This past weekend the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was attacked by a gun man who shouted "all Jews must die" before starting his rampage. The attack is considered the deadlist attack on the Jewish community in the U.S. To discuss, we SPOTLIGHT Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum. Rabbi Kleinbaum has been the Senior Rabbi of New York City's Congregation Beth Simchat Torah (CBST) since 1992. Under her leadership, CBST has become an important voice in Judaism, in the world-wide discourse on the nature of religious community, and in the movement to secure basic civil rights for gay people everywhere. Rabbi Kleinbaum's education and experience cut across all varieties of contemporary Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and secular activist. Media includes: The New York Times, The Forward, Jewish Week.
Earlier this week, President Trump said that he would sign an executive order to end birthright citizenship. To discuss, we FEATURE Karin Wang. Wang is the Executive Director of UCLA Law's David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. For 20 years, Wang has advocated for civil rights and immigrant rights, covering issues such as race discrimination and defamation, language rights, immigration and immigrant integration, and LGBT equality. Prior to her current role, she directed Advancing Justice-LA’s immigrant rights project and she also launched the Los Angeles civil rights field office of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Media includes: Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, New Republic.
Thousands of troops are being sent to the U.S.-Mexico border as a respond to the migrant caravan that is heading north from Central America. To discuss, we FEATURE Erika Guevara-Rosas. Guevara-Rosas is a feminist lawyer and human rights activist, who currently serves as the Americas Programme Director at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International. She is responsible for leading the organization’s human rights work across the region. Guevara-Rosas has more than fifteen years of international experience in the fields of human rights and social justice philanthropy. Extensive media experience.
Midterm elections are Tuesday. To discuss, we FEATURE Robin Leeds. Leeds is the founder and managing director of Winning Strategies LLC, a public affairs and political consulting firm based in Washington, DC. As a Clinton presidential appointee, Leeds coordinated the implementation of the National Voter Registration (Motor Voter) Act in WIC, Food Stamps, and AFDC programs at the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. In presidential election cycles since 1992, she has worked with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights' National Election Protection Program to conduct trainings and manage election day command centers. Media includes: Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, Politico, France 24.
In a shift to the right, Brazilians on Sunday elected Jair Bolsonaro as their next president. The president-elect has been cirticized for being racist, sexist, and homophobic. To discuss, we FEATURE Françoise Girard. Girard is President of the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC) and a leading expert on women’s health, human rights, sexuality, and HIV and AIDS. She is regularly consulted by governments and UN agencies and has played a key advocacy role during international negotiations, including most recently on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (Sustainable Development Goals). Media includes: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, Reuters, BBC Radio, NPR, CBC/Radio-Canada.
Cesar Sayoc, who has been dubbed "the MAGA bomber," was arrested last week for being the prime suspect behind the pipe bombs that were sent to Democratic Party leaders, including the Clintons, former president Barack Obama, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. The FBI is currently investigating the case as one of domestic terrorism. To discuss, we FEATURE Lauren C. Anderson. An international security and crisis management expert, and former FBI Executive, Anderson is the Founder and CEO of LC Anderson International, an international consulting business. While with the FBI, she worked extensively throughout Africa, Europe and the Middle East, leading FBI terrorism and criminal investigations with a nexus to these regions in close collaboration with her foreign counterparts. Following a five-year overseas assignment, she led the International Terrorism program of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the largest JTTF in the nation, with representation from more than 50 local, state and federal agencies. Media includes: The Washington Post, Fox News, Huffington Post.
In a Louisville Kroger store, two black people were fatally shot by a white man who spared a bystander, saying "whites don't shoot whites." News has also emerged that the suspect attempted to enter a black church prior to the attack. To discuss, we FEATURE Koritha Mitchell. Mitchell is an associate professor of English at Ohio State University. Her research centers on African American literature, racial violence in United States history and contemporary culture, and black drama and performance. She examines how texts, both written and performed, help targeted communities to survive and thrive. Media includes: PBS, ColorLines, The Feminist Wire, Feministing, Vox.
Angela Merkel has announced that she will be stepping down as German chancellor in 2021. To discuss, we FEATURE Valerie Rouxel-Laxton, a consultant at the International Finance Corporation and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Previously, Rouxel-Laxton was Head of Economics and Finance for the EU delegation in the U.S. and prior to that she was Head of Sector, Countries of the G20, for the European Commission. She is an international economic affairs specialist, specialised in European integration and global economic trends. She strives to comprehend complex economic matters, communicate clearly to explain technical issues, and to advise on policies when appropriate. Extensive media experience.
Tomorrow is the beginning of the healthcare open enrollment period, which runs until December 15. To discuss, we FEATURE Barbara Glickstein. Glickstein is a public health nurse, health policy expert and health reporter. She is the Director of Communications, Media Projects at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University School of Nursing. Glickstein produces & hosts HealthCetera, a podcast that provides evidence-based news, analysis and commentary where diverse, dynamic, front-line experts discuss the latest real-world effects of healthcare and health policy. Media includes: WNBC, PBS, The Nation, WBAI Pacifica Radio.
National unemployment statistics for October will be released on Friday. To discuss unemployment, we FEATURE Valerie Wilson. Wilson is director of the Economic Policy Institute’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy (PREE), a nationally recognized source for expert reports and policy analyses on the economic condition of America’s people of color. She has written extensively on various issues impacting economic inequality in the United States—including employment and training, income and wealth disparities, access to higher education, and social insurance. Media includes: Fox News, BET, NPR, EBONY Magazine.
Liz Theran
