Multiple demonstrations have or are happening in the U.S. as a response to ecalating ICE violence. To discuss, we SPOTLIGHT Dana R. Fisher. Fisher is the director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity and professor in the School of International Service at American University. She currently serves as a non resident senior fellow in the Governance Program at the Brookings Institution, and is the past-chair of the Political Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association. Her research focuses on questions related to democracy, civic engagement, activism, and climate politics. Media includes: The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Nation, Rolling Stone, Slate, TIME Magazine, The Hill, Politico, Business Insider, CNN, PBS.
The Justice Department has released 3 million additional files related to Jeffrey Epstein. To discuss, we FEATURE Barbara J. Shearer. Shearer is an award winning documentary filmmaker who investigates controversial subject matter including Epstein's Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell. She spent two years investigating Epstein and Maxwell before selling a three part documentary to NBC/Peacock. The series was also sold in 52 territories worldwide. She then executive produced an adjacent documentary entitled, Banished: Prince Andrew, about his association to Epstein and Maxwell. Shearer is currently writing a book about Ghislaine Maxwell based on her years of investigation into the subject. Media includes: Rolling Stone, People Magazine, The New York Times, BBC, MSNBC, CNN.
Bad Bunny will perform during the Super Bowl halftime show this Sunday. To discuss, we FEATURE Erica González Martínez. Martínez currently serves as the director of Power 4 Puerto Rico, a national coalition of organizations working to clear federal hurdles in the way of the Island’s ability to become more self-sufficient. She is a lifelong advocate for social justice and Latino issues. Martínez is also the vice chair of the board of the Women’s Media Center and the founding editor of the IDAR channel at the WMC. Media includes: USA Today, Palabra, CNN, NY1.
Donald Trump still intends to take over Greenland according to Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. To discuss, we SPOTLIGHT Sally A. Painter. Painter is co-founder and chief operating officer at Blue Star Strategies, LLC. She provides corporate, institutional, and public sector clients with external affairs, foreign and security policy guidance, and global business development strategies. Painter also serves on the board of directors of the Atlantic Council and as a senior advisor to its Future Europe Initiative. She is a key leader and trusted advisor in the European space, representing global businesses and governments on their most important investment and foreign policy issues, including NATO, EU, and OECD accession. Media includes: The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Politico.
Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote to Governor Tim Waltz of Minnesota last week suggesting that if he met certain conditions, including sharing voter rolls and lists of those who receive SNAP benefits, she would pull ICE out of the state. To discuss, we FEATURE Liz Hempowicz. Hempowicz is deputy executive director at Government Oversight. Prior to joining American Oversight, Hempowicz served as the vice president of policy and government affairs at the Project on Government Oversight, where she developed and spearheaded projects to advance government transparency and combat corruption, including overseeing the work of the organization’s accountability, national defense, and civil liberties programs. Hempowicz has participated in efforts to improve the Inspector General Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, the National Emergencies Act, lobbying and congressional ethics rules, broader whistleblower protections, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and other government accountability initiatives. Media includes: The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, CNBC, NPR.
The NYC nurses strike has entered its fourth week. To discuss, we FEATURE Barbara Glickstein. Glickstein is a public health nurse, health reporter and media strategist. She the founder of Barbara Glickstein Strategies, a training company in media, leadership and advocacy skills. Glickstein produces HealthCetera, a podcast that provides evidence-based health news, analysis and commentary. She's a strategist for Carolyn Jones Productions on feature-length documentaries The American Nurse and Defining Hope. She has trained national leaders in healthcare on how to be a media maker in both traditional and digital media to advance the health of the public and public policy. Extensive media experience.
The Surpreme Court heard oral arguments last week on a Hawaii gun restriction law, known as the "vampire rule," that would require gun owners to get permission before entering private property with a gun. To discuss, we FEATURE Kristin Goss, the Susan B. King Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at Duke Sanford School of Public Policy. Goss’ work focuses on why people do (or don't) participate in political life and how their engagement affects public policymaking. Her current research projects focus on the role of philanthropic billionaires in policy debates and on the evolution of gun-related advocacy over the past decade. Goss has written or co-produced three books on gun politics and policy: The Gun Debate: What Everyone Needs to Know, with Philip J. Cook; Gun Studies: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Politics, Policy, and Practice, co-edited with Jennifer Carlson and Harel Shapira; and Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America. Media includes: The Washington Post, Raleigh News & Observer, Newark Star Ledger.
The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt that Israel closed in May 2024 has partially opened. To discuss, we FEATURE Pia Wanek. Wanek is a leader in international development and humanitarian assistance specializing in building and leading effective teams to deliver quantifiable results in the most challenging situations. She has 20 years of experience in policy and strategy development, project management and program design in the international non-profit sector. Wanek was CEO of DTI following nearly 10 years at Global Communities’ directing humanitarian responses and development activities in 24 countries. Media includes: DevEx, The Cipher Brief, Vice News.
Academy Awards nominations were announced on Thursday. To discuss, we FEATURE Carla Hay. Hay is the author of WMC's Investigation: Gender and Non-Acting Oscar Nominations. She is a Tomatometer-approved critic at Rotten Tomatoes and a member of the Critics Choice Association. She is editor-in-chief of Culture Mix. She has been a writer or editor for Paramount Media Networks, Women's Media Center, Shondaland, AXS.com, Examiner.com, Lifetime, People, and Billboard and has been interviewed on CNN, Access Hollywood, and CNBC, and has been a guest speaker at Columbia University and New York University.
February is Black History Month. To discuss, we FEATURE Koritha Mitchell, professor of english at Boston University. Mitchell is an award-winning author, literary historian, cultural critic, and professional development expert. Her research focuses on African American literature as well as violence in United States history and contemporary culture. She examines how texts, both written and performed, help targeted families and communities survive and thrive. Mitchell is author of Living with Lynching and From Slave Cabins to the White House: Homemade Citizenship in African American Culture. She has edited Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861), the first book-length autobiography by a formerly enslaved African American woman, as well as Frances E.W. Harper’s 1892 novel Iola Leroy. Media includes: Time, The Washington Post, CNN, Openly, Electric Literature, The Huffington Post, PBS.c
Dr. Julie Thomas Achettu, EdD
Dr. Rebecca J Clendenen, PhD
Dr Carla Ionescu, PhD
Dr. Kimya Nuru Dennis, Ph.D.
Dr. Melody J Glenn, MD, MFA