Podcasts about Maryland Democratic Party

Torrey discusses the state of Maryland politics with the deputy director of the Maryland Democratic Party, Joe Francaviglia. We also debate the merits of a cashless society, and react to new tariffs from the Trump Administration. We also reflect on the life of WBAL's Education Reporter Dr. Tim Tooten.

The weekly news analysis from I Hate Politics: Washington Post's decision not to endorse a presidential candidate in this year's election leads to subscription cancellations. But another institution, the Maryland Democratic Party, went the other way, stepping into nonpartisan school board races. The charged political atmosphere looks like it will increase turnout. We have the latest local voting numbers. And more. Music from Washington DC post-punk band Grey Swift.

In this episode, we'll be giving updates on our current legislative priorities including - cannabis legalization, Baltimore's Civilian Review Board, public safety, crime and policing.Also - we'll be discussing the Maryland Democratic Party leadership's lack of regard for working class Black people. Dayvon Love will be leading the conversation and be joined by Lawrence Grandpre - Director of Public Policy for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle.Support the show (http://www.lbsbaltimore.com/sustain)

3.15.2022 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: No Charges In Jamaican Immigrant's Death, FL Police Chief Fired for Hiring Blacks No charges will be filed for the death of a Jamaican immigrant killed while hunting with his white co-workers in Pennsylvania. The Venango County District Attorney says Peter Spencer's killing was justified due to self-defense under Pennsylvania's Stand Your Ground law. After about six months on the job, Fort Lauderdale's city manager fires the police chief over discrimination complaints. The complaint, he was hiring too many black people. The former police chief, Larry Scirotto is here tonight to explain why he wants his job back. With the stroke of a pen, Mississippi's becomes one of 14 states banning critical race theory. Race Forward will be launching a new initiative called H.E.A.L. Together, ready to counter attacks on Critical Race Theory. We'll talk to one of the organization's leaders to find out how they will undo what's been with something that has never been taught in grades K through 12. After a student was "auctioned off," a black North Carolina school superintendent implements an accountability plan for those students who discriminate or demean others. N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense and Educational Fund is under new leadership as Sherilynn Ifill passes the touch to her replacement Janai S. Nelson. A white Maryland Democratic Party official resigns after questioning the electability of Black candidates in the state's governor's race. And in tonight's Marketplace segment, you'll meet two Shreveport, Louisiana sisters who are designing clothes for the everyday Black women. #RolandMartinUnfiltered partner: Nissan | Check out the ALL NEW 2022 Nissan Frontier! As Efficient As It Is Powerful!

Today on Midday, a preview of the 2022 Session of the Maryland General Assembly, which begins Wednesday. A number of issues will be front and center as legislators head back to Annapolis, chief among them drawing new boundaries for state electoral offices. COVID will, of course, loom large logistically and legislatively. Federal funds from the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure bill have the state operating with a $6 billion dollar surplus at the moment, which will be a tempting target for lawmakers. The 90-day session will be the final opportunity for Gov. Larry Hogan to place his legislative stamp on Maryland. At this hour, the Governor is holding a press conference to discuss the upcoming session. Eight Democrats and three Republicans are running to replace Hogan next year, who is prohibited from running again because of term limits. With the exception of those lawmakers who are retiring, all Delegates and Senators are up for re-election. The most high-profile member of the General Assembly to announce her retirement is Tom's first guest today. Del. Maggie McIntosh is the Chair of the Appropriations Committee. She's been in the House of Delegates for nearly 30 years, and she has been one of the most consequential legislators in modern MD history. Twenty years ago, she became the first woman to serve as House majority leader. She was the first woman chair of the House Environmental Matters Committee. Del. McIntosh became the first woman to chair the powerful Appropriations Committee in 2014, and she was the first openly LGBTQ member of the General Assembly. Chairwoman McIntosh joins us on Zoom from her home in Baltimore… Then, we hear Tom's interview with Sen. Cory McCray, recorded last Friday. Sen. McCray represents the 45th District, and he chairs the Baltimore City Senate Delegation. That delegation includes Senators Antonio Hayes, Jill Carter, Mary Washington, Charles Sydnor and Bill Ferguson, the Senate President. Senator McCray is also the first vice-chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. Sen. CoryMcCray joined us on Zoom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EP 149 Aaron Dante sits down with  Maryland State Senator Cory V. McCray. We talk about how got  into politics. How my neighbors have spoke highly of him. What bills he has helped pass and his love for reading books. Tune in this is an episode you don't want to miss.   Cory McCray was elected to represent the 45th Legislative District in the Maryland State Senate in 2018. Since that time, he has been named a “legislator to watch” by The Daily Record and Maryland Matters. Additionally, Cory also serves as First Vice Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. Cory's story is a uniquely Baltimore story. Like many of us, Cory grew up in a Baltimore whose greatest resource was its hardworking men and women. In spite of that resource, the City often struggled to give those men and women the opportunity they deserved. As a teenager at Fairmount- Harford High School, Cory was also in search of opportunity. After a brief trip down the wrong path as a teenager, he found out about apprenticeships at the age of 18. The rest is history. By 19, he had become a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. By 20, he was a homeowner. Cory continued to meet opportunity halfway, working his way through community college and a bachelor's degree, all while growing a small business focused on rental properties. Those years also brought marriage and four loving children, along with a career focused wholly on working families and the communities they hold dear. Cory continues working for his local union and as a community organizer to this day, helping expand the opportunity for a better life to men and women across our City. In 2014, neighbors across the 45th District elected Cory to represent them in Maryland's House of Delegates. During his time in the House, leading news outlets like Center Maryland called him one of the most effective freshman legislators in the entire state. Cory's approach to public service is listening to his constituents' problems and then figuring out how to solve them. When his constituents asked for better jobs, Cory passed the ACTION and POWER Apprenticeship Acts, which expands funding for apprenticeships that lead to family supporting careers. When he was asked for a larger investment in public schools, Cory passed legislation that scores school construction funding, so that lawmakers can't cut Baltimore out of the resources it deserves. Cory's neighbors also asked him to make sure that they have a voice in Annapolis. He gave them a voice by passing legislation that restored voting rights to thousands of Marylanders. Just weeks after that victory, Governor Larry Hogan vetoed the bill and again silenced voices at the ballot box that many men and women had found for the first time in decades. But Cory didn't give up. He returned to the legislature more determined than ever, building a coalition of legislators from across Maryland who overturned the governor's veto, restoring the voices that Governor Hogan had silenced As the 45th District's Senator, Cory is continuing his mission to bring greater levels of resources and equity to the City of Baltimore. Senator McCray, current, past, and public service assignments below: Current Assignments 2020 Deputy Majority Whip 2019 Budget and Taxation Committee 2019 Capital Budget Subcommittee, Budget and Taxation Committee 2019 Health and Human Services Subcommittee, Budget and Taxation Committee 2019 Pensions Subcommittee, Budget and Taxation Committee 2019 Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee 2019 Joint Committee on Pensions 2019 Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland   Charmyra E. Fleming Romance Author Extraordinar  Rio: IG: Actlikemjsmith Sponsors: Zeke's Coffee  www.zekescoffee.com                           Indu Wellness  www.induwellness.com                                     Maggies Farm  www.maggiesfarm.com                                 FoundStudio Shop  www.foundstudioshop.com                                 Charm Craft City Mafia  www.charmcitycraftmafia.com               Siena Leigh https://www.sienaleigh.com                Fishnet.     www.eatfishnet.com                RYKMS:      https://www.facebook.com/RYMKSBaltimore/               Open Works https://www.openworksbmore.org                Zinnia Films www.zinniafilms.com

The University of Maryland School of Public Policy Alumni Board's video and podcast series called Policy Dialogues discusses current events through a policy lens. Episode 18 focuses on Legislating Policy with Matt Verghese (UMD SPP ‘10). Participants also included Evan Papp (UMD SPP ‘11). Matt Verghese is the chief of staff for U.S. Congressman Anthony Brown who represents Maryland's 4th congressional district. Matt has also served as a senior advisor on the Van Hollen for Senate campaign as well as Political and Communications Director for the Maryland Democratic Party, and as Senior Legislative Aide in the Montgomery County Government. We discussed: Why he first got interested in public policy; The connection between public policy and politics; The January 6th political violence on Capitol Hill to prevent the certifying of the electoral college; The media's relentless emphasis on bipartisanship; and Where he sees opportunity and hope. The views expressed do not represent official positions of the school or alumni network.

“The American people want a government that works, they want a government that is responsive to their needs and is responsive to how they are suffering right now.” Matt Verghese is the chief of staff for U.S. Congressman Anthony Brown who represents Maryland's 4th congressional district. Matt has also served as a senior advisor on the Van Hollen for Senate campaign as well as Political and Communications Director for the Maryland Democratic Party, and as Senior Legislative Aide in the Montgomery County Government. The University of Maryland School of Public Policy Alumni Board's video and podcast series called Policy Dialogues discusses current events through a policy lens. Episode 18 focuses on Legislating Policy with Matt Verghese (UMD SPP ‘10). Participants also included Evan Papp (UMD SPP ‘11).  We discussed:  Why he first got interested in public policy;  The connection between public policy and politics; The January 6th political violence on Capitol Hill to prevent the certifying of the electoral college;  The media’s relentless emphasis on bipartisanship; and Where he sees opportunity and hope. The views expressed do not represent official positions of the school or alumni network.

Today is March 8, International Women's Day, and on this day I suggest that we listen to Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings and her work for civil justice. This episode was previously released on Jan. 22, 2021. In this episode of Back in America, I speak with Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, former chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, political consultant, and activist. She recently ran to represent Maryland’s 7th District in Congress after undergoing a double mastectomy. Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is the widow of Congressman Elijah Cummings, a good friend of former Congressman John Lewis. When Lewis died in 2020, hundreds of Twitter account accidentally posted memorial photos of Cummings since the two looked so much alike! On Back in America, Dr. Maya Rockeymoore. Cummings discusses the ongoing fight for civil rights. “I fight for the right to exist. I fight for the right of everyone to be recognized on the level of our common humanity. I fight for the history in this country that has been suppressed. I am the fourth generation from slavery in this country. My parents grew up in the Jim Crow South. My late husband, Elijah Cummings grew up in the Jim Crow South. They were born into a world that denied African Americans the right to exist,” she said. We also spoke of Black feminism and the importance for Black women to take charge of their struggle against racist and institutionalized patriarchy. In recent months, Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings has been working to publish We're Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy, her husband’s final, unfinished book. The book came out last September and she talks to me about the importance of getting her husband’s voice out there. We're Better Than This - My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy  

Join us for a conversation about the life and legacy of Elijah Cummings between Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, book collaborator James Dale, and moderator Dr. Freeman Hrabowski. Presented in partnership with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Part memoir, part call to action, We’re Better Than This is the story of our modern-day democracy and the threats that we all must face together, as well as a retrospective on the life and career of one of our country’s most inspirational politicians. We’re Better Than This reminds people that in this country we don’t elect kings, and we cannot afford four more years of this false one. Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is a social entrepreneur, speaker, writer, and strategist who’s on a mission to drive society toward inclusion. After a quarter of a century of working on innovative public policy and multimillion-dollar social change initiatives in the government, nonprofit, and private sectors, Maya is a policy and political expert who understands how to build and sustain cross-sector collaborations, diverse coalitions, dynamic diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, and effective education campaigns. An accomplished public speaker and author, Maya has appeared in a variety of media outlets such as CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and BET and her writings have been published in the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, and the Washington Post among other publications. She has served on numerous boards including the National Association of Counties Financial Services Corporation, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and the National Academy of Social Insurance. She is the recipient of multiple honors such as the Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellowship Award and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Fellowship Award and has been a candidate for Maryland governor and the U.S. Congress. A former chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, Maya earned her B.A. in political science from Prairie View A&M University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in political science, with an emphasis in public policy, from Purdue University. She is the widow of the late Congressman Elijah E. Cummings and lives in West Baltimore with her dog Andy. James Dale has been author-collaborator on a number of books on topics including business, medicine, and life lessons. His works include The Power of Nice with agent-negotiator Ron Shapiro; Just Show Up with Hall of Fame baseball player Cal Ripken Jr.; and The Q Factor with Super Bowl–winning coach Brian Billick. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, has served as President of UMBC (The University of Maryland, Baltimore County) since 1992. His research and publications focus on science and math education, with special emphasis on minority participation and performance. He chaired the National Academies’ committee that produced the 2011 report, Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads. He was named in 2012 by President Obama to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. His 2013 TED talk highlights the “Four Pillars of College Success in Science.” A child-leader in the Civil Rights Movement, Hrabowski was prominently featured in Spike Lee’s 1997 documentary, Four Little Girls, on the racially motivated bombing in 1963 of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Born in 1950 in Birmingham, Alabama, Hrabowski graduated from Hampton Institute with highest honors in mathematics. He received his M.A. (mathematics) and Ph.D. (higher education administration/statistics) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.The Brown Lecture Series is supported by the Eddie C. and C. Sylvia Brown Foundation. Recorded On: Wednesday, February 10, 2021

In this episode of Back in America, I speak with Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, former chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, political consultant, and activist. She recently ran to represent Maryland’s 7th District in Congress after undergoing a double mastectomy. Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is the widow of Congressman Elijah Cummings, a good friend of former Congressman John Lewis. When Lewis died in 2020, hundreds of Twitter account accidentally posted memorial photos of Cummings since the two looked so much alike! On Back in America, Dr. Maya Rockeymoore. Cummings discusses the ongoing fight for civil rights. “I fight for the right to exist. I fight for the right of everyone to be recognized on the level of our common humanity. I fight for the history in this country that has been suppressed. I am the fourth generation from slavery in this country. My parents grew up in the Jim Crow South. My late husband, Elijah Cummings grew up in the Jim Crow South. They were born into a world that denied African Americans the right to exist,” she said. We also spoke of Black feminism and the importance for Black women to take charge of their struggle against racist and institutionalized patriarchy.In recent months, Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings has been working to publish We're Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy, her husband’s final, unfinished book. The book came out last September and she talks to me about the importance of getting her husband’s voice out there.We're Better Than This - My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy 

Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is giving a virtual talk Wednesday night for Berkshire OLLI – the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Cummings, a former chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, will be discussing her late husband’s posthumous memoir “We’re Better Than This.” Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings chaired the House Committee on Oversight and Reform until his […]

Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is a public policy consultant who holds a doctorate in political science. She’s the former head of the Maryland Democratic Party and she worked for several years on Capitol Hill. For a brief period, she was a candidate in the 2018 Maryland gubernatorial race. She left that race when her husband encountered some serious health problems. Dr. Cummings placed 2nd behind Mr. Mfume in February, losing that primary by more than 25 points. The field of candidates in that race numbered two dozen. In this primary, that field has been whittled only slightly, to 19 candidates, all of whom also ran the last time

  Bio Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings (@MayaforCongress) is President and CEO of Global Policy Solutions, a certified B Corporation and mission-driven strategy firm, dedicated to helping community-based, philanthropic, academic, governmental, and corporate organizations achieve strategic objectives. The firm specializes in coalition building, public policy analysis and research, program development, project management, and government relations. Dr. Rockeymoore Cummings previously served as the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, Vice President of Research and Programs at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Senior Resident Scholar at the National Urban League, Chief of Staff to former Congressman Charles Rangel, Professional Staff on the House Ways and Means Committee, and as a CBCF Legislative Fellow in the office of former Congressman Melvin Watt among other positions. A noted speaker and author, Dr. Rockeymoore Cummings’ areas of expertise include health, social insurance, economic security, education, technology, women’s issues and youth civic participation. She is the author of The Political Action Handbook: A How to Guide for the Hip-Hop Generation and co-editor of Strengthening Community: Social Insurance in a Diverse America among many other articles and chapters. Her frequent speaking engagements have included invitations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Economic Policy Institute, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Drexel University, Women Donors Network, National Association of Black Journalists, and Grantmakers in Aging among many other organizations. She has been quoted extensively in publications such as the Washington Post and New York Times and has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, and C-SPAN among other news outlets. The recipient of many awards, including the Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellowship, she announced a run for Congress in Maryland’s 7th Congressional District in November 2019 to succeed her late husband Congressman Elijah E. Cummings.  Resources Center for Global Policy Solutions News Roundup       New York reports sharp uptick in domestic violence calls] Calls to the State of New York’s domestic violence hotline increased 30% in April, according to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Abusers are using the pandemic to justify keeping their victims isolated and have intensified the nature of their abuse from psychological or financial, to physical. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24/7 and can be reached at 800-799-SAFE. 800-799-SAFE. That’s 800-799-7233. 800-799-7233. You can also text LOVEIS to 22522. That’s LOVEIS to 22522. Otherwise, you can log in to thehotline.org. That’s thehotline.org. Wyden, Eshoo introduce $5bn online child abuse bill Senator Ron Wyden and California Representative Anna Eshoo introduced a bill on Wednesday to stop the alarming spread of child sexual abuse material online. The Invest in Child Safety Act aims to invest $5bn to quadruple the number of FBI investigators focused on online child abuse  and exploitation (from 30 to 120) and expand the capacity of state and local governments to investigate and prosecute the offenders and counsel the victims of online child abuse. The money would also help fund the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, create a White House oversight office, and require tech companies to keep evidence of online abuse for at least 6 months instead of 3. This new effort comes amidst a broader effort by lawmakers to limit Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act which indemnifies tech companies for hosting content posted by third parties. California AG Becerra sues Uber and Lyft for misclassifying workers Invoking California Assembly Bill 5, which requires companies to treat workers as employees if they control how workers perform tasks of if the work is routine, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and a coalition of city officials sued Uber and Lyft for misclassifying its workers as independent contractors. The bill took effect on January 1 but so far the companies have pushed back on compliance. The New York Times reports that Uber has even gone as far as saying they’re not required to pay their drivers as employees because technology is its core business, not ridesharing. The lawsuit also claims the companies’ noncompliance is harming other businesses who have begun implementing the law. Amazon VP resigns as company fires protesting workers Calling Amazon “chickenshit”, Tim Bray, a prominent Senior Engineer and VP at Amazon resigned “in dismay” in an open letter on his blog after the company fired employee organizers protesting the company’s treatment of warehouse workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The workers went on strike, along with workers from Target, FedEx, Whole Foods, and Instacart, to protest their employers’ weak efforts to protect them from the virus. At Amazon specifically, at least 75 employees across half the company’s 110 warehouses, have fallen ill. Uber lays off 14 percent of workforce Uber announced plans to lay off some 14% of its workforce, or 3,700 employees, as demand for ridesharing has dropped during the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the layoffs will come from the CommOps and Recruiting teams. An internal memo suggested that more layoffs may be looming to as much as 20% of the current workforce, according to The Information. Airbnb has also announced plans to lay off approximately 25 percent of its workforce, or about 1,900 employees. Tumblr to remove posts that violate its hate speech policy Tumblr, founded in 2007, announced just the other day that it will remove all posts that violate its hate speech policy. Better late than never. “Researchers” at a Pennsylvania university claim to have solved the bias in AI problem Twitter dragged some so-called researchers at Harrisburg University in Pennsylvania after the university posted a link claiming they’d discovered a facial recognition method capable of detecting criminality with “80% accuracy and no racial bias”. One of researchers is a former NYPD police officer. The University pulled down the link. The paper will still be released but it’s doubtful to withstand scrutiny since many say 80% accuracy isn’t high enough for the technology to be considered bias-free.

Arinze delivers a scathing assessment of Trump's propaganda press conferences. The task force briefings are purposefully timed to preempt local and national news coverage. These "briefings" regularly feed lies and disinformation to the American public that are designed to boost Trump's approval ratings as his administration bungles its response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Tune in for a brand new podcast format as the Maryland Democratic Party shifts its operation to digital organizing in this new social distancing era. Be sure to share your feedback or share your comments on air via voicenote by emailing info@mddems.org. Thanks for listening! Stay safe, wash your hands, and TRUST SCIENCE.

This week, Candace and Tom sit down with congressional candidate Maya Rockeymoore Cummings to discuss her campaign to replace her late husband, Congressman Elijah Cummings.  She discusses her HOPE for Baltimore plan, the need for affordable prescription drugs, and addresses some of her more controversial moments as chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. Three Things: 1) BLM week at Howard County Public Schools; 2) Kobe Bryant; and 3) Howard County Board of Education elections.

Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is a public policy consultant who holds a doctorate in political science. She’s the former head of the Maryland Democratic Party and she worked for several years on Capitol Hill. For a brief period, she was a candidate in the 2018 Maryland gubernatorial race.

Hello! And welcome to another edition of Inside The Newsroom. Today’s guest is… Jamil Smith, senior writer at Rolling Stone where he covers national affairs and culture. Jamil is one of the most prominent voices in America on race and politics, so I picked his brain on voter suppression and remembering the life of congressman Elijah Cummings, who sadly passed away last month. Both issues have shaped politics as we know it, so we got into the weeds of how to fix voting discrimination, as well as what legacy Cummings will leave behind. Below is a post-game of everything we discussed. Enjoy 💪Please Like Me, ThanksBefore you read on, please like this edition of Inside The Newsroom by clicking the ❤️ below the title. That way I’ll appear in clever algorithms and more people will be able to read.Elijah Cummings Wasn’t DoneThe news of Elijah Cummings’ passing last month sent shockwaves through the political world. On both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans attended Cummings’ funeral, which lasted for four and half hours due to the volume of people lining up to give eulogies. My favorite was from Barack Obama…No matter how much Cummings achieved in his 23 years in congress — Cummings was sworn in in 1996 after winning a special election of Maryland’s 7th District — it still feels that his death, at 68 years of age, was premature. Whether it was standing up for police brutality in the aftermath of Freddie Gray’s death in his native Baltimore, or his role in the impeachment of Donald Trump, Cummings was as good as they come.And he wasn’t done. As his widow Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, and Maryland Democratic Party chairwoman, said in her statement above, Elijah was working “until his last breath”, signing two subpoenas on his deathbed, both relating to the Trump administration’s policy change to temporarily end the ability for severely ill immigrants to seek care in the United States. Congressman Elijah Cummings left behind a gargantuan legacy that will take multiple people to replicate.Jamil Smith, Rolling StoneRacism Kills, LiterallyIt’s currently unknown what led to Cummings’ death, except “complications concerning longstanding health challenges," according to his office. What we do know is that Cummings faced the brutality of racism all his life, having first being attacked by a white mob for integrating a swimming pool in Baltimore when he was just 11 years old. We also know that racism causes real health problems. According to a recent study, racism promotes genes that trigger inflammation, one of the major drivers of disease. This is just one reason why black Americans have a life expectancy at birth of 75.6 years, while white Americans are expected to live to 79.April Thomas, University of Southern CaliforniaA Real-Life PurgeOne of congressman Cummings’ biggest fights was against voter suppression, spearheading the House Oversight Committee and becoming a leading voice within the Democratic Party on several civil rights issues. Continuing that fight is Stacey Abrams, a relatively new face to the wider public who’s tipped to be a powerful voice within the Democratic Party for years to come. Abrams shot to fame after she lost by just 0.4 per cent, or less than 60,000 votes, to Republican Brian Kemp in Georgia’s race for governor in the 2018 midterms. The race was riddled with so many allegations that the House Oversight Committee, led by Cummings, launched an investigation into what really happened. While the investigation is still ongoing, it was revealed recently that top Republicans in Georgia are continuing to use their power to suppress minority voters. In what is being ripped out of Kemp’s playbook, top officials in the state are investigating and issuing subpoenas to political opponents, without publicly showing evidence there was wrongdoing by those parties.That’s where Abrams comes in. Instead of following top Democrats’ calls to run for president, Abrams launched a new national voting rights campaign, Fair Fight 2020, which aims to educate and protect voters of their rights. In some ways, Republicans understand black voters better than Democrats. While voter suppression laws aren’t as overt as they once were, individual red states now use more insidious methods carefully planned to make it harder to register and to cast a vote. In Georgia, some counties were left with just a single polling station, and it’s thought that almost 16 million Americans overall were removed from electoral register between 2014 and 2016.Oliver Laughland, The GuardianWhich States Are Most Restrictive To Vote?I was surprised to see that Virginia, a state Hillary Clinton won by more than five points, was among the most restrictive states in the country, but that can be explained by the majorities held by the Republicans in both the state House and Senate. Thanks to the fine folks at the Guardian US, you can find out how restrictive each state is.Shelby County vs HolderIn 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in a 5-4 decision to strip away key protections of the Voting Rights Act, a staple in the country’s democracy since 1965. In the judgement, the SCOTUS ruled that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act — the section that determines which states can change their voting laws without approval — was unconstitutional. Chief Justice John G. Roberts delivered the court’s opinion stating that “the Voting Rights Act of 1965 employed extraordinary measures to address an extraordinary problem,” suggesting that there’s now less need for voter protection. The neutering of the Voting Rights Act has paved the way for more than half of the nation’s states to tighten their voter-ID laws, including most recently Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Tennessee and Texas. John Schwartz, New York TimesTrump Visits Atlanta To Woo Black VotersDonald Trump visited Atlanta last week to launch his campaign Black Voices For Trump, and unsurprisingly, it quickly turned into a circus. Sadly I’ve run out of words to describe the hypocrisy of the president when it comes to trying to attract minority voters, so I’ll let you watch for yourself…Related Podcasts#55 — Lindsay Gibb(Power Plays newsletter) on the overt sexism in college and professional sports#51 — Jason Kander (Democratic Party) on why veterans have been left behind#47 — Ryan Grim (The Intercept, The Young Turks) on the history of progressivism within the Democratic PartyJob CornerEach week I’ll feature a selection of new journalism jobs. This week, the Texas Tribune announced several postings for their investigative unit project with ProPublica. They also have a bunch of student fellowships…Student FellowshipsData ReporterEngagement ReporterReporterResearch ReporterSenior EditorStory Producer Get on the email list at insidethenewsroom.substack.com

Like everyone in Maryland we’re thinking of the loss of Democratic Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, who died early this morning. We extend condolences to his wife, Dr. Maya Rockymore, chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, and the rest of his family.

Frederick County Democratic Central Committee member and Frederick County Democratic Party historian Tom Slater discusses the process for becoming a delegate to the 2020 DNC in Milwaukee, and his experiences attending the DNC since 1972 including serving as a Delegate for Sen. Ted Kennedy in 1980 and President Barack Obama in 2012. For more information about the 2020 Maryland Democratic Party delegate selection plan click on the following link: https://www.mddems.org/sites/default/files/MDP2020_ModelDelegateSelectionPlan_041519.pdf For more information on the Frederick County Democratic Party visit: www.frederickdemocrats.org

After more than two decades operating at the nexus of politics, policy and government, Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings was elected Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party in December 2018. Prior to leading the party, Dr. Rockeymoore Cummings spent her career advising and working for organizations fighting for social justice. Amber first met Maya during a dinner with fellow community leaders, a conversation about engaging young back voters started at that table and they continue it right here on the AmSaidIt podcast.

Alison Galbraith, one of the Vice Chairs of the Maryland Democratic Party, on tackling sexism in politics, why it's time to reintroduce the Equal Rights Amendment, the importance of addressing the gender pay gap, the 2020 Democratic primary and how Democrats can win back the state's 2 big offices in Maryland. The Hardy Report is a political news and current affairs podcast, bringing you interviews with a range of activists, campaigners and politicians from across the political spectrum in the United States and the United Kingdom. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thehardyreport/support

Today on Midday, we continue our series of Conversations with the Candidates.My guest is Ben Jealous, the Democratic nominee for Governor. He was one of nine Democrats on the ballot in the primary last June. And he beat the crowded field handily, with 40% of the vote, defying pollsters and pundits, many of whom who had predicted a win by Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker.In the end, Mr. Jealous bested Mr. Baker by nearly 10 points. Ben Jealous and his running mate Susan Turnbull, the former Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, are now challenging Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and Lt. Gov Boyd Rutherford. Ben Jealous is perhaps best known as the former president and CEO of the NAACP. When he was appointed to that position in 2008, he was, at 35 years old, the youngest person ever to lead the venerable civil rights organization. In 2013, he joined Kapor Capital, a socially conscious investment firm. He manages the firm’s Baltimore office. He is also a visiting professor at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. We livestreamed this show on the WYPR Facebook page. If you missed that video, check it out here.Election Day is seven weeks from today. Early voting begins in just 37 days on Oct. 25. Please remember to get out and vote!

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Eva Lewis, Political Director for the Maryland Democratic Party and for the Maryland Coordinated Campaign on the importance of Midterm Elections to the everyday lives of Maryland voters and the importance of these 2018 Midterm Elections in particular.

Our Conversations with the Candidates series continues now with Liz Matory, the Republican candidate for Congress in the 2nd District. She’s facing the incumbent Democrat, Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger, who's held the seat since 2003. Matory is a Silver Spring-based entrepreneur and business consultant. She’s a former field worker for the Maryland Democratic Party. She quit the Dems in 2014, and this past June won the Republican primary in the 2nd District. This is Liz Matory’s second run for the US Congress. She lost a primary bid to run in the 8th District two years ago. And in 2014, running as a Democrat, she ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates. She’s the co-author of the 2016 political memoir, Born Again Republican.

Kathleen Matthews on being a Democrat in Our Town~ "I'm a Democrat, and the Democrats in this area really care about our country, and they’re trying to figure out how they make a difference in the current political environment. And I’m all about being part of that process, and helping give voice to the values that I think are so important." Kathleen Matthews, DNC-MD Chairwoman, (right) and Andy Ockershausen, Our Town host (left) A Ockershausen: I met our very special guest probably 40 years ago or close to it, in the lobby at WMAL, she was waiting for an interview. I want her to tell that story. To me she was Kathy Cunningham, but over the 40 years that she has been in Our Town, she's accomplished so much. You know, far less being the anchor at WMAL-TV, but WJLA. I still call it WMAL-TV. She had a top level position at the Marriott Corporation. She ran for Congress, and she's going to be named Head of the Democratic Party for the state of Maryland. But my friend and very dear friend, Kathleen Matthews. Welcome to Our Town. Kathleen Matthews: Hey Andy, how are you? It's good to be here. A Ockershausen: Well your first day on the job was at WMAL. I knew that you had gone to Stanford, and you had a great educational background. I said why would this woman with all this talent, want to work at this radio station? And you came in the lobby. From Stanford to Washington DC and WMAL AM630 Kathleen Matthews: So I have to tell you, that as I came into the lobby up from the first floor, through the elevator. I felt like I was going in this time-warp. It was still so familiar to me, and I will never forget getting off that elevator, coming into the lobby, and hearing the voices of Harden and Weaver, and the incredible electricity that this place exuded. It was joyous. It was fun. And I had been looking for a job for a couple of months, having graduated from Stanford. A Ockershausen: Great school. Kathleen Matthews: Coming across country, wanting to be in the nation's capital because I was passionate about politics. I wanted a new adventure, and I really believed in journalism. Because this was after Watergate. This was after Woodward and Bernstein had broken open the whole Watergate crisis, and Nixon had resigned. And Washington was like the center of the universe at that point. And so here I was in Washington, in this amazing environment. And I walked in the door, and I thought if I can work in this place, I will be the luckiest woman on earth. And I came in and did a series of interviews. And I remember meeting you too, because you've got that same energy that really represented what WMAL radio was at that time. A Ockershausen: It was electric. Kathleen Matthews: Radio 63, I mean it was the most listened to radio station. It had a huge robust news department, amazing public affairs department. They did documentaries on the air, and also then the Great Talk, and it was so much a part of this community. And the job I was interviewing for was called, "editorial director". It was an entry-level job, but it sounded so important. And my job was to do the research on issues, and then write editorials for the station management. And in those days, 40 years ago, we were editorializing get the guns off the streets of Washington. A Ockershausen: Oh absolutely. Editorials were on Guns and Metro Kathleen Matthews: We talked about this being Dodge City. D.C. was Dodge City. And so we said, "Get the guns off the street." We said, "Let's build a metro-system. We need funding to be able to build a metro-system for the nation's capital." I mean, think about what the city was like back then, and where we are today. A Ockershausen: Kathleen, but all the things you talk about were so important, because the electricity that you felt was from the people in the newsroom. They loved what they did. You know I used to kid some of them about, "You know you're probably making a dollar an hour because you're here 20 hours a day.

Clarence M. Mitchell, IV, known to WBAL listeners as "C4," brings a lifetime of political experiences and relationships to WBAL Radio.