This is an emotional one, y’all. Hosts Rachel Vindman, Jasmine Clark, and Amanda Weinstein dig into their anger over Ukraine, right-wing fear-mongering and disruptive tactics, gun bills, name-calling, and Marjorie Taylor Greene. The midterm elections this year could not be more important!Then our hosts are joined by Jen Cousins, a mom in Florida who has been doing such good work for her community, her family, and her state. She’s been standing up against the absurd and dangerous Don’t Say Gay bill on behalf of her nonbinary child– and if that wasn’t enough, she also co-founded the Florida Freedom To Read Project to push back against book bans. This mama is fighting a lot of really hard battles and we’re so proud and grateful for her amazing work.After that, Rachel is joined by her friend Brad Meltzer, a best-selling author of fiction, nonfiction, comic books, and children’s books. His series of biographies for young readers, Ordinary People Change The World, includes books about Rosa Parks and MLK (which, surprise surprise, have recently made it on banned book lists). Brad and Rachel discuss racism, education, standing up for books, secret government warehouses… and what it's like to meet a president.Finally, our hosts raise a glass to volunteers, getting in their daily steps, and once again to the brave people of Ukraine in this week’s “Toast to Joy.” Slava Ukraini.We’re currently running a survey for you, our listeners, to give us feedback about the show! You can find the survey here. Thanks - we’re so excited to hear from you!For a transcript of this episode, please email theswppod@redwine.blue.

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