Around 1,600 ships (and 20,000 people) are still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. Both the U.S. and Iran claim to have control over the Strait and their shaky ceasefire has been threatened by an attack on the United Arab Emirates by Iran, and the sinking of six Iranian boats by the U.S. To discuss, we FEATURE Alexandra Stark. Stark is an associate political scientist at RAND. Stark's research interests include security cooperation, civil wars and irregular warfare, gender and conflict, domestic violent extremism, domestic institutions and foreign policymaking, military intervention, and Middle East security. Prior to joining RAND, Stark was a policy advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and before that was a senior researcher at New America, a predoctoral fellow at the Middle East Institute of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and Minerva/Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar at the United States Institute of Peace. Her research has been published in International Security and Security Studies, and her commentary has appeared in War on the Rocks, Lawfare, the Monkey Cage, and other outlets.

Rapper d4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, has been charged with the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was found dismembered in the trunk of his car. Burke has also been accused of having a sexual relationship with Hernandez, who was 14-years old at the time of her murder. To discuss, we FEATURE Debbie Hines. Hines is a Washington, DC based trial attorney, legal analyst, former Baltimore prosecutor and member of the Supreme Court bar. She is an expert in criminal law, high profile criminal cases, gun control and gun laws, police brutality, death penalty, domestic violence and Supreme Court cases. She often addresses legal/political issues at the intersection of gender, race and class. As a former felony prosecutor, she tried homicides, attempted murders, rapes, burglaries, robberies, narcotics and economic crimes. Presently, she maintains a boutique law practice focused on civil and criminal litigation. Hines is also a former Maryland Assistant Attorney General. Media includes: The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, The Hill, Huffington Post, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist party has gained control of West Bengal, one of India's influential states. To discuss, we FEATURE Samina Ahmed. Ahmed oversees the International 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.

Marco Rubio will be meeting with Pope Leo on Thursday following Donald Trump's disparaging comments against the Pope. To discuss, we FEATURE Maureen Day. Day is the associate professor of Religion and Society and a research fellow at the Center for Religion and Civic Culture as well as the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California. With training in theology and the social sciences, her teaching and research areas include Catholicism, family, young adults, social ethics, pastoral practice, and religion in American civic life. She is an award-winning author, with her writings on American Catholic life appearing in both Catholic and academic publications, including Catholicism at a Crossroads: The Present and Future of America’s Largest Church; Cultural Catholics: Who They Are, How to Respond; Catholic Activism Today: Individual Transformation and the Struggle for Social Justice. Media includes: The Southern Cross, National Catholic Reporter, Wall Street Journal.

Evacuations have begun of a luxury cruise ship off the coast of West Africa after three passengers have died and at least four are sick in what health officials are saying is a rare outbreak of hantavirus. To discuss, we FEATURE Céline Gounder. Trained at Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Washington, and Harvard University, Céline Gounder is an internist, infectious disease specialist, and epidemiologist. She is a CBS News medical contributor, a senior fellow KFF, and editor-at-large for Public Health at KFF Health News. Gounder is also a clinical associate professor of medicine and infectious diseases at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. She is one of the world’s leading experts in science, medicine, and public health communication. Gounder is best known for her coverage of health inequities and the COVID, Ebola, Zika, mental health, opioid overdose, gun violence, and disinformation epidemics. Media includes: The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, CNN, CBS.

On Sunday, a gunman opened fire on lake party at Arcadia Lake near Oklamhoma City, resulting in the death of an 18-year old woman and fire-arm injuries inflicted on injuring at least 22 others. To discuss, we FEATURE Kris Brown. Brown was named president of Brady United Against Gun Violence in 2017, bringing a lifelong background in policy, law, and grassroots activism to lead the nation’s preeminent gun violence prevention organization. At Brady, Brown has brought together leaders across industries, from entertainment to advertising, business, and politics, to accelerate the movement to free America from gun violence. Under Brown’s leadership, Brady has embarked on groundbreaking projects to address gun violence from multiple angles. Notably, Brown has spearheaded Brady's collaboration with the entertainment industry, promoting responsible depictions of firearms in film and television through strategic partnerships and engaging filmmakers, producers, and actors to shape public perception and discourse surrounding firearms. Media includes: USA Today, LA Times, Ms. Magazine, MSNBC, CNN, ABC.

May 3rd was World Press Freedom Day. To discuss, we FEATURE Anna Therese Day. Day is an award-winning reporter and filmmaker, focused on social movements, human rights, and the intersection of technology and security. In 2020, Day was honored with the James Foley World Press Freedom Award for her conflict journalism and advocacy. Day regularly speaks on international affairs, press freedom, and the intersection of movements and media for broadcast news channels, at government and international forums, and in university and educational settings. Media includes: Al Jazeera, Huffington Post, BBC.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. To discuss, we FEATURE Seema Agnani. Agnani is the chief executive officer of the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD) – a coalition of more than 100 community-based organizations in 19 states and the Pacific Islands. Collectively the coalition improves the lives of over two-million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who live in poverty by providing voice, tools, and shared knowledge to drive change. Currently, she serves on the Community Advisory Board, Consumer Financial Protections Bureau and is an officer of the board of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT). She was originally from the Chicago metro area, her parents emigrated to the US from India. Media includes: The New York Times, The Nation, Rooflines, WNYC.