"For some reason, all of the tropes and the explanations and the frames that came out of the Columbine coverage, have been repackaged and recycled in media coverage of almost every mass shooting since." This is just one of the points you'll hear during my conversation with terrorism scholar and mass shooting expert, Dr. Ruth Defoster. We discuss the consistent features present in all mass shootings and their perpetrators, including toxic masculinity. We walk through several of the country's attacks and discuss the media's treatment of these incidents, the contagion effect of mass shootings, and the media's influence on the culture of gun violence in America. Lastly, we discuss the Trump administration's treatment of and response to terror.

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"We've been asking the wrong questions. We ask 'why does she stay' instead of 'why is he hitting her...'" This is just one of the points you'll hear in my conversation with Dr. Pamela Nettleton. We discuss how the media's coverage of violence against women perpetuates a culture of violence. We also discuss how our social systems are set up to burden women who are victims of violence.

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Dangerous Discourses: Feminism, Gun Violence & Civic Life | This is the first in a series of episodes in which I'll cover gun violence from several angles. In this episode, I discuss the essay titled "Making Visible Victimhood, Bringing Intersectionality to a Mass Shooting - #SayHerName, Black Women & Charleston" with Professor Catherine Squires. We discuss the Charleston shooting, the need to bring violence against women of color to the forefront, and the patriarchal nature of racism.

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If you've been following the news around the deterioration of our voting rights, including how gerrymandering and redistricting efforts or voter suppression efforts have further stripped equal access to the ballot, you'll want to listen to this episode with Think Progress journalist, Kira Lerner. We discuss the history of the recent destruction of voting rights starting with the Karl Rove Op Ed in 2010, which was the genesis of voter disenfranchisement.

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"We need more Americans to connect, on a very deep level with a sense of empathy, for the experience of others..." This is just one of the points you'll hear during my conversation with Lauren Leader Chivee, author of "Crossing the Thinnest Line: How Embracing Diversity—from the Office to the Oscars—Makes America Stronger" and co-founder of All In Together, an organization dedicated to non-partisan women’s organization committed advancing the progress of women’s political, civic and professional leadership in the United States.

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Mia Brett and Maya Contreras are the co-founders of the American Women's Party, an advocacy group fighting for equal representation, participation, and policy development for women in the Democratic Party. We discuss their role in creating "underground Hillary Clinton support groups" during the 2016 election as a safe space for women to discuss politics free from the threats of online attacks and misogyny. We also discuss how the American Women's Party is working to combat voter suppression, including the Voter Empowerment Day events being help around the country.

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"If a male politician is in his 20’s and 30’s he’s an ambitious go-getter, who’s a rising star - no one asks “what about his kids, why isn’t he at home?” This is just one of the points of discussion you'll hear during my conversation with Dr. Teri Finneman, author and professor of journalism. We discuss her book "Press Portrayals of Women Politicians, 1870s–2000s" including the media coverage of women politicians including the 1st female presidential candidate (a.k.a. Mrs. Satan as she was referred to by the press), Sarah Palin and of course, Hillary Clinton.

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"If the left has had one shortcoming, it's a failure of imagination when it comes to the audacity of the right to lie, to upset custom, to do anything they can to get around the law to achieve their aims." This is just one of the points made by Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza, a political and legal analyst. Rebecca has been blocked by Trump of Twitter and we discuss how silencing dissenting voices in a public forum presents a threat to democracy. We also discuss judicial nominees, the need to clarify a unified, progressive message and threats to LGBT rights.

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"We can't expect marginalized communities, especially ones that find that their lives are constantly under threat, to stand up for themselves in places where they don’t feel safe…" This is just one of the points made in this emotional conversation on xenophobia, Islamophobia, science policy and gerrymandering with science policy fellow and public scholar, Dr. Maryam Zaringhalam. Dr. Zaringhalam is the founder of NYC branch of 500 Women Scientists and producer of the live science show, The Story Collider. We discuss science policy, racism and partisan gerrymandering in this raw and moving conversation.

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"Your brain is not as important as the currency of your body and the sexual appeal of your body to the male gaze." This is just one of the points made during my conversation on feminism, racism, climate science and the Trump administration with public scholar and climate scientist, Dr. Sarah Myhre. Dr. Myhre is one of the founders of Seattle's branch of 500 Women Scientists and is a vocal advocate for greater racial equality and for greater representation of women's voices in science and in society as a whole. In fact, she describes herself as a loudmouth and nasty woman. In our conversation, Dr. Myhre is very vulnerable and open about her experiences as a woman in science, being a single mother and about coming to terms with her own privilege in a racially charged political climate.

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