POWER UP WOMEN!

Intimate partner violence was a global pandemic long before COVID-19. But the "stay home" orders that the deadly virus triggered acted like gasoline on glowing embers for millions of domestic violence victims. Globally, the story is the same: the frequency of domestic abuse and the severity of the violence have dramatically escalated. "Safe at home" is an oxymoron for millions. Beth Morrison of OUR Family Services in Tucson, Amy Good of Detroit's Alternatives for Girls and Melissa Sinclair of Michigan's Haven Domestic Violence Shelter share their views on this worsening crisis and insights on help. 

College sports is a $14B business and women's sports is one of its fastest growing markets. But just as opportunities for female athletes are accelerating, opportunities for women coaches are in freefall. Today, men hold nearly 58% of all head coaching jobs for women's teams, while still keeping a stranglehold on 99% of the jobs coaching men. What's wrong with this scenario?  We asked Carol "Hutch" Hutchins, one of the most respected coaches in college sports, who was featured in this NY Times report on the leadership crisis in college coaching -- where gender equity is moving backwards.

Detroit, Michigan, one of the COVID-19 hot spots in the USA, is bearing witness to the disproportionate impact the pandemic is having on African Americans. Thirty-five percent of the virus victims in Michigan are African Americans, although they make up only 15% of the state's population. The same is true in other U.S. states with significant AA populations. Podcast guests Marianne Udow-Phillips and Vern Davis Anthony saw this coming, because they both have decades of expertise in the devastating toll of generational poverty and the weaknesses in the U.S. health care system. COVID-19 is demanding that we stop ignoring both.

One of the worst COVID-19 hot spots in the U.S. is metro Detroit. The virus, which has already claimed 1,600 lives in Michigan, with 26,000 confirmed cases, is disproportionately impacting African Americans.  Why?  A pandemic plays no favorites, seeking victims everywhere.  But its easiest prey are those weakened by health, economic and daily-life challenges of generational poverty. That's why the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL), that has served at-risk youth and their families for 50 years, launched SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION: CHECKING IN SAVES LIVES -- a web of timely, factual information and help. Rob Jamerson, CEO of Detroit PAL explains the life-saving power of human contact and how YOU CAN HELP!

The Covid-19 global pandemic has been called "a time machine to our future." There is nothing like a crisis for testing the quality of our elected leaders and shining a spotlight on societal and environmental imbalances we can no longer ignore. Congressional candidate Cathy Kunkel is an energy policy expert and long-time community changemaker who is helping to lead West Virginia's "For the Many Not the Few" grassroots political movement. The alarms she is sounding and the changes she is fighting for are more urgent than ever -- for all of us.

The Covid-19 crisis started as a global health emergency, but its economic impact could be nearly just as devastating.  As we all tighten our financial belts, advice from professional financial planners is more important than ever. Willa Williams and Weslia Echols of Trinity Financial Coaching share the lessons they've learned -- the hard way -- about living abundantly but within your means.

The "Guilty" verdict in the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault trial was a watershed moment in women's centuries long fight for respect and safety from sexual innuendo, harassment and assault. It took over 90 courageous women telling their stories to finally stop the powerful predator.  Eliminating  "boys will be boys," toxic work cultures requires women of all generations to raise their voices collectively to demand change. That's exactly what our guests, MI State Senator Mallory McMorrow and Journalist Julie Hinds, did when a powerful MI State Senator "had some fun" at the expense of Gen Z reporter Allison Donahue -- who had the courage to object.  

Mentoring relationships can bridge both cultural and geographic barriers. Meet Jordanian Samar Nassar, an Olympic athlete and changemaker for women athletes in the Mideast and her mentee, American elite basketball player Brianna Salvatore Dueck. We talk sports diplomacy, leadership and their shared passion for sports participation to empower women all over the world. Samar, a member of the International Womens Forum was matched with Brianna as part of IWF'S Women Athletes Business Network for help elite athletes transition to business careers.  

As the WNBA wins record-setting salary increases and maternity leave and legendary Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw sounds off on the growing number of men being hired to coach women's teams, we talk women and sports with Hall of Fame Women's Basketball Coach Sue Kruszewski Hardy, a trailblazer who built one of the early women's college basketball powerhouses in the late 1970's and early 80's with her University of Detroit Lady Titans. And she did it with the full support of the legendary basketball guru Dick Vitale.  Women's sports have come a long way, but there's still a long, long way to go! 

American Astronaut Cady Coleman, a veteran of two space shuttle missions, lived for six months on the International Space Station. What's it like to live, work, sleep (and yes manage all other bodily functions!) without gravity for 159 days or 4,330 hours? Cady answers all those questions for hosts Anne and Monica, and also gives her perspective on the first all-women space walk and how women and minorities still have to push hard for opportunities.