The Scholars' Circle

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The Scholars' Circle episodes

July 18, 2025Scholars’ Circle – Supreme Court decisions: Federal Injunctions and Religious belief exemption from public school curriculum – July 6, 2025
The US Supreme Court has decided numerous cases and announced their opinions in the past week. On today’s show we explore two cases.

The Court declared an end to national injunctions in a case involving birthright citizenship. [ dur: 28mins. ]
Erwin Chemerinsky is the Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. His many publications include, most recently, Presumed Guilty: How the Supreme Court Empowered the Police and Subverted Civil Rights, and The Religion Clauses: The Case for Separating Church and State (with Howard Gillman).
Parents can remove their children from any class they deem in opposition to their religious beliefs. [ dur: 30mins. ]
Caroline Mala Corbin is Professor of Law at the University of Miami School of Law. She is the author of Regulating LGBTQ Speech in the Classroom and New Judicial Federalism and the Establishment Clause: Classroom Ten Commandments as a Case Study in State Constitutional Protection
This program is produced by Doug Becker, Maria Armoudian, Ankine Aghassian, and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
July 02, 2025Scholars’ Circle – Aging & wars ; Peaceful use of nuclear power – June 29, 2025
Does the aging world population mean fewer wars in the future? What exactly is a geriatric peace?
Our guest, Mark L. Haas, is the author of The Geriatric Peace: Population Aging and the Decline of War. [ dur: 30mins. ]
Mark L. Haas is the Duquesne Professor of Political Science at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He is the author of many books including The Clash of Ideologies: Middle Eastern Politics and American Security. His newest book is The Geriatric Peace – Population Aging and the Decline of War.
Then, we explore a new book on the peaceful uses of nuclear power: The Wretched Atom by Jacob Hamblin. [ dur: 28mins., recorded August 2021 ]
Jacob Hamblin is Professor of History at Oregon State University. His books include Poison in the Well: Radioactive Waste in the Oceans at the Dawn of the Nuclear Age, Oceanographers and the Cold War, Arming Mother Nature: The Birth of Catastrophic Environmentalism and his latest The Wretched Atom: America’s Global Gamble with Peaceful Nuclear Technology.
This program is produced by Doug Becker, Maria Armoudian, Ankine Aghassian, and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
June 26, 2025Scholars’ Circle – Israel and Iran War – June 22, 2025
We look at the history of conflict and outcome in the past to understand the attacks between Israel and Iran to control Nuclear capabilities of Iran. What is the humanitarian and political impact of this war? On both Iran and on Israel. What is the impact on the region? Is this war legal, based on the laws of war? Principle of JUS AD BELLUM. And how would American intervention on behalf of Israel escalate the war, and complicate the war. [ dur: 58mins. ]
Note: This recording was made before US bombing of Iran’s Nuclear Facility on June 22, 2025.
Ervand Abrahamian is Professor Emeritus at City University of New York. He is the author of A History of Modern Iran and Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran and Syria.
Christian Henderson is Professor of International Law in the School of Law, Politics, and Sociology at the University of Sussex. He’s the author of U.S. And UK Military Strikes in Yemen and the Use Adbellum and The Use of Force in International Law.
Hamoud Salhi is Professor of Political Science at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is commentator for Arabic media.
This program is produced by Doug Becker, Maria Armoudian, Ankine Aghassian, and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
June 16, 2025Scholars’ Circle – ICE and Militarization on the streets of Los Angeles – June 15, 2025
President Trump has ordered federalization of the California National Guard and deployed them to Los Angeles. He also has deployed active Marines in the city. Does this violate the law? What is the law of posse comitatus? What is its history? And will mass protests help preserve democracy? The law of Posse Comitatus needs reform to prevent abuse? In today’s political environment, is this even possible? [ dur: 58mins. ]
David S. Meyer is Professor of Sociology, Political Science, and Planning, Policy, and Design at UC Irvine. He is the author of The Politics of Protest: Social Movements in America and co-editor of The Resistance: The Dawn of the Anti-Trump Opposition Movement. His blog is Politics Outdoors.
Gautham Rao is Associate Professor in the Department of History at the American University Washington, D.C. He is the author of The Federal “Posse Comitatus” Doctrine: Slavery, Compulsion, and Statecraft in Mid-Nineteenth-Century America.
This program is produced by Doug Becker, Maria Armoudian, Ankine Aghassian, and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
June 09, 2025Scholars’ Circle – Pope Leo & Augustinian thought – June 8, 2025
What will it mean for Catholicism and the world to have the first Augustinian Pope? What were the teachings of Augustine of Hippo, who inspires the Order of Augustine? And what are Pope Leo’s theological views for the Church and beyond as the Church confronts a world with poverty, violence, and war? [ dur: 58mins. ]
Sarah Stewart-Kroeker, is the Associate Professor of Early Christian Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary; Pilgrimage as Moral and Aesthetic Formation in Augustine’s Thought, and Sacrifice in Environmental Ethics and theology
John Doody is the Clinical Professor in the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. He’s the co-author of at least 12 books on Augustine, and one of those is entitled Augustine and social justice.
This program is produced by Doug Becker, Maria Armoudian, Ankine Aghassian, and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
June 03, 2025Scholars’ Circle – Author interview of the book – Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy? ; Remembering Ngugi wa Thiongo author of Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature – June 1, 2025
We interview Professor James S. Fishkin author of the recently published book – Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy? . Then we remember Ngugi wa Thiongo , scholar of language and author many books such as Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature (1986).
First our discussion with Professor Fishkin on his book Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy?. He shares his experience in conducting deliberative polling 150+ times around the world. Hosted by Doug Becker. [ dur: 30 mins. ]
James S. Fishkin he holds the Janet M. Peck Chair in International Communication at Stanford University. He is the Professor of both communication and of political science at Stanford University and a senior fellow of the Freeman Spogly Institute for International Studies and the director of the Deliberative democracy lab. His work focuses on a concept We’ll get into, uh, called deliberative polling.

Interview with Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o hosted by Prof. David Lloyd. This is an excerpt from the original recording from October 2021 ( show link ).
In this excerpt Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o recalls his thoughts on theory of Globalectics and how it affects thoughts of decolonizing the mind. [ dur: 28 mins. ]
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and English at the University of California, Irvine. Among his many writings are Decolonising the Mind, Globalectics and his memoir Detained recently recast as Wrestling with the Devil. His most recent novel is Murogi wa Kagogo, published in English as Wizard of the Crow. His rendering of the Gikuyu epic, The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi, appeared in 2019. He has been awarded numerous prestigious prizes.
This program is produced by Doug Becker, Maria Armoudian, Ankine Aghassian, and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
May 27, 2025Scholars’ Circle – Emolument Clause & Trump Qatar gifts ; The harm of microplastics – May 25, 2025
What exactly an emolument? Is the airplane gift from Qatar to President Trump an emolument? Is it evidence of corruption? And has the Supreme Court continued to enable corruption? Hosted by Doug Becker. [ dur: 26mins. ]
Clark D. Cunningham is Lee Byrd’s Chair in Law and Ethics at Georgia State University College of Law. He is the author of Using Empirical Data to Investigate the Original Meaning of Emoluments. In the Constitution, and has co-authored several amicus briefs on the Using Empirical Data to Investigate the Original Meaning of “Emolument” in the Constitution.”Emolument” in the Constitution.
Ciara Torres-Spelliscy is the Professor of Law at Stetson Law School. She’s the author of The Stakes of the Supreme Court’s Pro-Corruption Rulings in the Age of Trump. And the very recent publication, Corporatocracy how to protect democracy from dark money And corrupt politicians.
From the arctic to the depths of the oceans, microplastics are wreaking havoc, posing health threats to human health, animals life & the ecosystems on which we all rely. How did we get here and what can we do? Hosted by Maria Armoudian. [ dur: 26mins. ]
Samantha Ladewig is Research Fellow at University of Auckland, NZ. She is the co-author of Benthic ecosystem function responses to plasticizer content in polyester and PVC .
Nathalie Gontard – Research Director at INRAE (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment). She is the author of Recognizing the long-term impacts of plastic particles for preventing distortion in decision-making.
This program is produced by Doug Becker, Maria Armoudian, Ankine Aghassian, and Sudd Dongre.
59 min
May 19, 2025Scholars’ Circle – Canadian election insights – May 18, 2025
Canada’s Liberals were facing a 20 point deficit a few months back but came back to maintain power by re-electing Liberal Prime Minister, Mark Carney. What does this mean for the country and its challenges this year and beyond? What are Canada’s most pressing political challenges? Canadian politics are complex and experts argue their most recent election was not only a reaction to Donald Trump’s remarks about the country. [ dur: 58mins. ]
Terri Givens is Professor of Political Science at the University of British Columbia. She’s the author of The Roots of Racism, The Politics of White Supremacy in the US and Europe and also the impact of strategic voting in Canada.
Mark O’Reilly is Professor of Political Science and the chair of the History, Political Science, Philosophy, and Religion Department at Heidelberg University. He’s the author of unexceptional. America’s Empire in the Persian Gulf.
Stephen Lammy is Professor Emeritus of Political Science, International Relations, and Spatial Sciences at the University of Southern California. He is the author of Introduction to Global Politics that’s in its seventh edition
This program is produced by Doug Becker, Ankine Aghassian, and Sudd Dongre.
58 min
May 12, 2025Scholars’ Circle – First 100 days into the second Trump administration – May 11, 2025
We are 100 days into the second Trump Administration. How different is this term from his first and from other Presidents? What are the constitutional and normative challenges it poses to American democracy? Just how much has Trump attempted to consolidate power in the Presidency? What are the biggest threats his administration poses to the constitution, the rule of law and to American democracy? [ dur: 58mins. ]
Heidi Kitrosser is Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School. She is the author of the book, Reclaiming Accountability: Transparency, Executive Power, and the U.S. Constitution, and the articles, The Shadow of Executive Privilege, and Accountability in the Deep State.
Jeremi Suri is Professor in the Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin. He holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the co-author of “Problems with President Records are Not Just About Trump” with Kenneth Osgood. He is also the author of The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office. He is the host of the podcast This is Democracy.
Steve Swerdlow, Esq. is Associate Professor of the Practice of Human Rights in the Department of Political and International Relations at the University of Southern California. He writes extensively as a human rights monitor for Human Right Watch in both the Central Asian region and in the Caucuses.
This program is produced by Doug Becker, Ankine Aghassian, and Sudd Dongre.
59 min
May 06, 2025Scholars’ Circle – Science denial and disinformation – May 4, 2025
Science is under attack. Who and what are behind the attacks? While we face catastrophic climate change and other pending disasters, how can we restore the public’s understandings about scientific realities? We explore disinformation and ways to communicate with non-scientists to loosen the grip the disinformants have on so many people. [ dur: 58mins. ]
Lee McIntyre is a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and a recent Lecturer in Ethics at Harvard Extension School. He is the author of How to Talk to a Science Denier , Post-Truth, and On Disinformation (MIT Press, August 2023),
Christopher Reddy is a senior scientist in the Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and faculty member at MIT of the MIT/Woods Hole program in oceanography. He is the author of SCIENCE COMMUNICATION IN A CRISIS: An Insider’s Guide (Routledge; May 10, 2023).
This program is produced by Ankine Aghassian, Doug Becker, Melissa Chiprin and Sudd Dongre.
59 min