With the impeachment trial facing many delays as it heads over to the Senate, we FEATURE Lori Cox Han. Han is Professor of Political Science at Chapman University in Orange, California with research and teaching interests in the presidency, political leadership, media and politics, and women and politics. She is the editor of Hatred of America’s Presidents: Personal Attacks on the White House from Washington to Trump (ABC-CLIO, 2018); New Directions in the American Presidency, 2nd ed. (Routledge, 2018); The Presidency and the Challenge of Democracy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006); and In the Public Domain: Presidents and the Challenge of Public Leadership (SUNY Press, 2005). Media includes: Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, USA Today. 

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico on Tuesday, which has killed one person and left much of the island without electricity. To discuss, we FEATURE Erica Gonzalez. Gonzalez is the Deputy Director of #Power4PuertoRico, a coalition of organizations, leaders, and advocates from across the nation working together to address the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria through advocacy, strategic communications, and direct mobilization. She is a lifelong advocate for social justice and Latino issues. Media includes: WMC Live with Robin Morgan, Spectrum News NY1, Fox, CNN. 

The Harvey Weinstein sexual assault trial began in New York earlier this week and will continue for the next few weeks. To discuss, we FEATURE Deborah Tuerkheimer. Tuerkheimer is a Professor of Law at Northwestern University's Pritzker School of Law. She teaches and writes in the areas of criminal law, evidence, and feminist legal theory. She is also a co-author of the casebook Feminist Jurisprudence: Cases and Materials and the author of numerous articles on sexual violence and domestic violence. Her book, Flawed Convictions: “Shaken Baby Syndrome” and the Inertia of Injustice, was published by Oxford University Press in 2014. Media includes: The Washington Post, The Economist, The Guardian, The New York Times, CBS News, CNN. 

Australia has been hit with devastating bushfires throughout the country, with 25 people already killed in the fires and growing concern over the surivival of the wildlife there. To discuss, we FEATURE Tonya Cross Hansel, PhD LMSW. Hansel is a social worker with expertise in research, statistics, disaster mental health, trauma, and maximizing outcomes for social service agencies. Hansel also holds an adjunct appointment with the Tulane University School of Social Work, where she teaches a series of master-level research courses and applied social statistics for the doctorate program. Together these experiences have allowed Hansel to focus on measuring traumatic experiences and implementing systematic recovery initiatives that are effective at reducing negative symptoms, but also at emphasizing the importance of individual and community strengths that contribute to recovery. Media includes: Forbes. 

A group of homeless women in Oakland, California are gaining support after taking over a vacant home in the city. With California undergoing a housing crisis, the story is especially pertinent. To discuss, we FEATURE Rebecca Kaplan, Esq. Kaplan represents the entire City of Oakland as its Councilmember At-Large. She has served Oakland as a citywide elected official for ten years, working to improve quality of life by enhancing economic opportunity, public safety and vibrancy in Oakland. Kaplan is strongly committed to creating new economic opportunity for Oakland – from job creation to retail attraction to homebuyer assistance. She is also committed to improving public safety, strengthening transportation and reforming government. She is the author of vacant property tax to fund homeless solutions. Media includes: The New York Times, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Fox, CNN. 

Facebook has announced that they are banning deepfake videos in order to combat misinformation on the website. To discuss, we FEATURE Michelle A. Amazeen. Amazeen is an assistant professor in the Department of Mass Communication, Advertising and Public Relations at Boston University. Amazeen’s research is cross-disciplinary at the intersection of advertising, journalism and political communication. The focus of her research involves mediated persuasion and misinformation, investigating the factors that influence recognition of persuasion and resistance to it. She examines how situational message factors (source, text, visuals, disclosure labels) interact with individual characteristics (demographics, media use motivations, ideology, information literacy) to affect persuasion knowledge, cognitive coping responses, attitudes, and intentions. Media includes: The Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, CNN. 

Sonos, which is known for creating smart speakers, is suing Google over their Google Home system, claiming that the tech giant stole the technology from them. To discuss, we FEATURE Charlene Morrow. Morrow, a partner at law firm Fenwick & West, is lead trial counsel for technology and life sciences companies. She does a mix of plaintiff and defense work relating to patents, trade secrets and other commercial disputes. She regularly comments on new legal developments in her fields of interest, including patents, trade secrets, and representation of technology and life sciences companies. Media includes: Silicon Valley Business Journal, Bloomberg, The Recorder Daily Journal.   

With flu season underway, many people have already been hit with the flu and this year is seeing an uptick in cases compared to last year. To discuss, we FEATURE Dr. Sylvia Morris. Dr. Morris is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. Dr. Morris’s goal is to utilize media to improve our nation’s public health by combining her training in Internal Medicine, Holistic Medicine and Public Health. Currently, she is a phsyician with Kaiser Permanente. Media includes: U.S. News & World Report, Weather Channel, Fox, CNN.

On Twitter, President Trump threatened to target Iranian culture sites which prompted to preservation groups to protest his threats. To discuss, we FEATURE Rachel Preston Prinz. Preston Prinz is an architecturally-trained American designer, preservationist, author, documentary filmmaker, and artist working in architecture, cultural + historic preservation, and sustainability. She's the Founding Director of the hybrid firm Archinia and it's non-profit Architecture for EveryBody. Extensive media experience. 

With Julián Castro dropping out of the presidential race, the spotlight is on Latino voters and their role in this year's presidential election. To discuss, we FEATURE María Teresa Kumar. Kumar is the founding President and CEO of Voto Latino and an Emmy-nominated contributor with MSNBC. Under her leadership, Voto Latino has become a key factor in national elections by directly registering over a quarter million new voters and influencing millions more through viral, celebrity-driven campaigns. Media includes: Univision, Fast Company, Huffington Post, MSNBC, CNBC.