UNDISTRACTED with Brittany Packnett Cunningham

Cori Bush is just one week out of Congress—so who better to tell us exactly what to expect over these next four years? In this episode, Brittany sits down with the activist and former legislator for an “exit interview” like no other: all about what her Republican colleagues really told her behind the scenes, why she still thinks public service is worth it, and what the new “radical Cori” will do next. Plus: a special report from environmentalist Leah Thomas on evacuating her LA home.Please consider donating to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, which supports the first responders working to quell the devastating California wildfires.Keep an eye on Mutual Aid LA Network's Fire & Storm Resource document for additional support opportunities. Stay UNDISTRACTED and subscribe to The Meteor newsletter by visiting WeAreTheMeteor.com/newsletters. Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook. 

What do the election results and mass violence have in common? Among other things: men—angry American men whose path to radicalization seems to be moving faster and faster. Why is it happening? What can we do about it, both in our politics and in our own lives? And whose responsibility actually is it to fix all this? In this episode, Brittany speaks with journalists Anand Giridharadas and Liz Plank about the manosphere, who profits from it, and what should take its place. Plus: Brittany breaks down the UNtrending news, from Bad Bunny to Biden.Please consider donating to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, which supports the first responders working to quell the devastating California wildfires.Keep an eye on Mutual Aid LA Network's Fire & Storm Resource document for additional support opportunities. Stay UNDISTRACTED and subscribe to The Meteor newsletter by visiting WeAreTheMeteor.com/newsletters. Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook. 

Happy New Year! To ring in 2025, Brittany calls up the group chat—Dr. David J. Johns and Dr. Brittney Cooper—to hear their resolutions (crafting, joy, and a little “intentional silence,” among other things). Then, she sits down with Rev. Neichelle Guidry, director of the Sisters Chapel at Spelman College. No matter what faith you practice, this is a conversation to tune into, about radical politics, the roar of conservative evangelical values, and the power of quiet conversations.Stay UNDISTRACTED and subscribe to The Meteor newsletter by visiting WeAreTheMeteor.com/newsletters.Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook.

Donald Trump has made his cabinet nominations, and many have something in common: allegations of sexual misconduct. Has disrespect toward women somehow become an actual job qualification? To make sense of the moment, Brittany sits down with Natasha Stoynoff, who says Donald Trump assaulted her when she was a reporter for People, and Eliza Cooney, who claims that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. groped her when she was a part-time nanny for his family. They talk about what every Senator weighing in on these confirmations should do next—and the “strange sorority” of women with similar stories. Plus, Cooney has words for other women considering coming forward.Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook.  

We all have mamas! And some of us are mamas. So why are onscreen mamas so often so…plastic? This week, Brittany invites actor and comedian Ilana Glazer over to talk about how they're pushing back on binary ideas of motherhood in their own work. Together they get into Glazer's forthcoming Hulu stand-up special “Human Magic,” their own parenting joys, and why onscreen fathers are always Homer Simpson or Tony Soprano. Plus: Brittany brings you this week's UNtrending news on everything from the Black maternal health crisis to all the glory that is hip-hop starlet Doechii.  Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook. 

Everyone's got an opinion about the media…and almost everyone has a complaint. But why, exactly? And what does the fractured nature of what we read and listen to cost us? This week, Brittany sits down with Semafor's Max Tani, who breaks down how trust in the media has unraveled, what gender and race have to do with it, and the reason people are still fixating on why Kamala Harris didn't go on Joe Rogan. Plus, this week's UNtrending news: health benefits for sex workers!Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow Max on X and BlueSky Follow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook.

UNDISTRACTED celebrates its 100th episode! Brittany is joined by Alicia Garza, the activist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Organization, to reflect on the past four years, the state of our movements, and to discuss how we can chart a path forward. Plus: Brittany talks about post-election news, including the state of Ohio's Haitian migrant community, victories for the Working Families Party. And: a new report on school segregation, and a glimmer of hope in the Washington Spirit soccer team.Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook.

Who saw last week's election results coming? Among others, this week's guests—and they have a lot to say. As we approach the 100th episode of UNDISTRACTED, Brittany checks in with legendary abortion-rights activist Cecile Richards, who was our very first guest, about her new project Abortion in America, and what's ahead for all our rights. Then, Brittany speaks with journalist Paola Ramos about the far-right shift of some Latino voters— and the future of multiracial coalitions. Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & TikTok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook. 

Just 36 hours after Americans elected Donald Trump — again — Brittany sat down with the people she most wanted to process this with: group chat regulars Dr. Brittany Cooper and Dr. David Johns. This is a conversation of righteous rage, deep disappointment, and total honesty.Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook.  

As co-host of The View, Sunny Hostin spends her time working with and speaking to a bipartisan audience. So how's that going? With a week to go before the election, Brittany and Sunny talk about dividing lines, political surprises, and Sunny's epic clapbacks on behalf of Puerto Rico and the people she cares about. Plus: Brittany decodes this week's UNtrending News—and not all of it's about the election! Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook. 

Two years ago, Kaitlyn Joshua was desperately trying to obtain abortion care in Louisiana, which had enacted a severe ban after Dobbs. Today, she's telling her story to anyone who will listen, in an effort to help turn the election. She took a pit stop to hang with Brittany and talk about her fight for reproductive justice in the South and the challenges women of color face in healthcare. And she knows: This is so much bigger than Roe. Plus: Brittany brings you this week's UNtrending news.Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook.

With new accusations against Diddy dominating the headlines, Brittany sits down with Drew Dixon—who has shared her own powerful story of surviving abuse in the music industry. Together they get into the emotional toll of speaking out, the specific pushback Black women survivors face, and how Drew stopped living in “the fetal position” and reclaimed her life. It's an inspiring vision of a brighter future for hip-hop and for our lives. Plus, Brittany covers this week's UNtrending news.National Sexual Assault HotlineFollow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook.

Everybody watches women's sports…it's true! Brittany talks to iconic sports broadcaster and host of "The Making of a Rivalry" Cari Champion about what all these new eyes mean for the athletes, and the league. Plus: a new report on the mental health toll of anti-trans policies, the October 7 anniversary of the war in Gaza, and the Country Music Awards Beyoncé snub. Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook. 

We've got company! This week Brittany is joined by the group chat to cover the week's UNtrending news. Dr. Brittney Cooper and Dr. David Johns help us break down Hurricane Helene's real impact…the latest on college free-speech moves…and the voter suppression tactics afoot in swing states. It's a conversation full of our favorite cocktail: hard truths and hopeful solutions.NBJC Voting ToolKitNorth Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in DisasterFollow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook.

On this week's episode, Brittany sits down with Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party, and Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman, who wrote a speech we never got to hear at the DNC. Maurice talks strategy, Ruwa gets us inspired, and they answer that pressing question: What do you say to folks who still want to vote third party? Plus, Brittany brings you this week's UNtrending news.Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook

As Kamala Harris became the first Black and South Asian woman to receive a major party nomination for the presidency, Brittany sat down with Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Dr. Brittney Cooper at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. They unpack the highs and lows of this political moment, plus talk about what it means to be a Black woman in power.This episode of Undistracted was recorded live at “The Power Lounge” during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, hosted by Emerge and The Meteor. You can watch the full, unedited interview on YouTube.Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook. 

It's our first episode back! And Brittany knew who she wanted to talk to: Ava DuVernay, the visionary director who excels in “big-sister wisdom.” They get into everything about the state of the world now, from the DNC (cookout energy!)...to the way DuVernay's most recent film, Origin, reframes the world…to why DuVernay wishes Democrats would get “a little bit more bare-knuckle.” Plus, Brittany brings you the latest UNtrending news. This episode is brought to you in partnership with PEN America. Visit pen.org/undistracted to learn more about Banned Books Week.Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook

It's a brand new season of UNDISTRACTED, starting September 12th! Join host Brittany Packnett Cunningham as she tackles and makes sense of the news of the week—the bits you heard about, the bits you didn't, and what we're going to do about all of it. A lot has happened since we were last together, so make yourself comfortable; Brittany's got some extra special guests stopping by. Listen in, and let us know who you want to hear from!Follow Brittany on Instagram, Threads & Tik Tok @MsPackyettiFollow The Meteor on Instagram @themeteor and X @themeteor. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram @wmn.media, X @wmnmedia, and Facebook 

One year ago this week, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade—a momentous decision that has enabled 14 states to outlaw abortion so far. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham knew exactly who she wanted to talk to about that, and in this special episode, she sits down with Vice President Kamala Harris to talk about the chaos, the confusion, and what the White House should be doing to help patients and providers now. They get into all of it: what the VP thinks of the “extremist so-called leaders” behind the bans; the lawsuits the administration is filing, and the advice Kamala Harris says her mother would give her as she heads into the 2024 election. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One year ago this week, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade—a momentous decision that has enabled 14 states to outlaw abortion so far. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham knew exactly who she wanted to talk to about that, and in this special episode, she sits down with Vice President Kamala Harris to talk about the chaos, the confusion, and what the White House should be doing to help patients and providers now. They get into all of it: what the VP thinks of the “extremist so-called leaders” behind the bans; the lawsuits the administration is filing, and the advice Kamala Harris says her mother would give her as she heads into the 2024 election. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been five years exactly since millions of people, most of them women, stepped forward to say #MeToo. What have we learned since then? In our season finale, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Tarana Burke, the woman who started the movement back in 2006, along with playwright/attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle, and organizer/attorney Monica Ramirez. Their conversation is a reflection on our post-#MeToo world—and what we actually owe survivors. But first, as always, your UNtrending news.  Note: For more information on how to help the fight in Iran, visit Iran Human Rights To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been five years exactly since millions of people, most of them women, stepped forward to say #MeToo. What have we learned since then? In our season finale, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Tarana Burke, the woman who started the movement back in 2006, along with playwright/attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle, and organizer/attorney Monica Ramirez. Their conversation is a reflection on our post-#MeToo world—and what we actually owe survivors. But first, as always, your UNtrending news. Note: For more information on how to help the fight in Iran, visit Iran Human Rights To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The floods, the hurricanes, the wildfires…if you feel like you're living through a climate apocalypse, you're not wrong. But it's not all hellfire, says marine biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson—there are signs of progress if you know where to look. In this episode, the “climate futurist” sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to give our planet a report card from the point of view of science, policy and climate action. The results? Not what we expected. But first, this week's UNtrending news. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The floods, the hurricanes, the wildfires…if you feel like you're living through a climate apocalypse, you're not wrong. But it's not all hellfire, says marine biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson—there are signs of progress if you know where to look. In this episode, the “climate futurist” sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to give our planet a report card from the point of view of science, policy and climate action. The results? Not what we expected. But first, this week's UNtrending news. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congresswoman Cori Bush doesn't have the usual political resume: no Ivy League alma mater, no law degree, no generational wealth––but she's an organizer, a mother, a pastor and a survivor, and she's brought all those pieces of herself with her to Washington. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Rep. Bush to talk about her brand-new memoir, her harrowing journey to the Capitol, and what it's really like to survive in politics as a Black woman. But first, this week's UNtrending news. Note: For resources on how you can help asylum seekers in New York, see here. For more information on upcoming SCOTUS cases, see here and here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congresswoman Cori Bush doesn't have the usual political resume: no Ivy League alma mater, no law degree, no generational wealth––but she's an organizer, a mother, a pastor and a survivor, and she's brought all those pieces of herself with her to Washington. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Rep. Bush to talk about her brand-new memoir, her harrowing journey to the Capitol, and what it's really like to survive in politics as a Black woman. But first, this week's UNtrending news.Note:For resources on how you can help asylum seekers in New York, see here. For more information on upcoming SCOTUS cases, see here and here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do Stranger Things, social media and sexual violence all have in common? They all figure into Derecka Purnell's brilliant world philosophy about abolition—the effort to move beyond police, and the violence too often associated with them. In this episode, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with her friend, the writer and professor, to hear more. This is a conversation about scaling big ideas down to day-to-day practice. But first, this week's UNtrending News. For more information on abolitionist books resources, visit here or here. To sign up for The Meteor's newsletter, click here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do Stranger Things, social media and sexual violence all have in common? They all figure into Derecka Purnell's brilliant world philosophy about abolition—the effort to move beyond police, and the violence too often associated with them. In this episode, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with her friend, the writer and professor, to hear more. This is a conversation about scaling big ideas down to day-to-day practice. But first, this week's UNtrending News.For more information on abolitionist books resources, visit here or here.To sign up for The Meteor's newsletter, click here. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The funeral is over. The pomp has died down. But the conversations—not just around the monarchy, but around the legacy of imperialism—continue around the world. So host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with three women with different perspectives on the empire: writer Luvvie Ajayi Jones, professor and scholar Caroline Elkins, and the Meteor's Shannon Melero. Together they get into what the queen represented, what people still don't understand about colonialism, and their own families and experiences. But first, this week's UNtrending news. NOTE: To subscribe to the Meteor's newsletter, clink this link: https://themeteor.us/4K6pnN To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The funeral is over. The pomp has died down. But the conversations—not just around the monarchy, but around the legacy of imperialism—continue around the world. So host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with three women with different perspectives on the empire: writer Luvvie Ajayi, professor and scholar Caroline Elkins, and the Meteor's Shannon Melero. Together they get into what the queen represented, what people still don't understand about colonialism, and their own families and experiences. But first, this week's UNtrending news.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Hispanic Heritage Month! And Julissa Natzely Arce Raya has complicated feelings. The author of You Sound Like a White Girl sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about why some stories get told so much more than others—and what that costs us. You'll hear about rebel cheerleaders, solidarity between activists, the pressure to assimilate, and what Julissa learned from her journey through Wall Street. Plus, of course, this week's UNtrending news.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Hispanic Heritage Month! And Julissa Natzely Arce Raya has complicated feelings. The author of You Sound Like a White Girl sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about why some stories get told so much more than others—and what that costs us. You'll hear about rebel cheerleaders, solidarity between activists, the pressure to assimilate, and what Julissa learned from her journey through Wall Street. Plus, of course, this week's UNtrending news.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's all about the young folk this week: We've got Gen Z protestors disrupting anti-abortion galas…a student reporter holding colleges to task…and clever TikTokers lobbying for debt relief. And that's just in the first ten minutes! Then, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham talks to school librarian Jennisen Lucas and author George M. Johnson about the new wave of book banning, who's really behind it, and the lifelong damage it does– to students, and to all of us.  Note: Read Talia's Kantor Lieber's story about how colleges in hostile states are responding to the end of Roe: https://themeteor.us/iKxc5z. AND, to donate relief aid to Pakistan, here are some useful resources: Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Muslim Aid, and International Medical Corps. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's all about the young folk this week: We've got Gen Z protestors disrupting anti-abortion galas…a student reporter holding colleges to task…and clever TikTokers lobbying for debt relief. And that's just in the first ten minutes! Then, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham talks to school librarian Jennisen Lucas and author George M. Johnson about the new wave of book banning, who's really behind it, and the lifelong damage it does– to students, and to all of us. Note: Read Talia's Kantor Lieber's story about how colleges in hostile states are responding to the end of Roe: https://themeteor.us/iKxc5z. AND, to donate relief aid to Pakistan, here are some useful resources: Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Muslim Aid, and International Medical Corps. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

COVID taught us a lot of lessons—or did it? With MPV (aka monkeypox) here in its wake, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Dr. Monica Gandhi and Dr. David Johns to talk about what we're getting wrong, the rise of homophobic disinformation, and why it's still so hard for us to care for our neighbors. But first, this week's UNtrending news. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

COVID taught us a lot of lessons—or did it? With MPV (aka monkeypox) here in its wake, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Dr. Monica Gandhi and Dr. David Johns to talk about what we're getting wrong, the rise of homophobic disinformation, and why it's still so hard for us to care for our neighbors. But first, this week's UNtrending news. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The headlines say crime is up. And our politicians say more police are the answer. What's the truth? And what happened to all those abolitionist promises made in the summer of 2020? Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down to answer those questions with two brilliant guests: Pulitzer-winning journalist Wesley Lowery, who explains what the media's getting wrong about crime, and activist, writer and attorney Andrea Ritchie, who walks us through once and for all what abolition really means—and how we can take steps, big and little, to get there. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The headlines say crime is up. And our politicians say more police are the answer. What's the truth? And what happened to all those abolitionist promises made in the summer of 2020? Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down to answer those questions with two brilliant guests: Pulitzer-winning journalist Wesley Lowery, who explains what the media's getting wrong about crime, and activist, writer and attorney Andrea Ritchie, who walks us through once and for all what abolition really means—and how we can take steps, big and little, to get there. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's episode, Undistracted host Brittany Packnett Cunningham talks to journalist Caitlin Dickerson about one of the darkest policy moments in American history: the “Zero Tolerance” family separation initiative. Caitlin spent 18 months investigating family separation for The Atlantic. She conducted over 150 interviews in order to unpack the administrative decisions that led us here, as well as the collateral trauma still playing out today. In this conversation, we learn about the intentionality behind “Zero Tolerance,” the families that are still separated, and how actions like this can cause intergenerational wounds. But first, this week's UNtrending news. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's episode, Undistracted host Brittany Packnett Cunningham talks to journalist Caitlin Dickerson about one of the darkest policy moments in American history: the “Zero Tolerance” family separation initiative. Caitlin spent 18 months investigating family separation for The Atlantic. She conducted over 150 interviews in order to unpack the administrative decisions that led us here, as well as the collateral trauma still playing out today. In this conversation, we learn about the intentionality behind “Zero Tolerance,” the families that are still separated, and how actions like this can cause intergenerational wounds. But first, this week's UNtrending news. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“This started off as a conversation about Beyoncé,” says host Brittany Packnett Cunningham, “but like her music, it became about so many other things: the evolution of womanhood, our queer siblings, spiritual sexuality and giving Black women their things.” So settle in and listen to legendary music writer Danyel Smith, NPR reporter Ayesha Rascoe, and theologian Candice Benbow talk about it all—from the politics of Beyoncé to why her music means so much right now. There are belly laughs, tears, and moments of deep acknowledgment. But first, this week's UNtrending news.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“This started off as a conversation about Beyoncé,” says host Brittany Packnett Cunningham, “but like her music, it became about so many other things: the evolution of womanhood, our queer siblings, spiritual sexuality and giving Black women their things.” So settle in and listen to legendary music writer Danyel Smith, NPR reporter Ayesha Rascoe, and theologian Candice Benbow talk about it all—from the politics of Beyoncé to why her music means so much right now. There are belly laughs, tears, and moments of deep acknowledgment. But first, this week's UNtrending news.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The majority of Americans didn't want to see Roe v. Wade overturned—but it was. Most Americans want gun reform—but it doesn't happen. So the big question is: What's going on here? Maria Teresa Kumar, cofounder of Voto Latino, understands the answers, and she lays them out here, in conversation with correspondent Treasure Brooks. They talk gerrymandering, voter suppression and the very specific races we need to win this fall in order to make things better. And of course, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham breaks down this week's UNtrending news.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The majority of Americans didn't want to see Roe v. Wade overturned—but it was. Most Americans want gun reform—but it doesn't happen. So the big question is: What's going on here? Maria Teresa Kumar, cofounder of Voto Latino, understands the answers, and she lays them out here, in conversation with correspondent Treasure Brooks. They talk gerrymandering, voter suppression and the very specific races we need to win this fall in order to make things better. And of course, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham breaks down this week's UNtrending news.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"The media has such a limited understanding about Black femaleness,” says Phoebe Robinson, the actress, comedian, writer, podcast host and producer. “But the complexity is always more interesting!” So she and Brittany Packnett Cunningham go complex (and hilarious) in this episode, talking about Robinson's new show, “Everything's Trash”; the prospect of a Black Carrie Bradshaw; and also our trash world, beginning but not ending with Clarence Thomas. And first–this week's UNtrending news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"The media has such a limited understanding about Black femaleness,” says Phoebe Robinson, the actress, comedian, writer, podcast host and producer. “But the complexity is always more interesting!” So she and Brittany Packnett Cunningham go complex (and hilarious) in this episode, talking about Robinson's new show, “Everything's Trash”; the prospect of a Black Carrie Bradshaw; and also our trash world, beginning but not ending with Clarence Thomas. And first–this week's UNtrending news. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You know gun violence is an American epidemic. But…why? And how do we get out of this mess? Jennifer Mascia understands those answers better than almost anyone. As a reporter with The Trace, her entire beat is gun violence. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with her to talk about the highs and lows of the last few weeks, the threat of civil conflict, and exactly what's wrong with the “good guy with a gun” theory. All that, and this week's UNtrending news.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You know gun violence is an American epidemic. But…why? And how do we get out of this mess? Jennifer Mascia understands those answers better than almost anyone. As a reporter with The Trace, her entire beat is gun violence. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with her to talk about the highs and lows of the last few weeks, the threat of civil conflict, and exactly what's wrong with the “good guy with a gun” theory. All that, and this week's UNtrending news.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Written and narrated by award-winning author and Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, “History is US” is a 6-part audio documentary produced and developed by C13Originals that asks questions about who we are as a nation, and what race might reveal about our current crisis. Through the voices of distinguished historians and scholars, this limited series gives listeners the background and education to understand how we got here and how we can all use history to clarify the choices before us. There will always be something distinct about our present day, yet history haunts. “History is US” is a presentation of Shining City Audio, a C13Originals and Jon Meacham Studio. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“I would rather be a voice and an advocate for my people than sit and smile in the face of bullshit.” That's host Tiffany Cross' philosophy—and the reason she consistently centers BIPOC voices on her MSNBC show. In this episode, recorded live in Washington, D.C., she and Brittany (colleagues *and* friends) get real about everything from the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade to what exactly is lighting up the group chat these days. All that, plus your UNtrending news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices