The Republican tax reform bill looks to remove the individual health care mandate. To discuss how this could affect the Affordable Care Act, we SPOTLIGHT Elise Gould. Elise is director of health policy research at the Economic Policy Institute. Her research areas include employer-sponsored health insurance, inequality and health, poverty, mobility, and the employer tax exclusion. She is a co-author of the State of Working America, 12th edition. In the past, she has authored a chapter on health in The State of Working America 2008/09 and co-authored a book on health insurance coverage in retirement. She also teaches health economics and econometrics to graduate students at Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University. Media includes: Bloomberg, NPR, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
To prevent a government shut down, Congress needs to pass a budget by December 8th. We FEATURE Margot Dorfman. Margot is dedicated to dramatically advancing the economic and leadership opportunities for women. As a founder and CEO of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, she lead the organization’s dramatic growth to over 500,000 individual and business members including dozens of national and regional associations; championed opportunities to increase women's business, career and leadership advancement; and launched the USWCC-New Deal initiative to establish a broad new economic platform to support the growth and influence of women in the American economy. Media includes: the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, GovExec, Washington Post, Inc. Magazine, BusinessWeek.
DACA supporters will be meeting at the White House on Tuesday, November 28th, to discuss immigration reform that would protect those vulnerable to deportation. To discuss, we FEATURE Lourdes Guadalupe Martinez. Lourdes is the Political Director of Mujeres Unidas y Activas, or MUA, a grassroots organization of Latina immigrant women in the San Francisco Bay Area with a double mission of promoting personal transformation and building community power for social and economic justice. MUA’s focus issue areas are Immigrant Rights; Domestic Worker Rights; and Violence Against Women. Before joining MUA, Lourdes was an immigration attorney, working as an immigration legal educator with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) in San Francisco. Media includes: Univision, Telemundo, NBC Bay Area, KQED News.
Time, Inc. has been sold to the Meredith Corporation with backing from the Koch Brothers. To discuss how the influence of the brothers, who are known for advancing conservative causes, may change Time and affiliated publications, we FEATURE Cristina Azocar. Cristina is the chair of the Journalism Department and an associate professor of journalism at San Francisco State University. Prior to becoming chair she directed the Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism for more than 10 years. She teaches classes on the intersection of race and journalistic practice. She has conducted numerous presentations, workshops, talks and panels on the intersection of diversity and journalistic practice and has published in academic and professional journals. Extensive media experience.
Pope Francis is currently visiting Myanmar-- the first time a Pope has visited the country. He will be walking a diplomatic tightrope if he discusses the Rohingya Muslims, who are currently facing a crisis of ethnic cleansing. To discuss, we FEATURE Jacqueline Murekatete. Jacqueline is the founder and president of Genocide Survivors Foundation (GSF), a New York based not-for-profit organization, which educates people about the crime of genocide and raises funds to support survivors. She has also addressed the UN General Assembly and regularly participates in high-level human rights conferences. Media includes: The New York Times, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Jerusalem Post, Al Jazeera America, UN Africa Renewal Magazine, Newsday, Fast Company, People, Teen Vogue, NPR, Voice of America, CNN, PBS, NBC, ABC, MTV.
Amidst sexual misconduct allegations facing various members of Congress, Congressional leaders are discussing measures to protect workers from sexual harassment and work place bullying. To discuss, we FEATURE Robin Leeds. Robin is the founder and managing director of Winning Strategies LLC, a public affairs and political consulting firm based in Washington, DC. Winning Strategies provides a wide range of services including multi-cultural and crisis communications, public policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, coalition building, issues management, and corporate social responsibility. Robin served at the Clinton White House Office on Women’s Initiatives and Outreach, where she shaped public policy on fair pay, Title IX, affirmative action, voter protection, reproductive rights, health, domestic violence, and sexual harassment. Media includes: Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, France 24, Politico.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is in confusion following the resignation of former director Richard Cordray with two acting directors fighting for leadership-- Leandra English, who was assigned by Cordray, and Mick Mulvaney, who was assigned by President Trump. To discuss, we FEATURE Nomi Prins. Nomi is currenty a Senior Fellow at the non-partisan public policy think-tank, Demos. Her most recent book, All the Presidents' Bankers, is a groundbreaking narrative about the relationships of presidents to key bankers over the past century. Before that, she wrote the hard-hitting, acclaimed book, It Takes a Pillage: Behind the Bonuses, Bailouts, and Backroom Deals from Washington to Wall Street (Wiley, September, 2009/October 2010). Media includes: BBC, RtTV, and nationally for CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, CSPAN, Democracy Now, Fox, PBS, The New York Times, Fortune, Newsday, Mother Jones, Newsweek.
Liz Theran
