Capitol Courage

Welcome back viewers to another episode of Capitol Courage! In case we haven’t convinced you yet why Big Tech and its creepy little tools of AI and data centers are one of the biggest scourges of our country — and progressive politics — let’s just add more evidence to our case! We’re so honored today to be joined by Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United, Let America Vote, and the End Ci...

In our season 3 premiere, we discussed some of the frustration and honestly heartbreak we felt (right before Graham Platner dropped out) that his replacement might be selected by the establishment, just weeks after Mainers had decisively voted for a bold, progressive policy platform. Luckily here we are to celebrate the fact that new Senate nominee Troy Jackson is the best of Platner (anti-corpora...

We’re thrilled to welcome to the pod today environmental advocate and lobbyist Jay Ford, who joins Ryan for a conversation on data centers in Virginia. Jay was deeply involved in the recent budget negotiations over whether or not to require stricter environmental standards for data centers (spoiler alert, the can was kicked) or to get rid of the total sales tax exemption for data centers (spoiler...

Well over a year since launching this podcast, with two seasons behind us (and two unexpectedly long breaks between seasons), we’ve done 25 episodes and learned a lot, including the fact that if we’re going to keep doing the pod, we have to do video. We probably don’t need to remind listeners — now viewers! — of this pod, but video is everything these days in content creation and news. So get read...

As we’ve been recording Season 2, our day jobs keep getting in the way of both recording, and in today’s instance, posting an episode we recorded 5 days ago. So apologies to our listeners that some references might be a little old. Join us today though as we break down some recent Virginia General Assembly debates on affordable housing and gaming, discuss the latest in AI, and celebrate Women’s Hi...

It’s been a huge week in Virginia politics, for many reasons we break down on today’s pod. One is Gov. Abigail Spanberger giving an incredible Democratic response to Donald Trump’s long and awful State of the Union and showing the roadmap for a good and succinct message on affordability impacting real people. Two is Senator Louise Lucas and Senate Democrats staying strong in fighting to hold data...

We’re now less than 3 weeks until the close of the 2026 General Assembly session in Virginia, and the battle lines are being drawn over what they might — and might not — do to address affordability. Of course a major part of what the legislature can do about affordability comes from the state budget. Tax cuts, investments in affordable child care, housing, and health care, the quality of schools,...

We hope you’re enjoying Season 2 as much as we are, and for the third day in a row, we’ve recorded today’s pod in a different location — let us know which audio you like best! On today’s pod, we revisit a topic we explored last year when we interviewed Sen. Russet Perry and Del. Josh Thomas: data centers. Increasingly, data centers are driving up electric bills, taking our water, harming both the...

We’ve been on team “Fight Trump’s Corrupt Plan to Steal House Seats with Fire” since last summer, and we couldn’t be more excited that one of the major accomplishments of the Virginia General Assembly so far is moving forward a constitutional amendment that will go before voters statewide in an April 21 referendum to temporarily give the General Assembly the authority to draw new Congressional lin...

While our 3 month break was not entirely intentional, we’re rebranding it as a season break, so welcome back loyal listeners to Season 2 of Capitol Courage!! We’re thrilled to be back, and we’re coming to you live today — and nearly every day for the rest of Virginia’s legislative session — from the General Assembly Building. Today we break down our favorite bills from the session so far and discu...

Call it what you want to: a Democratic trifecta, a blue wave, a landslide. Whatever it is, Virginia voters spoke clearly this week in the 2025 elections and gave an affordability mandate to the three new statewide officials — Gov-elect Abigail Spanberger, Lt. Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi, and Attorney General-elect Jay Jones — and the largest Virginia House Democratic majority since 1989 after th...

After Rhena’s recent trip to Greece (hear more on today’s episode), we’re back!! And it’s a good thing, because we have A LOT to talk about. This whole podcast exists to highlight politicians and other civic leaders who are showing the courage needed to meet the moment, as well as those who are showing the cowardice that reveals their ineptitude. And after talking about the need for Democrats to a...

Welcome back listeners!! We’re now on day 3 of the federal government shutdown, and on this week’s episode we dive into the lose-lose situation surrounding the fact that Republicans have shut down the government all to let healthcare get more expensive. It’s not a typical episode for us with heroes and villains. Increasingly so many of the fights gripping our country — the shutdown, the attacks on...

Welcome back listeners! Vacations and some personal leave have gotten in our way over the last month, and we’re so thrilled to be back. We’re onto Episode 14, where we begin what will be a recurring theme over the next 6 weeks: highlighting battleground candidates in the 2025 Virginia House races. There are some incredible courageous and progressive candidates running for the House this year, and...

Welcome back to Capitol Courage! We’ve had some vacations recently during the dog days of summer, so bear with us during a spottier schedule. You’ve probably noticed that the redistricting wars around the country are only getting hotter and hotter, with California Democrats’ press conference rolling out their Election Rigging Response Act (learn more here ). This is undoubtedly one of the most imp...

Welcome to Episode 12 of Capitol Courage!! Can you also believe we’re almost a teenager?? Around the pod, we’re feeling really happy with the name we picked for this podcast — we see more and more people these days talk about the courage crisis in American politics, by which we mean that there’s simply not enough elected officials or policymakers with the courage necessary to meet this perilous mo...

Welcome back to Capitol Courage, where we’re doing our best to stay on top of all of the heroes and cowards making news in politics today, both in Virginia and across the country. Today’s episode is stacked with discussion around some of the week’s biggest fights, ranging from South Park excoriating Paramount and Donald Trump through the power of laughter and satire; some Democrats maybe, actually...

Welcome listeners to Episode 10 of Capitol Courage! We’re thrilled to be celebrating double digits with you all. We’ve got some exciting conversations teed up for the coming weeks, and we’d love to hear from you on what big fights you think we should focus on next, or guests you’d like us to interview. Today we’re thrilled to welcome Virginia Delegate Holly Seibold to the pod, as she shares an all...

With today's episode, our ability to stick to the Skywalker Saga ends - so long, JJ Abrams, and honestly good riddance to Rise of Skywalker. Welcome listeners! In the words of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, I wish I could say good (afternoon), but it is not one. We recorded this week’s episode two days ago as the US Senate passed the Republican budget that will rip healthcare away from 17 million Ameri...

Turns out we called last week’s pod Episode 8, when it’s actually this week’s Episode! (Putting our special post-primary rapid response this week in a unique category). With all respect to The Force Awakens, consider this a testament to the best of the JJ Abrams trilogy, getting to reference The Last Jedi two weeks in a row. Join us this week as we break down the record-breaking momentum of those...

Today, on a special episode of Capitol Courage, join us as we discuss the results of the 2025 Virginia House and statewide primaries. From the role of corporate money in this primary season, water crises, some of the big wins of the night, and our hopes for the Democratic statewide ticket in the general election, let’s bring on the 2025 general election!

With another recent vacation from our end (join us for an extended Disney discussion), welcome back to Capitol Courage!! There are fights across the country, with lots of heroes (think the people exercising their constitutional rights of free speech and petitioning the government) and cowards (spineless politicians who won’t meet the moment). And we’re so honored this week to welcome Sen. Creigh D...

After taking a break for Ryan’s vacation (hear about it on this episode), we’re back! ICYMI, Republicans in the U.S. House recently passed a Big, Ugly Bill in the dead of night, hoping that you wouldn’t notice the dangerous provisions that would make life more expensive and overall worse for regular people. Profiles in courage that they are, we’re today diving into some of the key provisions of th...

Welcome Fellow Courageous Virginians & Beyond! Rhena has taken over the duties of writing up this blog post while Ryan is out of the country so GOOD LUCK TO US ALL. MUHAHAHA. No but really, this week’s episode is so so special for us. We have our first guest! Delegate Karrie Delaney (VA-HD 09) brings a discussion on taking on one of the largest and most well-resourced lobbies - the pharmaceuti...

Welcome listeners! Like Star Wars, we have a New Hope for Episode 4, and that’s an end to Peace in the Valley in the Virginia legislature. We welcome Progress in the Valley, Meaningful Change in the Valley, and sometimes even Chaos in the Valley. This week’s episode brings a discussion on the history of the Virginia Way: a prioritization of compromise and civility over big, structural changes. Did...