Colonial Pipeline, Co., who supply more than half of the East Coast's gasoline and diesel fuel, experienced a ransomware attack, which has caused it to temporarily shut down. The FBI have confirmed that an Eastern European criminal gang is responsible for the cyberattack. To discuss, we FEATURE Suzanne Spaulding. Spaulding served as Under Secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) at the Department of Homeland Security. She oversaw the coordinated operational and policy functions of the Directorate’s subcomponents: office of Cybersecurity and Communications, Infrastructure Protection, Biometric Identity Management, Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis, and the Federal Protective Service. NPPD’s mission is to strengthen the security and resiliency of the nation’s critical infrastructure against physical and cyber risk, securing federal facilities, building capabilities in the .gov and .com domains, and advancing identity management verification. Media includes: The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Economist, The Guardian, CNN, ABC, NPR.

The Biden administration has restored anti-bias protections in healthcare for transgender people, which were removed from the Affordable Care Act by the previous administration. To discuss, we FEATURE Kierra Johnson. Johnson is the Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force. She has a wealth of experience in program development, youth leadership and reproductive justice. Johnson previously served on the National LGBTQ Task Force’s board of directors and on its National Action Council, and has keynoted at the organization’s annual Creating Change Conference. Media experience: Newsweek, The New York Times, Feministing, Fox News, NPR.

On Saturday, India reached a record number of COVID deaths in one day with over 4,000 people. The WHO has classified the India variant "of global concern." To discuss, we FEATURE Dr. Lipi Roy. Dr. Roy is Medical Director at Housing Works, where she oversees medical services at COVID isolation and quarantine sites in New York City. She also serves as clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Health. As the former Chief of Addiction Medicine for New York City jails including Rikers Island, Dr. Roy oversaw substance use treatment and recovery services at the nation’s 2nd-largest jail complex. Media includes: The New York Times, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, MSNBC, NBC News.

COVID-19 global herd immunity is unlikely, according to experts. This is due to a combination of surges happening in Asia and Latin America, the number of virus variants, and the slow rate of vaccinations. To discuss, we FEATURE Dr. Ranit Mishori. Dr. Mishori is a recognized expert and advocate for the health of the public in general, and of marginalized populations in particular. Her medical expertise covers a broad range: from women’s and migrant health, to evidence-based medicine, health disparities, prevention and primary care. Her research and insights on medicine and policy find a broad audience both in her academic writing, and through her frequent articles and appearances in the mainstream media. Media includes: Voice of America, Vice, The Washington Post, The Hill, NPR.

Last week, the Silenced No More Act was passed in the California Senate. The legislation aims to make it easier for survivors to speak of workplace discrimination and harassment even if they signed an NDA. To discuss, we FEATURE Noreen Farrell. Farrell is the Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), one of the nation’s leading women’s rights organization, where she has led landmark litigation and policy reform efforts to improve the lives of women and girls at work and school. Noreen has written extensively on women’s economic issues, including discrimination based on pregnancy, pay, and caregiver status. Honored as one of the Top Women Lawyers and Top Employment Lawyers in California, Noreen has led ERA’s impact litigation efforts representing clients who have faced sex discrimination and other unfair treatment at school and work in numerous individual and class actions. Media includes: The New York Times, Huffington Post, NBC.

As restaurants begin to reopen, many are struggling to find workers so are forced to either close or turn down customers. To discuss, we FEATURE Saru Jayaraman. Jayaraman is the Co-Founder and President of One Fair Wage, the co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United), and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. She has been fighting to raise wages and working conditions for restaurant and other service workers for nearly 20 years. Jayaraman is the author of Behind the Kitchen Door (Cornell University Press, 2013) and Forked: A New Standard for American Dining (Oxford University Press, 2016). Media includes: The New York Times, The Takeway, Democracy Now!, CBS.

The House Republican Conference will vote this week on whether or not to remove Liz Cheney from her position as GOP Conference Chair. This follows Mitt Romney's censure by the Utah Republican Party. Both voted to impeach Donald Trump. To discuss, we FEATURE Victoria Budson. Budson is a founder and the Executive Director of the Women and Public Policy Program (WAPPP) at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. WAPPP is the preeminent institution for advancing interdisciplinary research on approaches to closing gender gaps, educating students and leaders on gender policy, and implementing policy changes at local, state, and national levels. Media includes: The Boston Globe, New York Times Magazine, US News & World Report, USA Today, CNBC, NPR.

May is Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. To commemorate, we FEATURE Sayu Bhojwani. Bhojwani is the President and Founder of The New American Leaders Project (NALP), which is working to build an inclusive democracy. From 2002 to 2004, she was New York City’s first Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and in 1997 she founded South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), the first and only organization working exclusively with South Asian youth. Media includes: The New Yorker, The Chicago Tribune, WNYC, ABC News.

NBC has announced that it will be cancelling the 2022 Golden Globes awards after mounting pressure within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to speed up its plans to address the lack of Black members. To discuss, we FEATURE Carla Hay. Hay is a writer and has booked panelists and speakers for conferences presented by Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. She is also a Tomatometer-approved critic at Rotten Tomatoes and a straight ally to the LGBTQ community. Media includes: Examiner, Lifetime, People, Billboard, Access Hollywood, CNBC, CNN.