Yo, Miss! Podcast

In 1981, shots outside the Washington Hilton nearly killed Ronald Reagan—and the aftermath boosted his popularity as the country rallied around him. More than four decades later, gunfire again erupted at the same hotel during events tied to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where Donald Trump was in attendance and later evacuated. The suspect in the Washington dinner shooting ws just charged...

'It's a new world, it's the same constitution' More than 150 years ago, the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified after the Civil War to overturn Dred Scott v. Sandford and make one thing clear: if you are born on U.S. soil, you are a citizen. That principle has held for generations through waves of immigration, political backlash, and changing global conditions. So w...

Every year I teach World War I, and every year my students are surprised to learn that the United States once made it a crime to criticize the government. Although this year, a lot of students were less surprised. The Espionage Act of 1917 despite its name had little to do with spies. Its most sweeping provisions made it a federal crime to obstruct military recruitment or say anything that might c...

The Oscars unfolded this year against a backdrop of political division, declining trust in institutions, and a fragmented media landscape where shared cultural moments are increasingly rare. Once drawing more than 50 million viewers, the ceremony now competes in an endless attention economy shaped by streaming and social media. We break down the night’s biggest winners, including One Battle After...

In 1864, the United States was literally in the middle of the Civil War. The country was divided. Hundreds of thousands had already died. The future of the nation was uncertain. And Abraham Lincoln still insisted that the presidential election happen. He believed that if the United States canceled elections because of war, democracy itself would be lost. Lincoln said that if the rebellion could fo...

This week I had the honor of spending time with Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman who survived an assassination attempt in 2011 and transformed that tragedy into a lifelong fight to end gun violence. Her courage and determination helped inspire me to co-found Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence alongside Abbey Clements and Sarah Lerner. At a moment when so much can feel dark and over...

This is not random. And it’s definitely not neutral. Hanging banners of Charlie Kirk , Catharine Beecher , and Booker T. Washington on the Department of Education building is a choice. Charlie Kirk built a career as a racist attacking universities and multicultural education. Catharine Beecher championed women’s education but rooted in domesticity and “separate spheres.” She was an ardent anti-suf...

In moments of rising authoritarianism, disinformation, and historical amnesia, artists matter more, not less. From U2’s decades of confronting political violence and inequality to today’s new activist music responding to war, protest, and repression, the tradition is clear: music doesn’t just entertain us. It documents. It humanizes. It refuses to let cruelty become normal. At a time when fear pol...

In my interview the day after Rep. Deborah Ross questioned AG Pam Bondi, Rep. Ross reflects on how she centered the Epstein survivors and refused to let their voices be sidelined in a high-stakes oversight moment. She explains why accountability isn’t just about politics: it’s about respect, truth, and justice for those who were harmed. It’s a powerful reminder of what principled leadership looks...

Every day has felt unbearably heavy. But tonight, on the frozen streets of New York City, something shifted. I haven’t seen this many young people out marching in a long time. And not just college kids, high school students entered the chat. Young people speaking. Chanting. Marching. Organizing. I stopped to talk with a few groups and asked what brought them out. They told me they had joined schoo...

I had the honor of speaking with Dr. Yohuru Williams tonight about what’s happening on the ground in Minneapolis right now. People always say to “find the helpers” in challenging times but I prefer to find the historians, the people who can help us navigate forward with the wisdom of our past. Here is his excellent and inspiring article that he references in our discussion. I have been returning t...

Trump has been weirdly obsessed with William McKinley: invoking him, elevating him, even tying him to symbolism like the mountain renaming. Like, remember this Executive Order entitled “Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness” And then, suddenly, you see why: McKinley represents not just tariffs but the dawn of America’s imperial era. William McKinley (1897–1901) was the 25th president of th...

I’ve lived in New York City for decades, since college, since the 1990s, since becoming who I am. I’ve taught 24 years of high school kids here. Five classes a year. Usually thirty-four students per class. Thousands of lives woven into mine, and mine into theirs. I have begun again and again in this city. New apartments. New friend groups. New crushes. New loves. New heartbreaks. New versions of m...

On Sunday, December 14, 2025, I didn’t just watch history, I stood inside it. For twelve straight hours, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani sat across from New Yorkers from every borough and did something radically simple: he listened. No speeches. No spin. Just people, one by one, taking a seat and being heard. By the end of the 12-hour day, Mamdani met with 142 New Yorkers. I was there to document it, n...

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This week, Donald Trump crossed a line no U.S. president has ever crossed: invoking the language of execution against sitting members of Congress. Not during the Civil War. Not during McCarthyism. Not even at the height of Watergate did a president target lawmakers this way. In this video, I break down why this moment is historically unprecedented, what it means for our democracy, and why every ci...

Nearly 250 years ago, we said NO KINGS We fought a revolution to reject the idea that one man could rule over a free people. And today, millions across the country took to the streets to say NO KINGS again. From New York City to small towns across America, people gathered to protest what they see as an assault on democracy and the creeping return of authoritarian power. Early reports estimate near...

This week I spoke with PIX11’s James Ford about how educators teach 9/11 today. Watch and read the full piece here It’s a conversation I’ve been having for years. In fact, I first wrote about teaching 9/11 for PBS NewsHour Classroom in 2021 on the 20th anniversary. Four years later, I find myself returning to those reflections, because the way we teach 9/11 keeps changing, just like the world arou...

I had the honor of sitting down with Cait Conley, a Hudson Valley native, decorated Army veteran, and one of the Democrats challenging Republican Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17). Conley traces her call to service back to 9/11, a moment that led her to West Point and a 16-year Army career with six combat deployments across Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen. Rising from military police officer to special...

Introducing a new series: History Tea! Warren G. Harding wasn’t just America’s 29th president, he was also one of the most scandal-ridden. Corruption rocked his administration, and his private life was even messier: a decades-long affair with Carrie Phillips ( their very steamy love letters were finally released in 2014 ) and a secret child with Nan Britton, confirmed by DNA testing in 2015. In 19...

In this conversation, Mike Cortese traces his path from Nashville’s music industry to the Metro Council and now to a congressional campaign against Representative Andy Ogles in Tennessee’s 5th District. His story is rooted in community, service, and the belief that politics should be about showing up for people, not special interests. After arriving in Nashville in 2001 with no car, no computer, a...

In this episode of Senators x History , Senator Tammy Baldwin honors fellow Wisconsin trailblazer Robert M. La Follette Sr. , the fearless Progressive Era reformer known as “Fighting Bob.” La Follette took on corporate monopolies, advanced workers’ rights, and pushed through groundbreaking reforms like direct primaries and stronger government accountability. He even carried his message to the nati...

As someone who teaches democracy in my classroom every day, I wanted to hear directly from Representative Jason Crow about how he sees the fight for it unfolding in Congress. In our conversation, he breaks down his lawsuit against ICE, the critical role of congressional oversight, and what it takes to defend democracy in today’s political climate. The fight he describes reminded me of past moments...

In this episode of Senators x History , Senator Mark Kelly selects Thomas Edison as the historical figure he’d teach about. Edison, often called “the Wizard of Menlo Park,” was a prolific inventor whose creations, including the light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture camera, reshaped how people lived, worked, and connected with one another. For Kelly, who spent decades as a Navy pilot and NASA...