Nikolas Cruz, the gunman responsible for the deadly Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, has pled guilty to premeditated murder and attempted murder. To discuss, we FEATURE Debbie Hines. Hines is a Washington, DC based trial attorney, legal analyst, former Baltimore prosecutor and member of the Supreme Court bar. She is an expert in criminal law, high profile criminal cases, gun control and gun laws, police brutality, death penalty, domestic violence and Supreme Court cases. Hines often addresses legal/political issues at the intersection of gender, race and class. As a former felony prosecutor, she tried homicides, attempted murders, rapes, burglaries, robberies, narcotics and economic crimes. Media includes: The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, The Hill, The Huffington Post, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released new data that shows border arrests have soared to an all-time high with more that 1.7 million migrants being detained at the border. To discuss, we FEATURE Claire R. Thomas. Thomas is an attorney, advocate, and adjunct professor. Her interests and expertise include: U.S. immigration law, asylum and refugee law, unaccompanied children, immigrant access to public benefits, and empowerment for women and girls facing poverty and gender-based violence. She directs the Asylum Clinic at New York Law School, in which she teaches law students how to represent immigrants seeking asylum and other humanitarian immigration protections in the United States. As an Adjunct Professor at NYLS, she also teaches the introductory immigration law course. Media includes: The New York Times, Queens Daily Eagle, New Statesman, Voice of America.

The FDA has announced that they will allow people to get a booster shot that is different than the original vaccine they received. To discuss, we FEATURE Amy Finan. Finan was appointed as the chief executive officer of the Sabin Vaccine Institute on April 18, 2016. In her time as CEO, Amy has led the development and implementation of a strategic plan focusing Sabin on a mission to make vaccines more accessible, enable innovation and expand immunization across the globe. Prior to joining Sabin, Amy served as senior vice president responsible for business development at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the world's largest membership organization representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions and state biotechnology centers. Extensive media experience.

Former Florida official Joel Greenberg, who has ensnared Representative Matt Gaetz in a federal sex trafficking investigation, has been granted a sentencing delay until March 2022 so that the Justice Department can conduct further investigations based on the information he is providing them. To discuss, we FEATURE Deborah J. Richardson. Richardson is the Executive Director of the International Human Trafficking Institute. She is a nationally recognized leader on social justice for women and girls and an advocate to end child sex trafficking. She has designed leading programs for girls victimized by sexual trafficking and testified before Congress. Media includes: Huffington Post, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a statewide drought emergency. To discuss, we FEATURE Kimberly Duong. Duong is a civil engineer, working on large-scale water recycling projects, and received her PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Irvine, where her research focused on urban drought management in southern California. She is a co-founder and Executive Board member for Climatepedia, a climate communications nonprofit. They created the Tyndall Petition, a statement that says climate change is real, urgent, and requires immediate attention. Media includes: The Next Web, Take Two, Sierra Club Magazine.

October is LGBTQ History Month. To commemorate, we FEATURE Glennda Testone. Testone joined New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center as its first female Executive Director in 2009. Since then, she has strengthened The Center’s programs for adults, youth and families, ensuring all LGBTQ New Yorkers have an opportunity to live happy, healthy lives. Testone also spearheaded the launch of innovative and groundbreaking programming at The Center for LGBTQ youth, transgender community members and LBTQ women. Media includes: The Boston Globe, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Time Out, W Magazine, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC.

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month. To discuss, we FEATURE Emily Ladau. Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, and digital communications consultant. She is the author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Ladau is also the Editor in Chief of the Rooted in Rights Blog, a platform dedicated to amplifying authentic narratives on the disability experience through an intersectional lens. She also provides communications and social media strategy consulting as well as editorial services for multiple disability-related organizations and initiatives. And, she co-hosts “The Accessible Stall Podcast,” a show that dives into disability issues. Media includes: The Daily Beast, The New York Times, HuffPost, Newsday, Variety, Vice, CNN, PBS, NPR.