Wildfires are currently ravaging the U.S. west coast in California, Oregon, and Washington state. To discuss how climate change may be contributing to these fires, we SPOTLIGHT Betsy Rosenberg. Rosenberg is an award winning broadcast news veteran turned green radioactivist. After working as a reporter/anchor for the CBS Radio network for several decades, Rosenberg decided to dedicate herself to bringing environmental content and consciousness to the mainstream media airwaves and audiences. For the past 15 years she has hosted and produced green radio programs, including the nation’s first daily green-themed show on the Air America Radio network. Rosenberg is also founder of the Don’t Be Fueled! GASroots campaign and co-founder of the newly launched WEATHER WE CARE campaign. Media includes: San Francisco Chronicle, CBS Radio, Fox, CNN.
On Saturday, two Los Angeles police officers were shot and injured in Compton. There is no suspect and the Sheriff's Department is currently looking for the shooter. To discuss, we FEATURE Deborah Small. Small is a criminal justice expert and the founder and executive director of Break the Chains: Communities of Color and the War on Drugs. The mission of Break the Chains is to help build a movement in communities of color in support of drug policy reform with the goal of replacing our failed drug polices with alternatives based on science, compassion, public health and human rights. Media includes: Times Union, WBAI, NY1, WMNYC, NPR.
Racial justice protests continue in cities across the U.S., with protests in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Rochester, New York, as well at sporting events. To discuss, we FEATURE Lessie Branch. Branch is Associate Professor in the School for Business at Metropolitan College of New York. She is a Racial Policy Scholar, a Fulbright Specialist in Race, Ethnicity, and Religion in Politics, Senior Research Fellow at the DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy at Medgar Evers College and a Scholar with Scholars Strategy Network. Her research examines the gulf between Black optimism about group progress and the actual data on continuing disparities and potentially speaks to wider questions of social knowledge, social beliefs and relative group position; even to questions of “consciousness” and ontology. Media includes: The New York Times, City and State, TEDx.
Contract workers for services booking site Handy are currently demanding sexual harassment safeguards from the company. A lawsuit has been filed asking Handy to treat contract workers as employees and provide them with protections. To discuss, we FEATURE Sheerine Alemzadeh. Alemzadeh is an attorney and the co-founder and co-director of Healing to Action, a non-profit organization building a worker-led movement to end gender violence. A legal expert on workplace sexual violence, Alemzadeh has forged strategic partnerships across the nation to develop community-based, survivor-centered responses to gender-based violence against low-wage workers. She received the prestigious Skadden Fellowship in 2011 to launch a project at the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation that advanced workplace justice for survivors of sexual violence. In addition to litigating sexual harassment, sexual assault, and civil rights cases, Alemzadeh co-founded the Coalition Against Workplace Sexual Violence, a collaboration between rape crisis agencies, civil rights organizations, workers centers, and government agencies. Media includes: Huffington Post, Role Reboot, Chicago Reporter, Labor Notes.
On Sunday, the 2020 Primetime Emmy Awards will be having their ceremony. To discuss the nominations, we FEATURE Carla Hay, the author of the Women's Media Center's 2020 Emmy's report. Hay has been a writer or editor for ViacomCBS Media Networks, Women's Media Center, Culture Mix, AXS.com, Examiner.com, Lifetime, People, and Billboard. In addition, Hay has booked panelists and speakers for conferences presented by Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. She is also a Tomatometer-approved critic at Rotten Tomatoes and a straight ally to the LGBTQ community.
Naomi Osaka has won the U.S. Open. To discuss, we FEATURE Shireen Ahmed. Ahmed is a sports activist, a freelance writer and a dynamic public speaker who focuses on Muslim women, and the intersections of racism and misogyny in sports. Ahmed is part of the “Burn It All Down” feminist sports podcast team. Her work has been featured and discussed in various outlets. She is working on her first book. Media includes: Sports Illustrated, The Guardian, PRI's The World, CBC Radio.
Oracle has won the bid to be the U.S. technology partner for TikTok and has sent the proposal to the government for approval. To discuss, we FEATURE Joanne Kulesza. Kulesza is a professor of international law and internet governance at the University of Lodz, Poland. She is also a Scientific Committee member of EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and represents European internet users within the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). She has served as an expert on human rights online for the Council of Europe and European Commission. Extensive media experience.
Liz Theran
