Both Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school, have agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. To discuss, we SPOTLIGHT Lisalyn R. Jacobs. Jacobs is the CEO of Just Solutions: Bringing in justice to counteract injustice, and the former V.P. of Government Relations for Legal Momentum (formerly NOW Legal Defense & Education Fund). She has testified before congressional committees at both the state and federal levels. She has also fought for and secured needed protections for poor women and survivors of violence in a number of key federal laws including two reauthorizations of the Violence Against Women Act (2005 and 2013), the 2006 reauthorization of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and the 2009 amendments to the Stimulus law. Media includes: The New York Times, NPR, MSNBC, CNN, Fox and the Huffington Post.
President Trump will impose an additional $200 billion in import tariffs on Chinese goods. To discuss, we FEATURE Ann Lee. Lee is an internationally recognized leading authority on China’s economic relations and an adjunct professor of economics and finance at New York University. She is also a former visiting professor at Peking University where she taught macroeconomics and financial derivatives. She consults with policymakers from Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the U.S. about U.S.-China relations, international finance and trade, and China’s political economy. Ann is also the author of What the U.S. Can Learn from China, an award winning international bestseller, and is an active member of the Authors Guild and the Pen America Society. Media includes: MSNBC, Bloomberg, ABC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, Fox Business, NPR, CCTV, BBC.
Hurricane Florence has devastated the Carolinas with flooding and heavy rain. To discuss the current trend of extreme weather changes, we FEATURE Dr. Jessica Blunden. Dr. Blunden is a climate scientist, working in the Center for Weather and Climate at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina. She holds Masters and Doctorate degrees in Atmospheric Science from North Carolina State University and has co-authored more than a dozen peer reviewed publications. Jessica serves as a lead editor for the State of the Climate report, an annual peer reviewed report published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society that examines climate and climate change across the globe, with more than 400 authors from about 50 countries across the globe. Media includes: The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, the Associated Press.
The trial of a Chicago police officer who fatally shot Laquan McDonald 16 times continues. 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. Debbie 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. She 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: Al Jazeera, BET, C-SPAN, CBS, CCTV, MSNBC, PBS, Sky News, Fox 5 News.
North Korea's Kim Jong-un and South Korea's Moon Jae-in are sitting down for a summit to discuss an end to the Korean War. To discuss, we FEATURE Christine Ahn. Ahn is the founder and international coordinator of Women Cross DMZ, a global movement of women mobilizing to end the Korean War, reunite families, and ensure women’s leadership in peacebuilding. In 2015, on the 70th anniversary of Korea’s division by Cold War powers, she led 30 international women peacemakers across the De-Militarized Zone, the world’s most fortified border, from North Korea to South Korea. They walked with 10,000 Korean women on both sides of the DMZ and held peace symposia in Pyongyang and Seoul to discuss the urgent need for women to advance a peace treaty to formally end the 64-year old Korean War. Media includes: NBC, CNN, NPR, Democracy Now!, The New York Times.
The midterm elections are coming up and to discuss we FEATURE Robin Leeds. Leeds is the founder and managing director of Winning Strategies LLC, a public affairs and political consulting firm based in Washington, DC. Widely regarded as a leading voting rights advocate, in Massachusetts, Leeds served on the Secretary of State’s Voter Participation Partnership, as director of Human SERVE (Human Services Employees Voter Registration and Education), and campaign manager of the Voter Registration by Mail ballot initiative. Leeds has consistently fought to increase women’s participation, visibility, and leadership in politics and government. Media includes: The Chicago Tribune, Politico, The New York Times, Medium, France 24.
Today, workers across several McDonald's branches will be going on strike to protest sexual harassment. The strike is inspired by both the MeToo movement and the Fight for 15 movement. To discuss, we FEATURE Sarita Gupta, the executive director of Jobs With Justice. She is a nationally recognized expert on the economic and political issues affecting working people across all industries, particularly low-wage workers. Under Sarita’s direction, Jobs With Justice is leading the fight for workers’ rights and an economy that benefits everyone by anchoring strategic campaigns and shaping the public discourse to build power for working people. Media includes: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Politico, The Hill, MSNBC, FOX News.
President Trump has decided to decrease the number of refugees that will be allowed in the U.S. next year to 30,000 despite calls that the current number of 45,000 is too low. To discuss, we FEATURE Jessica Therkelsen. Therkelsen is a social justice lawyer who advocates for the dignity and rights of immigrants, minorities, women and children. As the Director of the Pro Bono Justice Program at OneJustice, her mission is to bring life changing legal services to all who need them. In her previous role as Global Director of Advocacy and Communications at Asylum Access, an international refugee rights nonprofit, Therkelsen worked closely with local human rights leaders in the US, Ecuador, Tanzania, Thailand and Malaysia to advocate for systems, laws and policies that help refugees build a new life. Her work has focused on access to jobs and labor protections for refugees around the world. Media includes: Time Magazine, Bustle, NPR.















