Clashes between the police and protestors are taking place in Venezuela following a call for an uprising from opposition leader Juan Guaido. To discuss we FEATURE Erika Guevara-Rosas is a feminist lawyer and human rights activist, who currently serves as the Americas Programme Director at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International.  She is responsible for leading the organization’s human rights work across the region.  Erika has more than fifteen years of international experience in the fields of human rights and social justice philanthropy. 

In the past six months, many religious institutions have been under attack. This includes the shooting in Pittburgh's Tree of Life synagogue, the bombings in Sri Lanka during Easter services, the shooting of Muslim prayers in Christchurch, and most recently, the attack at the Chabad of Poway in San Diego. To discuss, we SPOTLIGHT Nichole Argo. Argo is a Social Psychologist in the Departments of Engineering and Public Policy and Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. Argo spent several years doing field work on political violence. She is one of the few experts on terrorism and political violence to have interviewed and lived with militants, and was one of the first to provide data to refute the “religion, poverty, or indoctrination” theories of terrorist motivation in 2003. She co-directed “The Project on Radicalization: A Neuroscientific Approach” with Special Forces Brigadier General Russell Howard at the Center for Counterterrorism at Tufts University. Media includes: Chicago National Public Radio, Fox News.

With climate change becoming an increasingly urgent issue, we FEATURE Dana R. Fisher to discuss the Green New Deal and candidates' climate plans. Fisher is a Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Program for Society and the Environment at the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between environmentalism and democracy—most recently studying activism and American climate politics. Fisher is the author of National Governance and the Global Climate Change Regime (Rowman and Littlefield Press 2004), Activism, Inc. (Stanford University Press 2006), the Practice of Research (with Shamus Khan, Oxford University Press 2013), and Urban Environmental Stewardship and Civic Engagement(with Erika S. Svendsen and James Connolly, Routledge Press 2015).  She is the editor, along with Stewart Lockie and David Sonnenfeld, of the Routledege International Handbook of Social and Environmental Change(2013). Media includes:  The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Wired, Science Magazine, NPR.

President Trump has accused New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York Attorney General Letitia James of interfering with the NRA and trying to illegally ruin the organization. To discuss, we FEATURE Emma Davidson Tribbs. Davidson Tribbs is a Strategic Campaign and Political Strategist specializing in state-legislative advocacy campaigns, and works with Elected Officials, nonprofits, corporations, statewide NGOs, and private sector clients to craft campaigns that lead to positive policy change. Davidson Tribbs has designed, directed, and implemented successful campaigns across the country, including changing statewide reproductive health and comprehensive health education standards in South Carolina, protecting domestic violence survivors in Kansas, and saving the state firearm background check systems in North Carolina and Iowa. Media includes: ABC, NBC, Fox.

Spain's recent election saw the Socialist party winning the most seats -123 - in Congress, but the election also saw the Vox party, Spain's far-right party, picking up seats for the first time. To discuss, we FEATURE Terri Givens. Givens is the author of Voting Radical Right in Western Europe, Immigration Policy and Security and Legislating Equality: The Politics of Antidiscrimination Policy in Europe. She is a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. As a scholar, she focuses on the global politics of immigration, European politics, international relations and party politics. Media includes: BBC, PBS, NPR.

A new report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has found that the U.S. is the largest spender when it comes to military spending and is followed by China. Combined, both countries' spending makes up half of global military spending. To discuss, we FEATURE Miriam Pemberton. Pemberton is currently a Research Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. Her research focuses on overall federal budget priorities and demilitarizing our foreign policy and our economy. With Lawrence Korb of the Center for American Progress, she heads up a task force of security experts that produces the annual “Unified Security Budget for the United States.” She produces the comparison of federal spending on military and climate security. Media includes: The Baltimore Sun, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Richmond Times, The Nation, CNN, Fox News, NPR.

Apple has been accused of anti-competitive practices after the company removed apps from its App Store. Apple has since defended the choice, claiming that the apps that were removed because they went against company policy. To discuss, we FEATURE Anne Voigts. Voigts specializes in appellate litigation before all levels of state and federal appeals courts. Previously,Voigts was a litigation associate at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, where she focused on litigation in the U.S. and California Supreme Courts, as well as federal and state appellate and trial courts. She worked on matters involving unfair competition claims, antitrust, civil procedure, First Amendment, campaign finance reform and defamation. Extensive media experience. 

The measles outbreak is ongoing with over 700 cases across 22 states. To discuss, we FEATURE Susan Blumenthal, MD. Dr. Blumenthal served as U.S. Assistant Surgeon General, Senior Global Health Advisor and the first Deputy Assistant Secretary of Women’s Health in the US Department of Health and Human Services and was a White House Advisor on Health. She is currently a Senior Fellow in Health Policy at the New America, Senior Policy and Medical Advisor at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and Chair of the Global Health Program at the Meridian International Center where her work focuses on a broad range of public health and science issues facing the nation and world. Media includes: US News and World Report, Huffington Post, Elle magazine, PBS.

Cyclone Kenneth has hit Mozambique and the death toll has reached 38, with more deaths expected. It follows Cyclone Idai which claimed more than 900 lives last month. Relief efforts are being hampered by heavy rain that is preventing aid workers from reaching the most affected areas. To discuss the impending humanitarian disaster, we FEATURE Junko Mochizuki. Mochizuki is a natural disaster risk expert at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria. Her research focuses on the linkages between risk management, economic growth, and changing risks from climate extremes in connection with socioeconomic change. Her particular interest lies in the interface between policy and scientific knowledge, investigating how governments and researchers can work together to reduce the financial risk of disasters. Extensive media experience.