The Senate is is expected to vote this week on the confirmation of United States Supreme Court justice nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. To discuss, we FEATURE Chandra Childers. Childers is a Senior Research Scientist at the Institute for Women's Policy Research. She is an expert on social stratification and social and economic inequality by race and sex, Childers examines issues related to women and girls of color and job quality. Some of her publications include the Status of Black Women in the United States, Status of Women in the South, and Black and Hispanic Women Lag in Recovering from the Recession. Media includes: The Nation, The Atlantic, Voice of America, Refinery29.

Last Friday, Amazon workers in New York successfully formed the company's first labor union. The company fought hard and spent millions to try and prevent employees from unionizing. To discuss, we FEATURE Erica Smiley. Smiley is the executive director of Jobs With Justice. A long-time organizer and movement leader, Smiley has been spearheading strategic organizing and policy interventions for Jobs With Justice for nearly 15 years. Prior to taking up her current position with the organization, Smiley served as organizing director for Jobs With Justice developing campaigns that resulted in transformative changes to how working people organize and are civically engaged at their workplaces and in their communities. Serving as one of the lead architects, Smiley has been instrumental in developing the strategic vision of Jobs With Justice to build power for impacted working people through expanding their collective bargaining power as one way to redefine and claim their democracy, while addressing issues of inequality and poverty. Media includes: Chicago Tribune, The Washington Free Beacon, Reuters, MSNBC.

A mass shooting in Sacramento, California, has left six people dead and wounded 12 others. Meanwhile, in Dallas, Texas, one person was killed and 11 others wounded during a shooting at a music venue. To discuss, we FEATURE Robin Cogan. Cogan, an expert on gun violence as a public health emergency, is a Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN), currently in her 18th year as a New Jersey school nurse in the Camden City School District. Robin serves as faculty in the School Nurse Specialty Program at Rutgers University-Camden School of Nursing, where she teaches the next generation of school nurses. Extensive media experience.

The jury selection has begun in the trial of Nikolas Cruz, the gunman responsible for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. The trial will determine whether Cruz will be sentenced to death. To discuss, we FEATURE Diann Rust-Tierney. Rust-Tierney is an expert in the movement to eliminate the death penalty in the U.S. In 2004 she became the Executive Director of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP). Founded in 1976 in response to a Supreme Court decision permitting executions to resume, the NCADP unifies an extensive network of affiliates, dedicated advocates and volunteers, and prominent national human and civil rights organizations to fight the imposition of the death penalty in the United States. As NCADP Executive Director, Ms. Rust-Tierney manages and directs the program for the national organization and 100 affiliates seeking to change public policy on the death penalty. She serves as the national spokesperson for the organization and the movement to eliminate capital punishment. Media includes: Good Morning America, Crossfire, Huffington Post, BET, ABC, BBC.

Louis C.K. won a Grammy this weekend for his new comedy album. It's the first comedy special he has released since multiple female colleagues accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017. To discuss, we FEATURE Constance Paige Young. Young is a former Goldman Sachs contractor and economic development specialist, who survived sexual violence and the racist, terrorist attack in Charlottesville. Informed and transformed by a dynamic journey, she now devotes her energy to anti-racist activism, advocacy for survivors of sexual violence, and her desire to find truly restorative justice options for crime victims by building radically loving community in the here and now. Through her storytelling and presentations, she teaches anti-racism and the dangers of white nationalist radicalization. Young speaks about how radical love can see us through even the most trying aspects of our human condition and why punitive measures don’t equate to justice for survivors of crimes. Media includes: The New York Times, The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has announced that she will not seek a second term. During her five-year term, she has dealt with pro-democracy protests and a global pandemic. To discuss, we FEATURE Afra Zhao Wang. Wang is a writer, researcher, and podcaster. She finished her Master’s degree in International and World History at Columbia University and London School of Economics. As a historian, Afra’s master’s dissertation focuses on contemporary US-­China, UK-China relations and soft power regarding the negotiation over Hong Kong’s sovereignty. Previously, Afra was an intern at Asia Society in New York City. As a writer, Afra covers a wide range of issues such as nationalism, gender, Chinese millennials, U.S. politics, and social changes in U.S. and China. Media includes: The New York Times Chinese Website, Initium Media, Iris Magazine.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is looking to dissolve the country's parliament and the Supreme Court will be making a ruling on whether a no-confidence vote will take place. To discuss, we FEATURE Samina Ahmed, South Asia Director and Senior Adviser Asia at the International Crisis Group. Ahmed oversees Crisis Group’s work in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nepal. Together with analysts throughout the region, she prepares reports on the political, social, economic and military factors that increase the risks of extremism, internal conflict and war, and she makes policy recommendations to overcome these threats. In general, her team focuses on political, security and stability issues in South Asia, including problems of authoritarianism; Islamic extremism, domestic and regional terrorism; educational, judicial, and security sector reform; international involvement and intervention in the region, including US relations with authoritarian states; and domestic insurgencies and the risk of inter-state conflict. Extensive media experience.

April is National Poetry Month. To discuss, we FEATURE Robin Morgan. An award-winning poet, novelist, political theorist, feminist activist, journalist, editor, and best-selling author, Robin Morgan has published seven poetry collections (including her recent book of poems, Dark Matter), four novels, and eleven books of nonfiction on social justice issues––primarily feminism––including her best-seller The Demon Lover: The Roots of Terrorism, and the now-classic anthologies Sisterhood Is Powerful, Sisterhood Is Global, and Sisterhood Is Forever. A recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Prize (Poetry) and numerous other honors, and a former editor-in-chief of Ms. magazine, she co-founded The Sisterhood Is Global Institute with Simone de Beauvoir and co-founded the Women's Media Center with Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem. Extensive Media Experience.

Tax Day is coming up! Have you done your taxes? To discuss, we FEATURE Jennifer Streaks. Streaks is a finance expert, multi-platform journalist, empowerment speaker, and financial author with an edgy voice on practical tips to thrive in today’s economic climate. In an age when, depending on the political pundit or financial contributor you’re watching, one can easily experience mass confusion on how to manage their income; Streaks offers a refreshing shift in thinking on saving, purchasing, and all matters of the pocketbook. She is well-versed in the main issue that topples business owners: Money. She advises businesses on taxation questions, creative ways to obtain financing and acquiring assets wisely. Streaks is also frequently on FOX detailing end of the year tax tips and everyday ways to save money. Media includes: The Huffington Post, News/Counterpoint, US News and World Report, MSNBC.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. To discuss, we FEATURE Taylr Ucker-Lauderman. She is is the Director of Communications at the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, where she works to use the media as a platform for supporting and uplifting survivors in Ohio and beyond. Ucker-Lauderman believes that we must all use the tools at our disposal in order to address systems of oppression and the violence they cause in our world, and she does this by amplifying the voices of survivors and of professionals in her field. She is also an Adjunct Instructor at Wright State University, where she facilitates Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses including Intro to WGS, Feminist Theory, and Feminist Activism. Extensive media experience.

WMC SheSource has a list for more experts on Sexual Assault Awareness Month.