On Thursday, the government may shut down as the House struggles to negotiate on a budget and immigration agreement. To discuss, we FEATURE Lisa M. Maatz. As AAUW’s vice president of government relations, Lisa Maatz worked to advance AAUW’s priority issues on Capitol Hill, in the White House, and in coalition with other organizations. Recently featured in the book “Secrets of Powerful Women,” Lisa has developed a reputation for her strategic approach to legislation and advocacy. Media includes: MSNBC, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal.

This morning, the United States Supreme Court declined a request from Pennsylvania Republicans to stop a lower court ruling that Pennsylvania must redraw congressional lines. To discuss, we FEATURE Brenda Wright. Brenda is the Vice President of Legal Strategies at Demos.  She has led many progressive legal and policy initiatives on voting rights, campaign finance reform, redistricting, election administration and other democracy and electoral reform issues and is a nationally known expert in these areas. She has argued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court:  Randall v. Sorrell (campaign finance) and Young v. Fordice (voting rights). Extensive media experience.

The 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea starts Friday and, amidst the USA Gymnastics and Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal, we FEATURE Jill Pilgrim. Jill  is the Founder and President of The Center for the Protection of Athletes' Rights, Inc., a 501(c)(3) sports advocacy and education organization. She is also currently Acting Executive Director & General Counsel of the Track & Field Athletes Association (TFAA). She led the legal department at USA Track & Field, Inc. (USATF), the Olympic governing federation, and at the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Media includes: NBC, CNN, Court TV, NPR, BBC, ESPN Radio Podcast. 

Today, Senators John McCain and Christopher A. Coons proposed a bipartisan immigration bill that would protect Dreamers. To discuss, we FEATURE Cristina Tzintzún. Cristina  is the Executive Director of Workers Defense Project (WDP), a statewide, membership-based workers’ rights organization that is winning better working conditions for Texans. WDP has been called one of the nation’s most creative organizations for immigrant workers by The New York Times. Cristina has spearheaded efforts to ensure safe and dignified jobs for the nearly 900,000 construction workers that labor in the state. Media includes: NPR, The New York Times, USA Today, Univision, MSNBC.

This past Sunday there was an Amtrak crash in South Carolina that left two dead. There have been three other Amtrak crashes – in Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington state – in the past two months. To discuss, we FEATURE Kathryn Denise Rucker Krepp. Kathryn is a homeland security, transportation, and military justice reform expert who began her career as an active duty Coast Guard officer in 1998. After September 11, 2001, Ms. Krepp was a member of the team that created the Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Media includes: The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSNBC, C-SPAN.

Uber is currently in an intellectual property dispute with Google's Waymo over self-driving car technology. As the trial continues, we FEATURE Christina Gagnier. Christina leads the Intellectual Property, Internet & Technology practice at Gagnier Margossian LLP, with a specialization in copyright, information privacy and social media. Gagnier consults technology companies on policy issues ranging from patent law reform to communications issues, such as Network Neutrality. Gagnier’s primary research concerns issues of cyber rights and the intersection of on and offline action. Media includes: MSNBC, The Atlantic, Politico, Ars Technica, The New York Times.

On Thursday, New York Fashion Week officially begins and will continue until February 16th. To discuss, we FEATURE Sharifa Murdock. Sharifa is a founding team member of Project, one of the industry’s premier contemporary fashion forums, Sharifa has maintained a strong grasp of industry trends and emerging brands. She is currently a partner at Liberty Fairs where she concentrates on bringing new brands to life through the industry’s newest menswear showcase. Media includes: Glamour, WWD, InStyle, Huffington Post, Mashable.

The Super Bowl was this past weekend. With a win for the Eagles, fans – some unruly – took to the streets in Philadelphia after Sunday's Super Bowl win. The unrest has been compared to Black Lives Matter riots – with critics pointing out the hypocrisy and unfairness with how sports riots are treated versus ones prompted by civic unrest. To discuss, we FEATURE Charlene Carruthers. Charlene is a Black, queer feminist community organizer and writer with over 10 years of experience in racial justice, feminist and youth leadership development movement work. She currently serves as the national director of the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100), an activist member-led organization of Black 18-35 year olds dedicated to creating justice and freedom for all Black people. Media includes: NPR, MSNBC, BBC World News, WGN TV.