Make It Plain MIP with Rev. Mark Thompson

It’s time for #ThursdayKos and there’s plenty to unpack this week, as haunting images of Haitians getting whipped at the US/Mexico border by patrol agents have some Democrats demanding the Biden administration rectify the situation immediately. What else is Biden’s problem? Markos Moulitsas, founder of DailyKos, Civiqs, and podcast “The Brief,” say that dealing with Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema and their “so-called moderate” behavior, which is clearly motivated by donations and not the desire to be a real centrist. Markos also brings our focus back to 2022/24, detailing the specific races we need to focus on, and where new opportunities might be found.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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Jennifer Rubin left the Republican party, declaring herself a “NeverTrump, pro-democracy opinion writer,” according to her Twitter page. And now Politico has taken it upon themselves to try and bring her down, publishing an “off the record” email she wrote, escalating the drama, which as Eric explains, boils down to their anger over her very-typical press practices. Eric Boehlert is the writer and publisher of Pressrun.media, our stalwart source for holding the press accountable, and he unpacks the Politico/Jennifer Rubin story and explains how Politico’s act of publishing her off-the-record email proves the point she was making in the email in question. Eric also gets into the coverage of the California recall election, and how it isn’t surprising that the press isn’t calling it like it is, as Republicans’ embarrassing failure.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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Gina McCarthy is the former EPA Administrator for the Obama administration and she’s now back in the White House serving as the first-ever National Climate Advisor, and her appointment comes at a dire time in the process of climate change. We’re currently experiencing unprecedented and record heat levels across the country, and since there’s no turning back to “pre-heat” days, the Biden administration is focusing efforts on investing in communities to keep people safe. This includes fighting heat stress, managing forests, and improving work conditions for those who must be subjected to the intense heat.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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Jelani Cobb was watching the news one day when he heard a right-wing figure blatantly lie about Critical Race Theory (CRT). And as it’s become a widely discussed theory in the last year, Jelani knew he had to do his part to preserve the work and legacy of its creator, Derek Bell. Jelani is a Columbia Journalism professor, New Yorker columnist, and author of the book “The Matter of Black Lives,” and in his latest piece for the New Yorker, he details the life and work of the incredible Derek Bell, who begged the question: if the activism and anti-racist work that has been done was so momentous at its time, why are people of color still experiencing the same problems? In today’s episode, Jelani addresses the misinformation that threatens Critical Race Theory while diving into Derek Bell’s legacy as a man who practiced what he preached in every sense of the word, walking away from prestigious professional appointments as a stand against the racial injustices he witnessed and refused to be a party to.

READ Jelani’s piece here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/20/the-man-behind-critical-race-theory

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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A right-wing rally is headed to D.C. tomorrow (Saturday, Sept 18th), and the participants will be armed. Justin Wagner is the Director of Investigations for Everytown for Gun Safety, and the organization is concerned about what lies ahead for this particular rally, given that their data shows definitive proof that guns in the mix make the scenario more dangerous. Everytown released a report that looked at thousands of protests in 2020, finding 560 instances of open-carry and a nearly 6x greater chance the event will turn destructive or violent. This, of course, goes against everything gun lobbyists want you to believe, based on their claim that guns make us safer. But as Justin explains, it’s gun laws that make us safer, and their hope is this information will continue to push forward the work on gun law reform.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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Gavin Newsome is safe, for now, after winning the recall election that threatened his position as California’s governor. Markos Moulitsas, founder of DailyKos and Civiqs and host of podcast “The Brief,” is back for #ThursdayKos, detailing Civiq’s extremely accurate predictions on the election’s outcome, despite minds like Nate Silver who was convinced Newsome was on his way out. Markos has an idea on how he got it wrong, how the recall works in California, and how the state wound up in this money-wasting mess to begin with. Mark and Markos also revisit no one’s favorite middle-man, Senator Joe Manchin, who met with Mitch McConnell with zero success for his watered down voting rights proposal. And while reproductive rights are under threat, Markos shows the ties between the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade and voter turnout in 2022/24.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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Robert P. Jones is the author of “White Too Long” (which recently received the American Book Award), as well as a leading commentator on the crossroads of politics and religion. He brings us his expertise in data and theology with what he has titled the “racism index,” a scale used to examine the impact religion has had on a person’s potential racism through a series of racial attitude questions. His results were both affirming and surprising, and he explains them in today’s episode, as he and Mark question what a movement to integrate Sunday morning might look like.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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There is tangible momentum happening with cannabis reform at the state level, which might have you thinking that things have changed, but the people who are still sitting in prison for related offenses would beg to differ--as would Natalie Papillion, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Last Prisoner Project (LPP). LPP is an organization of attorneys, criminal justice reformers, advocates, and justice-impacted individuals who are dedicated to reforming cannabis law and policy, and working toward the release of those imprisoned for cannabis-related offenses; they recently submitted comments and suggested improvements to the cannabis reform proposal, “The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act,” offered by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, and Senator Cory Booker. Natalie details their feedback to the act, explaining how restorative justice elements are not where they need to be, and LPP has some specific revisions in mind. She also shares details of their recent partnership with Marshawn Lynch of the NFL.

MORE INFO/GET INVOLVED: https://www.lastprisonerproject.org/takeaction

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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The school year has begun for most people in the United States, but the big question still remains: are the children and faculty safe? Randi Weingarten is President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and she joins us from her Back to School tour to discuss the importance of getting kids back in community at school, but doing so safely. And in states like Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis refuses to administer the $7 billion dollars the state was granted in the American Rescue Plan to schools, that safety is what hangs in the balance. And if you’re a parent, who happens to disagree with what your local officials are doing to prevent children from being able to wear masks, Randi has a special request for you as your kids head back to the classroom.

*This recording took place just after Hurricane Ida made its way through the Northeast.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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Texas lawmakers are busy at work restricting reproductive healthcare access, but they’re simultaneously expanding the right to carry a firearm with one of their newest laws--a law that is opposed by the majority of Texas voters as well as law enforcement officials. Igor Volsky is the Executive Director of Guns Down America and he points to the research that shows states that pass more permissive gun-carry laws immediately see an increase in gun violence, meaning they just made their constituents a lot less safe. Igor also shows us how President Biden’s agenda is falling short on gun reform, as the administration has yet to kickstart their promised fight to end gun violence.

Executive Producer: Adell Coleman

Producer: Brittany Temple

Distributor: DCP Entertainment

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