Future Hindsight

Robert L. Tsai is the author of Demand the Impossible: One Lawyer's Pursuit of Equal Justice for All and Professor of Law and Harry Elwood Warren Memorial Scholar at Boston University School of Law. We discuss the death penalty, legal representation for the indigent, and equality under law.

People do see the flaws in the criminal justice system. They are often aware that aside from major metropolitan areas, public defenders are not well funded. Elsewhere, there is a patchwork of sub-par solutions. All of the discretion lies with the prosecutor, which renders the system unequal. Tsai argues that a public defender movement ought to be revived; racial justice acts need public support; and a lot of work can be done to end the death penalty.

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Read the transcript here:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/pursuing-equal-justice-robert-tsai

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Robert Tsai

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Rachel Vindman is the co-host of the Suburban Women Problem podcast and she has her finger on the pulse on all things politics for American women. We discuss abortion, Trump's conviction, Ukraine, and relational organizing.

The goal in this year's election is maintaining American democracy. Relational organizing is about talking to people about what's going on, making sure they know and understand. Being a reliable source of good information and then sharing it is very powerful — and should not be underestimated. We also need to remind people constantly that the ex-president is a convicted felon.

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Read the transcript here:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/relational-organizing-rachel-vindman

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Rachel Vindman

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Madiba Dennie is Deputy Editor and Senior Contributor at the critical legal commentary outlet Balls and Strikes. Her debut book is The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We The People Can Take it Back. We discuss a fresh way to interpret the Constitution.

Inclusive Constitutionalism interprets the Constitution in a way that makes inclusive democracy real. By contrast, originalism interprets the meaning of the Constitution as fixed in time in the 1800s. However, the Reconstruction Amendments that were enacted in the wake of the Civil War tried to address the status of newly freed, formerly enslaved people. The Amendments were designed to foster a multiracial democracy for the first time. In addition, the public has a role in articulating what it believes the Constitution means.

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Read the transcript here:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/take-the-constitution-back-from-originalism-madiba-dennie

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Madiba Dennie

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Jessica González-Rojas is the New York State Assembly Member representing the 34th District in New York City. We discuss the New York State budget and how she represents her constituents on housing, food insecurity, and healthcare.

The number one issue for constituents is housing, ranging from vermin problems and bad landlords to high rents. Food insecurity became more apparent during the pandemic and continues to be rampant. Access to healthcare is still uneven and passing the New York Health Act is critical. The Assembly Member listens to and acts upon the needs of her constituents in the State Legislature.

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Read the transcript here:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/voters-are-the-boss-jessica-gonzalez-rojas

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Jessica González-Rojas

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Debbie Cox Bultan is the CEO of the NewDEAL, a network of 150 rising state and local officials, and the NewDEAL Forum, which identifies and promotes innovative state and local pro-growth progressive policies. We discuss what it means to deliver good governance at the state and local level.

We have a big problem with our democracy right now, and it stems from people believing that the government is to blame for all of our problems. In 24-hour media cycles that fill airtime with the loudest voices instead of the voices with the most common sense, it's easy to see why. But our government can do good things, and it works best when public officials can find compromise and come together to find common ground.

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Read the transcript here:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/when-government-works-debbie-cox-bultan

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Debbie Cox Bultan

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Bill Weir is CNN's Chief Climate Correspondent and the author of Life As We Know It (Can Be). We discuss Carbon Godzilla, decarbonization, and the many existing and accessible technologies to mitigate climate change.

Decarbonization must start with big industry, but there are many ways for individuals to make a difference, too. Clean energy can be had with tax incentives, reducing costs for consumers. Energy efficient homes – passive houses and innovations in heating and cooling – reduce or even eliminate monthly energy bills. At the same time, utility and power companies in the US function as legal monopolies whose primary incentive is to build more infrastructure and raise rates. Fossil fuel companies – despite being the most profitable companies in human history – are still getting billions in direct and indirect subsidies.

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Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Bill Weir

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Mandela Barnes is the president of Power to the Polls Wisconsin. He also served as Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin from 2019 to 2023 and is the co-founder of The Long Run PAC. We discuss how grassroots voter outreach connects the dots for the voters on policy that impacts their lives.

Voters need to know what politicians have done for their constituents and why it is worth their time to vote. In order to be a part of the democratic process and to make things better, citizens need to show up on election day and beyond. People can exercise their power at city hall meetings, at the courthouse for county board, and even in state legislative hearing rooms. Voting is still crucially important and being a voter should be a part of everyone's personality!

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Read the transcript here:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/power-to-the-polls-mandela-barnes

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Mandela Barnes

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick is the Policy Director at the American Immigration Council, a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen the United States by shaping immigration policies and practices. We discuss how out-of-date immigration laws are and why the only cure is comprehensive immigration reform from Congress.

US immigration laws have not changed since the 1990s. The current border enforcement and asylum system dates back to 1996, and in fact, one of the reasons that asylum seekers are living in shelters is because Congress decided in 1996 to make it illegal for them to get a work permit until six months after they apply for asylum. The asylum system is severely underfunded and is a major reason for processing delays. In addition, there are more than 4 million people who have already been approved for visas but the wait time to get the legal status is decades long.

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Read the transcript here:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/fixing-immigration-aaron-reichlin-melnick

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Aaron Reichlin-Melnick

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Jonathan M. Metzl is the Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry and the Director of the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University. His most recent book is What We've Become: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms. We discuss lax gun laws and gun ownership as an identity.

The public health narrative is about how guns pose a health risk, a threat to mortality to our bodies. Those who vote based on guns see guns as symbols of power or protection. In fact, many people in the South own guns because they're afraid of government tyranny. Unfortunately, gun laws have become more and more lax in a country that has almost 500 million civilian-owned firearms. Metzl shares that "We've had a dramatic erosion in the ability of states and towns and the country itself to limit who can own and carry a firearm."

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Sponsor:

Thanks to Shopify for supporting Future Hindsight! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful.

Love Future Hindsight? Take our Listener Survey!

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Take the Democracy Group's Listener Survey!

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Want to support the show and get it early?

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Check out the Future Hindsight website!

www.futurehindsight.com

Read the transcript here:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/americas-half-a-billion-guns-jonathan-metzl

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Jonathan Metzl

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis

Philip K. Howard is the founder and chair of Common Good, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for simplifying government, and has advised both parties on needed reforms. His latest book is Everyday Freedom: Designing the Framework for a Flourishing Society.

Every community depends on democracy to deliver, whether that's government services, schools, hospitals, or housing. Howard argues that a democracy depends on people being able to take responsibility, to interpret guidelines and perform their jobs or service accordingly. In a time when a significant percentage of Americans no longer believe in democracy, we need a national movement to remake institutions that honor the capacity of humans.

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Read the transcript here:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/everyday-freedom-philip-k-howard

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos

Guests: Philip K Howard

Executive Producer: Mila Atmos

Producer: Zack Travis