Just Solutions

This week, we discuss the varying communities impacted by our ongoing climate crisis. Diandra Marizet Esparza of Intersectional Environmentalist joins Gloria to teach about environmental work that highlights those most vulnerable to the systems that we've created or aspire to develop.

How broken is our criminal justice system? We explore what criminal justice reform should look like. After many calls for police reform in the summer of 2020, we dive into the effectiveness of alternative policing programs. From race disparities to monetization, we cover it all with The Appeal's Jerry Ianelli.

The Supreme Court is considering two cases that will have reaching implications for voting rights. Merrill v. Milligan, out of Alabama centers on accusations of racial gerrymandering by the state in an effort to dilute the Black vote. Gerrymandering is also an issue in the case Moore v. Harper, out of North Carolina. At stake is the so-called independent state legislature theory. Plaintiffs in the case say North Carolina has used this theory to dodge a state court ruling that struck down gerrymandered voting maps. Our guest today is Sailor Jones, the Associate Director of Common Cause in North Carolina, one of the groups involved in Moore v. Harper.

The Supreme Court is considering two cases that will have reaching implications for voting rights. Merrill v. Milligan, out of Alabama centers on accusations of racial gerrymandering by the state in an effort to dilute the Black vote. Gerrymandering is also an issue in the case Moore v. Harper, out of North Carolina. At stake is the so-called independent state legislature theory. Plaintiffs in the case say North Carolina has used this theory to dodge a state court ruling that struck down gerrymandered voting maps. Our guest today is Sailor Jones, the Associate Director of Common Cause in North Carolina, one of the groups involved in Moore v. Harper.

The Supreme Court is considering a case that could upend the EPA's ability to protect our water from toxic pollution. This is part of a wave of efforts to undermine environmental regulations in the court. The decision in the case will have far-reaching consequences for the Clean Water Act. Our guest today is Sam Sankar, Senior Vice President for Programs at Earthjustice, which has filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in the case Sackett v. the Environmental Protection Agency. Their clients are 18 Native American tribes who want water protection. Sankar says we need judges who recognize the value of our federal environmental laws, the importance of sound science, and the proper role of the judiciary.

The Supreme Court is considering a case that could upend the EPA's ability to protect our water from toxic pollution. This is part of a wave of efforts to undermine environmental regulations in the court. The decision in the case will have far-reaching consequences for the Clean Water Act. Our guest today is Sam Sankar, Senior Vice President for Programs at Earthjustice, which has filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in the case Sackett v. the Environmental Protection Agency. Their clients are 18 Native American tribes who want water protection. Sankar says we need judges who recognize the value of our federal environmental laws, the importance of sound science, and the proper role of the judiciary.

Childhood poverty is on the decline. New research shows that it  fell by 59 percent from 1993 to 2019. Despite this historic progress, disparities remain. Black and Latino children are about three times as likely as white children to be poor. Analysis from the non-partisan group Child Trends says the social safety net and a combination of economic factors were largely responsible for the decline. So what policies need to be put in place to maintain this progress? Our guest today is Dr. Renee Ryberg, a research scientist with Child Trends who says our work to end child poverty is far from over.

The water crisis in Jackson Mississippi, left a predominately Black city of hundred and fifty thousand people, without access to clean water. Now Mississippi’s Republican Governor says privatizing the city’s water system is on the table. The situation in Jackson has shone a spotlight on what many are calling a legacy of environmental racism. Our guest today Arielle King, a lawyer, and environmental justice advocate, says the history of racial segregation in this country has contributed profoundly to the environmental injustices we see now.

With the midterm elections approaching and ongoing efforts to suppress the vote, voting rights groups around the country are working hard to make sure all eligible voters can cast a ballot. Some of the voter suppression laws include expanded voter ID requirements. Thirty-four states have some form of ID requirement at the polls. Seven states have strict photo ID laws. That means voters must present a government-issued photo ID in order to cast a regular ballot. But millions of Americans don’t have this form of ID which can be costly to obtain. These are more often than not, voters of color. The group Spread the Vote is helping people in these states obtain the IDs they need to cast a ballot. Our guest today is founder and executive director of Spread the Vote Kat Calvin.