A group of GOP attorney generals have filed a lawsuit in Texas that argues that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional because it eliminated a tax penalty for those that did not have health insurance. To discuss, we FEATURE Barbara Glickstein. Glickstein is a public health nurse, health policy expert and health reporter. She is the Director of Communications, Media Projects at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University School of Nursing. Glickstein produces & hosts HealthCetera, a podcast that provides evidence-based news, analysis and commentary where diverse, dynamic, front-line experts discuss the latest real-world effects of healthcare and health policy. Media includes: WNBC, PBS, WBAI Pacifica Radio. 

The trial of the police officer who shot and killed Laquan McDonald began this week in Chicago. To discuss, we FEATURE Judy Lubin, PhD, MPH. Dr. Lubin is a policy analyst, sociologist and president of Public Square Communications, a Washington, D.C. area boutique research, communications and public policy consulting firm. Dr. Lubin is also co-founder of Sociologists for Justice, an independent collective of nearly 2000 experts, researchers and distinguished scholars organized in response to the epidemic of police brutality in communities of color. Media includes: The Wall Street Journal, NBC, PBS, Baltimore Sun, Ebony Magazine, The Root, Chicago Sun Times. 

Nike recently announced Colin Kaepernick as the face of its new "Just Do It" ad campaign. To discuss, we FEATURE Dr. Hume N. Johnson. A former broadcast journalist and political speechwriter with the Government of Jamaica, Johnson is currently Associate Professor of Public Relations at Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island, and a branding and communications strategist. She helps political candidates and working professionals build their personal brand and communicate their message with clarity and credibility. She is an expert on public relations and protest. Media includes: BBC World Service, NBC Providence, Al Jazeera, CBC. 

The congressional hearings for Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg began this week and will see the two testifying over how their companies have responded to foreign interference in our elections. To discuss, we FEATURE Lisa A. Hayes, Esq. Hayes is Vice President, Strategy & General Counsel at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), working to champion individual rights and liberties in the digital age. Hayes leads CDT’s litigation practice, helping to inform courts about issues where technological advances are outpacing the law. Her recent work includes efforts to limit government surveillance, advance consumer privacy, protect free expression online, and preserve net neutrality. Lisa also has a passion for fostering opportunity and finding ways to use technology to improve the lives of all people. Media includes: The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, NPR, Fox News.

To comment on this week's Massachusetts primary elections, we FEATURE Brenda Wright. Wright  is the Vice President of Legal Strategies at Demos.  She has led many progressive legal and policy initiatives on voting rights, campaign finance reform, redistricting, election administration and other democracy and electoral reform issues and is a nationally known expert in these areas. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Board of Directors of Common Cause Massachusetts and the advisory board of the Prison Policy Initiative. Extensive media experience. 

Bob Woodward's new book Fear: Trump in the White House has caused a stir in the White House. The book paints an ugly picture of the President and features interviews with those who have worked with him. To discuss, we FEATURE Lori Cox Han. Han is Professor of Political Science at Chapman University in Orange, California. With research and teaching interests in the presidency, media and politics, women and politics, and political leadership. She is also editor of Hatred of America’s Presidents: Personal Attacks on the White House from Washington to Trump; (ABC-CLIO, 2018); New Directions in the American Presidency, 2nd ed. (Routledge, 2018); and In the Public Domain: Presidents and the Challenge of Public Leadership (SUNY Press, 2005). Media includes: Los Angeles Times, KTTV Channel 11, KNBC, USA Today.

Amazon is the second company to hit $1 trillion in stock, the first being Apple. To discuss, we FEATURE Natalie Madeira Cofield. A millennial that found inspiration at the nexus of business, community and politics, Cofield has carved a niche for herself as an entrepreneur, advocate, and speaker on all things start-up and diversity. A converted management consultant, economic fellow, and economic development director she currently serves as the Founder & Chief Visionary Officer of Urban Co-Lab. Previously, she was the President &  CEO of the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce where she is also the founding President of the Austin Black Technology Council. Media includes: Forbes, BusinessInsider, Black Enterprise, Essence, Ebony.

Tropical Storm Gordon landed on the U.S. Gulf Coast, killing at least one person. To discuss, we FEATURE Kim Knowlton. Knowlton is a senior scientist with NRDC in New York City. She is also assistant clinical professor of environmental health sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University; and chair of the Global Climate Change and Health Topic Committee of the American Public Health Association’s Environment Section. Her work focuses on the health effects of climate change; advocating for strategies to prepare for and prevent these impacts, especially for our most vulnerable communities; and making health a more central feature of national, state, and local climate change adaptation plans. Media includes: NBC, NPR, Bloomberg, Reuters.