Behind-the-Scenes Look at Russia’s Failed Transition to Democracy

Guest: Andrei Kozyrev, former Russian Foreign Minister, Author of “The Fire Bird: The Elusive Fate of Russian Democracy”

It’s hard to believe just how promising relations were between the US and Russia in the early 1990s. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Boris Yelstin actually signed an agreement at the time declaring that “from now on, the relationship will be characterized by friendship and partnership.” So how did we end up in what Andrei Kozyrev calls a “renewed Cold War”? Kozyrev explains in his new memoir called “The Fire Bird.” He was a chief advocate for democracy in Russia and better relations with the West. For several years Kozyrev served as foreign minister to Yelstin, who was Russia’s first publicly-elected president.

California Passes Law That Affects Contract Workers

Guest: Annette Rivero, an Organizer of Gig Workers Rising and Driver for Uber and Lyft

What happens in California often spreads to the rest of the country, which is why a new law signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom last week is of such interest nationally. It aims to restrict when companies can classify a worker as an independent contractor and void paying minimum wage or benefits. Uber and Lyft were particular targets of the California law and both companies are now working to get a referendum on the ballot in that would overturn it.

U.S. Supreme Court Leaves Gerrymandering Prevention to the States

Guest: Joshua Douglas, Professor of Law at the University of Kentucky

North Carolina lawmakers just redrew their state’s district maps after a North Carolina court rules that the maps had been created to favor Republicans –a process called gerrymandering. The state judges made it clear their ruling was based in the state’s constitution and not politics. But can voting maps ever not be based in politics when politicians are the ones who drawn them?

Indonesian Capital is Sinking, Where is it Going to Go?

Guest: Luca Tacconi

Stores Like Wal-Mart are Entering the Gun Control Debate

Guest: Adam Winkler, J.D., Specialist in American Constitutional Law, the Supreme Court, and Gun Policy at UCLA. Author of “We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights” and “Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America”

After the mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart last month, the company became the latest –and largest–retailer in the country to discourage its customers from openly carrying guns in its stores. Over the years, Target, Starbucks, Chipotle and Costco have implemented similar policies. And this month, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger and some other grocery chains joined the list. Is it even legal for a company to as its customers to leave their guns home when the 2ndAmendment protects the right to bear arms?

In School, It’s the Mindset That Matters

Guest: David Yeager, Associate Professor of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin

What if one hour at the start of freshman year could set your child up for more success in high school? It’s an online program in two thirty-minute sessions, and when researchers tested it on more than 12,000 students it seemed to help both the struggling students and the high-achievers.