A 2018 study by ProPublica Reporter Sophie Chou and WRAL Reporter Tyler Dukes found that ballots mailed in by Black voters during the midterm elections were more than twice as likely as those mailed in by white voters to be rejected. What’s worse? So far, 2020 mail-in ballots are showing a similar pattern of rejection. Today’s episode will let you know what you should be double-checking when filling out your ballot, and how to follow-up to make sure your vote is counted. Read the full story here...
Oct 07, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 161
What will Americans do to stop the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett? What CAN we do? Ana Maria Archila knows a thing or two about confirmation hearings -- you might remember her from the moment she called out Senator Jeff Flake at the confirmation hearing for accused sexual assailant and now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She's also the Co-Executive Director at the Center for Popular Democracy, and she has some ideas on what we can do to protect the confirmation process, especially with...
Oct 06, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 160
The headlines tell us how many jobs were added in September, but where does our economy REALLY stand? Chad Stone is Chief Economist for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and he’s here to deliver the hard news: we’re not near where we were in February when the economy crashed, and job growth has steadily slowed over the last five months. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com See acast.com/privacy...
Oct 05, 2020•22 min
Delegate Lashrecse D. Aird’s mother was only 16 years old when she was born, and despite her hard work and relentless efforts, they struggled to make ends meet throughout Delegate Aird’s adolescence. But no politicians came to help, no policies were created to alleviate their pain, so she decided to get into politics and be the change she wanted to see. In today’s episode, we talk about her career as the youngest woman ever elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 63rd Distri...
Oct 02, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 158
Why is the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court dangerous? Joan McCarter of DailyKos explains how her confirmation would give Trump two seasoned election judges on his side--both of which were involved in Bush v. Gore in 2000. BUT, will Republicans get cold feet in backing the nomination? Joan says maybe, and she gets into all that, plus what our chances are looking like for winning the senate, Trump's taxes, and more. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple D...
Oct 01, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 157
Michelle Cirocco and Donna Hylton are working with Represent Justice towards two key goals: get more states to pass voter rights restoration laws, and correct any existing misconceptions on eligibility to vote for those who are previously incarcerated. They join the show today to discuss the Free Our Vote initiative, which not addresses those goals, but also provides a toolkit to update formerly incarcerated individuals on their voting eligibility status and their rights at the poll. MORE INFORM...
Sep 30, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 156
Kyle Rittenhouse is the most recent example of how dangerous and deadly radicalization can be, and with the help of coronavirus, Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss wants you to know that we are in the midst of a "perfect storm" of extremist recruitment. Dr. Miller-Idriss is the author of "Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far-Right," and in today's episode she points to how teens are especially vulnerable to the ways extremists weaponize youth culture and what parents can look out for. Beyond teenager...
Sep 29, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 155
THROWBACK EPISODE! Arkansas State Senator Joyce Elliott is running to represent the state's 2nd congressional district, and she's currently within one point of the Republican incumbent. If she wins, she will be the first Black person to be elected to congress from the state. But this isn't the first historic move Senator Elliott has made in her career OR her personal life. In today's episode, she digs in to tell us her personal backstory that has informed her leadership, as she integrated her sc...
Sep 28, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 154
THROWBACK EPISODE! Listen to Black women, win with Black women -- that's our strategy for the 2020 election. Each week we'll hear from powerful Black women on their strategies, concerns, and plans of action leading up to November, because we don't just want the presidency, we want the whole dang hill. We're kicking this series off with a killer lineup, featuring Jotaka Eaddy, Convener of the #WinWithBlackWomen Movement, Founder and CEO of Full Circle Strategies, Mamee Groves, Hospitality Profess...
Sep 25, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 153
THROWBACK EPISODE! MJ Hegar is on the heels of Senator John Cornyn in Texas, so we're re-introducing you to this candidate -- share with all your friends in Texas! MJ Hegar is a combat veteran, a working mother, and a Texan who is fed up with Senator John Cornyn accepting big payouts from corporations that leave his constituents struggling to make ends meet -- that's why she's running against him in November. In today's episode, MJ lays out her plans to prioritize the working class and expand he...
Sep 24, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 152
THROWBACK EPISODE! Mike Espy is just ONE POINT behind Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, so we're re-upping this episode with the candidate so you can get to know him and share with EVERYONE you know in Mississippi. Confederate Cindy is not just another clever Internet meme -- it's the nickname for Mike Espy's opponent; you might remember her for saying she'd attend a public hanging if invited. Mike Espy, the former Secretary of Agriculture and Representative of Mississippi's 2nd District, is now the Dem...
Sep 23, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 151
THROWBACK EPISODE! Jaime Harrison is tied in the polls against Senator Lindsay Graham, so we're bumping up this episode with the candidate so you can get to know him and share with EVERYONE you know in South Carolina. Jaime Harrison knows South Carolinians concerns because he grew up with similar ones. In his bid for Lindsey Graham's senate seat, he's been connecting with voters on the issues that matter most to them: access to quality healthcare (especially in rural areas), small businesses bur...
Sep 22, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 150
The 2016 presidential election saw the lowest turnout for Black voters in over 20 years and the Black Economic Alliance (BEA) is working to change that in 2020. David Clunie, who is the organization's Executive Director, joins the show to talk about the very first National Black Voter Day, improving voter engagement, and how the organization intends to get more Black voices involved in discussions that shape legislation for things like healthcare, education, the economy, and more. Executive Prod...
Sep 21, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 149
Marissa Nance was attending Howard University a few years behind a young lady named Kamala Harris -- the same one who became a United States Senator and now the first female Vice Presidential candidate. She's admired her since those college days, and says she's still a leader she wants to emulate. Aside from her connections to Sen. Harris, did I mention Marissa's knock-out career? She tells us what it's like to run the only minority and female-certified media agency, and gives us a masterclass i...
Sep 18, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 148
Markos Moulitsas, Founder of DailyKos and Civiqs, is back -- and right off the bat, we learn about the key state where Trump is both losing and not bothering to advertise in. And as for ALL that polling data we're constantly bombarded with, Markos breaks down the most reliable information out there. Today's agenda also addresses Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, where Biden is currently winning, and Markos helps us understand the significance of this lead in the grand scheme of the electora...
Sep 17, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 147
Arkansas State Senator Joyce Elliott is running to represent the state's 2nd congressional district, and she's currently within one point of the Republican incumbent. If she wins, she will be the first Black person to be elected to congress from the state. But this isn't the first historic move Senator Elliott has made in her career OR her personal life. In today's episode, she digs in to tell us her personal backstory that has informed her leadership, as she integrated her school first as a you...
Sep 16, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 146
In a startling ProPublica report, Annie Waldman and Joshua Kaplan reveal the horrific details of New Orleans hospitals sending coronavirus patients home to die or pressuring families to put them in hospice care, and in some cases discontinued treatment, even when their loved ones begged them to keep trying. Every patient who was sent home and died was African-American, and just yesterday, the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus called for an investigation into what happened. In today's episode wi...
Sep 15, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 145
How serious is it when a state threatens to secede from the United States? We've heard it casually dropped in places like Texas and California, and certainly you've heard people say they're leaving the country if Trump gets re-elected, which to Richard Kreitner, suggests there is something real fermenting under the surface. Richard is a contributing writer for The Nation, as well as the author of his latest book, "Break It Up: Secession, Division, and the Secret History of America's Imperfect Un...
Sep 14, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 144
We know the only way to win this November is to #WinWithBlackWomen, so we're continuing the conversation with influential Black women who give us insight and strategy for success. This week, Mark speaks with Tameika Devine, the first Black woman elected to the Columbia, South Carolina City Council, and Glynda Carr, President, CEO, and Co-Founder of Higher Heights for America and Co-Creator of #BlackWomenLead. They give reactions to Trump's recent mocking of Senator Kamala Harris' name, what they...
Sep 11, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Representative Anna Eskamani (FL-47) flipped her seat in 2018, and now she needs your help to do it again in November. Though she had been working on progressive initiatives well before she ran for office, she was spurred into action when Donald Trump was elected in 2016. In today's episode, she discusses the family struggles that continue to motivate her, how her constituents are facing coronavirus, as well as the subsequent unemployment and health care obstacles, why she has a BIG problem with...
Sep 10, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 142
MJ Hegar is a combat veteran, a working mother, and a Texan who is fed up with Senator John Cornyn accepting big payouts from corporations that leave his constituents struggling to make ends meet -- that's why she's running against him in November. In today's episode, MJ lays out her plans to prioritize the working class and expand healthcare coverage, all without big donors in her pocket calling the shots. Hear how her years of training in crisis management informs her strategy that is without ...
Sep 09, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 141
We've seen the headlines that jobs were added in August, but there's ALWAYS more to understanding the jobs report. We're still in a deficit from coronavirus, and our resident economist is back to break it down for us. Chad Stone, Chief Economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, gives us the details on how unemployment has impacted the Black and Hispanic population specifically, and what types of workers have lost their jobs and not been able to get new ones. Executive Producer: Ade...
Sep 08, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Soledad O'Brien was in Seattle working as the Executive Producer on a documentary about the homelessness crisis in the city when coronavirus arrived in the United States (the first confirmed case was in Seattle). Their team knew it was time to not only pivot, but get a wider shot at how the virus would impact the homeless, as well as another vulnerable group: the elderly. Along with filmmaker Rose Arce, they created "Pandemic in Seattle," a startling, up-close view of the ground zero of coronavi...
Sep 07, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 139
Each week leading up to the election, we're learning how to #WinWithBlackWomen, where we'll feature influential Black women who provide strategy and insight for success in November. This week, Mark speaks with Kerene Tayloe, Director of Federal Legislative Affairs, WEACT for Environmental Justice. You'll find out why she decided to sign on to the #WinWithBlackWomen initiative, her advice to young people of color who think voting is pointless, and why she feels hopeful about the legislation that ...
Sep 04, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 138
It's another installment of #ThursdayKos with polling master Markos Moulitsas, Founder of DailyKos and Civiqs. First he weighs in on Biden's new campaign ad condemning looting and rioting, pointing out the ways it was not really needed (and not exactly helpful) at the moment. He and Mark also dig into the latest polling numbers and discuss the possibility for minds that are already made up -- just how many people are already solid on their choice? Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brit...
Sep 03, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 137
Hall of Fame Georgetown Basketball Coach John Thompson would have been 79 years old today. On his birthday, we're commemorating his life, career, and the impact he had on those he knew and coached, including Mark himself, who worked under Coach as Manager of the Georgetown Men's Basketball team from 1986-88. The first conversation is with the iconic Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing, who led Coach's teams to three Final Fours and a National Championship. Their intimate discussion is followed by anothe...
Sep 02, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 136
If you're feeling anxious about misinformation campaigns surrounding the 2020 election, your fears are justified; according to Ashley Bryant and Andre Banks, Co-Leaders of the Win Black/Pa'Lante Initiative, Black voters were the #1 target in 2016, where foreign actors flooded social media platforms impersonating Black leaders and reached millions of followers, driving voter suppression and record-low turnout in the general election. In today's episodes, Ashley and Andre detail how their campaign...
Sep 01, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 135
Tom Perez says the RNC had a lot of "happy talk" about things like health care and the coronavirus response, but the tales are detached from reality. Outside of the Republican bubble, a hurricane clobber cities, the state of California is on fire, and a racial justice crisis is continually unfolding across the country. As the Chairman points out, despite the love stories being told at the convention about Trump's record, the only president to have a worse jobs record than Trump is Herbert Hoover...
Aug 31, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Today's episode begins with Congresswoman Karen Bass, the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus who was recently a contender for Biden's VP. She shares her reaction to the attempted murder of Jacob Blake, the House's efforts to hold police accountable for murdering innocent civilians, her thoughts on the attacks against Sen. Kamala Harris since her appointment as Biden's running mate, and the criminality of the Trump administration. She's followed by another Carmen Perez, who is the President ...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 133
Markos Moulitsas, Founder of DailyKos and Civiqs, is BACK for this week's installment of #ThursdayKos and we finally get to hear his thoughts on Joe Biden selecting Senator Kamala Harris for VP, reflections on the Democratic Convention, and why he and Mark are both shook by Kimberly Guilfoyle's shouting, errr, I mean, speech, at the RNC, among other strange & sloppy program features. Markos also assesses the state of the U.S. Postal Service and has some helpful tips on making sure your vote ...
Aug 27, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 132
