Make It Plain with Mark Thompson

Wisconsin Representative Jason Fields is stumping for Biden/Harris in today’s episode, where he talks voter turnout and, more disturbingly, the potential for voter suppression in his state. Also addressed is the police shooting of Jacob Blake, which left the unarmed man paralyzed from the waist down. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Editor: Ryan Woodhall Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

LaShawn Warren is the Executive Vice President of Government Affairs at The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights. She joins the show to highlight the ways in which the Supreme Court matters to our rights and issues that impact us every day, how our civil and human rights are hanging in the balance, Amy Coney Barrett’s record on many critical issues, and why the Senate must not confirm any replacement for Justice Ginsburg until after inauguration. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Editor: Ryan Woodhall Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Trump has many strategies to win -- including suppressing the vote and spreading disinformation -- but our goal is singular: vote him out. That's what Holli L. Holliday, President of Sisters Lead Sister Vote, says is the first step before we double down on ALL strategies to improve this country through the senate and beyond. She also gives some insight into the Trump administration cutting the census count short, as well as what exactly is at stake for Black women if we see the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Hear how she plans to protect, defend, and fight for what’s next. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The concerns of the moment are many: will Republicans (and their SCOTUS representatives) actually try to mess with the election results? How? What should our strategy be regarding the potential confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett? What will happen to health care, reproductive rights, and marriage equality? Markos Moulitsas, Founder of DailyKos and Civiqs is here to break it all down and give us food for thought on some potential outcomes. He also updates us on where we stand with polling for the presidential race as well as the senate. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben Jealous is the President of People for the American Way and he’s on today’s episode to talk about their Defend the Black Vote initiative, which sets out to raise awareness on right-wing attacks that seek to disenfranchise and suppress Black voters. Their goal is to engage more than one million voters by Election Day to fight against these misinformation campaigns. We also welcome DCP Entertainment CEO Chris Colbert, who introduces us to his new podcast project, “Say Their Name,” which features stories he collected while traveling around the country speaking to Black families who lost loved ones to police violence. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Susie Madrak is back to give us an update on her coronavirus recovery, but there’s much more than that. She also has an interesting insight into the life and times of Amy Coney Barret, as she was raised in a similar Catholic atmosphere. And on the topic of Barrett, Susie tells us about a lesser known SCOTUS ruling that conservatives are looking to go after, which would allow them to come for any agency that wants to mandate masks. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

There’s been a lot of talk about the 25th Amendment lately, as Speaker Pelosi publicly questioned Trump’s mental fitness. Today’s show features some explanation from Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, presidential historian and the author of “The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution.” She gets into the origin of the 25th Amendment and its intended purpose, how the cabinet can and should function around a president as aid to his governance, and Supreme Court precedent and the possibility for change. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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. This week’s featured guest is Gina Wood, Chair of the Public Policy Committee of National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Northern Virginia Chapter. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I know, I know. The polls in 2016 showed Hillary Clinton ahead of Trump at this point (before Comey’s October Surprise), and since we all know how that turned out, it feels foolish to trust in the data this time around. But Markos Moulitsas, Founder of DailyKos and Civiqs, wants you to know that the numbers are showing something different: Trump has lost a couple key demographics that put him in the White House, and that makes a difference. This, along with the potential for a Big Blue Wave in the senate, has Markos feeling optimistic and he shares some theories on how it might shake out, including the fate of our Supreme Court. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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: https://www.propublica.org/article/in-north-carolina-black-voters-mail-in-ballots-much-more-likely-to-be-rejected-than-those-from-any-other-race Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 the Affordable Care Act hearing coming up on November 10th. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 District, and the type of work she’s now doing in the state to fight for criminal justice reform, including getting Breonna’s Law passed. She also shares why she feels confident in Sen. Harris’ VP nom and points out the hypocrisy in criticizing the senator’s record. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out:

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 Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 INFORMATION on Free Our Vote Initiative: https://www.representjustice.org/programs/free-our-vote/ Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 teenagers, they discuss Donald Trump and if he is a direct or indirect instigator, the multiple arms of extremist movements, and what can we actually DO to fight against it. BUY Dr. Miller-Idriss' book here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691203836/hate-in-the-homeland Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://

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 school first as a young student, and again when she became an educator. She understands the struggles of the middle and working class, having spent time living off Beanie Weenies to stretch a dollar, which is a far-cry from that of her bankrolled opponent who "does a good job looking out for the wealthy." Get to know this incredible leader and how she wants to upgrade Arkansas' healthcare, education, and infrastructure. (Original air date: 9/16/20). DONATE: https://www.joyceelliott.com/ Execut

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 Professional for the largest private club company in North America, Karen Finney, Communications Strategist for the Democratic Party & CNN Political Commentator, Christina Cue, Former Obama Administration Official, Staffer for Castro and Warren Campaigns, Lead Principal of OneCue Management Group, and LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Movement. (Original air date: 8/19/20). Share this episode and hashtag #WinWithBlackWomen Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distribut

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 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 Sen. Cornyn's politicization and focuses solely on protecting citizens. (Original air date: 9/9/20). To donate or learn more about MJ, CLICK HERE: https://mjfortexas.com/ Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and

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 Democratic nominee to take the Senate seat away from the Trump sycophant who considers the Confederacy to be the "best part of Mississippi's history." But in addition to opposing Cindy Hyde-Smith's blatant racism, Mike Espy has plans to nurse Mississippi back to health from coronavirus, where cases are currently spiking as the pandemic shines a spotlight on the state's already-broken healthcare system. He also wants to expand food stamps, get more money into school districts, and oh