Twigg and Jenkins

In this episode of Twigg & Jenkins, Carri and Brad break down the ICE killing in Minneapolis and what it reveals about Trump’s second-term playbook: secret police tactics, blue-city chaos, and a push toward a MAGA ethnostate. They explore how everyday people—soccer moms, local organizers, doctors, and other law enforcement—used viral visuals and protest to flip ICE’s “law and order” narrative and build a cultural firewall against state violence.​ They then zoom out to the 2026 midterms, unpacking efforts to undermine elections from Fulton County to voter-roll power grabs, and argue for a new wave of cultural projects that make voting feel urgent, legitimate, and deeply American. Come for their questioning whether the Democratic Party can meet the moment and spotlight the unexpected power of non-political influencers, and leave with their hilarious back‑and‑forth over the Melania documentary. Be sure to click that FOLLOW button on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube, so that you don’t miss out on our coverage of the most pressing and interesting news stories.  Have thoughts about this episode? Have ideas on topics we should discuss? Let us know! Email us at [email protected], DM us, or leave a comment on YouTube. Also, share this episode with a friend, a bestie, or humans you want to foster political discourse with.  Twigg & Jenkins is produced by Culture House and Enfranchisement Productions. The photograph featured in this episode’s artwork was taken by Eze Amos. Follow him on Instagram @ezeamosphotography.

In this episode of Twigg & Jenkins, Carri and Brad zoom in on a chaotic week that says everything about late empire America, from Trump’s surreal Greenland stunt at Davos to Gavin Newsom hosting Ben Shapiro and saying what’s happening in Gaza is “not a genocide.” They debate whether Gavin’s right‑wing podcast tour is a savvy bet against disqualification politics or the beginning of the end for a 2028 hopeful who’s badly misreading a generation for whom Gaza is a moral and political sorting mechanism. They also widen the lens to where politics and culture collide: citizen‑led resistance to ICE raids, local influencers already preparing to tell a different story before federal power shows up, and what it means when everyday people with phones are doing the narrative work national Democrats keep ducking. To come up for air, they close on Oscar obsession—from Sinners breaking records and Ryan Coogler’s place in the canon, to Hamnet and Marty Supreme, to why the Academy’s move to stream the ceremony on YouTube signals a new era in which “prestige” has to meet audiences where they actually are, not the other way around.​ Be sure to click that FOLLOW button on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube, so that you don’t miss out on our coverage of the most pressing and interesting news stories.  Have thoughts about this episode? Have ideas on topics we should discuss? Let us know! Email us at [email protected], DM us, or leave a comment on YouTube. Also, share this episode with a friend, a bestie, or humans you want to foster political discourse with.  Twigg & Jenkins is produced by Culture House and Enfranchisement Productions.

This episode of Twigg & Jenkins takes on the state of American democracy in 2026 (and it’s only been a week and a half), zooming out from any one scandal to the broader ecosystem that keeps Trumpism alive. Carri and Brad talk about a political class that feels both exhausted and reckless at the same time—Democrats who won’t fully use their power, and MAGA Republicans who are already laying the groundwork to call the next elections illegitimate. They explore how narrative, culture, and time are being weaponized: from Trump floating canceling elections to his allies seeding doubt about voting machines and mail‑in ballots long before anyone casts a vote.​ Instead of just recapping outrages, they ask what it would mean to actually match that level of planning and urgency—calling out not only Trump but the entire circle of enablers around him, while also building a “cultural firewall” strong enough to withstand a year of disinformation and bad‑faith myth‑making. From Minneapolis to Elizabeth Warren to the Golden Globes and the Las Culturistas drama, the time is now to use culture to show and tell a narrative of life beyond Trumpism. It’s a conversation about courage, consequences, and whether our institutions and storytellers can catch up to the moment before it’s too late. Be sure to click that FOLLOW button on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube, so that you don’t miss out on our coverage of the most pressing and interesting news stories.  Have thoughts about this episode? Have ideas on topics we should discuss? Let us know! Email us at [email protected], DM us, or leave a comment on YouTube. Also, share this episode with a friend, a bestie, or humans you want to foster political discourse with.  Twigg & Jenkins is produced by Culture House and Enfranchisement Productions.

Happy New Year! It’s our final installment of the Twigg & Jenkins “Best of 2025” miniseries. Brad shares his top 5. From the fate of late-night TV to right-wing influencers' infighting to the best hip hop album, Brad details how culture and politics have kept us on our toes.  Be sure to click that FOLLOW button on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube, so that you don’t miss out on our coverage of the most pressing and interesting news stories.  Have thoughts about this episode? Have ideas on topics we should discuss? Let us know! Email us at [email protected], DM us, or leave a comment on YouTube. Also, share this episode with a friend, a bestie, or humans you want to foster political discourse with.  Twigg & Jenkins is produced by Culture House and Enfranchisement Productions.

We’re back for part 2 in Carri’s  “Best of 2025” list. As a reminder,  she has labeled the list  2025 - The Year of the American Story Crisis: We are not arguing over policy — we are arguing over who we are.  From her thoughts around mythmaking to platform power to politics following culture, Carri AND Brad has lots to say on poignant moments or themes that kept them thinking all year. Be sure to click that FOLLOW button on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube, so that you don’t miss out on our coverage of the most pressing and interesting news stories.  Have thoughts about this episode? Have ideas on topics we should discuss? Let us know! Email us at [email protected], DM us, or leave a comment on YouTube. Also, share this episode with a friend, a bestie, or humans you want to foster political discourse with.  Twigg & Jenkins is produced by Culture House and Enfranchisement Productions.

In the second installment of the Twigg & Jenkins “Best of 2025” miniseries, Brad launches into his best-of list. Brad covers politics, culture, and what is bringing him joy. Next up in this miniseries is Carri’s top 5, so stay tuned for the next episode.  Be sure to click that FOLLOW button on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube, so that you don’t miss out on our coverage of the most pressing and interesting news stories.  Have thoughts about this episode? Have ideas on topics we should discuss? Let us know! Email us at [email protected], DM us, or leave a comment on YouTube. Also, share this episode with a friend, a bestie, or humans you want to foster political discourse with.  Twigg & Jenkins is produced by Culture House and Enfranchisement Productions.

In this episode of Twigg & Jenkins, Carri and Brad launch their “Best of 2025” miniseries. Carri begins with the first part of her list.  2025: The Year of the American Story Crisis: We are not arguing over policy — we are arguing over who we are.  This list is too juicy to reveal here, so tune for the reflection, the debate and the laughter Twigg & Jenkins style. Keep your eyes peeled for the next episode, where Brad reveals the first half of his list. Be sure to click that FOLLOW button on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube, so that you don’t miss out on our coverage of the most pressing and interesting news stories.  Have thoughts about this episode? Have ideas on topics we should discuss? Let us know! Email us at [email protected], DM us, or leave a comment on YouTube. Also, share this episode with a friend, a bestie, or humans you want to foster political discourse with.  Twigg & Jenkins is produced by Culture House and Enfranchisement Productions.

In this culture-focused episode, Carri and Brad share many examples that shed light on Carri's saying, "Culture is how Americans understand the world." From the Gold Globes adding a podcast category to Tom Cruise's work ethic to Carri's dislike for Spotify's Wrapped. Brad's deep dive into the H Mart / Madeline TikTok controversy sheds light on America's race issues, culture, and cultural appropriation, becoming a battleground for identity and inclusion. They also expound on how the White House's rage-bait social media tactics are setting us up to expect propoganda-esk future seasons of  ICE and Border Patrol procedurals on our TV screens. Political theatre in all its forms is working to distract and overwhelm so that we don't dig deep and create generational protest art and doomscrool instead.  As Public Enemy says, "Fight the Power." Be sure to click that FOLLOW button on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube, so that you don’t miss out on our coverage of the most pressing and interesting news stories.  Have thoughts about this episode? Have ideas on topics we should discuss? Let us know! Email us at [email protected], DM us, or leave a comment on YouTube. Also, share this episode with a friend, a bestie, or humans you want to foster political discourse with.  Twigg & Jenkins is produced by Culture House and Enfranchisement Productions.

In this episode of Twigg & Jenkins, Carri and Brad dive into the new politics of fame, where clout, charisma, and camera-readiness are treated like core qualifications for office. From Donald Trump’s glowing Oval Office embrace of Zohran Mamdani to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s dramatic exit from Congress after cashing in on her brand, they trace how “just wanting to be famous” has become the shared job description for journalists, candidates, and influencers-turned-candidates alike. They turn to the Olivia Nuzzi saga and her buzzy new book, digging into how the media class has responded with a mix of fascination, venom, and disappointment. Carri and Brad talk about how much of the backlash feels gendered, and what Nuzzi’s transformation into a main character says about a political media ecosystem. They break down why Trump’s easy charm and star-gazer instincts still keep catching Democrats flat-footed, how Zohran managed to win the day without getting sucked into Trump’s orbit, and what MTG’s departure says about the future of MAGA and a post-Trump Republican Party. Then they zoom out to the influencer primary in New York, where online clout crashes into real-world vote totals, raising the question: does being good at content actually translate into power at the ballot box? PLUS, they discuss the Netflix Warner Brothers merger and what it means to the state of democracy and the power that the media has over information. Across it all, Carri and Brad wrestle with what this era of attention-as-currency means for democracy itself: who wins, who loses, and whether substance can still break through in a system increasingly optimized for spectacle. Be sure to click that FOLLOW button on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube, so that you don’t miss out on our coverage of the most pressing and interesting news stories.  Have thoughts about this episode? Have ideas on topics we should discuss? Let us know! Email us at [email protected], DM us, or leave a comment on YouTube. Also, share this episode with a friend, a bestie, or humans you want to foster political discourse with.  Twigg & Jenkins is produced by Culture House and Enfranchisement Productions.

In this engaging episode, Carri and Brad interview cultural strategist Yosi Sargent, diving into how culture and politics intersect. Yosi shares his experiences from his iconic Obama campaign work to more recent efforts in integrating creative arts into political movements. The conversation explores the history, challenges, and potential solutions for fostering a vibrant, influential cultural infrastructure that supports progressive values. The discussion also highlights the importance of micro-communication, perpetual engagement, and the need for strategic investment in cultural storytelling. Be sure to click that FOLLOW button on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or SUBSCRIBE button on YouTube, so that you don’t miss out on our coverage of the most pressing and interesting news stories.  Have thoughts about this episode? Have ideas on topics we should discuss? Let us know! Email us at [email protected], DM us, or leave a comment on YouTube. Also, share this episode with a friend, a bestie, or humans you want to foster political discourse with.  Twigg & Jenkins is produced by Culture House and Enfranchisement Productions.