🌟 Welcome to Episode #6 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟

🎙️ Before this podcast, we launched our journey on Substack—where we shared sharp takes on current events, deep dives into policy, and personal reflections on the state of politics. Now, we’re bringing that same energy—and our signature voice—straight to your favorite podcast platform!

🌈 This week, we’re honored to welcome Cody and Adam Dahlson to the podcast—a married couple who, less than a year ago, became the proud parents of twins. But their path into parenthood has been anything but easy. From a premature birth and days spent in the NICU to the devastating discovery that both Finnley and Hadley have a rare neurological disorder, their story is one of courage, grit, and the kind of love that shows up, even when the future is uncertain.

👶🏼 In this moving conversation, we talk about:

• How they met and built a life together 💕
• The decision to grow their family and the logistics of parenthood as a same-sex couple 🏳️‍🌈
• What it was like finding out they were having twins 👶🏻👶🏻
• The early arrival and what life in the NICU taught them about fear, strength, and hope 🏥
• Noticing something different with Finnley and the long road to answers 🧠
• Getting a life-changing diagnosis—for both twins—and what that means going forward 💔
• How they’re turning pain into purpose through advocacy and community 🫂
• The upcoming KAND conference and what they hope to gain and share there 🎤

💡 Learn more about KIF1A-Associated Neurological Disorder (KAND):

🔗 https://www.kif1a.org/

〽️ To support Ronald McDonald House:

🔗http://bit.ly/4lcBJnb

💚 Want to support Cody, Adam, and their twins directly? Donate to their GoFundMe:

🔗 http://bit.ly/4m8TYKL

🕯️ This episode is a reminder of what love looks like when it’s tested. When it digs in. When it refuses to give up. Cody and Adam’s story will move you, challenge you, and stay with you.

💬 If this conversation touched you, please like, comment, and share. It helps us bring these powerful stories to more people—and helps build the kind of compassionate community we all need right now.

📲 Follow us @thepoliticschicks on Substack, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok, and Bluesky.

🌟 Thanks for being here. Thanks for caring.

And remember:

💙 Keep shining your light so we can find each other in the dark 🔦, and we’re stronger together 🤲.

🌟Welcome to Episode #5 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟

🎙️ Before this podcast, we launched our journey on Substack—where we shared sharp takes on current events, deep dives into policy, and personal reflections on the state of politics. Now, we’re bringing that same energy—and our signature voice—straight to your favorite podcast platform!

🐓This week, we’re bringing you our take on some of the craziness in the world, but also some “Hope in the Henhouse:” reasons to keep hope alive.

🎢 In this episode, we talk about:

🐊 Trump teaching ICE detainees how to Run from Alligators 🙄

😬 Lisa Murkowski's (well deserved) awkward moment after being told she was called a sell-out by Sen. Rand Paul.

🧊 Continued ICE raids around the country and what that looks like:
Masked agents with no identification or warrants, including the detainment of a father of 3 US Marines in California

🎤 The Chicks sharing their top three independent journalists

🌞 Some much-needed Hope in the Henhouse, including finding the beauty in everyday life 🖼️🎶🌹, realizing self-fulfillment by serving others 🎁 , and Monica's 30th wedding anniversary 💕.

💌We would love your input! If you have topics you’d like to hear about, news to share, a shout-out to give - please let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

💌 If this conversation moved you, taught you, or made you think—please like, comment, and share. It helps us get these stories in front of more eyes and helps us keep growing this incredible community of listeners who care deeply.

📱 Find and follow us on Substack, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

How One School is Rewriting the Story for Kids Like Dempsey

🌟 Welcome to Episode #4 of The Politics Chicks Podcast! 🌟

🎙️ Before this podcast, we launched our journey on Substack—where we shared sharp takes on current events, deep dives into policy, and personal reflections on the state of politics. Now, we’re bringing that same energy—and our signature voice—straight to your favorite podcast platform!
This week, we’re honored to bring you one of the most powerful and heartfelt conversations we’ve had so far. ❤️‍🔥

👩‍🏫 Meet Sher U-F, a trailblazing educator who leads the Compass Classroom at Glen Lake Elementary—a space designed for students with the most significant disabilities.

👩‍👦 And meet Kelly Becker, mother to Dempsey, a child with complex disabilities whose presence in the world is quietly revolutionary.
🎢 In this episode, we talk about:

What true inclusion looks like—and how it transforms everyone involved

❤️ How Dempsey, though nonverbal, is teaching his classmates kindness, empathy, and strength

🧑🏻‍🦼‍➡️Why accessible playgrounds and classrooms are just the beginning

💔 The pain of public misconceptions and the beauty of breaking them

👀 Why being seen matters just as much as being accommodated

🎥 Special thanks to Hopkins School District and videographer Thomas Riley for allowing us to share their moving video about the incredible work being done at Glen Lake Elementary. What they’ve built there isn’t just a program—it’s a model for how schools everywhere could and should show up for kids of all abilities. You can find the video here: https://vimeo.com/1031702405?&login=true#_=_

📚 We also spotlight a beautiful children’s book A Swing for Samara by Minnesota author and illustrator Nancy Carlson, inspired by Glen Lake’s accessible playground. It’s a joyful reminder that all children deserve to swing, climb, laugh, and play—together. You can find more about Nancy here: https://nancycarlson.com/

♿ Build accessible playgrounds! What started as The Glen Lake Accessible Playground Project blossomed into a non-profit. Students at West Middle School in the Hopkins District continue to raise money to build accessible playgrounds across Minnesota. https://www.mnplayforall.org/

✨ Whether you’re a parent, teacher, student, policymaker, or just someone who believes in a more compassionate world, this episode is for you. Here are some useful links for inclusive education information:

• The Pacer Center https://www.pacer.org/
• The Inclusion Project https://www.inclusionproject.org/
• The Nora Project https://thenoraproject.ngo/

💌 If this conversation moved you, taught you, or made you think—please like, comment, and share. It helps us get these stories in front of more eyes and helps us keep growing this incredible community of listeners who care deeply.

📱 Find and follow us on Substack, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

🕯️ Keep shining your light so we can find each other in the dark.

💪 And remember: we are stronger together.

#ThePoliticsChicks #InclusionMatters #DisabilityAwareness #AccessiblePlay #RepresentationMatters #DempseyStrong #KindnessIsPower #GlenLakeElementary