Motherhood, Addiction, and Democracy w/ Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen

Leslie Herod is back in the studio with Cole Wist — and there is a LOT to talk about. First, Leslie and Cole break down what’s taking over their feeds: influencer etiquette at the U.S. Open, the explosion of AI “slop,” Donald Trump’s latest online distractions, and what those distractions may be keeping Americans from talking about. They also reflect on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, how divided the country has become, and what national unity looks like today. Then, Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen joins the show for a deeply personal conversation about her journey from community organizer to the United States Congress. Brittany opens up about growing up with a mother struggling with opioid addiction, becoming the first person in her family to graduate from high school and college, and how those experiences shaped her work on addiction, fentanyl, treatment and recovery policy. The conversation gets into one of the biggest questions facing Colorado: do we address addiction through treatment — or incarceration? Leslie, Cole and Brittany also tackle the growing political debate over working moms and stay-at-home moms, the realities of raising children while serving in public office, and why Brittany bringing her newborn onto the floor of Congress became such a powerful moment for women across the country. Plus: Are Colorado’s mail ballots safe? What should voters be watching heading into the midterms? And what could a Democratic majority in Congress actually mean for the final two years of the Trump administration? Brittany leaves us with a message worth remembering: **“Democracy is a team sport.”** And in this week’s **What’s Bugging Us**, college football is back — but has NIL and the transfer portal changed college sports for the worse? Leslie, who helped pass one of the nation’s early NIL laws in Colorado, weighs in on what’s working, what isn’t, and what may need to change. This is politics, policy and lived experience — because politics is personal. 👍 LIKE this episode 💬 COMMENT with your take 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes 📲 SHARE it with someone who should be part of the conversation **Politics is Personal with Leslie Herod & Cole Wist** Politics is personal, so keep talking.