Ep. 203: DOGE--Dismantling Our Government Entirely

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Note to listeners: we recorded this about a month ago, so of course things have worsened.

EQ: How does the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) exemplify the dangers of unchecked executive power, and what are the legal and democratic consequences of its overreach?

In this episode, we unpack the strange and sweeping saga of DOGE—no, not the meme coin, but Trump’s rebranded tech task force aimed at “modernizing” the federal government. What started as a quiet Obama-era initiative under the OMB has now morphed into a mysterious Silicon Valley bro-squad operating directly under the Executive Office of the President. With mass firings, lawsuits from 18 states, and wild stories involving 90 beers and zero critical thinking, we’re asking: What exactly is DOGE? Is it constitutional? Who’s really in charge—and can the courts keep up? From firings of inspectors general to stalled humanitarian aid and lawsuits flying from every direction, this episode attempts to survey the mess of  legal battles, power grabs, and digital disruption defining one of the most quietly dangerous moves of this administration.

Resources Referenced in the conversation:

Champagne & Real Paine:

🥂On Tyranny Tim Snyder

🥂Brooke Harrington Trump's “Broligarchy” of Tech Billionaires

👎🏻 The guy pouring beer over ice

👎🏻The dem party can’t get themselves together

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Hope: Find some orgs–use your egg money to support 

  • Megan: You only need to check the news once a day. Choose a reputable source (NPR, BBC, etc.). Also, contact your members of Congress AND contact any members from swing districts around you and communicate your concerns and ask for direct action in stopping Trump. 

  • Annie: Fight the Fasch—drink water, get some sleep, eat something healthy and get a little exercise.

Ep. 147: An IWL State of the Union

EQ: What exactly is the state of this union right now?

Megan and Hope convene for the annual IWL State of the Union. We kickoff the episode discussing the “official” SOTU and favorite and most absurd traditions from the event. We also talk about their own  “Dumpster Fire’s” from the previous year, like the potential Republican POTUS nominees for 2024, but also highlight the “Glimmer of hope” that come along with these things. The second half of the episode is focused the effort to avoid performative outrage and avoiding “basic” activism and allyship. We discuss how easy it is to get caught up in cyclical outrage and how it is important that we not, because the real people that are impacted by these issues go on being impacted even when the public stops paying attention. We share that we are going to be recording follow-up episodes about these key topics in the coming weeks and months. Starting with revisiting Residential Schools in both Canada and the United States.


If you have any helpful/relevant information of know somebody who would make a good guest for any of the following topics, please reach out to Hope (hope.teague@gmail.com) or Megan (megan.holyoke@gmail.com) :

  • Banning of books in classrooms/educational laws in Florida

  • The water crisis in Flint, MI and/or the Ohio train crash environmental crisis

  • Immigration and border crisis regarding the children separated from families at the border

  • Chinese Residential Schools for Tibetan Children

Related Articles:

Ep. 129: Wheel of Nonsense

EQ: How do we  manage life’s wheel of nonsense?  

After a bit of a hiatus we’re happy to welcome Megan back to the show for today’s episode. It is a hodgepodge of topics chosen by the “wheel of nonsense”. We felt there was so much going on yet with summer looming we should temper the serious with the nonsensical. Enjoy!

Related sources:

Ep. 115: Confessions of an Ed Policy Insider

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EQ: Do the Nov 2 election results give us a preview of how the campaigns against education will impact elections/politics as we move forward in the United States?

Guest: Sandy Boyd Sandy is the CEO of Seek Common Ground (SCG), an organization committed to empowering independent state and local organizations advancing equitable solutions with and for children, families and communities. 

Sandy shares with listeners the impetus for starting Seek Common Ground and some of the work they are currently engaged in. A majority of the conversation centers on the politics of education and how policies have really not changed over the years. We theorize about the impact of Covid on student learning and if the pandemic was a catalyst for the fight around CRT (note: this was recorded prior to the Mom’s for Liberty bounty nonsense in New Hampshire--white rage anyone?). 

References in the show:

Do Your Fudging Homework:

  • Megan: Read the articles linked in the show notes & pay attention to local politics.

  • Hope: Check out the work of Seek Common Ground & if you have a chance to help partner with them, use it.

  • Sandy: Check out what’s happening locally including school board elections

Ep. 113: TexYikes--Advocacy Has No Borders

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EQ: What the hell is happening in Texas and why should we care?

In today’s episode, Hope and Megan discuss the anti-abortion bill in Texas and how it is impacting not only citizens in Texas, but communities around the Country. They start the episode with a new segment “Does it Venn?” where they coin the term Preventative Outrage. This conversation moves into discussing what is happening, what does this law do, and who does it disproportionately impact. They also discuss what is now happening across the country do to the inaction by the SCOTUS on this case, and predict that we might be seeing more of these laws being passed. Hope and Megan end the episode talking about how advocacy has no borders, and despite not living in Texas, there is still an obligation to advocate. There is a list of resources linked here where you can get involved and help from a distance. 

Related Resources:

Do Your Fudging Homework: