Left In The Attic

Left In The Attic
  • 4.3 (35)
  • Politics

Left in the Attic is a Colorado born podcast where two friends, Ana and Deep, discuss politics, power, community, and big life transitions while filming in an actual attic in Denver. Expect local and national headline debriefs, organizing stories, the chaos of life transitions (Ana in a career pivot & dating in Denver, Deep having a newborn), and guests who are doing the work in communities. If you are politically heartbroken but still hungry for hope, this podcast is for you. Meet Your Hosts Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. According to Deep, Ana has a dating life that could probably be its own podcast segment. Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  Links: Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com Instagram: @leftintheatticpod TikTok: @left.in.the.attic Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

  1. 17h ago

    LITA 33: A Nice Little Propaganda Machine with Logan Davis on Phil Anschutz and Advance Colorado

    Days before the election, Ana and Deep welcome Logan Davis, investigative columnist at the Colorado Times Recorder and author of The Red Print, the award-winning map of Advance Colorado’s money, to explain who built the longest ballot in state history and why. Logan walks through how Advance emerged in 2020 to deliver for Phil Anschutz after the Colorado GOP made itself unelectable, how a Democratic legislature anointed Michael Fields by negotiating property tax cuts with him in 2023, and how $14 million moved in 2024 from family foundations and donor-advised funds through a dozen groups with the same officers and the same compliance person. Then the whole shop: Anschutz funds the groups that write the measures, the think tank that blesses them, and the newspapers that endorse them, and this month his companies told employees at the Broadmoor, Xanterra, and Anschutz Exploration to follow the Gazette’s voter guide. Also: why the Colorado Democratic Party is holding election night at an AEG venue, why eight of this year’s measures are built to win lawsuits later, and a twenty-minute argument between Deep and Logan over Amendment 85 that neither of them wins. Tea Time with Logan: predictions on every statewide race and all fourteen measures, Boebert, CD-8, Talarico, El-Sayed, and whether 134 and 135 pass. Last episode of the election cycle. Who Is Advance Colorado? whoisadvancecolorado.org The Red Print, Colorado Times Recorder: https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2025/08/the-redprint-how-advance-colorado-and-anonymous-donors-shape-the-political-landscape/72168/ Colorado Times Recorder: coloradotimesrecorder.com  Check our our new substack: leftintheattic.substack.com/  The LITA November 2026 Ballot Guide: leftintheattic.com/voterguide  Chapters00:00 A Nice Little Propaganda Machine 00:49 Halloween Weekend And The Party Bus 02:57 Meet Logan Davis 03:37 “I Found A Candidate’s Second Family” 07:05 The Political Workers Guild 10:17 Advance Colorado Fills The GOP Vacuum 15:59 The Property Tax Blackmail 25:29 Reading The 990s Backwards 30:13 The Award-Winning Flowchart 35:34 Twelve Groups, One Compliance Person 39:25 MAGA Or Chamber Of Commerce? 41:43 Who Anschutz Funds In Washington 45:37 Batting .500 With Eight On The Ballot 49:05 Courts, Power, And North Carolina 51:26 Initiatives, Think Tank, Newspapers 52:52 The Broadmoor Emails 54:43 Election Night At An Anschutz Venue 59:12 Eight Measures Built To Sue Later 01:03:47 The Amendment 85 Fight 01:22:12 Michael Fields DM’d Ana 01:25:21 Tea Time: Predictions 01:30:51 The Measures, Pass Or Fail 01:35:15 Talarico, El-Sayed, Mejía 01:37:47 Call To Action 01:39:01 Wrap And Outtakes  Meet Your Hosts Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action.  Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and the founder of Lamp Strategies, a public affairs firm, with more than a decade of experience shaping campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, Colorado House Democrats staff, and Capitol lobbyist for Denver Public Schools, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights, and turns up on TV and radio to argue about all of it. He's the son of Punjabi immigrants, a Colorado Springs kid, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community, not saviors, will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything from food and sports to politics.  Links: Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com Instagram: @leftintheatticpod TikTok: @leftintheattic  Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

  2. Oct 23

    LITA 32: The Closest Thing On The Ballot, Jack Teter on Props 134, 135, and How Colorado Became the Battle Ground for the Anti-Trans Movement

    Ana and Deep welcome Jack Teter, Vice President of Government Affairs at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains and a leader of the Families Not Politics coalition, to break down the two anti-trans measures on your ballot, Propositions 134 and 135. First, who’s behind them: Protect Kids Colorado, with a former state senator who once tried to make abortion punishable by death on its board and an anti-abortion group as its biggest funder. Then what they do. Prop 134 bans trans kids from school sports starting in kindergarten, defines sex by egg and sperm production in children who produce neither, and leaves 179 school districts with no instructions on who checks a kid’s gender or how. The proponents’ answer is a $1,000 cheek swab, and the real effect is that any girl who’s too tall or too strong can be accused. Prop 135 bans surgeries that Children’s Hospital and Denver Health already don’t perform on minors, while its vague exceptions leave out congenital conditions like hypospadias, so the kids most likely to lose care aren’t trans at all. Jack explains why the voters who matter are pro-choice Democrats who signed the petition at the grocery store, why it’s okay to have questions, and why these are polling neck and neck in a state that could be the only one in the country to beat them. Help Defeat Props 134 and 135:Families Not Politics: mobilize.us/familiesnotpolitics  Canvass with Denver DSA: mobilize.us/voteno134135  Colorado Springs canvass, Sat Oct 24: mobilize.us/familiesnotpolitics/event/1069232  Denver canvass with PWN and ACLU, Sun Oct 25: mobilize.us/familiesnotpolitics/event/1015974  Aurora canvass, Sat Oct 31: mobilize.us/familiesnotpolitics/event/1067169  Boulder canvass, Sun Nov 1: mobilize.us/familiesnotpolitics/event/1067170  Check our our new Substack: leftintheattic.substack.com/  The LITA November 2026 Ballot Guide: leftintheattic.com/voterguide  Chapters 00:00 No One Has Ever Beaten One Of These 03:10 Meet Jack Teter 05:50 What Planned Parenthood Of The Rocky Mountains Does 09:30 Who Is Protect Kids Colorado? 09:50 Astroturf, Explained 11:00 Focus On The Family And The Evangelical Vatican 16:40 What Prop 134 Actually Does 18:00 “They Don’t Understand Basic Biology” 19:30 The $1,000 Cheek Swab 21:10 “You Are Not A Bigot If You Have Questions” 23:30 Who Gets Accused 28:20 What Prop 135 Actually Does 31:20 Hernias, Hypospadias, And Kids Who Aren’t Trans 33:50 Hospitals Already Don’t Do These Surgeries 39:40 Who We Actually Need To Talk To 44:00 “You Should Be Really Suspicious” 44:20 A Ballot Built For Solidarity 50:50 How To Help 54:10 Polling Neck And Neck 55:00 Wrap And Subscribe Meet Your Hosts Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action.  Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and the founder of Lamp Strategies, a public affairs firm, with more than a decade of experience shaping campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, Colorado House Democrats staff, and Capitol lobbyist for Denver Public Schools, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights, and turns up on TV and radio to argue about all of it. He's the son of Punjabi immigrants, a Colorado Springs kid, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community, not saviors, will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything from food and sports to politics.  Links: Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com Instagram: @leftintheatticpod TikTok: @leftintheattic  Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

  3. Oct 10

    LITA 31: Governor Jared Polis on Education, Housing, Socialism, Tina Peters, and Amendment 87

    Ana and Deep welcome Governor Jared Polis to the attic for a conversation about eight years in office and where he and the left part ways. Polis walks through the education record and the gaps that remain, then defends a supply-side approach to housing where he and the hosts agree right up until rent stabilization. Ana asks the question the episode turns on: if the referee is paid by one team, is the referee impartial? Polis says no, backs publicly financed elections, and says he never took PAC money. Then the disagreements: the surveillance pricing veto, whether the billionaires who own the venues get to decide who speaks (Melat Kiros’s canceled rally), why Europe’s universal healthcare proves capitalism works, why Donald Trump is a socialist, and why he commuted Tina Peters’s sentence instead of letting a judge resentence her. In the ballot lightning round, Polis calls Amendment 87 “the worst one on the ballot,” backs Prop NN, calls Amendment 83 “awful,” and says the anti-trans measures are “nasty and mean.” In Tea Time, Ana and Deep debrief an interview that went friendlier than they expected, disclose their paid work on 84, 85, 7A, and 132, and walk through the LITA ballot guide: yes on 85, 87, NN, and 7A, no on everything else. The LITA Substack Is Live: Subscribe to get the next one here: leftintheattic.substack.com/  The LITA November 2026 Ballot Guide: [insert link]The LITA endorsements grid: leftintheattic.com/voterguide#grid Make your own ballot guide and see what 85 would change:  https://www.courageouscoloradoaction.org/no-84-yes-85#create-your-guide  Disclosures: Deep is contracted for communications and strategy work on the No on 84 and Yes on 85 campaigns through Courageous Colorado Action. Ana did paid content for the Colorado Connector (7A),  previously did paid content for the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, which opposes Prop 132, and is contracted for communications work on 84 and 85. We held every one of these positions before any contract existed and would do so freely! Chapters 00:00 The Worst One On The Ballot 00:33 Sparkling Water And South Park 02:51 Meet Governor Jared Polis 06:03 The Education Governor’s Ledger 18:50 Supply Side vs. Tenant Protections 24:32 Is The Referee Impartial? “No.” 30:58 The Surveillance Pricing Veto 36:42 Who Gets A Microphone: Melat’s Canceled Rally with Hasan Piker 41:53 Healthcare, Capitalism, And Socialist Trump? 48:03 Tina Peters: Why Not Let The Judge Do It? 52:10 Lightning Round: 87 Is “Devastating” 01:04:53 A Message For The Left: 55 Percent 01:06:50 Tea Time: The Debrief 01:13:20 The LITA Ballot Guide 01:20:28 Why We’re A Yes On 85 01:31:48 The Rest Of The Ballot 01:42:43 Wrap And Behind The Scenes  Meet Your Hosts Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action.  Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.   Links: Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com Instagram: @leftintheatticpod TikTok: @leftintheattic  Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

  4. Oct 2

    LITA 30: Why 97% of Coloradans Could Pay Lower Taxes Under Amendment 87 with Caroline Nutter

    Ana and Deep sit down with Caroline Nutter, policy manager at the Colorado Fiscal Institute, to break down Amendment 87, the graduated income tax on your November ballot and the biggest structural change to Colorado’s tax code since TABOR passed in 1992. Caroline walks through what TABOR actually does and what 87 changes: it strikes one line of the constitution, replaces the flat 4.4 percent with brackets from 3.7 to 8.4 percent, and only raises rates above $500,000. The result is a tax cut for 97 percent of Coloradans and about $2.7 billion a year for healthcare, K-12, and childcare, held in a separate fund with annual audits. Then the myth-busting. Michael Fields claims 87 raises taxes on seniors and veterans. It doesn’t. Pension and Social Security deductions are untouched, and 97 to 98 percent of seniors and veterans get a cut. They also cover what happens if 87 and Prop 136 both pass, why 95 percent of small businesses pay less, and the 1,000 volunteers who gathered 75 percent of the signatures from Creede to Moffat to Durango. In Tea Time: why there are two different progressive coalitions fixing TABOR this year, Lauren Boebert’s $200,000 ethics complaint, the Tamale Act, and next week’s guest, Governor Jared Polis. The LITA Substack Is Live Check out our first issue: They Will Call the Graduated Income Tax Socialism. It's a Moderate Compromise. Harshy Kaur Badhesha's debut Harsh Take breaks down Colorado's three November tax measures (vote yes on NN, yes on Amendment 87, no on Prop 136) and makes the case that treating TABOR as untouchable is moderate cowardice. Subscribe to get the next one here: leftintheattic.substack.com/  Yes on 87: protectcoloradosfuture.com (phone banks twice a week, donate) Colorado Fiscal Institute: coloradofiscal.org  The Taxman, Colorado Public Radio (the Douglas Bruce story): https://www.cpr.org/podcast/the-taxman/  City Cast Denver: Lauren Boebert Can’t Lose: https://denver.citycast.fm/lauren-boebert-cant-lose-podcast  Chapters 00:00 97% Get a Tax Cut 00:32 Today We’re Talking Taxes 00:51 No TV, Just Friends On YouTube 03:18 Meet Caroline Nutter 05:44 “What’s TABOR?” Said The State Rep 07:04 Doug Bruce Was A Landlord 11:04 What Amendment 87 Actually Does 13:26 Marginal Rates And The Buckets 15:17 Michael Fields’ $7.2 Billion Claim 18:47 Seniors And Veterans Get A Cut 24:29 What If 87 And 136 Both Pass? 26:53 95% Of Small Businesses Pay Less 28:32 Where The $2.7 Billion Goes 31:19 CCAP Is Frozen Everywhere 31:50 The Moment Of Courage 32:57 1,000 Volunteers, 75% Of Signatures 36:48 Text Your Group Chat 38:47 Tea Time: Why Two Coalitions? 45:39 Lauren Boebert’s $200K Hush Money 51:23 Next Week: Governor Jared Polis Meet Your Hosts Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action.  Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.   Links: Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com Instagram: @leftintheatticpod TikTok: @leftintheattic  Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

  5. Sep 23

    LITA 29: Only 2% of Elected Officials Are Latino with Uriel Espinoza on Closing the Registration Gap, Plus Macklemore's Cancellation and the Denver Mayor Interviews

    Ana and Deep welcome Uriel Espinoza, co-founder of Momento Presents and senior advisor for public engagement at Courageous Colorado, for Hispanic Heritage Month. Uriel breaks down Colorado's Latino registration gap (56% of registered Latinos statewide are unaffiliated, and 250,000 eligible Latinos in Colorado aren't registered at all), why candidates keep treating Latino outreach as an afterthought, and why leading with culture instead of policy forums is the fix. He previews Momento's October 2nd voter registration concert at Levitt Pavilion, featuring DJ Bolo, following their 2024 event that registered nearly 4,000 new voters. He also doesn't hold back on Manny Rutinel, calling out the CD-8 candidate's authenticity. Then in T-Time: Macklemore gets dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour after a pro-Palestine statement, and Ana and Deep connect it directly to Melat Kiros's canceled Denver venues earlier this year. They close by reacting to the Kyle Clark interviews with Mike Johnston, Lisa Calderón, and Shontel Lewis on their relationships to Democratic socialism, including Lisa's contradiction (a dues-paying DSA member who won't call herself one). Plus: the first issue of the LITA Substack is live. The LITA Substack Is Live Our first issue dropped this week: They Will Call the Graduated Income Tax Socialism. It's a Moderate Compromise. Harshy Kaur Badhesha's debut Harsh Take breaks down Colorado's three November tax measures (vote yes on NN, yes on Amendment 87, no on Prop 136) and makes the case that treating TABOR as untouchable is moderate cowardice. Plus more! leftintheattic.substack.com/  Momento Presents: @momentopresents on Instagram October 2nd Voter Registration Concert (DJ Bolo, Levitt Pavilion): RSVP here https://tickets.venuepilot.com/e/bolo-2026-10-02-levitt-pavilion-denver-denver-fde919?  Chapters 00:00 Why Latino Turnout Lags 00:22 Hispanic Heritage Kickoff 01:02 Cinco de Mayo Mythbusting 02:38 The Tejana Hats 04:18 Meet Uriel Espinoza 06:26 Watching His Mom Become A Citizen 08:13 250,000 Unregistered Eligible Latinos 11:07 Candidates With No Latino Turnout Strategy 14:27 What Actually Moves Latino Voters 18:49 Flipping Burgers To Flipping Sides 22:20 2% Of Elected Officials Are Latino 25:18 Culture First, Policy Second 27:16 The World Cup Watch Party 30:43 Bowling Alone And The Civic Vacuum 33:33 Blue Zones And The Power Of Belonging 34:24 The October 2nd Concert 38:17 How To RSVP And Register 39:00 Ballots Drop October 2nd 40:31 Macklemore's Free Palestine Backlash 47:05 The DSA Question, Three Mayors 47:31 "I'm Not A Card-Carrying Member" 52:27 Lisa Calderón's DSA Contradiction 56:38 Shontel Lewis Defines Democratic Socialism 58:44 The Budget Fumble, Revisited 01:05:06 The LITA Substack Is Live 01:06:01 Mile High Tea: The Twitter Beef 01:07:55 Wrap And Subscribe  Meet Your Hosts Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action.  Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.   Links: Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com Instagram: @leftintheatticpod TikTok: @leftintheattic  Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

  6. Sep 13

    LITA 28: Trump's Attack on Mail Ballots and How Voter Suppression Wins Elections with Ethics Watchdog Aly Belknap from Common Cause

    Ana and Deep sit down with Colorado Common Cause executive director Aly Belknap to break down the biggest threats facing Colorado’s 2026 election from federal pressure on mail voting and voter data to ICE at polling places and proposed ID changes. Aly explains why voter suppression, not voter fraud, is the bigger concern, how Common Cause is preparing through the Just Vote Colorado election protection coalition, and what voters should know about poll monitoring, community defense, and the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline. They also touch on Common Cause’s recent ethics and voting-rights work before closing with Tea Time on Mike Johnston, Shontel Lewis, and the crowded race for Sarah Parady’s seat. Introducing the LITA Newsletter on Substack: We're expanding. Deep and Ana are launching a Left in the Attic Substack with newsletters, hot takes we can't fit in the show, ballot guides, and a new column from Harshy Kaur Badhesha called "Harsh Takes." Subscribe to be the first to know at leftintheattic.substack.com/  LinksColorado Common Cause: commoncause.org/coloradoElection Protection Hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)Just Vote Colorado Coalition: https://www.justvotecolorado.org/ Democracy Defense Fundraiser Ace Eat Serve, Denver, September 23: https://www.commoncause.org/colorado/events/democracy-defense-fundraiser-for-colorado-common-cause/ Drag Out The Vote at Hamburger Mary's — October 8Save the date: Ballot Guide Event — September 30 Chapters 00:00 Voter Suppression Wins Elections 00:29 Show Intro And Housekeeping 01:48 Pumpkin Spice Debate 03:36 Meet Aly Belknap 04:08 From Twitter To Voter Engagement 07:11 What Common Cause Does 08:48 The Opportunity Caucus Complaint 17:21 Colorado's Secure Election System 21:07 Suing Colorado Springs 25:26 Trump's Attack On Mail Ballots 31:07 The Chaos Coming To Colorado 37:21 ICE At Polling Places 45:23 The Just Vote Colorado Coalition 49:30 How Community Defense Wins 50:34 866-OUR-VOTE Hotline 52:43 How To Sign Up As A Poll Monitor 54:19 Watch Out For Prop 362 57:28 Save The Date: Fundraisers 59:23 T-Time Begins 59:53 Introducing Harsh Takes 01:02:00 The 2027 Mayor Race Kicks Off 01:07:49 Mike Johnston's Launch Video 01:14:21 Shontel's Word Cloud Disaster 01:19:22 Ten Candidates For The Vacancy 01:21:28 Wrap And Subscribe Meet Your Hosts Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action.  Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.   Links: Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com Instagram: @leftintheatticpod TikTok: @leftintheattic  Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

  7. Sep 7

    LITA 27: The Colorado Education Paradox, Education Funding, Three Ballot Measures, and Why Disagreement Isn't Dysfunction with Monica Hunter

    Ana and Deep welcome Monica Hunter, Vice President of the Denver Public Schools Board and former DPS teacher, for a conversation about what's actually happening in Colorado public schools, what's on the November ballot, and why school board disagreement is a feature, not a bug. Monica walks through her arc from first grade teacher in Montbello to strike captain during the 2019 DPS teachers' strike to founder of the DCTA Black Educators Caucus to her current role at the Colorado Education Association and DPS Board. They dig into Colorado's education paradox (ranked #1 in the country for educational attainment, 49th or 50th in teacher pay), the CMAS results showing 44% of students meeting literacy expectations and only 20% of Black students meeting math expectations, and how Brown v. Board pushed Black teachers out of the profession. Then they turn to the three education funding fights on the November ballot: the DPS Mill Levy ($6/month per median homeowner, $44M for the district), Prop NN (retaining tax revenue for K-12 without raising taxes), and Initiative 195 (the graduated income tax). They also cover the fight to unionize Education Support Professionals (workers of color who currently have no protection), the most expensive school board race in Colorado history (funded by Reed Hastings, Anschutz, and the Waltons), and why Monica refuses to "go along to get along" on the Board. Democracy is messy. That's the whole point. Denver Public Schools Mill Levy: https://bond.dpsk12.org/page/2026-mill-levy-override  Prop NN Campaign Support: https://secure.ngpvan.com/HwAyZavU9kaKH5-EYOPXpQ2  Amendment 87/Initiative 195 (Graduated Income Tax): protectcoloradosfuture.com Contact the DPS Board about ESP unionization: https://www.dpsk12.org/page/about-the-board  00:44 Back To School Memories From Three DPS Teachers 04:17 Meet Monica Hunter 05:21 From Church Volunteer To Montbello Teacher 06:59 The Innovation Schools Fight 08:27 Why Teacher Diversity Matters 08:52 How Brown v. Board Pushed Black Teachers Out 13:18 The Colorado Paradox 14:26 CMAS Scores And The Racial Gap 16:32 TABOR And The Colorado Funding Crisis 19:02 Meet The BS Factor 22:43 Three Ballot Measures Preview 23:23 Ballot Measure 1: The DPS Mill Levy 25:53 $6 A Month For $44 Million 28:06 Why Charter Schools Get A Share 28:59 Charters, Equity, And Denver's Model 29:44 Ballot Measure 2: Prop NN 31:16 How TABOR Refunds Actually Work 34:10 Ballot Measure 3: Initiative 195 34:22 Ballot Letters vs. Numbers, Explained 37:42 Why Funding Is Still The Whole Fight 38:57 Unionizing Education Support Professionals 44:22 Who Actually Recognizes A Union 46:10 What The Headlines Get Wrong About The Board 49:43 The Most Expensive School Board Race In Colorado History 52:04 Democracy Is Messy (Sirota Callback) 54:03 The Exit Ticket Meet Your Hosts Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action.  Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.   Links: Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com Instagram: @leftintheatticpod TikTok: @leftintheattic  Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

  8. Aug 22

    LITA 26: Rayna Kingston on DAWG, Gatekeeping, and Why She Walked Away From A Winning Campaign

    Ana and Deep welcome Rayna Kingston, Denver community organizer, content creator, and founder of Denver Activist Women's Group (DAWG), for a conversation about building political power outside electoral politics. Rayna walks through her arc: from a Christian conservative kid in Littleton, to a food-tour content creator during COVID, to a first-time candidate for Colorado House District 5, to the decision to step away from a race she was probably going to win. She founded DAWG after the 2024 election with a single Instagram Story that reached 500 women instead of the 30 she expected, and the group has now grown to a reach of 11,000+. Then she gets into what she learned running for office and the moment she realized she'd have to lie to voters about how much a junior state rep can actually change.  Denver Activist Women's Group (DAWG): denveractivistwomensgroup.com  DAWG on Instagram: @denveractivistwomensgroup Rayna Kingston on Instagram: @raynakingdenver  00:00 Cold Open Banter 00:17 Show Intro And Guest 00:43 Matcha, Celsius, And Almost Dying 02:08 Coffee And The Celsius Scare 04:00 Meet Rayna Kingston 04:51 From Federal Boulevard To Full-Time Influencer 07:45 From Content Creator To DAWG Founder 11:02 500 Women Showed Up 14:02 What DAWG Actually Does 15:56 Why Run For Office 19:30 Running Without Permission 19:54 "Who Are You?" Democratic Gatekeeping 22:49 The "Delete It" Story 25:39 The Launch Party And The Momentum 26:28 Why She Walked Away From Winning 29:44 The Democratic Party Is 20 People 34:09 How To Hold Electeds Accountable 38:30 The Revolution Is Low-Hanging Fruit 40:24 Fall Ballot Preview And Wrap Meet Your Hosts Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action.  Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.   Links: Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com Instagram: @leftintheatticpod TikTok: @leftintheattic  Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

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35 Ratings

About

Left in the Attic is a Colorado born podcast where two friends, Ana and Deep, discuss politics, power, community, and big life transitions while filming in an actual attic in Denver. Expect local and national headline debriefs, organizing stories, the chaos of life transitions (Ana in a career pivot & dating in Denver, Deep having a newborn), and guests who are doing the work in communities. If you are politically heartbroken but still hungry for hope, this podcast is for you. Meet Your Hosts Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action. According to Deep, Ana has a dating life that could probably be its own podcast segment. Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community—not saviors—will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything stemming from food and sports to politics.  Links: Website: www.LeftInTheAttic.com Instagram: @leftintheatticpod TikTok: @left.in.the.attic Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com Voicemail: (303) 416-2846

Information

  • Creator
    Left In The Attic
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Left In The Attic

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