Co-hosts Robin Renée and Wendy Sheridan get ready for The Leftscape's summer hiatus and share some of their plans for the season. Wendy makes a big announcement about being chosen to create an outdoor fiber arts display for the Rahway Train Station. Robin's season will be a bit more relaxed; they'll perform a couple of shows and go to quite a few more, attend a retreat and plan another for the fall, and catch some time in the sun.


Wendy initiates this episode's featured conversation with her July 4th tarot reading. It may or may not be a "reliable source" of information, but it sparks insight and ideas about our current situation, what the future may hold for the United States over the course of the next year, and how we might take action. In an extended Pièce de Résistance, Wendy and Robin offer some activist work we can continue over the season including seeing what's next in the No Kings movement, working with mutual aid groups, and attending a Good Trouble Lives On event on July 17th. The Timeline Cleanse entries touch on challenging topics but are ultimately uplifting; Robin reflects on the the final Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath show and Wendy reports on Australian scientists who have reversed Parkinson's in mice.

Have a great summer (or winter, if you're Down Under)!

Things to do:

Follow The Leftscape on social media @leftscape and give us a shout!

Get ICEBlock in the App Store or wherever you get your apps.

Learn about what is in the Big (Horrible) Bill.

Check out Wendy’s stuff on Etsy.

Listen to the Saved By Zero show by Robin (DJ Andrew Genus) on Radio PVS and Mixcloud.

Listen to Robin Renée on Spotify.

Watch two adorable otters on a cat wheel in a pool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OLGHaMtHYA&t=253s

Isabella Braveheart photo by Dauss Miller

Isabella Braveheart is an evolutionary performance artist and activist, speaker, playwright, director and producer who transmutes the pains of humanity into the voice of truth through bold multimedia transmissions and heart-centered, experiential events in service of bringing our global family back to wholeness and love. She has been called a Deep Water Heart Surgeon and an Urban Priestess and she calls herself a heart-trepreneur. Don't miss her spoken word performance of "Patriot" and her thoughts on how we might reclaim this fraught term while prioritizing personal, then societal healing.

To start off the show, co-hosts Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée chat in Timeline Cleanse about an unusual item on display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the recent Sky Farm Arts & Music Festival in Basking Ridge, NJ. Robin and Wendy recount their No Kings Day experiences in Pièce de Résistance and discuss some activists' tendency toward protest gatekeeping. Wendy shares another brief and important principle from On Tyrrany.

Things to do:

Learn more about Ithe work of Isabella Braveheart on her website and keep up with her on Instagram and Facebook.

Find out more about SPREAD, an evocative evening for the distinguished palate.

Read On Tyrrany: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy D. Snyder.

After No Kings Day, stay politically active!

Check out Sky Farm.

Listen to Robin Renée on Spotify.

Listen to the Saved By Zero show by Robin (DJ Andrew Genus) on Radio PVS and Mixcloud.

Check out Wendy’s stuff on Etsy.

Go see a 200-year-old condom in Amsterdam! (or at least read the article)
Watch "ReDefining Patriotism by Isabella Brāveheart."
https://youtu.be/4q_ot6yatyg?si=C1bIKfymcSwKwrQE

 

 

Co-hosts Robin Renée and Wendy Sheridan head back to the Blanket Fort this time to regroup, check in, and hide out. But there's not much actual hiding to be had from the firehose of news and unrest. They catch up on the intentional ways they each are staying sane through the mayhem -- painting, gardening, exercising, immersing in fiction, and curating the news for personal consumption among them. ICE raids, the National Guard, and the chaos stoked in Los Angeles can't be ignored, nor can thinking about ways to protest in the streets and elsewhere, wishing for the least violence and the greatest impact. They think about the role of their creative works and consider writing some "political earworms." Wendy might revive and complete one of her old songs, "Men of Stone."



 

 

 

 

For the Timelime Cleanse that starts the show, Wendy is happy with her newly painted art storage box and Robin describes a jello mold drag relay race that was pure joy. The biggest Pièce de Résistance this time around is the upcoming No Kings Day on June 14th, while the Pope seems to have scheduled some counterprogramming of his own. Wendy reads from On Tyrrany followed by a discussion and Robin reads a new brief reflection/response piece, "Why So Much Pride?"

Things to do:

Join a June 14th No Kings Day protest: Indivisible, FiftyFifty.one/events.

Stay safe and know your rights.

Listen to Episode 172 for Anji Marth's ideas for being prepared and helpful at protests.

Read On Tyrrany: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy D. Snyder.

Watch "LA protests LIVE: View from Los Angeles"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMcCbwLCAYc

Listen to the Saved By Zero show by Robin (DJ Andrew Genus) on Radio PVS and Mixcloud.

Check out Wendy's stuff on Etsy.

Jam out to this internet classic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuWVgVkMiHE

 

 

Naila Francis is a certified grief coach and death midwife. As the founder of This Hallowed Wilderness, she helps people transform their relationship to grief and loss through one-on-one coaching, workshops, rituals and ceremonies. Naila is also a founding member of Salt Trails, a Philadelphia collective normalizing grief through community rituals. In this featured conversation, she shares about offering compassion, the necessity of healing from both personal losses and greater world tragedies, and the "fierce aliveness" that often emerges from moving through our deepest emotional work.

Co-hosts Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée open the show with some levity in the Timeline Cleanse segment - this time on the pleasures of sipping Negronis and petting jellyfish. They are ready for the rainbow celebrations of June and contemplate an "All Lives Matter" moment at a Pride march. Visibly celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride is one of the recommended actions in Pièce de Résistance, along with picking up some feminist reading and attending a No Kings Day protest. Wendy reads another brief exerpt from On Tyrrany.

Things to do:

Learn more about Naila Fracis and her work on the This Hallowed Wilderness website, on Instagram, and on Facebook.

Attend the Philadelphia Death and Arts Festival, May 29 - June 1, 2025.

Join a June 14th No Kings Day protest: Indivisible, FiftyFifty.one/events.

Read The Flytrap - worker-owned, reader-supported intersectional feminist journalism to unfuck your algorithm.

Read On Tyrrany: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy D. Snyder.

Visit the National Aquarium.



 

 

 

 

Celebrate Pride!

Have a Negroni!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgy6vEX_hQg

 

Rev. Dr. Beverly Dale, also known as “Rev. Bev,” is a sociologist-turned-pastor who has made a career of teaching a pleasure-centered, justice-focused, and sex-positive Christianity as an ecumenical campus minister at the University of Pennsylvania, as faculty at Lancaster Theological Seminary, and as a local pastor. Her latest book is Who Told You That You Were Naked? Meditations on the Sexual Body from PIlgrim Press. It is a book to help people heal from the problematic teachings about sexuality from the Church by offering tools to help people feel comfortable about their body and pleasure.

Before the featured conversation, co-hosts Robin Renée and Wendy Sheridan share Timeline Cleanse info on an uplifting environmental book and a cat with (at least) two names. The arrest of Ras Baraka and the upcoming June 14th protests are the focus of the Pièce de Résistance segment. Robin reads their new essay, "Fool Me Twice" and Wendy puts forth another principle outlined in On Tyrrany.

Things to do:

Read Who Told You That You Were Naked? by Beverly Dale.

Keep up with Rev. Bev at BeverlyDale.org and on BlueSky, Facebook, YouTube, and Substack.

Join a June 14th No Kings protest: Indivisible, FiftyFifty.one/events.

Read On Tyrrany: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy D. Snyder.

Read What if We Get It Right? by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.

 Anji Marth has been a professional tattoo artist and painter since 1999. Her published books include Tar and Gravel, Knuckle Sandwich, the Resonant Eye series, The Horrors Coloring Book for Adults, and the Paintings From Quarantine series, painted during the pandemic. She also works in taxidermy as assemblage art as well as illustration. A longtime activist, Anji grew up in coal country, Pennsylvania and has lived in the Pacific Inland Northwest for almost 30 years. In this featured conversation, she discusses her recent experiences in activism in Spokane, WA and what inspired her to create and distribute a new zine aimed at getting people DOING THINGS.

Photo by Kyle Schickner

Earlier in the show, co-hosts Robin Renée and Wendy Sheridan share Timeline Cleanse news about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Nature Conservancy, Wendy gives info to get people ready for nationwide May 1st protests in Pièce de Résistance, and Robin shares about hearing the inspiring Darryl McDaniels (DMC) speak at the FenceSitter Film Festival last weekend in Bernardsville, NJ.

Things to do:

Learn more, get zines, get art, and/or get tattooed by Anji Marth at ResonantEye.net.

Join a May Day protest: FiftyFifty.one/events

Check out Leftscape.com for previous shows by Anji Marth and Kyle Schickner.

 

Listen to some Run-D.M.C.!

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3CQIn7N5CuRDP8wEI7FiDA?si=JzuTqONfSlWR7vQftnWZzA

 

 Brittany Smith is a key volunteer with the 21st Century Packhorse Librarians, a group that delivers free books throughout the Appalachian Mountains, especially to those affected by Hurricane Helene. The organization is a revival and revisioning of the librarians who made book delivieries in the same region during the Great Depression. Smith resides in Jonesborough, Tennessee, works in Projects Control for an engineering firm, and lives on nine acres with her family plus a large number of chickens and ducks. In this featured interview, she shares about the grassroots efforts to bring hope to those who have lost everything and asks us all not to forget those in her area who are still dealing with Helene's devastation.

In Timeline Cleanse, co-hosts Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée take inspiration from the announcement that Kermit the Frog will speak at the University of Maryland's upcoming graduation and Cory Booker's recent record-breaking 25 hour, 5 minute protest speech in Congress. Robin reads an original poem, an unconventional reflection at Pesach, called "Change Party." Wendy reads more from On Tyranny by Timothy D. Snyder and leads a discussion on Chapter 2.

Things to do:

Learn more about, donate, and/or volunteer for the 21st Century Packhorse Librarians.

Follow the 21st Century Packhorse Librarians on Facebook and Instagram.

Read "Thirty lonely but beautiful actions..." and do the ones that move you.

Read On Tyrrany: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy D. Snyder.

Call the Supreme Court at 202-479-3000 or email pio@supremecourt.gov to ask them what they plan to do about Donald Trump ignoring court orders.

Listen to Radio PVS Sundays at 9pm EDT for the Saved By Zero show. Check the schedule for repeat times.

Featured guest Ray Katz started and currently leads The Saners, a group dedicated to preventing climate collapse and building a better civilization worldwide. He holds a BA in Economics from Stonybrook University as well as an MBA from Fordham University and he co-founded one of the first web development agencies in Philadelphia in 1994. Katz first appeared on The Leftscape in Episode 160, "Saving the Planet With Joy." He returns to spread the word on the bold ideals and expanded objectives adopted by The Saners, their partnership with General Strike U.S., and to put forth actions and atitudes we can all take on to survive and thrive in these particularly challenging times.

Co-hosts Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée introduce several new show segments. In Timeline Cleanse, Robin reflects on a friend's statement about self-care and Wendy speaks of the power of getting one's hands dirty. Wendy shares a few simple and immediate political and financial actions we can all take in Pièce de Résistance, Robin reads a personal essay, "Concentric Circles," and Wendy reads the first lesson from Timothy D. Snyder's On Tyrrany. 

Things to do:

Join the General Strike.

Learn more about The Saners on their website. Follow on Facebook, BlueSky, YouTube, and Medium.

Attend a Hands Off! protest near you on Saturday, April 5th.

Find your representatives in Congress and let them know your concerns.

Try the 5 Calls app to make your voice heard.

Read Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber.

Read On Tyrrany: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy D. Snyder.

Watch "A Shockingly Better World - Saners YouTube Video."

https://youtu.be/m3zz_7rYaS8?si=ALp64g1aswluIfI5

 

 

The Leftscape is back after an extended holiday hiatus. Co-hosts Robin Renée and Wendy Sheridan have a casual chat and reveal a new direction for the show. Moving forward, expect less news that imitates doom-scrolling and more reporting on ways we as progressives can come together to make an impact and to nurture communities. Expect thoughtful conversations and a couple of new segments to go with old favorites.

Wendy introduces and reads the chapter titles of On Tyrrany by Timothy Snyder, which will be explored more deeply in upcoming episodes. As this minisode is posting on the eve of the 2nd inaugauration of Donald Trump, the co-hosts suggest listening, thumbing through On Tyrrany, celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and/or watching nature program re-runs rather than giving attention to the events in Washington, D.C. on January 20th.

Featured image: Pen and ink drawing by Wendy Sheridan, January 17, 2025.

Things to do:

Read the new short bio:

We all need progress and community. These are what The Leftscape podcast is all about. Presented by co-hosts Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée, The Leftscape features commentary, culture, politics, personal dialogue, geekery, and humor. Most importantly, it centers on the conversations progressive people navigate in pursuit of social justice and finding common ground – with just enough news you can use to take action. The show welcomes guests making positive moves in the worlds of activism, feminism, music, media, racial equity, STEM, LGBTQIA+, spirituality, and more.

Follow The Leftscape on Bluesky.

Keep in touch on other social media @leftscape.

 

Painting by Wendy Sheridan

Robin Renée and Wendy Sheridan speak for the first time after the U.S. presidential election. Together they process the loss by Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to Donald Trump and JD Vance. Between surmising why a majority of Americans voted for the Republican ticket and worrying what changes the next four years may bring, they begin to work through the deep sadness and disappointment, anger, frustration, and fear of encroacing fascism. With many more questions than answers, Wendy and Robin take the first small steps toward sorting out how to cope, how to prepare, and what to do to develop and maintain friend groups and communities that are now more important than ever.

The Leftscape will be on hiatus through the end of the year. In the meantime expect repeat episodes best suited to help us all be ready for the political shift. Take care of yourselves, be well, and we hope you will make the best of the coming holiday season.

Things to do:

Let us know how you're doing. How can the show best serve you and your communities as we move ahead?

Keep in touch with us on social media @leftscape.

We are now sincerely on Bluesky! Follow us: voxwoman.bsky.social, robinrenee.bsky.social, leftscape.bsky.social

Lemalé Torres has a calling in educating union members on how they can be empower themselves to take charge. She is passionate about understanding the political landscape as an advocate of social justice. Another role in her life deeply affects how much she cares about the issues -- motherhood. She met co-host Wendy Sheridan at an event sponsored by Indivisible. They sat down to talk about Torres' knowledge of Project 2025 and its plans for labor laws from a union perspective as well as what it has to say about education, families, and more. Lemalé Torres says, "The work starts with community, and that is where my allegiance will always lie."

In This Fortnight I Learned, co-host Robin Renée gets some info on rabid wildlife and Wendy discovers an interesting factoid about why we may need sleep. News includes the terrible Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, ballot boxes for early voting have been attacked in Washington State and Oregon, voter rolls purged in Virginia, war in the Middle East, and New York state hits environmental goals ahead of schedule. In the Blanket Fort, Robin and Wendy cope with election anxiety. The Lefty of the Week is not a single person this time - It is every single one of us who has voted or will vote in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. It takes all of us. LFG!

Things to do:

Follow Lemalé Torres on Facebook and Instagram.

Read Kamala Harris' policy positions vs. Project 2025.

Volunteer to help get out the vote.

VOTE!

Visit Wendy Sheridan at the Rahway Craft and Art Fair, Saturday, November 2nd. 10% off if you voted!

Take a break and have a laugh!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbuOVqpuifM

 

Ivo Becica is an attorney who represents businesses and Human Resources professionals in employment disputes, including providing advice and training on staying in compliance with the law, as well as defending against employee claims when necessary. He writes about labor and employment law at his firm’s blog, HR Legalist. Becica joined co-host Robin Renée for an even-tempered conversation on what Project 2025 has to say about labor and employment issues in comparison to what the Harris/Walz platform proposes.

In This Fortnight I Learned, co-host Wendy Sheridan shares a fact about the slowing of the earth's rotation while Robin shouts out the Halloween-appropriate, most recently recognized cat breed according to Cat Fancy UK. In the News: Survivors of the atomic bombings of Japan win the Nobel Peace Prize for their campaign to rid the world of nuclear weapons and three economists win for their study on post-colonial wealth, rough weather in the U.S. and Morocco, yet another worrying climate observation, Jack Smith's unsealed court filing regarding obstruction of the 2020 electoral process, the presidential election's Jill Stein complication, a promising use for CBD oil, and more. Robin nominates Allison Gill for Lefty of the Week. 

Things to do:

Register to vote or confirm your voter registration today.

Read the HR Legalist blog.

Read Project 2025.

Donate and volunteer for hurricane relief.

Test your media literacy. 

Check out The Daily Beans podcast.

Listen to "Why is Jill Stein Trying to Get Trump Elected" on How We Got Here, a weekly series by the What a Day podcast.

Watch the Democrats' anti-Jill Stein ad.

https://youtube.com/shorts/tdrVgxCvHtM?si=Bjx_9aTsMoOpvS6n

See wtf Robin is talking about: Skibidi Toilet, Chicken Nugget Singing

Lisa Vandever is an organizer and activist with over 30 years of experience in media, communications, arts and events. A lifelong Democrat, she is a co-leader of the progressive group, Indivisible Rahway, and an active member of Fair Ballot Alliance NJ and OneNJ7. An enthusiastic Garden Stater by way of Oregon, Chicago and Brooklyn, she has been happily settled in Rahway, NJ for two decades with husband, Alan, and two ginger tabbies, Clive and Radley. Everyone who is interested in the 2024 U.S. election, getting involved in local politics, and activism will learn a lot from this discussion that begins focused on Rahway and its greater region.

What did co-hosts Robin Renée and Wendy Sheridan learn this past fortnight? Wendy took in a couple of lofty facts about the weight and density of clouds while Robin attempted Gen Alpha slang. With too much going on to be neatly broken into headlines and deep dives, news items include Hurricane Helene and numerous weather disasters around the world, a lawsuit by members of the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio against Donald Trump and JD Vance, Chappell Roan's non-endorsement of Kamala Harris, the Rahway Library roundup, Rudy Giuliani's disbarment, the new haka world record, and much more. In Why Is This Awesome?, Wendy and Robin reflect on the health benefits of arts practices (and get side-tracked by The Church of the SubGenius). Wendy nominates Reverend Kat Irwin for Lefty of the Week.

Things to do:

Register to vote or confirm your voter registration today.

Get active with Indivisible and learn more about Indivisible Rahway.

Help democratic victories with Swing Left.

Help get out the vote with Mobilize.

Learn more about the Fair Ballot Alliance.



Listen to Episode 144 featuring Lisa Vandever, "20 Years of Cinekink."

Watch "New Zealand reclaims world record for largest mass haka."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnOhDX9QAFk

Tom Limoncelli is an LGBTQ organizer, trainer, and speaker from New Jersey. His speaking and training repertoire includes time management for activists and support group facilitation skills. He is the recipient of several activism awards including the Brenda Howard Award for bisexual activism. Tom spoke about Time Management for Busy Activists on Leftscape Episode 86 almost exactly four years ago in 2020. In this episode he shares about the easy-to-do activism he's been taking part in to get out the vote as we approach yet another incredibly important presidential election.

In a new/modified segment, Why Is This Not Awesome?, co-hosts Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée look over a report on Project 2025 and its Consequences for Libraries. In This Fortnight I Learned, Robin and Wendy both bring animal facts (cats and giraffes, respectively). News includes Kamala Harris' kickass debate performance, flooding in Eastern Europe, an accusation of a CIA plot to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, another potential Trump assassination attempt, a Trump court case roundup, the Ig Noble Awards, and Wendy's Rahway Library Action Update. Robin names Conspirituality co-host Derek Beres Lefty of the Week.

Things to do:

Register to vote or confirm your voter registration today.

Get addresses to GOTV for Democratic candidates.



Get postcards to send to Democratic voters.

Find volunteer activities (remote and in-person) all over the US: Mobilize!

Read Tom Limoncelli's blog post about postcarding, "Postcards for Democracy."

Read Project 2025 and its Consequences for Libraries.

Check out The Daily Beans podcast.

Check out the Conspirituality podcast.

Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée are back after summer break for the 2024 Season 2 of The Leftscape! Featured guest Jonah Minkoff-Zern (he/him) is the co-director of Public Citizen’s Democracy Campaign. He has organized nationwide mobilizations to challenge ongoing threats to democracy from former President Donald Trump and his allies, coordinated grassroots activities to pass federal voting rights and democracy reforms, and mobilized national action for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. He has led and supported state-based efforts to win voting rights, public financing to protect election officials and prevent artificial intelligence deepfakes in elections, and coordinated national support for the Second Chances Florida ballot initiative, which restored the eligibility to vote to Floridians with felony convictions. Hear him speak with Wendy about the many aspects of the Democracy Campaign's important work.

In This Fortnight I Learned, Wendy recounts the controvery over which of two simiarly-named people originated Labor Day in 1882 and Robin discusses the first term entered into their personal Pittsburghese dictionary. In News, there is so much to tackle that a great deal more of it is covered in What the Bleep Happened This Summer? on Patreon. X offline in Brazil, the summer COVID surge, the upcoming Harris vs. Trump presidential debate, members of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland elected in Germany, an action against budget cuts at the Rahway Public Library, and the Oasis reunion are some of the stories that made the show. In The Blanket Fort, Robin and Wendy check in on what they're doing to stay informed without getting overwhelmed. Wendy nominates Frances Perkins as Lefty of the Week.

Things to do:

Learn more about Public Citizen.

Follow Public Citizen on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Watch the presidential debate on Tuesday, September 10th at 9pm EDT.

Subscribe to 1440.

Check out to What a Day and On the Media.

Read "Inmates Training Hard-to-Adopt Dogs in New Mexico Creates Joy On Both Ends of a Leash."

Hal Robins is known for his radio broadcasts and public performances, as well as for his participation in the Church of the SubGenius (as Dr. Howland Owll, Master of Church Secrets). He has worked in film and television and is a poet and playwright. Robins is also a fine artist and cartoonist. In this featured conversation with Rev. Andrew Genus, he shares his wit and insight into the world of the SubGenius, the current political state we find ourselves in, and his upcoming appearance at PubeFest in Bethlehem, PA featuring the Ask Dr. Hal Show and other SubGenius shenanigans.

In this final show of the season before summer break, co-hosts Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée start off in This Fortnight I Learned with some lighthearted factoids about dolphins and tennis balls. All the News We Can Handle was more was enough with the presidential debate and SCOTUS decisions, a few of which deal with presidential immunity, ordinances prohibiting camping within city limits by people who are homeless, and overturning the 1984 decision in Chevron v Natural Resources Defense Council. In The Artscape, Wendy interviews Robin about recent creative projects and process, challenges and small victories. Robin names Kai Wright Lefty of the Week.

Happy a Happy 4th of July and have a great summer! Reach out anytime and keep in touch on social media @leftscape.

Things to do:

Check out the Ask Dr. Hal Show!

Learn the truth about J. R. "Bob" Dobbs and The Church of the SubGenius!

Attend the Second Annual PubeFest! July 5-7, 2024

View the featured image, Dobbs Ourobouros, by Hal Robins.

Read more about Supreme Court decisions on SCOTUSblog.

Listen to the Saved By Zero show with host DJ Andrew Genus.

Watch "Nick Lowe - Alison (Elvis Costello cover)"

https://youtu.be/oPJ5dNFh-Rc?si=xQZ3TP1DU5hfmHh7

 

Co-hosts Robin Renée and Wendy Sheridan discuss the enormous and detailed Project 2025, a collection of policy proposals created by The Heritage Foundation to reshape the United States government in the image of current-day far right conservativism. It seeks to mandate conservative Christian values, dismantle many social programs and government departments, and to provide ready-made policy positions and personnel for the next Republican president. This description barely begins to do justice to the sweeping, detrimental changes this tome proposes. Wendy and Robin begin to look at its elements broadly and anticipate future conversations about Project 2025 along with discovering and taking part in things we can do to keep it from being enacted.

In concert with the featured conversation, Robin sparks a discussion on a video by Innuendo Studios, "Always a Bigger Fish" in the Geekscape for a better understanding of conservative vs. liberal worldviews.

The show begins on a lighter note with a few rewinds to Episode 160 and This Fortnight I Learned facts about Google searches and ants in New York City. News includes the upcoming presidential debate slated for June 27th, the Supreme Court's end-of-June decisions, a "tactical pause" of the fighting in a portion of Gaza, the continuing adverntures of Trump and Rudy in the Georgia election fraud case, and wild Przewalski's horses returned to Kazakhstan's Golden Steppe. For Lefty of the Week, Wendy names local activist Quanae "Pie Lady" Palmer.

Things to do:

Watch “ What is Project 2025?”

https://youtu.be/A7OlQG9C4zM?si=rTG2uZgrWDHSUwpq

Watch "The Alt-Right Playbook: Always a Bigger Fish"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agzNANfNlTs

Watch "Trump's Second Term: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYwqpx6lp_s

Meet the ManhattAnts!

 

Ray Katz is a web developer—one of Philadelphia's first. He has many hobbies including collecting artifacts related to the history of space flight and animation. His passion and most pressing endeavor, however, is to find effective ways of dealing with climate change. To that end, he has created a new and unique movement, The Saners. He is also the host of the 5 Minutes to Save the Earth podcast. Don't miss his inspired thoughts on how a grassroots environmental movement can learn from past and present brilliance, use a decent dose of humor, and stand up to the status quo with a joyful resistance.

Leftscape co-hosts Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée begin the show with a bit of a check-in and a shout out to Pride Month before getting into This Fortnight I Learned. Wendy has learned about a once-ubiquitous melody that was composed by Brian Eno and Robin has learned yet another thing about squirrels. In News, Donald Trump is convicted of 34 felony counts, SCOTUS clears the way for Louisiana to use a new congressional map containing two majority-Black districts, Mexico's first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is elected, Vermont becomes the first state to require oil companies to pay for the impacts of climate change, all four members of ABBA are knighted, and other stories. Earlier in The Earthscape, Robin and Wendy share their favorite workouts. At the end of the show, Robin names climate activist Lauren MacDonald Lefty of the Week. 

Things to do:

Learn about The Saners and sign up to get involved.

Get inspired by the 5 Minutes to Save the Earth podcast.

Follow Ray Katz and The Saners on X and Medium.

Try working out on a GiBoard.

When was America great? Check out this article for answers.

Check out this creative pride flag creation by Wendy's daughter, Ariel Sheridan!



 

Listen to "Uptown Squirrel [update]" on 99% Invisible.

https://youtu.be/H_W6ErOgLwI?si=1Uq3xrTRic8kmAAv

 

 

When Abby Driscoll, a senior at Fort Defiance High School in Verona, VA had a piece placed in a school art show, she likely didn't expect the drama that ensued. Listener Tony Rogers of Fairfax, VA sent the story to The Leftscape via X/Twitter to spark conversation between co-hosts Robin Renée and Wendy Sheridan. This featured discussion ranges from thoughts on the artwork, "But Not Enough to Save You," to serious concerns about censorship, art and book banning, and right-wing influence on school boards, the importance of down-ballot electoral races, and the power of art as activism.

The episode gets started with Wendy and Robin revealing their latest new knowledge in This Fortnight I Learned -- this time on the topics of the design of chef's hats and well-known actors whose 60s band collaboration is surprising. All the News We Can Handle includes Rudy Giuliani served with notice of his indictment for efforts to overturn 2020 presidential election results, Kristi Noem banned from Native American reservations, and a call from the international criminal court for arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders. Also in the news: the Human Rights Campaign's massive public education and mobilization campaign ahead of the 2024 elections, Nevada activists secure signatures for a vote on abortion access, Art Smart singing lessons, and much more.

Before the featured discussion, Robin and Wendy enter The Blanket Fort for an extended personal check-in.

Things to do:
Watch the video: "A high school artist called out Christian bigotry. Her school board is furious. (Livestream)"
https://youtu.be/SZLiDPhpdvE?si=bBg7_kVDysaqAOcv

Read the article on FriendlyAtheist.com.

Check out wendycardz on Etsy.

Listen to Saved by Zero on Radio PVS and Mixcloud.

Listen to "My Old School" by Steely Dan.

https://youtu.be/rFnwczuvb74?si=vb87jRmtKqm5r5H7

 

Do you have a topic you'd like to hear discussed on The Leftscape? Let Wendy and Robin know.

 

 

David Michael Jamison is the Assistant Professor of History at Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, Florida and the former Visiting Assistant Professor of Black World Studies at Miami University–Middletown in Middletown, Ohio. He previously worked as a special-education teacher, first with the New York Board of Education and then with the Los Angeles Unified School District. He is the Education and Programs Chair of the Jacksonville Historical Society; the director of the oral-history project, the co-chair of the Steering Committee for the Jacksonville Community Remembrance Project, and the Local Historian for the James Weldon Johnson Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. He was a guest on The Leftscape Episode 60 back in 2019 and returns to talk about The Race Cards, a tool for fostering positive, authentic conversations about race.

Co-hosts Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée kick off the show with facts about "TikTok voice" and the world's largest baguette in This Fortnight I Learned. In the News, the 4th Circuit Court in Richmond Virginia ruled that state health-care plans must pay for gender-affirming surgeries, Washington state GOP delegates come out against democracy, Methodists end anti-gay bans in the church, and blue whales return near the Seychelles. Before the featured interview in the Geekscape segment, Wendy leads the geek-out about repairing stuff. At the end of the show, Robin nominates Allison Gill for Lefty of the Week.

 

Things to do:

Learn more about 904WARD, The Race Cards conversation tool, and the Jacksonville Community Remembrance Project.

Learn about the Right to Repair.

Listen to Allison Gill's podcasts and other great shows on MSW Media.

Listen to Saved By Zero and the other great shows on Radio PVS.

Check out Saved By Zero on Mixcloud.

Get artwork on wendycardz.

Watch "The first ever footage of Blue Whales in the Seychelles."

https://youtu.be/oKU-2Q7esNA?si=mwBXfHH2YFfocfG0