The Amazon rainforest has been on fire for weeks now. While some countries have pledged to donate millions of dollars to help with the fires, the Brazilian government has rejected the offer. To discuss, we FEATURE Heloisa Pait. Pait, a Fulbright alumna, teaches sociology at the São Paulo State University Julio de Mesquita Filho, where she investigates the role of new means of communication in democratic life. She has written on the reception of international news, on media use by Brazilian youth, and on the disruptive role of the internet in the Brazilian political environment. Pait is part of the advisory board of Open Knowledge Foundation Brazil and takes active part of debates on Brazilian current affairs, contributing to specialized blogs and to the press. Media includes: Christian Science Monitor, Guerilla Reads.

Tropical Storm Dorian is moving across the Caribbean. Puerto Rico has announced a state of emergency as the storm heads its way there. To discuss, we FEATURE Junko Mochizuki. Mochizuki is a natural disaster risk expert at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria. Her research focuses on the linkages between risk management, economic growth, and changing risks from climate extremes in connection with socioeconomic change.  Her particular interest lies in the interface between policy and scientific knowledge, investigating how governments and researchers can work together to redcuce the financial risk of disasters. Extensive media experience.

A new indictment has been made against Harvey Weinstein, which has pushed his trial until January but will allow for actor Annabella Sciorra to testify and tell her story about being assaulted by Weinstein. To discuss, we FEATURE Jane Manning. Manning is a former prosecutor who now serves as Director of Advocacy of the New York City chapter of the National Organization for Women, where she has pursued successful campaigns to repeal the statute of limitations on rape cases and to criminalize strangulation attacks in New York State. She began her career as a prosecutor, specializing in cases of domestic violence, child abuse, and sex crimes. In private practice, she provided pro bono representation to a coalition of battered women’s organizations. Media includes: The New York Times, NPR.

Opioid deaths in Staten Island have gone down, however hundreds of people are still dying from opioid overdoses. To discuss, we FEATURE Dr. Lipi Roy. Dr Roy is an internal medicine physician board certified in addiction medicine and 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 efforts at the nation’s 2nd-largest jail complex. Previously, she was a primary care doctor to Boston’s vulnerable homeless population among whom the leading cause of death was drug overdose. Media includes: The New York Times, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, CNN, CBS.

A federal judge in Missouri has blocked a new abortion law that would ban all abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy. To discuss, we FEATURE Robin Marty. Marty is a freelance reporter and the author of the new book "Handbook for a Post-Roe America," a guide for what to do if and when Roe is overturned and states make abortion illegal. She is also the co-author of "The End of Roe v. Wade" (formerly "Crow After Roe"), an updated account of 12 different abortion laws meant to provoke challenges to Roe v. Wade, to be published in August of 2019. Robin specializes in abortion rights and access and the anti-abortion movement and figures. Media includes: Cosmopolitan, NBC, The Guardian, Politico.