-woman visits, free screening for gestational diabetes, free birth control, free breastfeeding support, free domestic violence counseling, and more. 

We unpack what's in these new services, how can you (and yours) can get access, and what's next in healthcare policy.  Joining us in that lively conversation are doctors, experts, and policy makers.  

  • Special guests include: Lisa James, Futures without Violence; Cindy Pellegrini, March of Dimes; Dr. William Jordan, National Physicians Alliance; Nita Chaudhary, UltraViolet; J. Nadine Gracia, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health.
Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_14_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:32am EDT

The torch.  The pageantry.  The athletic accomplishments that are unimaginable to us mere mortals.  This is a historic Olympics for women: The U.S. team included more female athletes than male for the first time ever.  We've come a long way since Title Nine passed 40 years ago, now more than 200,000 women play college sports, compared with 16,000 in 1972. But we still have a ways to go.  By age 14, girls are dropping out of sports at twice the rate of boys.  And as women's sports have gained prestige, fewer female coaches are hired.  

  • On this show we talk about the Olympics -- and about the triumphs, the failures, and the benefits of sports for women and girls--with female athletes, moms, Olympic medal winners, girls, and advocates.  And we're also going to learn how to make our own Olympic torches and gold medals to wear as we cheer on the athletes.

  • *Special guests include: Lisa Maatz, American Association for University Women; Sarah Francis, MomsRising; Nancy Hogshead-Makar, Olympic medalist and Senior Director of Advocacy at The Women's Sports Foundation from London; Rosalynn Sumners, Olympic figure skating champion; and young athletes Naima Bandele and Anna Finkbeiner.
Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_13_Second_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:56am EDT

Over 80% of U.S. women have babies by the time they’re 44 years old, and three-quarters of moms are now in the labor force, but our family economic security policies are still stuck in the dark ages.  That’s right: Even though 177 other countries have some form of paid family leave for new moms after the birth of a child, the U.S. doesn’t.  It’s no wonder that having a baby is now a leading cause of poverty spells in our nation—which is a time when income dips below what’s needed for food and rent.   But while millions of women struggle after the birth of a new child, a few highly paid women are stepping back from taking leave after the birth of a new child at all--and sparks are flying. The announcement of Marissa Mayer, the new chief of Yahoo, that her maternity leave would be “a few weeks long, and she’ll work throughout it,” ignited a firestorm of feedback.    For one thing, not all women have the same choices and options for childcare as a millioniare CEO.  For another thing, Marissa Mayer's comment flew into the face of a long fight in the women’s movement for everyone to have access to paid family leave, which is a policy proven to decrease poverty, save taxpayers and businesses funds, and to help build healthy families.   Joining us in our lively conversation on this show about maternity and paternity leave are policy experts, celebrities, real moms, and advocates, as well as real moms who’ve been able to take family leave, and moms who’ve needed family leave but couldn’t take it

*Thank you to special guests including: Benjamin Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP; Christy Turlington, model and founder of Every Mother Counts; Debra Ness, National Partnership for Women and Families; Marilyn Watkins, Economic Opportunity Institute; Selena Allen, MomsRising mom; as well as Elisa Batista, Monifa Bandele and Ruth Martin of MomsRising.

Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_12_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:56am EDT

From firefighters discussing the Mayor of Scranton cutting their pay to $7.25 an hour, to the International President of the SEIU sharing that  2/3 of all people making minimum wage are women (& sharing what you can do about it), to moms trying to get by while raising kids on low wages, and to experts explaining how CEO pay has sky-rocketed by 725% over the last 30 years as the minimum wage hasn't even kept up with inflation; tune in and join us as we talk about how the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour doesn't cut it for supporting a family.

In fact, if you work full-time, year round, at federal minimum wage, you’ll make only about $15,000 each year.  And if you follow the bouncing ball, $15,000 per year is almost $9,000 below the federal poverty line for a family of four.  You don’t need a calculator to figure out that these numbers are a problem. 

*Thank you to special guests: Julie Vogtman, National Women's Law Center; Margaret Lewis, mom and public transporter; John Judge, Scranton City Firefighter; Losia Nyankale, Restaurant Opportunity Center; and Mary Kay Henry, International President of the SEIU.

Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_11_Second_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:36am EDT

From the rumors that Mitt Romney is considering a woman as Vice President, to the so-called “Palin Factor,” this show features lively conversations about women in leadership & sexism in politics.  With women comprising only 17% of Congress, our nation ranks a low 91st of all nations in terms of women’s representation. The United States is behind Rwanda, Costa Rica, Denmark, South Africa, Argentina and 86 other countries. We can do better.

  • *Special guests include: Siobhan Sam Bennett, from the Women's Campaign Fund; Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable Intergenerational Public Policy Network; Jennifer Lawless, Director of American University's Women & Politics Institute; Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director, Barbara Lee Foundation; and Washington State Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown.
Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_10_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:55pm EDT

Sick days! Did you know that nearly 80% of low wage workers and 40% of all private sector workers don’t have access to a single paid sick day? Put these numbers together along with the fact that 100% of us get sick, and you can see how our lack of access to paid sick days could be a national issue with rippling repercussions to families, to businesses, and to public health.  

Join us today to hear from the Department of Labor, moms who’ve been fired just for getting sick, business owners, elected leaders, and policy experts all talking about how to build a nation where no-one gets fired simply for getting sick.

  • *Thank you to special guests including Adriana Kugler, chief economist of the U.S. Department of Labor; Makini Howell, business owner; Wendy Chun-Hoon, Policy Director of Family Values at Work; Marianne Bullock, a mom who was fired when her daughter got sick; and paid sick days policy champion, Seattle City Council-member Nick Licata.

Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_9_Final_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:39am EDT

Leader Nancy Pelosi, policy experts, and real moms share the lowdown on what the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision means to your health, to your family’s health, and to our economy.  The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as healthcare reform, in a 5 – 4 decision. Join us to hear what's really going on with healthcare in our nation right now.

Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_8_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:37am EDT

Tune in this week for lively discussion with filmmakers, doctors, moms, and heroines.  That's right.  This show we're talking with with the authors of the Top 5 most popular blogs on the MomsRising website. We start with how to make a superman cape, and then we uncover what’s really going on with corporations pushing infant formulas in hospitals to new moms. After that, we delve into a discussion about the DREAMERs and immigration.  And then we’ll touch base with an inspiring mom who took on Monsanto and won; and lastly, we’ll end with a deep discussion of the death penalty.

*Thank you to special guests, including: Caroline Urdaneta, author of the popular blog Salsa Pie; Kristin Schafer from the Pesticide Action Network; Dr. Melissa Bartick; Paola Mendoza, filmmaker and actor; and Monifa Bandele, author and advocate.
Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_7_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:57pm EDT

Revolutionary new flexible workplace practices that help businesses, parents, trees, and people are all covered in this important, lively conversation.  What's the lowdown?  In the U.S. we now work more hours per week that most any other nation in the world.  Too many people are caught in a cubicled rat race, leaving no time for life and family.  But work doesn’t have to be that way!  Join experts, real people, policy analysts, and business consultants as they share revolutionary, new flexible workplace practices. 

  • *Thank you to special guests, including: Elisa Batista, MomsRising and MotherTalkers; Joan Blades, author and co-founder of MomsRising & MoveOn; Jody Thompson, co-author of  Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It and Co-Founder of CultureRx; Carol Joyner, Labor Project for Working Families; and Joan Williams, author and founder of the Center for Work Life Law.
Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_6_Podcast_Cut.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:53pm EDT

Ep. 5 - Birth control: It's more than a political football!
Bust some birth control myths with special guests including physicians, psychologists, policy experts, and real moms.  We'll learn about the latest birth control options available out there for you right now.  We'll also hear about one mom’s love affair with the IUD.  And we're lucky to have expert guests who can share the lowdown on what women’s health policies are really at stake behind the sensationalized birth control headlines.  We'll even get some relationship advice along the way.  


  • *Thank you to special guests, including: Valerie Tarico; Dr. Vanessa Cullins, Planned Parenthood; Amy Allina, National Women’s Health Network; Claire Hatch, relationship counsler; and Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

Direct download: MomsRising_Episode_5_Final_Cut_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:45pm EDT

Ep. 4 - Fair Pay: Game On!  The Fight for Equal Pay for Equal Work From Main Streets to Congress!

Listen to real moms, inspiring experts, and elected leaders having a lively conversation about an issue that impacts all women (and our daughters) in the United States, but is rarely talked about--even between best friends. In fact, it’s often a secret, taboo issue.

- Pay discrimination.

Get fired up & hear what you can do, including advocating for the Paycheck Fairness Act which is coming up for a vote on Tuesday!  It's time to make sure women and mothers get equal pay for equal work--and to make sure our daughters don't face wage discrimination too.  


  • *Thank you to special guests AnnMarie Duchon, MomsRising mom; Lisa Maatz, American Association of University Women; Fatima Goss Graves, National Women's Law Center; Saru Jayaraman, Restaurant Opportunity Centers United; and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro.
Direct download: MomsRising_Radio_Ep4_-_Fair_Pay.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:49pm EDT

Ep. 3 - Toxics: Tips for Tackling Toxic Chemicals in Children's Products, Sunscreens, Homes, and in Congress!
Join us as we tackle the topic of toxic chemicals in our children's products, sunscreens, flame retardants, and homes. Our guests share tips on what you can do to get rid of harmful toxic products -- from talking about what products are the best to buy, to sharing the inside scoop on moving the Safe Chemicals Act through Congress. 

  • *Thank you to special guests: Sonya Lunder, Environmental Working Group (EWG); Rachel Gibson, Healthcare Without Harm; Emily Enderle, Earthjustice; Jessica Burroughs, MomsRising mom; Fawn Pattison, Toxic Free North Carolina; and Loira Limbal, Award-winning film maker.


Direct download: Moms_Rising_Episode_3_Podcast_Cut_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:13pm EDT

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