On The Issues With Michele Goodwin

On today’s show, we focus on June Medical v. Russo and the future of abortion rights—a case where the Supreme Court struck down a challenge to abortion rights in Louisiana, a state in which reproductive health care access is already fraught. The law would have required all doctors performing abortions to obtain hospital admitting privileges. Even though this case has put such challenges to rest, lawmakers in Louisiana have effectively undercut women’s access to reproductive healthcare, causing clinic closures and more.  As our guests make clear, Roe is not enough.   

However, it’s not just abortion rights or pregnancy at stake, with regard to women’s health.  Reproductive justice matters, and bringing that lens into these conversations is urgent. The rise in criminalization of pregnant women for failing to comport to the state’s standards for behavior during pregnancy is alarming.  Women have been threatened with arrest for refusing C-sections, falling down steps and attempting suicide during pregnancy.  Where does this end?  What should we be concerned about?  What’s the future of Americans being able to exercise control their own reproductive futures, given the aggressive attacks at the state and federal levels?  We close considering how organizations, doctors, lawyers and activists are fighting back.

Joining us for this episode are:

-Yamani Hernandez, executive director of the National Network of Abortion Funds.

-Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights.

-Kathaleen Pittman, administrator of Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport, La., the main plaintiff in June Medical v. Russo.

-Mary Ziegler, a Stearns Weaver Miller professor at Florida State University College of Law specializing in the legal history of reproduction, the family, sexuality and the Constitution

Support the show

On today’s show, we focus on rebuilding America from the ground up.   What will it take?  What issues should we be concerned about, which are not making the news?  For example, despite what appear to be recent triumphs at the Supreme Court with regard to LGBTQ equality, reproductive rights and DACA, many argue those victories are thin and fragile. Beyond that, as we know, underlying challenges persist, including pay inequality between men and women; Americans living beneath the poverty line without a living wage; lack of access to affordable health care; and a warming planet.  Most painfully, our democracy is at stake—clearly evidenced by voter suppression.
  
Helping us sort out how we rebuild America and should think about these issues (and more) are two very special guests: Congresswoman Katie Porter and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun. 

Congresswoman Porter represents California’s 45th Congressional district, which includes Orange County.  An expert in business and consumer law, she is also a law professor (on leave) at the University of California, Irvine. 

Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun was the first African American woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate, where she served from 1993-1999.  During the 20th century, she was one of only two African Americans to serve in the Senate. Subsequently, she was appointed and confirmed as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. 

Support the show

On Today’s inaugural show, we focus on policing in America, examining race, sex, and violence.  We specifically take up women and policing, elevating the stories and experiences of women.  It is a perspective often absent from mainstream conversation.  Even in recent weeks as the nation has erupted in protests related to the tragic murder of George Floyd, some might argue that the killing of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical technician in Louisville, Kentucky was an afterthought, even though her death too was no less inhumane, violent, and preventable.

Deirdre Fishel, Independent Film Maker, Women In Blue (2020)

Laura Goodman Retired Deputy Chief of Police (Minnesota) and former Ombudsman for Crime Victims for the State of Minnesota 

Anne Li Kringen, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Assistant Dean Department of Criminal Justice, University of New Haven, Member, International Association of Chiefs of Police Research Advisory Committee 

L. Song Richardson, Criminal law expert and Dean, University California, Irvine School of Law

It will be an episode you will not want to miss!

Support the show

TEASER: Why are women being left out of the conversations regarding policing in America?  Why are they sidelined as the victims of police violence, including Breonna Taylor?  In law enforcement, why are women not recruited and retained?  How has this influenced policing and violence in America?  Let's fill in the story.  Tune in and join us for our first episode, airing Tuesday, June 30, 2020.  We will be joined by:

Deirdre Fishel, Independent Film Maker, Women In Blue (2020)

Laura Goodman Retired Deputy Chief of Police (Minnesota) and former Ombudsman for Crime Victims for the State of Minnesota 

Anne Li Kringen, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Assistant Dean Department of Criminal Justice, University of New Haven, Member, International Association of Chiefs of Police Research Advisory Committee 

L. Song Richardson, Criminal law expert and Dean, University California, Irvine School of Law

It will be an episode you will not want to miss!

Support the show

On The Issues With Michele Goodwin at Ms. magazine is a show where we report, rebel, and tell it like it is.  On this show, we center your concerns about rebuilding our nation and advancing the promise of equality.  Join Michele Goodwin as she and guests tackle the most compelling issues of our times.

Support the show