California Gov. Gavin Newsom has selected Laphonza Butler to fill the Senate seat left empty following the death of Dianne Feinstein. Butler will be the third Black woman to ever serve in the Senate and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent California. To discuss, we FEATURE Glynda C. Carr. As president, CEO, and co-founder of Higher Heights for America and Higher Heights Leadership Fund, Carr is at the center of the national movement to grow Black women’s political power from the voting booth to elected office. She is the co-creator of #BlackWomenLead, a powerful coalition movement that is creating an environment for Black women to run, win and lead, and the Higher Heights-powered #BlackWomenVote, a nonpartisan voter-activism campaign that serves as an independent and trusted voice for Black women’s political concerns. Her work to date has helped to elect 11 Black women to the U.S. Congress—including one to the Senate—and increase the number of Black women holding statewide executive office—including helping to elect the first Black woman to serve as New York State attorney general. Media includes: Feminist.com, The Capitol, The Brock Report.

The WGA strike has ended as studios and writers have reached an agreement. However, the SAG-AFTRA strike continues but its repesentatives are expected to meet with studios today for negotiations. To discuss, we FEATURE Rachel Feldman. Feldman is an accomplished Hollywood film & television director and screenwriter, as well as an activist for gender parity for women directors. With over directing 75 credits in broadcast television, she has also taught directing and screenwriting at USC School of Cinematic Arts MFA program. Media includes: Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, CBS, ABC, PBS.

A new term has begun and the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on abortion rights. To discuss, we FEATURE Jennifer Driver. Driver is the senior director of reproductive rights with the State Innovation Exchange. Her work centers on addressing systems that add burdens or barriers to accessing full reproductive health information and services— paying particular attention to communities of color, immigrants, systems involved youth, and LGBTQ communities. Prior to joining SiX, Driver served as the vice president of Policy and Strategic Partnerships with SIECUS (the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States), where she provided leadership to drive the organization’s federal and state policy and advocacy efforts. Media includes: The Washington Post, Vogue, The New York Times, Rewire, The Hill, CNN.

A new term has begun and the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on gun rights. To discuss, we FEATURE Kristin Goss. 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. 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. Media includes: Atlanta Journal Constitution, Newark Star Ledger, Raleigh News & Observer, The Washington Post.

Two scientists, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, have won the Nobel Prize for helping to develop the mRNA COVID vaccine. To discuss, we FEATURE Shobita Parthasarathy. Parthasarathy is a Professor of Public Policy and Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan. She studies policy and politics related to controversial emerging technologies, particularly genetics and biotechnology, in the United States, Europe, and India. She also analyzes the role that science and expertise plays in policymaking. She is the author of numerous articles and a book, Building Genetic Medicine: Breast Cancer, Technology, and the Comparative Politics of Health Care (MIT Press, 2007). Findings from this book, which compared the development of genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer in the United States and Britain, helped to inform the 2013 US Supreme Court case over gene patents. Media includes: The New York Times, Nature, USA Today, PBS.

Student loan repayments have begun again. To dicuss, we FEATURE Alex Wilson. Wilson is a product owner at Facet, a certified financial planner professional, and a behavioral financial advisor with six years of experience as a financial advisor and financial coach. She is passionate about helping others, regardless of their net worth, discover their true values and goals, and adapt their finances to create alignment. Wilson has expertise in student loans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness as well as saving money, budgeting for parents, and paying off debt. Media includes: Forbes, MarketWatch, Yahoo! Finance, Business Insider, GOBankingRates.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To discuss, we FEATURE Dr. Dara Richardson-Heron. Dr. Richardson-Heron is a distinguished Fortune 100 corporate executive, board director and physician with over 25 years of leadership excellence in healthcare, corporate and non-profit sectors. A frequent speaker on equity in medicine and women in leadership, Dr. Richardson-Heron is known for her transformative contributions to improving disparities in healthcare and the workplace. She served for four years as CEO of the Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.® During her tenure, the Affiliate ranked as the #1 Komen Affiliate in fundraising and grants awarded — outpacing over 120 other Affiliates in the U.S. and abroad. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure® organization is the largest source of nonprofit funds in the world dedicated to the fight against breast cancer. Dr. Richardson-Heron is a 15-year and counting breast cancer survivor and a powerful advocate and public spokesperson for preventive health and breast cancer awareness. Media includes: Washington Business Journal, The Examiner, The Huffington Post, MSNBC, CBS, NY1.

Monday is Indigenous Peoples Day. To discuss, we FEATURE Kimberly Terrance. Terrance is an indigenous entrepreneur, community and social development advocate, cultural knowledge sharer and truth seeker. A Kanienkehaka Mohawk Bear clan woman of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy), Kimberly dedicates much of her time and resources to building bridges of understanding while supporting the economic and social development of her people and home territory of Akwesasne where she was born and raised. Groomed in business and an avid lover of Indigenous Art, Culture and Community, her journey has led her to believe that the winding path to individual and collective harmony requires the ability to make a personal connection while balancing the capitalistic and social realms of today’s society. A mother of two young children and the only daughter of a Deaf mother, Kimberly strongly advocates for the Deaf Native community. Extensive media experience.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15. To discuss, we FEATURE Krissia Campos Spivey. Spivey is a rising national leader in ensuring equality of educational opportunity for Hispanic families. After raising the bar for parent-facing school choice resources in Spanish as a part of National School Choice Week, she’s expanding on that work as director of the newly launched Conoce tus Opciones Escolares (CTOE). In tandem with National School Choice Week, CTOE helps Latino parents explore all of their K-12 education options in Spanish, year-round. In her role, Spivey leads the foundation’s efforts to communicate with Spanish-speaking communities, builds partnerships with nonprofit organizations to expand Spanish-language school choice outreach, and uses her expertise in digital communications to enhance the foundation’s programs. Media includes: Univision, Telemundo, La Noticia, NPR.