x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

demobrats

Virginia Stapleton

Join your favorite female Salem Democrats, Virginia Stapleton, Vik Schaaf, and friends as they discuss local political happenings in Salem and Keizer, Oregon, and across the nation. We promise to entertain, inform, and make you laugh. For more follow us on tiktok: virginiastapleton , instagram, and facebook.

news politics

All Episodes

00:34:42

Keizer's Biggest Cheerleader 💙💙💙

demobrats ·

2026/01/08

Heads up: the transcript for the episode is auto generated. We know it’s spelling Keizer wrong and we’re very sorry! This week, Virginia Stapleton and Chris Hoy welcome Keizer Mayor and longtime pod listener, Cathy Clark, to the pod to talk about all things in Oregon's second youngest city. We talk art, construction, business expansion, sidewalks, and why everything is blue. Enjoy! GET LOUD STAY LOUDJOIN VIRGINIA'S CAMPAIGN FOR STATE SENATE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DONATE TO THE CAMPAIGN - EARLY MONEY IS SO

en

00:41:19

Measure 11 & Restorative Justice Ep. 5

demobrats ·

2025/12/26

A warning: There are references to assault, self hard, and suicide in today's pod. Listener discretion is advised. Our pod this week continues our series on Measure 11 and Restorative Justice. Our guests are Kyle Black from Restorative Justice Coalition of Oregon and Emma Ogden, a local advocate for prison reform. Emma and Kyle both served a considerable amount of time in our criminal justice system at Coffee Creek, Oregon's only women's institution. Their stories are real and we invite

en

00:53:55

Our Ethically Challenged Mayor & Her Boy Bands

demobrats ·

2025/12/19

Chris Hoy joins Virginia in this pod to give an update on all things Salem City Hall and Marion County. We have a brand new business boy band in town who say they want to better inform government about how their policies impact businesses, but it appears their first official act is making a donation of $2500 to Julie Hoy's re-election campaign. Our jaws stayed in place. But don't get too comfortable brats, cause we need to update you on the latest Oregon Government Ethics Commission

en

00:57:58

We Are All Immigrants // Todas Somos Inmigrantes 🤠

demobrats ·

2025/12/11

Cuando la gente te dice cómo son, créeles a la primera.Imagine coming face to face with ICE agents. Our guest this week did just that. Local influencer and advocate, Erika Villa joins us in the studio to give us the first hand story on the video that sent her viral online last month. Erika is a supporter of all things small business and an activist for the immigrant community here in the Willamette Valley. This episode is about her experience dealing with the new political environment we find

en

01:00:52

Citizenship In Oregon 🇺🇸 // Ciudadanía en Oregon 🇲🇽

demobrats ·

2025/12/04

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. In the words of Cher Horowitz, "And may I remind you, it does not say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty!" This week on the pod, Francisco Lopez from Citizenship in Oregon joins us to talk all about his work helping the next generation of Americans receive citizenship and register to vote! We also discuss the city council meetings as of late, the incredible work of LUS to advocate for the Hispanic and Latino

en

00:30:18

Out With The Old, In With The New Year 🎉🎉🎉

demobrats ·

2025/12/01

Happy New Year, Brats! We have a very big year ahead! Listen to what we'll be up to in this episode. We hope you'll join us on for a fun and festive 2026! Comment your goals for 2026!!!! RSVP for Jan 17 Woodburn Town Hall Here GET LOUD STAY LOUDJOIN VIRGINIA'S CAMPAIGN FOR STATE SENATE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DONATE TO THE CAMPAIGN - EARLY MONEY IS SO POWERFUL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER, GET A YARD SIGN, OR ENDORSE VIRGINIA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠VISIT THE CAMPAIGN

en

00:50:17

A Masterclass In Healthcare 🍎🩺🏥💊

demobrats ·

2025/11/27

Legislative Troubadour and Healthcare Policy Expert, Representative Rob Nosse, joins us this week to explain all things healthcare in Oregon and beyond. We discuss the impacts of Trumps Big Ugly Bill, the possibility of Oregon developing a Healthcare For All system, and so much more. Learn more about Healthcare For All Oregon here. Subscribe to Rob Nosse's very interesting weekly newsletter here. For reference to Thin Blue Line Flags being removed from police spaces. Happy Holidays y'all

en

00:10:37

Bonus: Tell Salem City Council To Declare A State of...

demobrats ·

2025/11/23

*sorry the sound is so quiet at the beginning. It gets better* Live from yet another weekend protest, we are calling on our community to give public comment at Salem City Council Monday Night at 6 PM. The Council will be entertaining a motion to reaffirm our status as a sanctuary city, but honestly, WE NEED MORE. Our community needs more. Here are our ideas: 1. Suspend FLOCK camera surveillance programs. Many cities in and around Salem have done this already. 2. Declare a State of Emergency. Follow

en

01:11:02

Measure 11 & Restorative Justice Ep. 4

demobrats ·

2025/11/20

Note: Stories in this pod are true as remembered by the hosts and guests. Our pod this week continues our series on Measure 11 and Restorative Justice. Our guest is Victor Gonzales. Victor entered the criminal justice system when he was a young teenager, serving time in many institutions across the Valley. At the age of 22, Victor was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in the murder of a childhood friend. Victor shares with us the choices he made that led to an early life of crime

en

00:33:28

Press Play! ▶️

demobrats ·

2025/11/13

This week on the pod we have Salem's own Carlee Wright, creator of Press Play Salem (the magazine), the city’s go-to guide for arts, entertainment, and culture, where storytelling meets community and curiosity fuels discovery.We discuss all things Salem culture, arts, politics, roller derby, and the hopes we have for the Salem ahead of us. McKay Holiday Market Vendor InfoInfo on donating to Coral House: 2550 Coral Ave NE (it runs parallel with Lancaster). People can drop off foods between 8 AM

en

00:49:19

Measure 11 & Restorative Justice Ep. 3

demobrats ·

2025/11/06

Representative Willy Chotzen (Portland), joins us in the studio to talk all about his work as a public defender, legislator, and generally awesome human. The Oregon prison system is imperfect and we know there is room for improvement. We talk more about how Measure 11 has disproportionally impacted people of color and how we might use practices of restorative justice to improve our society and prison system as a whole. Learn more about Measure 11 Learn more about the Oregon State Penitentiary GET

en

00:55:48

Measure 11 & Restorative Justice Ep. 2

demobrats ·

2025/11/03

Kyle Hedquist received clemency in 2022 for a life sentence he was given for a crime he committed when he was 18. In this episode Kyle tells us all about the work he did while serving his time in the Oregon Department of Corrections, the horrible conditions many prisoners find themselves living under, and the important work of restorative justice he has done as a policy advocate since his release. Interestingly enough, Kyle's redemption and lived experience is not enough for our mayor's

en

00:56:00

Measure 11 & Restorative Justice Ep. 1

demobrats ·

2025/11/03

Kyle Hedquist served 28 years of a life in prison, without parole, sentence for a murder he committed when he was 18 years old. So how is he in our podcast studio talking about the very problematic ballot Measure 11 (a bill crafted by Representative Kevin Mannix in the 90s) and our broken prison system? You'll just have to stay tuned for part 2 to find out. In this first part, Kyle shares with us what his time in prison was like, some of the work he did while inside, and helps us understand the

en

00:54:09

The Mayor, In The Office, With The Ballot Measure

demobrats ·

2025/10/30

Hopefully this is the last time we have to talk about this (fingers crossed). In this episode, Brian Hines, an avid writer and community member who filed the official ethics complaint against Mayor Julie Hoy with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, joins us to discuss his take aways from this six month process. Brian truly exhibited some hero behavior in his efforts to hold the mayor accountable. We also touch on this last Monday's City Council meeting, where Salem Soup Squad turned out in

en

00:08:58

Bonus: Virginia's Campaign Kick-Off Speech

demobrats ·

2025/10/29

In case you missed it! Heads up--transcript might be auto detect her language perfectly. JOIN VIRGINIA'S CAMPAIGN FOR STATE SENATE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DONATE TO THE CAMPAIGN - EARLY MONEY IS SO POWERFUL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER, GET A YARD SIGN, OR ENDORSE VIRGINIA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠VISIT THE CAMPAIGN WEBSITE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiktok: VirginiaStapleton Bluesky: Demobrats Instagram: VoteVirginiaStapleton Facebook: Elect Virginia Stapletonemail us: electvirginiastapleton@gmail.comBe sure to subscribe so you

en

00:07:51

Bonus: LIVE from Virginia's Campaign Kick Off Party!

demobrats ·

2025/10/27

Just a little yapping about the issues with guests at Virginia's kick off party for State Senate District 11 this last Friday night. Special shoutout to the more than 100 people who attended! JOIN VIRGINIA'S CAMPAIGN FOR STATE SENATE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DONATE TO THE CAMPAIGN - EARLY MONEY IS SO POWERFUL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER, GET A YARD SIGN, OR ENDORSE VIRGINIA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠VISIT THE CAMPAIGN WEBSITE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiktok: VirginiaStapleton Bluesky: Demobrats Instagram: VoteVirginiaStapleton

en

00:34:10

Bonus: Julie Hoy's War On The Unhoused

demobrats ·

2025/10/23

In this extended bonus we cover last weeks very long City Council meeting as well as a deep dive into the laws around enforcing camping on Oregon's public properties. Our mayor has a long history of speaking ill of the unhoused (see City Council public comments over the last few years) and we are not surprised she has now made herself a chief petitioner on a prospective ballot measure filed last week that seeks to give cities more authority to enforce anti-camping laws. Learn all about it and

en

00:39:02

CouplaGoofs, Salem Soup Squad, & Circular Salem 🍲👕🪡

demobrats ·

2025/10/23

Felix from CouplaGoofs and Holly from Salem Soup Squad join us to share about their work and their new combined endeavor, Circular Salem. Mutual aid might just be the thing that gets us through the next three years. For more info on their work: Circular Salem Library of Things + Kids Clothing Exchange https://circularsalem.myturn.com/library/inventory/browseJ.B. MacKinnon | The Day the World Stops Shopping https://share.google/M1P8mI6HNX73vxvmzSalem Soup Squad

en

01:04:32

Rep. Cyrus Javadi, Leaving the GOP, & The Future 🫏🐘🔮

demobrats ·

2025/10/16

In this much anticipated interview, Representative Cyrus Javadi (HD 32 - Tillamook & Clatsop Counties) joins Vik and Virginia on the pod to share all about his journey home to the Democratic Party. We talk healthcare, taxes, climate change, abortion, free speech, Taylor Swift, reality television, RINOs, and the future of the Republican Party now and post-Trump. If you want to learn more about fake pregnancy clinics, there are plenty of resources out there. Here's a few articles we've

en

00:05:29

Bonus: Live From Campaign School 🐸🐸🐸

demobrats ·

2025/10/12

JOIN VIRGINIA'S CAMPAIGN FOR STATE SENATE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DONATE TO THE CAMPAIGN - EARLY MONEY IS SO POWERFUL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER, GET A YARD SIGN, OR ENDORSE VIRGINIA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠VISIT THE CAMPAIGN WEBSITE ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiktok: VirginiaStapleton Bluesky: Demobrats Instagram: VoteVirginiaStapleton Facebook: Elect Virginia Stapletonemail us: electvirginiastapleton@gmail.comBe sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

en

96 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS News

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci