On March 5th, residents of District 4 of Alameda County will be voting for their supervisor, who will represent them on the county's Board of Supervisors. The candidates are 24-year incumbent Nate Miley and his challenger, Jennifer Esteen. Esteen joins me to talk about her campaign and why voters should support her. We talk about public safety, mental health, housing and homelessness, the Coliseum, and more. 

To learn more about Jennifer Esteen, visit jenniferesteen.com.

Two upcoming candidate forums:

Feb. 25th, Skyline Church in Oakland, 5-6:30pm, in-person and virtual. More info here: https://skylineucc.org/forum/

Feb. 29th, virtual forum, 7-8:30pm, hosted by Restore Oakland and Oakland Rising

Last week, there were major developments in the insurrection cases against both former Brazilian president Bolsonaro and former US president Trump. Let's explore.

Early in the episode, I mention another podcast called "Alexandre," which is focused on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. You can listen here.

I also recommend checking out this interview with Elie Mystal on Political Roots to get more in depth on what's at stake in the US.

I want to share a fun collaborative podcast project I did with Singing for Survival host Mike Pinto to discuss the abolitionist movement in Brazil. We focus on one key person in that struggle, Dragão do Mar, and explore the ties to capoeira and the ongoing struggle for a better world. I hope you'll take a listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FjaP2hpSj81aRNT7xfkEO?si=5gwxVIdvTryeVLKm4ljWNQ

What's the difference between civil and criminal courts? A recent conversation with friends led me to this topic. I dive in and also talk about how the public can access court records online.

Another example of civil cases I didn't touch on in this episode: product liability/consumer protection. A product is defective, dangerous, and/or there was false advertising and the company gets sued over it - that suit will be in civil court.

A recent interview I watched with @AGoodWitchOfficial and the fact that Ohio just became the 24th state to legalize marijuana sparked this episode. I share some thoughts on why legalization is good policy and that the continued illegality of marijuana at the federal level and in some states, as well as criminal court policies, actually exacerbate the opioid epidemic.

Plus, I share some fun stats about where listeners of Natasha Explains It All are tuning in from around the world.

If you want to learn more about drug policy in the US, I recommend checking out the Drug Policy Alliance.

You can watch the A Good Witch interview on What's Underneath here.

Today I share my first foreign title, still currently unavailable in English: Pequena Coreografia do Adeus (Little Choreography of the Goodbye) by Brazilian author and poet Aline Bei. This book, written as one long poem, is beautiful and painful. It is about how a family (particularly the daughter) navigates a divorce. Aline Bei plays a lot with format to convey meaning, which reminds me of another excellent book I read recently, Maps of our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer.

Click here for an interview with Aline Bei about the book.

You can buy Pequena Coreografia do Adeus here and Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies here.

Oakland is giving out grants for individuals, groups, and orgs to host free public events to build community and safety. I talk about this initiative (deadline is October 12th!) and share personal stories about the importance of public spaces. We can be part of the solution!

For more info on the Activate Oakland grants, check out the grant website and read this Oaklandside article.

In this episode I also mention the Trash Falcons and the Urban Compassion Project, two groups doing fantastic work to beautify Oakland that are always looking for volunteers.

If you live or work in Oakland, CA, you've likely noticed illegal dumping/blight/trash heaps. One organization -- founded by a formerly unhoused Oakland native -- is tackling this problem, one cleanup at a time. The Urban Compassion Project does weekly clean ups around the city (in addition to other awesome work) and is always looking for volunteers and donations. Please consider supporting.

Check out the Urban Compassion Project at www.urbancompassionproject.org, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/urbanparkcleanup and on Instagram @urbancompassionproject

The real-life novela of Spanish soccer federation head Rubiales clinging desperately to power following his sexual misconduct at the Women's World Cup trophy ceremony continues. Let us hope that #SeAcabó.

For more:

I brought World Cup glory to Spain, so I can kiss whomever I want by Sally Jenkins: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/08/26/luis-rubiales-spanish-soccer-kiss/

When a sports administrator like Rubiales thinks he's a rock star, it's time to get rid of him by Malachy Clerkin: https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2023/08/25/malachy-clerkin-when-a-sports-administrator-like-rubiales-thinks-hes-a-rock-star-its-time-to-get-rid/

David Squires on … Luis Rubiales and the gaslighting scandal in Spanish football: https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2023/aug/29/david-squires-on-luis-rubiales-and-the-gaslighting-scandal-in-spanish-football

It took Luis Rubiales’ public behavior to validate Spain players’ concerns by Claire Watkins: https://justwomenssports.com/reads/spain-womens-soccer-luis-rubiales-fifa-world-cup-kiss/