Assembly Required w/ Stacey Abrams
Associate Producer
Regularly featured on bi-monthly producer segments; wrote full show scripts including host dialogue, transitions, and interview questions; edited episodes in Descript and Pro Tools; researched, pre-interviewed, and booked expert guests; and managed ongoing communication with partners, sponsors, and collaborators.
The Killing of Alex Pretti and ICE’s Terror in Minnesota
The unjust murder of Alex Pretti is the latest ICE killing in the city of Minneapolis, and he joins a growing body count for DHS. Protestors continue to flood the streets across Minnesota as the Trump administration and Republicans mislead the public as they continue to perpetuate state violence. This week, Stacey is joined by Hysteria’s Erin Ryan to discuss the aftermath of Pretti’s death, the escalation of federal actions in Minnesota, the connection to other assaults on Americans and what Democrats need to do in response. Then, Stacey and Erin turn to the March for Life rally that took place last weekend and examine how the Trump administration’s handling of abortion policy is putting it at odds with members of its own anti-abortion base.
Gaza Under Siege: Netanyahu’s Use of Violence to Maintain Power
Authoritarianism is on the rise globally, from hard-line leaders in Europe to despots in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Wherever they emerge, these leaders are doing whatever it takes to stay in power, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is no different. In this episode of Assembly Required, Stacey looks at how Netanyahu has overseen the erosion of Democracy in his country, and how it’s coincided with the devastating campaign of violence carried out against the Palestinian people after Israel was attacked on October 7th — a war that experts and allies across the globe, and across the political spectrum have labeled as genocide. This week, Stacey is joined by foreign policy analyst and author Rula Jebreal to discuss the current state of the conflict. Senator Chris Van Hollen also joins to share how he is trying to bring accountability into America’s relationship with Israel.
How MAHA Is Coming for Women
Propaganda is a powerful tool for an autocrat. It’s crucial to step six of the Ten Steps to Autocracy: weaken the truth and fill the void with propaganda and lies. And since RFK Jr. allied with Trump and the Republicans before the 2024 election, the Make America Healthy Again movement has grown into a juggernaut of misinformation. You’ve seen it on your feeds – one minute you’re watching a recipe video or checking out someone’s post about a new workout, and then suddenly you’re listening to a young woman talk about how birth control is impure or how vaccines are dangerous. To understand this phenomenon, its unique impact on women, and why it is so insidious, we’re talking to New York Times reporter Emma Goldberg and wellness content creator and podcast host Kate Glavan about the wellness to right-wing radicalization pipeline
The Politics of Fashion: How What We Wear Shapes the World
Fashion isn’t just functional — it’s transformative. It can be a form of political speech, like when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made headlines in a white gown emblazoned with “Tax the Rich.” It can also be a statement of resistance, as when the Black Panthers adopted black berets, a uniform that came to symbolize unity and power. Understanding the language of fashion is key to understanding the times we live in. It’s a translator for anyone trying to navigate this moment and one of the ten steps to reclaiming freedom and power as we challenge norms and assert our identity. Those of us who are pro-democracy may one day need to show who we are just as clearly. What we wear might matter more than we think. This week on Assembly Required, Stacey is joined by fashion editor and Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Robin Givhan. She breaks down how fashion reflects our culture back to us and what that reflection reveals about the political moment we’re in.
Ezra Klein on Abundance and Reclaiming the Democratic Vision
In the Ten Steps to Autocracy, step four is convincing citizens that democracy just isn’t working. If democracy isn’t working, then people will be seduced by populist promises and grievance politics. That’s why Democrats and the rest of us standing up to autocracy must have a positive vision of the future, and a realistic path to get there. One idea that has taken off among those thinking about Democrats’ next act is the “abundance agenda.” Crafted in their co-authored book Abundance, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson argue for a simple but powerful idea: Democrats need to operate from a place of plenty, not scarcity. Liberalism can’t just protect and preserve, it must build the economy, infrastructure, power and reach. On today’s show, Stacey sits down with Ezra Klein, New York Times columnist, host of his popular eponymous podcast, The Ezra Klein Show, and co-author of Abundance, to ask: Can this vision help us reclaim the promise of democracy and redefine Democrats as the party that actually serves the people? And how can it be used not only to improve Americans’ lives, but also to stop Trump and the Republicans in their tracks?
