This past weekend, a chemical attack in Syria killed dozens of people. President Trump is currently making a decision on whether or not to intervene. To discuss, we FEATURE Alexandra Bell. Alexandra is the Senior Policy Director at the Center for Arms Control & Non-Proliferation, where she focuses on nuclear weapons policy, emerging threats, and broader U.S. and international security issues. Bell was the Director for Strategic Outreach in the Office of the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security at the Department of State. Before joining the Department of State in 2010, she was the Project Manager at the Ploughshares Fund and a Research Assistant for Nuclear Policy at the Center for American Progress. Media includes: The Washington Post, POLITICO, Foreign Policy, Vanity Fair, The Hill, The Cypher Brief.

Mark Zuckerberg will be testifying in front of Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of an investigation into Facebook's privacy policy and the Cambridge Analytica data leak. To discuss, we FEATURE Judith H. Germano. Judith advises public and privately-held companies on cybersecurity and privacy matters, and represents companies and individuals on complex white-collar criminal and regulatory-compliance issues. As the founding member of GermanoLawLLC, Judith has counseled clients on matters of cybersecurity governance and risk management, internal investigations, and criminal as well as civil defense. Judith also serves as a Senior Fellow on Cybersecurity, and Adjunct Professor of Law, at New York University School of Law, focusing on critical cybersecurity and privacy issues, and leading the Center on Law & Security’s cybersecurity task force of corporate executives and senior government officials. Media includes: The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, New Jersey Star Ledger. 

Israeli forces have been killing Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza. To discuss, we FEATURE Noura Erakat. Noura is a human rights attorney and writer. She is currently the Freedman Teaching Fellow at Temple Law School and the U.S.-based Legal Advocacy Consultant for the Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Refugee and Residency Rights. Noura is a frquent commentator on the Palestinian-Israel conflict, U.S. Middle East foreign policy, and international human rights in the Middle East. She has lived and worked throughout the Middle East including as part of a legal fact-finding delegation to the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of Israel’s Winter 2008/09 offensive. Media includes: Fox, NBC, MSNBC, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, The Hill, The Interdependent, The Huffington Post.  

The Department of Homeland Security is compiling a database of journalists and media influencers. Many are calling this an attack on freedom of press and freedom of speech. To discuss, we FEATURE Dr. Shirley Staples Carter. Dr. Carter is the Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina. Her teaching areas include Multicultural Communication, Ethics, Mass Communication and Society, and Public Relations and Media Management. Carter’s research areas include Freedom of Expression and Values Analysis in Advertising, Open Government, Women and Leadership, and Multicultural Issues in Journalism and Mass Communication. Extensive media experience.

The Allow States and Victims To Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) will be signed on Wednesday. While the bill seeks to fight online sex trafficking, some point out that it may make sex work more unsafe. To discuss, we FEATURE Juhu Thukral. Juhu is the Director of Law and Advocacy at The Opportunity Agenda, where she leads strategic communications and policy initiatives on economic, immigrant, and gender and sexuality concerns. Prior to this, Juhu was the founder and Director of the Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center in New York City, where she continues to act as a Senior Advisor. She founded the Sex Workers Project in 2001, after recognizing the strong need for an organization that protects the legal and human rights of sex workers. She is also a founding Steering Committee member of the NY Anti-Trafficking Network. Media includes: ABC News, WNYC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe.

Two hundred and fifty state legislators – all members of the Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council – have called on their fellow legislators, governors and the courts to halt over 39 bills introduced to ban abortion in states including Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio. To discuss, we FEATURE Shivana Jorawar. Shivana is a lawyer and policy advocate and, currently serves as the State Legislative Counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights where she manages their defensive state advocacy initiatives. Prior to joining the Center, she was the Federal Policy Director for the National Abortion Federation where she developed and executed federal policy strategy to further NAF’s priorities and position as a leading voice in the reproductive rights movement. Shivana is passionate about uplifting the status of marginalized communities, especially women of color, and has a background in legal advocacy and community education around issues of gender-based inequity and violence. Media includes: Associated Press, RHReality Check, Angry Asian Man, The Prospect, The Hill, The Nation.  

Black Panther has surpassed Titanic, which had the #3 spot on the all-time domestic box office chart. To discuss, we FEATURE April Reign. As the creator of the viral hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, April challenges the lack of representation of marginalized communities in Hollywood and beyond. Reign sustains a movement that has resulted in the most systemic change ever seen in the over 80-year history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Studios and production companies are following suit, taking into consideration Reign’s 10-point plan to increase diversity as reported in the Guardian.  Media includes: CNN, Sirius XM, HLN, The Guardian, Forbes, News One Now, Today Show, BBC World, Al-Jazeera America. 

The retrial of Bill Cosby for three counts of aggravated indecent assault started this week. To discuss, we FEATURE Jane Manning. Jane is a former prosecutor who now serves as Director of Advocacy of the New York City chapter of the National Organization for Women, focusing on their new initiative to combat drug-facilitated sexual assault. She began her career as a prosecutor, specializing in cases of domestic violence, child abuse, and sex crimes. In private practice, she provided pro bono representation to a coalition of battered women’s organizations. She currently serves as Director of Advocacy of the National Organization for Women’s New York City chapter, where she has pursued successful campaigns to repeal the statute of limitations on rape cases and to criminalize strangulation attacks in New York State. Media includes: The New York Times, NPR, The Brian Lehrer Show, WMC Live, NOWNewYorkCity1.