Lawrence Talks Podcast

On this episode of Lawrence Talks, I am joined by our final candidate for DA, Mike Warner, who is running as the lone Republican candidate in this year's election for district attorney. This would be the first election for DA with both a Democrat and a Republican on the ticket since 2004. During our discussion, mike shares why he has the experience to be an effective DA, how he hopes voters do not dismiss his candidacy simply because he's a Republican, and how producing just outcomes requires the inclusion of all those who participate and are effected by our local legal system.

In this episode, candidate Tonda Hill discusses her campaign for Douglas County District Attorney. During our conversation, Hill shares what her top priorities would be, how she would repair trust in the office, her views on justice, and much more.

In this episode of our 2023 local candidate series, we are joined by Shannon Kimball, an incumbent candidate running for one of the 2-year seats. During our discussion, Shannon addresses the decision she and board made to close two schools, her idea of justice, and much more.

In this episode, we are joined by Ariel Miner, a candidate running for the single 2-year board seat. As the challenger, Ariel discusses some of the issues she hopes to address were she elected, her idea of a just school system, and much more.

In this episode of Lawrence Talks, my friend and philosophical peer Coleen Watson, a PhD candidate at Binghampton University of New York, joins the show to discuss her recent dive into public philosophy and her work exploring civic duties in democratic communities.

On June 24 2022, the United States Supreme Court announced its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson. The decision involved overturning two cases often thought by conservatives to be not just controversial but also poorly reasoned: Casey and Roe. As predicted, the decision has led to a considerable amount of instability and indecision primarily in the medical community – with clinics and doctors refraining from performing potentially life saving procedures in fear of being prosecuted. Typically, on Lawrence Talks we like to explore the arguments involved in these decisions. And certainly there is a time and place for that. On today's episode however, my guests point out that arguing and reasoning comes with the privilege of time. In Kansas, voters are being rallied by both sides of the political aisle to determine wither an amendment ought to be added to the State Constitution entailing that citizens of Kansas do not have a fundamental right to have an abortion. This amendment, in theory, would allow state legislatures to regulate abortion access more than it currently is. My guests Rija and Michelle share what exactly is at stake and just how they plan to deal with today's political reality.

Recently, OWL residents saw new traffic diverters and barriers installed in the neighborhood. President of OWLA Eric Kirkendall and fellow resident and Professor of Urban Planning at KU Ward Lyles join me to discuss the timeline of events that led to the pilot program and the theory that supports the particular arrangements.

In this episode, we begin our series on the school board race in Douglas County, Kanas with incumbent board member GR Gordon-Ross.

Looking to the past for perspective about the future may not always prove to be a useful endeavor, but there are times when the past has provided a legacy worth living up to. And in celebration of Indigenous People's Day, we sit down with Haskell Indian Nations University's Dr. Dan Wildcat to speak about the legacy of Hiawatha and his plans to bring issues of justice to the fore of community consciousness by creating a new center of Justice in Haskell's Hiawatha Hall.

In this episode, I sit down with Kansas Appleseed's Caleb Smith to discuss his work in advocating for fair maps as the Kanas Legislature considers whether current district lines should be redrawn. Our conversation explores the nature of political districts, moral considerations for fair maps, and how the census plays a role in how we are represented.

Films move us, teach us, and most importantly reveal to us the pressing matters in our collective consciousness. With this in mind, and for the first episode of Philosophers at the Cinema, we explore the most interesting and important questions raised by one of John Waters' noteworthy films – his 1988 film Hairspray (1988). For the first part of this episode, we sit down with KC Film Critic Lonita Cook to discuss the nature of film criticism, what movies do for us, and of course all things Hairspray.

On this episode of Lawrence Talks: Professor Emeritus of KU's School of Public Affairs and Administration, as well as a former mayor of Lawrence, John Nalbandian joins me to discuss his time in public office and the task force he is chairing that will have implications for how Lawrence elects its mayor and commissioners. Plenty of questions can be raised regarding the available options for reform. We do our best address them.

In this episode of Lawrence Talks, I sit down with Kim Criner Richie (City of Lawrence Sustainability Office) and Marlin Bates (K-State Research and Extension) about the city's current Lawrence Listens survey for responses over the future of our agro-economic opportunities. Kim and Marlin discuss how they hope to implement consumer feedback into actionable policies to improve opportunities for consumers and producers to connect. Further, the effort is just one of many opportunities for citizens to share their thoughts on what the future of Lawrence will look like.

On this episode of Lawrence Talks, Mackenzie Clark, a local Lawrence journalist, joins me to discuss the aims of local journalism, failures in traditional news media outlets, and how she hopes The Lawrence Times addresses these concerns while also giving local readers another choice in where they go for the news.

In this episode, we are joined by PhD student and Project Manager of LDC Public Health's COVID Testing effors, Ruaa Hassaballa. As a graduate student, Ruaa explores the intersection of justice, equity, and public health. Our conversation covers a number of topics including Hassaballa's interest in public health, her thoughts on how public health is connected to justice and equity, and her current efforts overseeing COVID testing in Lawrence and Douglas County.

Guests:Celisa Calacal, The Beacon editorMary Sanchez, Syndicated Columnist TribuneMonique Luisi, University of Missouri ProfessorAndrea Tudhope, KCUR Reporter/ ProducerVicky Diaz-Camacho, KCPT Flatland Reporter + Host of The Filter Podcast

On this episode of Lawrence Talks, we are back with another COVID related episode. This time however, we are looking forward. Specifically, we sit down with KU Philosophy Professor Armin Schulz, whose work involves applying evolutionary principles and tools to economic phenomena and visa-versa. Armin joins me to discuss what evolutionary biology has to say about the future of work life, and whether COVID might have any lasting effects in this social dynamic.

Conversation 1: Professor Levy’s time as a judicial clerk for Appellate Judge Richard Posner. Conversation 2: OriginalismConversation 3: Politics and The Supreme CourtConversation 4: Amy Coney Barrett.

On this episode of Lawrence Talks, I am joined by Douglas County DA Charles Branson, who is the incumbent in this year’s democratic primary. In this episode, I ask Branson about the changes he has made and hopes to continue during his time as DA , his views on the scope of DA’s office, and ending cash bail - among many other topics.

On this episode of lawrence Talks: We speak with candidate for Douglas County District Attorney - Cooper Overstreet. In addition to discussing his general platform, Cooper discusses the values he hopes to represent in his decision-making, to assure fairness throughout the justice process, and to make the DA’s office more inclusive and diverse.

In this episode, we were able to speak with incumbent Douglas County Commissioner for District 3, Nancy Thellman. During our discussion, Nancy discussed the County's perspective on jail expansion, the initial motivations for pushing the project, and how recent national events compelled her to re-examine her position on the matter.

In this episode, Candidate for Douglas County DA Suzanne Valdez joins us to discuss her campaign. During our discussion, she shares what it has been like to run a campaign for the first time, clarifies her stance on no cash bail, and discusses her intention of creating opportunities for BIPOC in the DA's office.

Believing that a democracy is strongest and most effective when its citizens are adequately informed, we continue our coverage of local politics and the Democratic primary. For our second episode, we sit down with democratic candidate for district 10 of the Kansas House of Representatives, Brandon Holland. In discussing his candidacy, we focus on the values, experiences, and policy positions he would take with him to Topeka.

With much of the debate surrounding our current pandemic focusing on decision-making based on scientific models, the economic impacts, and legal questions, what is being left unexplored is perhaps what is most important: a robust moral conversation. What do we owe to each other during a pandemic? On this episode of Lawrence Talks, I am joined by my co-host Michael Otteson and moral philosopher and the chair of the KU philosophy department, Dale Dorsey. Together we explore some of the difficult questions that both policy-makers and the general public should be asking and exploring in times of a pandemic, and in public health policy generally.

As lockdown measures begin to ease up, we thought we would explore the constitutional questions they raised. Joining me in this conversation is my co-host Michael Otteson, and KU Law Professor Richard Levy. In this episode, we take a look at what sort of textual, institutional, and political restrictions there are in limiting just what our federal, state, and local governments are able to in combating the current pandemic. And at one point, our conversation takes a short diversion into the misuse of power our government has overseen during national emergencies.

In light of current restrictions on gatherings, Charla de Merienda has been made available as a podcast. For those who are new to new to the platform, CdM is a joint production of Lawerence Talks, Inc and The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at KU. For our first podcast production, we explore the topic of marginalized bodies in relation to COVID-19 and the policies passed in response to it. Not all bodies are affected the same in terms of health, politics, and economics. While much of the narrative so far has been concerned with discussions of “going back to normal”, there is another conversation being had about whether going back to normal is not the preferred outcome for everyone. To help us navigate these issues, we sit down with three KU Scholars: Araceli Masterson-Algar | Associate Professor | Portuguese and Spanish | University of Kansas Sylvia Fernández Quintanilla, Ph.D. | Public and Digital Humanities Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Hall Center for the Humanities | University of Kansas Hannah Soyer | MFA in Creative Writing | University of Kansas

Today we revisit the issue of the Douglas County Jail expansion with the help of Danielle S. Rudes and Dr. Shannon Portillo. Our guests were researchers for the report that was produced by Justice Matters and in this episode, we get to hear all about the process, findings, and recommendations. The evidence all points towards the thesis that jail expansion is not, in fact, the answer to the problems cited by the county, and our guests unpack exactly how the issues that have been highlighted are better served by community programs that deal with rehabilitation and recovery in more effective ways. We note the unfortunate lack of collaboration from the county and discuss this partly surprising stance towards a solution. We also hear about some of the interesting choices around language in the report and how we can start to rethink the purpose of jail time. The conversation ends with some reflections on the recommendations and the values that Danielle and Shannon feel should be given priority as we consider jail reform. These are namely the humanity of the people involved, the safety of communities, and a reliance on evidence and science for the decisions that are made. Tune in to hear all of this and more!

On this episode, I speak with philosophers Polo Camacho and Nadia Ruiz, both study at the University of Kansas Respectively, Polo and Nadia research issues and questions in the philosophy of science and social science. I talk to them about their research, the questions asked in their respective fields, and how their scholarship informs their understanding of the current pandemic. Our podcast is produced thanks in part to our partners at the Hall Center for the Humanities, IDRH, KU Philosophy Department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. You can find us on itunes, spotify, and online at lawrencetalks.org. Thank you for listening and enjoy.

On this episode, we speak with: Melek Ben-Ayed (KU student), Ruby Love (Young adult Lawrence local), Ellie Jipson (Freshman at Lawrence High School) We discuss their work on the issue of environmental justice with the local chapter of the Sunrise Movement. Our podcast is produced thanks in part to our partners at the Hall Center for the Humanities, IDRH, KU Philosophy Department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Thank you for listening and enjoy.

On this episode, we speak to: • Bill Skepnek, attorney representing Justice Matters on the legal action to give voters the right to decide on jail debt (also a great spokesperson re: bail injustice) • Rev. Joanna Harader, pastor at Peace Mennonite Church and Co-Chair of the Justice Matters Jail Alternatives Action Committee • Ben MacConnell • Lead Organizer, Justice Matters We discuss their work on the issue of jail expansion, the affects it can have on our community, and what it says about our values.

Today on our show, we are discussing a topic that has once again received public attention and scrutiny. I am, of course, speaking of the U.S.’ Electoral College. Here to to talk to us about it and his new book The Twenty-Eigth Amendment - Beyond Abolishing the Electoral College, is author and professor Emeritus in the department of political science at KU, Paul Schumaker.

Wellbeing is one of the oldest and most contemplated topics in the history of philosophy. But, what is it? To help us think through the tricky topic, we decided to sit down with founder and Executive Director of Satori Counseling Services, Reggie Jackson. Join us as we discuss what wellbeing might look like and the work that people like Reggie do to help others achieve it.

In this first part of our two part series on ethics and homelessness, we explore the ways in which we might think of our ethical duties to each other and to the homeless specifically. Join us as we ask what sort of obligations we have to the homeless community, what we should be doing, and what sort of challenges we face.