Burn the Boats

Steve Pierson is an activist and organizer who has trained thousands of canvassing volunteers. He also co-hosts the podcast How We Win, where he interviews fellow activists, politicians, and insiders about what is happening on the front lines.You can find Steve on Instagram and Twitter @BluesBoySteve. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heather (we aren’t using her last name) is a mother of two living in Alabama, a state that recently passed an anti-trans bill, SB184, that makes it a felony for her to seek the medical care her son needs. Heather discusses her family’s journey, her son, the recent wave of transphobia, and the repercussions of this bill. Please consider donating to Heather’s gofundme, which will allow her to relocate her family to a state where her son will be safe. They are very close to reaching their goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sebastian Junger is an award-winning author, journalist, and filmmaker. His newest book, Freedom, discusses the innate conflict between the need for community and the desire for independence. Sebastian is also the founder of Vets Town Hall, an organization that gives veterans a platform to share their stories.You can follow him on Twitter @SebastianJunger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amed Khan is an activist, philanthropist and humanitarian who worked with the International Rescue Committee after the Rwandan genocide. He's evacuated refugees from Afghanistan and helped them resettle safely, and he's now focused on Ukraine, helping to lead evacuation efforts there and deliver medical supplies.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Currently, more than 76,000 Afghan refugees who have immigrated to the U.S. have been granted temporary, two-year humanitarian parole status. Shawn VanDiver and his coalition #AfghanEvac, with support from the White House, are urging Congress to pass the Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, which among other things, would provide these refugees with a path to a green card and permanent residency. If this does not pass in the coming days, Shawn believes that many Afghans will lose their temporary status. They would then have nowhere left to go.Right now, the biggest obstacles facing the Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act are Rep. Jim Jordan, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.You can call Jim Jordan at 202.225.2676, and Chuck Grassley at 202.224.4374 to urge them to support our Afghan allies.For more information, please visit AfghanEvac.org.You can also follow Shawn on Twitter @ShawnJVanDiver Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda Weinstein is a Professor of Economics at the University of Akron who studies the quality of life in suburban America. She is also the co-host of the podcast, The Suburban Women Problem.You can find her on twitter at @ProfWeinstein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Pepper is an author and the former Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party. In his new book, Laboratories of Autocracy, David argues that the greatest threat to American Democracy is not the alt-right, January 6th, or even Donald Trump, but rather, the corrupt politicians in state houses across the country. You can find David on Twitter @DavidPepper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode consists of two interviews. First we’re joined by Anna, a Ukrainian student who was supposed to be finishing her senior year of high school. On the first day of the invasion, her city was targeted, and she fled to Poland. She was helped by our second guest, Nico Marseillan, a volunteer aid worker who has been assisting refugees at the border. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Olga Lautman is a researcher and analyst who has been monitoring Russian and Ukrainian internal politics for years. She’s a Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, and the co-host of the Kremlin File, a podcast that details the rise of Putin and the spread of authoritarianism across the globe, including the Trump White House.You can Olga on Twitter @OlgaNYC1211, and make sure to check out her podcast, Kremile File. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Chasteen is a former CIA officer on the covert action staff. While at the agency, David conducted overseas operations, guided human intelligence collection, evaluated foreign threats to computer systems, and provided analysis on cyber issues to the president. David was also a consultant for the Amazon Prime series, Jack Ryan, starring John Krasinski, and the show is heavily influenced by David's experiences. You can find David on Twitter @DavidChasteen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices