Political Playlist Happy Hour

On this episode of the Happy Hour, Michael, Anna and Anthony catch us up on the last three weeks of goings-on in the young Congress, including the ALMOST brawl in a Senate hearing, the latest in the Santos Saga, and how more and more of our young congressional leaders are attempting to storm into the Senate. It's a bit of a grab-bag, pot-luck, holiday punch-bowl episode, so take this opportunity to pour yourself an exotic mixed drink before you hit play.

You may have noticed the asterisk in the title of this episode and that's not a typo... it was put their by our legal department because on this Happy Hour*--there it is again-- we welcome the founder of the progressive organization Dream For America who is...wait for it...only 16 years old! His name is William He and this young man is well beyond his years. Tune in for a very interesting conversation with a kid who's definitely smarter than Michael and Anthony combined.

On this episode of the Happy Hour, Michael and Anna discuss the House's latest move to censure their only member of Palestinian decent, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, stemming from fiery and emotional comments she made regarding the War in Gaza and the perception it was antisemitic. Then they discuss the recent election and ballot measures, like the abortion one in Ohio, and predict the future for newly minted 7th-in-line GOP leader Blake Moore.

On this episode of the happy Hour, Michael, Anna and Anthony cover a lot of heavy stuff because, well, the world is sort of in chaos right now. With the war escalating in Gaza, we dive into the meaning of the word Genocide and discuss whether some on the far left are recklessly misusing this term when referring to actions taken by the IDF. We also discuss how this war has taken center stage on many of our college campuses, the political courage of one young leader in the wake of the tragic shooting in his hometown of Maine, and some newly proposed sanctions on Iran.

Most importantly, YES we discuss Taylor Swift on this episode of the Happy Hour, but we also discuss a lot of other important things too, like the growing political disenfranchisement among young voters, the ongoing tragedy plaguing Israel and the Middle East, and what exactly is going on in the leader-less House of Representatives!

On today's episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Michael, Anna and Anthony discuss the terrorist attacks in Israel perpetrated by Hamas, and breakdown the complex politics, at home and abroad, surrounding these horrific attacks, and how the stakes of this impending war have a direct impact on Americans right here at home.

The gang discusses a lot in this Happy hour including immigration, government shutdown, one Republican calling his party a Clown show, leaders who inspire us today...oh, and Anthony's Mom makes a cameo by way of a moving story that Anthony shares.

And while we haven't had her on the pod yet, we're making the case that she come on and announce her candidacy for something...ANYTHING!

On this episode of the Happy Hour, Michael and Anna welcome Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, Democratic Representative from Illinois.

The conversation centers on the hot-button issue of immigration and rightfully so! Delia is a first generation American--her mother crossed the boarder from Guatemala while she was pregnant with Delia--and if that didn't give Delia enough street cred, her husband is a DACA recipient.

Join us for one of our more personal conversations with one of our newest young policy makers in Washington!

The podcast bros are back bro-ing it out with bro-tinis! With Anna off on assignment, Michael and Anthony cover a laundry list of topics (that Anna made for us) including the new Impeachment Inquiry, Mitt Romney calling himself and others OLD, the expiring student meal program that doesn't have Republican support, the immigration crisis hitting our cities, and of course, Ms. Lauren Boebert's date night fail.

Oh Baby, look out--we're 100 !!!! That's right folks, Political Playlist Happy Hour has just notched one hundred happy hours, plus the wisdom and hangovers to prove it!

On this celebratory episode, Michael, Anna and Anthony do a deeper dive into the crazy Kamala Senate Move Theory that made them (finally) go viral last episode.

They then dive into legislation to BAN Mask Mandates (with JD Vance and Josh Hawley), why negotiating drug prices is bad (do explain, Dan Crenshaw) and why Dan Goldman and Json Crow are desperately trying to remind us we have to do more on gun control.

It's action packed, so if you're a regular, pull up a stool, and if you're new, welcome to the Happy Hour! This is Political Playlist.

Michael's skipping town again so Anthony and Anna are left to their own devices on this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour. But never fear! This info packed episode covers the D-R-A-M-A going down in the Tennessee state house and what it might say about the battle over gun control. And then we hear what young lawmaker Colin Allred (D-TX) is telling us about the monumental new rules around prescription drugs and some high hopes from NY Republican Elise Stefanik concerning the next election. Get your fill and tune in!

On this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, the Gang couldn't resist wading into debate waters with the upcoming GOP Presidential debate happening this week, and wouldn't you know that the only one of these candidates who'd make the cut on our platform is the shirtless, tennis playin', Eminem-lovin' far right youngin' named Vivek.

We then segue, beautifully done by Michael, we might add (he wrote this...) into issues surrounding China and the threat alarms Mike Gallagher is raising. Then we go our old favorite (GENUINE) do-gooder Andy Kim who's helping ensure kids have meals while school is on summer break, and lastly we introduce our listeners to freshman Republican Congressman Cory Mills of Florida.

It's a jam packed episode so tune in and share with your friends!

The Political Playlist Triumvirate (that means three, Anthony) is back together again as they kick things off with the penalty shot heard round the world... that is, the missed soccer penalty kick from US women's star Megan Rapinoe that quickly became a right wing political football--okay we'll stop.

On this happy hour, the gang also discusses the one year anniversary of the PACT Act, which increased benefits to Veterans affected by burn pits, as well as some moderate environmental legislation up in Washington State, and finally, a shoutout to one of the best social media games among our Young Congress.

Barbies and aliens? What more could you ask for in an episode of your favorite political podcast? Anna and Anthony fly solo this week without Michael's smooth hosting voice but manage to cover not just the lady in pink and potential otherworldly friends but also the incredibly important National Defense Authorization Act, which, for the first time in 60 years, might not pass on a bipartisan basis. All to be expected in the chaos we live in - but that's why we're here, to break it down and discuss the young politicians involved in the hottest congressional issues!

This is an episode you do not want to miss! Michael and Anna welcome none other than Democratic Congressman Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky to the show. He is the co-chair of the House Bourbon Caucus (yes that's real!) so you better believe we're drinking Maker's Mark in his honor-- and yes we do so at the 10:30AM time of record! Hey, we're dedicated.

But don't let that fool you, the issues we cover couldn't be more important, ranging from sensible gun safety to helping provide free meals in schools to kids in need.

So pull up a glass and hear for yourself why we were so taken by this Congressman's genuine southern charm and clear-eyed thinking towards reaching sensible policy solutions that actually help Americans.

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Sometimes episodes just naturally find that perfect opposite pairing of subject matter and personality...and this episode of the Happy Hour is NO EXCEPTION. Perpetually unengaged Michael joins newly engaged Anna to discuss a few serious things (like Sweden's new pathway to joining Nato) and a few not so serious things (the World Map depicted in the upcoming movie Barbie). And to be clear, the Barbie movie is super, SUPER serious--just not the geopolitical implications of the crayon map supposedly supporting the controversial One China Policy.

On this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Michael returns to the newly-minted PR Firm of Goldwyn & Barkett to discuss the latest news including the absolutely wild and hilariously ridiculous Congressional quarrel between Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene over... "plagiarizing" their impeachment bill?!?! Yeah, for real.

More importantly, we dive into the Biden State Dinner for India, what that means for the US and why some members of the House boycotted the Prime Minister's address to Congress.

With Michael off galavanting who-knows-where, Anna and Anthony put on their best podcast voices in this week's episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour. We're talking about the new limitations of home insurance which, eek! Then we read some tweets from (and about) our young lawmakers and talk about veterans as they pertain to two very different issues - psychedelics and guns. It's a wild ride today with lots of info so tune, in share, and subscribe!

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On this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Michael and Anna are joined by Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell of California for a fun, wide-ranging conversation that manages to hit both serious topics like meaningful gun reform, of which the Congressman is a vigilant fighter for, as well as some lighter topics like hallway fist-bumps with Ted Cruz and the dangers of Republicans' performative political games. It's a good one, so pour a glass and come get one bit smarter! Oh and if you don't follow Eric on social media yet, he's worth checking out @ericswalwell on IG and @repswalwell on twitter...let's just say he ain't afraid to throw some shade.

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On this episode of the happy hour, Michael and Anthony take the helm...and in classic fashion, they have no map or plan for where they're sailing...so they sail right into the latest on the debt ceiling deal, what this means for Democrats and Republicans--who both seem to have many members of their respective parties who are not fans of the deal. And finally, they discuss some recent Supreme Court rulings that have major environmental implications with respect to the power of the EPA. So shake that martini and hit play!

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Some episodes are light and bubbly (that's a pun--wink) and other episodes are, well... a little more "scotch-y". This one is that. Because the gang dives into some of the more depressing news of the week, from Debt ceiling crisis to the battle of Bakhmut, the most brutal fighting in the Ukrainian war. Don't worry, it's not supper depressing but it's...concerning.

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That's right, on today's episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Michael and Anna have the privilege of speaking with Congressman Robert Garcia of California. Congressman Garcia represents CA's 42 district, which includes the port of Long Beach, and as a freshman, sits on the powerful Homeland Security Committee. Therefore, we couldn't pass up this opportunity to speak with Robert about all things immigration, including the recent expiration of Title 42 and what this means for our southern border.

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Better make it a double...because this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour is looooong...and it get's spicy too! Michael, Anna and Anthony talk about Trump's latest legal loses as it relates to Republican leaders in Congress, what it means for current and future moderate reps like Nancy Mace. Then we tackle some Title 42 policy followed up with a twitter spat about Trans inclusion in the LGBTQ+ movement between (now criminally indicted) George Santos and Robert Garcia. Like we said, it gets spicy.

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On this episode of the Happy Hour, Michael Anna and Anthony discuss the recent abrupt exit of Geoffrey Hinton from Google, otherwise known as the Godfather of A.I., and the further startling alarm bells he's ringing regarding the future of A.I.... Spoiler, it's...alarming.

The gang then unpacks the latest goings-on in Congress, which saw some bipartisan surprises this week (Tom Cotton), some partisan un-surprises (the fight over the debt ceiling), the scoop on rare-earth minerals (Eric Swalwell) and perhaps the least surprising thing which is Michael is horrible at guessing these tweets.

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In this Episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Anna and Anthony sit down with Republican State Representative Joe Alexander of New Hampshire (The Granite State) to discuss, among other things, the work of getting more Millennials and Gen Z Conservatives to run for office. What makes Joe qualified to speak on this , you ask? Well, he was the youngest elected NH State Rep in 2018 at age 24! He also helped start an organization called Run Gen Z...so yeah, he's kind of an authority on this. And aside from being a very smart guy, he's also a lot of fun to talk to. So pull up a glass, and come get one bit smarter with us.

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On this Happy Hour, Michael and Anna unpack the latest with the trove of leaked classified documents and discuss what certain members of Congress are saying about it, particularly the response to Marjorie Taylor Greene's seeming defense of the leak. Yeah, we know. Also discussed in this episode is the pushback on Biden's new proposed Labor Secretary and their past resume from their time in California office.

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Michael jokes, Anna rants, and Anthony offends...CLASSIC Political Playlist Happy Hour!

On this episode of the Happy Hour, the gang unpacks the recent Texas court ruling on the abortion drug Mifepristone, and discuss what some of our congressional leaders on the right and left are saying about it...and spoiler, there is one VERY unlikely bipartisan team-up on this one. Then, they turn their attention to the Pacific and discuss the latest gamut of tweets surrounding China and it's appetite for a Taiwan takeover.

So pull up a glass and get one bit smarter!

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On this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Anna and Michael sit down with the co-founders of Run For Something, a progressive organization that helps identify and support young progressive Democrats running for local, state and federal office. Amanda Litman and Ross Morales Rocketto discuss their journey through politics and what ultimately drove them to create this organization, which to date has supported over 2,500 candidates and won over 1,000 elections.

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If you're like most Americans this week, you've been clutching your pearls--err, savings and treasury bonds in a confused panic about the health and stability of our greater banking system. Well, fear not! Because we, at Political Playlist have an especially "ranty" episode dropping for you where we break down the gist of all this and highlight one of our newest members of Congress, Rep. Jeff Jackson of North Carolina, who perhaps gives the clearest, most succinct explanation of all this. We also celebrate March 14th which is equal pay day, and lastly, we dive into The Parents Bill Of Rights which is looking to pass the House. 

BUT FIRST, we pour a cocktail and prepare ourselves for the tsunami that is our modern day news cycle.

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In the spirit of Oscar's Monday, we're tipping our hat to this year's Best Picture winner in noticing how the current political landscape feels like some twisted version of the metaverse...and how Congress seems to be doing everything except its job!

On this episode of the happy hour, Michael, Anna and Anthony dive into some salacious tweets from a few oldies-but-goodies, as they cover new January 6th investigations, Energy Independence and Abortion.

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On this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Michael and Anna take the wheel as they duet the latest political issues that Congress under the age of 45 is fighting for. First, they wade into some SCOTUS waters as the Supreme Court just heard a case revolving around Section 230--which many of our young leaders have talked about.  Next they train their sights on some infrastructure bill rollout and then they unpack the political chatter revolving around Biden's buzz-worthy trip to Ukraine. It's all in the happy hour so pull up a glass and come get one bit smarter.

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The gang needs a strong one for this Political Playlist Happy Hour as they unpack the recent report about the $3 trillion new increase to the U.S. Debt that was previously not calculated. Then Michael, Anna and Anthony discuss the Ohio train derailment disaster along with several derailed policies on Guns, Immigration and just how off-the-tracks much of this new Congress seems to be finding themselves.

So pull up a glass to the one place where you'll find all the latest on Congressional leaders under the age of 45.

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On this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Anna wows the boys with her impressive pitch skills, while getting a little assist from everyone's new favorite A.I. in the process. The Gang then unpack the latest tweets from Rep. Seth Moulton, Rep. Robert Garcia, and Rep. Emilia Sykes.  And last but not least, Anna debuts some of her newfound piano playing skills which she claims to have had for years but this is of course the first we're hearing of it.

So pour yourself a drink and come join the conversation about our Congressional leaders under the age of 45.

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On this Happy Hour, Michael and Anna trade their wines for lattes as they chat with former Maine State Senator Chloe Maxmin, who by the way, just happens to be the youngest representative elected to the state! We take a dive into the tactics and strategy she implemented on her various campaign trails, which led to her Democratic victory among a very Republican constituency. And it turns out her most effective tool was having an actual conversation with the voter. Sounds a lot like what we preach here at Political Playlist. So pull up a glass and join us for the conversation.

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You'll have to forgive us this week but we decided to kick off this Political Happy Hour with a little breaking doomsday news about...the doomsday clock, which they just announced is now only 90 seconds to midnight! 

Sure, the doomsday clock is rooted in some empirical data but its true purpose is to sound the allegorical alarm. And let's face it, I don't think any of us agree that everything is just fine.

Be that as it may, Michael, Anna and Anthony forge ahead with cocktails and political news surrounding the 17% of Congress that's under the age of 45 years old.  So pull up a glass, tune in and get one bit smarter.

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...And ain't no partisan rift low enough, to keep this Congress from (potentially) agreeing on raising the debt-ceiling.  On this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Michael, Anna and Anthony break down what exactly all this "paying our debt" hoopla is about and what exactly has our young Congress divided about it...chiefly Republican Byron Donalds of Florida.

The gang also dives into some tweets related to MLK Jr.'s impressively young start into the political arena and how he represents a model for why more young people should follow politics.

Oh, and we also discuss tractors. That's right, those big green and yellow toys with the iconic John Deere moniker stamped to their engine hoods. While you may recognize that image, what you likely do not know is how much of a strangle-hold the eponymous company has on their local repair centers.

All this, and of course, cocktails on this episode.

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While we would gladly welcome the great Kenny Loggins onto the Happy Hour ANY time he wants, sadly this episode forges ahead without him.

On this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Michael and Anthony fly solo at the helm--or, should we say, Maverick and Rooster. The boys leave Anna to her spa weekend and train their sights on pressing issues like Border Security, the resurrection of the bipartisan stock-ban legislation, and one of the GOP's greatest hits: Combating China.

This action packed episode is chalked full of tweets, and when the hot takes get too close for missiles, these playlister Aces switch to guns.

And clearly Anna's away because this summary was obviously written by someone obsessed with the new Top Gun film. 

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Love 'em, hate 'em, or didn't even know 'em-- on this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, the gang bids adieu to the departing under-45ers of the 117th Congress. And spoiler, it's a mixed bag of good, bad, and ugly heading for the exit. 

As always, Hosts Michael, Anna and Anthony pour some cocktails to discuss the transition of power in the upcoming 118th Congress and raise a glass to the increase of new Congressional leaders under 45... it's now at a "whooping" 17% !!!  While that might not seem like a lot, remember that big change rarely happens overnight, so any positive progress is worth celebrating. 

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On this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Anna, Anthony and Michael discuss the potential, and maybe actual, change that's a-brewin' in China as well as in our own Congress.

While China is seeing unprecedented protests, it remains unlikely that the Chinese people will see very much change, if at all. Whereas in our own Congress, the democrats are poised for sweeping change among their leadership ranks, with Pol Pla's own Pete Aguilar emerging as the number 3 Democrat in the house. 

 In addition to that leadership change, we also discuss the Respect For Marriage act which received broad bipartisan support thanks to the hard work from Kyrsten Sinema. 

As always, tune in to our Political Happy Hour to get all the latest on Congressional leaders under 45.

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Whooo-ee. These midterms were certainly one for the books. On this week's episode, Anna, Anthony and Michael gives some reactions to what went down last week starting with one important observation - America's independents are powerful and sizable. They also talk about some of the important seats our young members of Congress kept in competitive races, newcomers to the platform who they're excited to showcase starting in January, and what an influx of young politicians means for the future. It's an all out frenzy of commentary, starting with some choice words about Anna's selection of eyewear... 

Yes, it's true...sometimes we use the show to work out our own issues, but it's only because this week's issues are a little bit of a bummer. 

On this episode of Political Playlist Happy Hour, Michael and Anna discuss the sobering fact that scholastic test scores in America are down, and we mean way down. And in tragic news out of Missouri, yet another shooting fails to register more than the obligatory "thoughts and prayers" from our lawmakers except for a select few. But on the bright side, one Congressional leader under 45 finally saw their Veteran's bill get signed into law after TWO YEARS of fighting for it. 

Pull up a drink and come get one bit smarter with us.

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