Pantsuit Politics

We did not expect to be discussing the death penalty less than a month before midterm elections, but here we are. Today, Sarah and Beth discuss:

Our individual perspectives on the death penalty

Tennessee's failed attempt to execute Christa Pike

Pete Hegseth's plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan

Outside of politics: seeing leaves last week in New England and Quebec

Mentioned in the episode:

Still Listening, our free pop-up book club for the midterms

Pew Research polling on the death penalty

Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery"

Common Ground Pilgrimages
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Beth talks with Zach Dembo, the Democratic candidate for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District, running against Republican Ralph Alvarado in one of the closest House races in the country:

Zach's path to running: Teach for America, active-duty Navy, policy advisor to Gov. Andy Beshear, and most recently a federal prosecutor

Why he resigned from the DOJ, and how that decision affected his marriage (his wife is also a prosecutor)

His anti-corruption platform: no stock trading for members of Congress, 12-year term limits, a ban on lobbying, a ban on dark money and corporate PAC contributions

Why the corruption message is landing with voters across party lines in central Kentucky right now

His "team Kentucky, not team party" case for independence in a polarized Congress

The "nightmare scenario": what Congress can actually do if the executive ignores its own laws

His committee priorities — armed services and agriculture — and why farm economics are personal to both hosts

The contrast with his opponent, Ralph Alvarado

Running a true toss-up race, and how listeners can help

A closing conversation about UK football under Will Stein and UK basketball

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Sarah and Beth talk with Kristin Kobes Du Mez about her new book Live, Laugh, Love, exploring the history and influence of white Christian women's culture in America:

how Live, Laugh, Love traces the roots of white Christian women's culture beyond evangelicalism, including Mormon and positive thinking influences

the intertwining of religion, capitalism, and multi-level marketing, and how corporate power shaped Christian subcultures

the impact of Christian fiction, media, and influencers from Little House on the Prairie to modern blogs and Instagram

the challenges of writing recent history and representing living figures in the Christian women's influencer space

Outside of politics, some easy organizing has improved our lives.

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Sarah and Beth discuss the horror described in Jane Doe's complaint, the campus culture at Cornell, and the challenges of addressing sexual assault in college environments. They cover:

The reporting and investigation into the Cornell 7 case and the role of student journalism

How campus culture, Greek life, and university responses shape outcomes

The complexities of Title IX, criminal investigations, and legal standards in sexual assault cases

Broader questions about prevention, parenting, and the ongoing struggle to change campus safety

Outside of Politics: Sarah and Beth talk about Derek Thompson's essay on the decline of hosting and why fewer people are having others over.
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Sarah and Beth discuss the viral stories that took over the weekend, and what they reveal about conflict, context, and civic life heading into the midterms:

- The New York Times report on Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola's treatment of staff
- The Boston Globe story on Last Ditch, a COVID-cautious lesbian bar in Greenfield, Massachusetts
- The Giants game "mom of the year" couple and iced coffee at job interviews
- Taylor Swift's four-song encore to The Life of a Showgirl

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