Why This Matters

In this episode, I talk with Ohio State Professor Douglas Berman. We explore the history of Marijuana use and prohibition in this country and how our society should approach regulating the drug. 

In this episode, I talk with Jon Feinman. Jon is the founder of Inner City Weightlifting, a nonprofit organization that started as a gym with the simple goal of keeping "at-risk" youth off the streets but has since evolved into a community and support network as well as a source of education, job training, and employment in personal training for young people who have been imprisoned and/or connected to street gangs.

In this episode, we explore the 2009 North Carolina Racial Justice Act and capital punishment as a whole. Mara Roth joins to talk about her research into the Racial Justice Act, the legislative history, and its eventual repeal. We also explore the historical relationship between race and capital punishment, the inadequacies in the law, and our punitive culture when it comes to crime. 

Jason Colin, a public defender with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, joins Why This Matters to talk about what being a public defender in south Texas looks like. We explore the day to day of public defender work, how covid has impact defendants, and issues that exist in the system.

Did you know that the police can take your cash, car, or property without convicting you of a crime? Institute for Justice President, Scott Bullock,  joins to explain Civil Asset Forfeiture, the legal principle that has allowed the federal government and local law enforcement to take billions from everyday citizens.  

In this episode, my guest Dave Hicks talks about his experience as a patient with young-onset colon cancer and the policy issues in developing a cure. Dave is the co-founder of CRC Change, an organization he started to tackle these policy issues and spur the country to fight this rapidly increasing disease. 

In this episode, Tennessee Democratic Party Chair, Rendell Remus, talks about his vision of success for the party in a red state, what it means to be the first Black chair of the party, and why success of the party is matters to every day people. 

In this episode, Florida Democratic Party State Executive Committee member Sean Shaw shares what he believes went wrong for Florida Democrats in the past and what is their path to victory in upcoming elections. 

In this episode, our guest Chattanooga Mayoral Candidate Monty Bruell shares his vision for zero-fare transit in the city and how he hopes it will help bridge inequities in the city. 

In this episode, we explore the history of Felony Disenfranchisement in the United States, how it impacts our democracy, and what Florida should do differently.