Discussion on the Trump-era of public school education. How Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, a woman of privilege, who never attended public school – thinks she knows better what works than those entrenched in the system for years. Hear from Dr. Meira Levinson – former public school classroom teacher, now professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Hear what she hears from educators in the field, the ethical dilemmas they face when children chant ‘build that wall’ and ‘lock her up’ and single out minority students in the classroom. Because they heard from the President – that gives it legitimacy in the eyes of children – putting educators in the role of referee, peacekeeper and ethics trainer. An eye opening discussion on changing role of educators in the Trump-era Democracy.
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Dr. Meira Levinson of Harvard Graduate School of Education discussing the privacy issues that arise when schools provide iPads to students – how school personnel can monitor students at home and invade their privacy. Discussion on how ICE agents have used the information gleaned from digital devices to assess immigration status of students and parents for deportation. What every parent should understand that many of the permission forms their child brings home from school, actually can lead to loss of privacy in their own home. What every parent should know.
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Climate change is pernicious, and progressive state’s are moving forward with carbon initiatives to help make the environment cleaner, and to free state’s and inhabitants from reliant on fossil fuels to drive our economy and heat homes. To take progressive environmental action to no longer be the Carbon Nation, State Senator Barrett discusses bills he has put forth to make Massachusetts a lit bit greener. It begins with a ‘revenue neutral’ plan to combat climate change – easily adoptable by other states that value clean energy, clean water and a clean environment. He’s got a plan that will put Massachusetts in the forefront of environmental stewardship, while also creating financial incentive to get a little greener.
Guest: Massachusetts State Senator, Michael Barrett. The Senator is a Harvard College graduate, a MA multiple term state legislator, a lawyer, and a tireless advocate for a healthy environment. He serves as a Senate Chair of the Legislature’s Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy–and has been an outspoken advocate on renewable energy and bringing clean energy jobs to the state of MA.
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Discussion on Sexual Assault, Recent Judgments & #MeToo – how the Legal System is all too often more friendly to the ‘alleged’ perpetrator than the victim. Attorney Murphy discusses cases she has been involved where Judge’s trample on the rights of victims, censoring the words they use to describe their assault, making it impossible to describe their ordeal. She describes real cases litigated, including against a judge who ordered the victim to not use ‘certain words’ to describe her brutal unrelenting rape. Clearly, judicial overreach to stifle a victim’s First Amendment Right to choose her words, her speech in a public forum – a court of law. Justice itself is bare if a victim can be ordered to only speak of her ordeal in palatable terms – and not describe what the perpetrator had actually done to her. It is axiomatic, that to get a just result – the ability of the victim to tell her story without judicial censorship and bias is critical for a jury to reach a just result.
A fascinating story that unfortunately, is not out of character with the US judicial system – treating women as second-class citizens, and elevating abusers, and minimizing the effect upon the victim.
Attorney Wendy Murphy. She is a former prosecutor now working as a “victim advocate” and “impact litigator” to assist abused women and children – bringing change to how the courts, legislators, and the public view violence against women and children. She has written numerous briefs in both federal and state courts on Sexual Assault, to violations of Civil & Constitutional Rights – taking place on College Campuses & in the Workplace. Many of her cases and issues are of first impression (never before litigated) in MA and around the nation. She is an adjunct professor of sexual violence law at New England Law – Boston, and often appears as a legal analyst for a variety of news outlets including CNN, PBS & Fox News.
Her book, And Justice for Some is a riveting compendium of insights as a prosecutor as well as a victim advocate – on how lawyers and judges let dangerous criminals go free.
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Discussion on how big money is eroding politics – and how corporate lobbying and the Congressional revolving door to lobbying is setting the stage to erode democracy even faster and more completely than ever before.
With the US Supreme Court 2010 ruling in Citizens United – equating money as speech – corporations are now poised to usurp the rights of individual citizens. Hear the facts that lead to today. Understand what needs to be done to save democracy, by learning what the founders envisioned – a government by and for the “people” – real people – not corporations masquerading as people.
How big money is changing the paradigm that big tobacco set in motion decades ago. See the parallels of “corporate personhood” then and now – and how the ruling in “Citizens United” equating money as speech – provides fodder for those who wish to subvert the Constitution for their own financial gain. Hear the facts leading up to today, to understand what needs to be done to restore democracy to what the founders envisioned.
Questions to be discussed: “How can corporations be considered “real” people?” “Do corporations share the same concerns as individuals?” “Are corporations using their newfound rights for the good of the ‘people’ or just themselves?”
If you are asking these questions, you are not alone, and you won’t want to miss: Corporate Personhood: How Big Business, Big Money & Politics is Hijacking the Constitution.
Guest: Attorney Shanna Cleveland – Former Sr. Counsel at ‘Free Speech for People’ an organization devoted to renewing our democracy.
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Guest: Dr. Stephanie Seneff, Sr. Research Scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Dr. Seneff holds multiple degrees from MIT including: Biophysics, Nutrition, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science.
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Guest: Dr. Daniel Breen, J.D., PhD,
Professor Breen is a Lecturer of Legal Studies at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. He holds a J.D. in Law from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in American History from Boston College.
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Discussion on the developing brain and how water-borne contaminants, namely lead can affect the developing brains of children. Whether it’s in Flint, MI or your own lead pipes, parents of young children must be vigilant as well as pregnant women. Dr. Bellinger discusses his research into the neurotoxic effects of lead from contaminated water as well as consuming fish. He provides helpful guidance to consumers to lessen the harm to their children – and advice to pregnant women, and those wishing to start a family.
Guest: Dr. David Bellinger, PhD – Professor of Neurology & Psychology at Harvard Medical School, and a Sr. Research Associate in Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA.
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Discussion on International Privacy Laws and how geopolitics affects speech and what can be said on the internet across borders. Further discussion on retrieving data across borders when a US warrant has issued – even though those who wish to retrieve the data use a US warrant, data stored across borders may not be accessible. The discussion of geopolitics, internet privacy and how speech can be chilled by countries and foreign citizens wishing to remain anonymous.
Guest: Attorney & Professor of International Law, Vivek Krishnamurthy, Harvard Law School.
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Guest: Dr. Terry Mollner, PhD. He is the Co-Founder of the Calvert Social Investment Funds–the first family of investment funds focusing on social responsibility; he is also an active & vocal Board Member of Ben & Jerry’s–helping to negotiate a buyout with international conglomerate Unilever–a successful negotiation that would not only leave the social mission of Ben & Jerry’s intact, but so successful, that it would be adopted by Unilever worldwide. Dr. Mollner is the author of numerous books on promoting the ‘Common Good’, social justice, cooperation by agreement, and working to ‘reverse’ the traditional bottom-line of profits over people.
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