Off-kilter With Rebecca Vallas

Democrats have plenty of reasons to celebrate this week. Will Ragland of the Center for American Progress Action Fund's War Room joins Jeremy Slevin to break down the news out of Virginia. Next, Jeremy talks with State Senator Dinah Sykes from Kansas, a Republican who challenged her own party after a conservative tax plan that is eerily similar to the one put forward by Trump and the GOP wreaked havoc on the state's budget. And lastly, we bring you a conversation that Rebecca had with Lauren-Brooke "L.B." Eisen, senior counsel at the Brennan Center and author of Inside Private Prisons: An American Dilemma in the Age of Mass Incarceration.

This week, House Republicans released their tax plan, finally providing long-awaited details on what they really mean when they say “tax reform.” While they billed it as a middle-class tax cut, in reality it’s Christmas come early for wealthy corporations and the richest Americans. Meanwhile, middle-class and working families would at best get scraps — and in many cases, see their taxes increased. Seth Hanlon, one of CAP’s tax gurus, joins with the skinny on the bill — and a bushelful of Pinocchios for the GOP. Next, outdated laws and policies often fail to meet the needs of American families — in large part because of how they define “family.” Rebecca talks with Laura Durso, CAP’s Director of LGBT Progress; Kate Gallagher Robbins, CAP’s Director of Family Policy; and Rebecca Cokley, a senior fellow for disability policy, about the need for more inclusive definitions of who is considered family — and the importance of including so-called “chosen family” when it comes to paid leave policies and more.

Today, one in three Americans has some type of criminal record, many convicted of only minor offenses – and some have only arrests that never even led to conviction. But having even a minor record can create lifelong barriers to employment, housing, education, and more, making even a minor record a life sentence to poverty. This week, leaders from communities across the US descended upon Washington for a convening dedicated to unlocking opportunity for people with records. This week Off-Kilter shares highlights from that convening, including conversations with Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, whose Second Chance Society provides a national model; JustLeadershipUSA founder Glenn Martin on the role of language in this work and particularly the importance of using language that humanizes people who are too often demonized; and Delaware Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, a rising star in the House of Representatives who just announced she’ll be bringing "clean slate" legislation from the Pennsylvania legislat

This week Congressional Republicans took the next step towards enacting Trump’s Robin Hood in reverse agenda, when Senate Republicans passed a budget giving them fast-track authority to slash taxes for billionaires. In the process, the GOP proved they don’t actually care at all about deficits – if it’s tax cuts for the wealthy on the line. Harry Stein and Rachel West, two of CAP’s budget nerds, join the show to discuss the latest in the tax and budget fight – and what Trump’s tax plan has to do with ponies. Later in the show, prisoners are being paid less than $2 an hour to fight the raging California wildfires. Rebecca speaks with Angela Hanks, CAP’s workforce development expert, about the ethics of prison labor. And finally, Rebecca speaks with Khiara Bridges, whose new book, The Poverty of Privacy Rights, investigates how the state intervenes in all facets of poor mothers' privacy.

A new rule released by the Trump administration this week blows a huge hole in what’s known as the “contraceptive mandate” – the policy established during the Obama years that requires employer health plans to provide birth control coverage with no co-pay. Specifically, the Trump rule would allow employers to request an exemption from the mandate for “religious or moral” reasons.  Jamila Taylor, a senior fellow for women’s health at the Center for American Progress, joins to unpack what the rule change means. Next, Rebecca speaks with Peter Edelman about his new book Not a Crime to Be Poor: The Criminalization of Poverty in America. But first, in case you missed “In Case You Missed It”… the Slevinator returns with the news of the week.

Brenda Torres, an environmental justice advocate in Puerto Rico sheds light on the disaster many low-income communities on the island were facing long before the storm.

The GOP is pivoting to what it's calling “tax reform” (read: tax cuts for billionaires), with both the House and Senate moving budgets this week to kick off that process. We cut through the wonkery—and award well-deserved Pinocchios—with Harry Stein, CAP's budget guru. Next we're joined by Ian Millhiser, Justice Editor and Supreme Court watcher at Think Progress, for a rundown of the biggest cases to watch now in the Supreme Court’s new term. And don't miss our bonus interview with Brenda Torres, an environmental justice advocate in Puerto Rico who sheds light on the disaster many low-income communities on the island were facing long before the storm.

Alyssa Peterson of Know Your IX discusses a huge change Betsy Devos made to keep college campuses safer — for students who commit sexual assault.

Republicans called off the vote for their most recent attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, so this week we are taking a break from health care to focus on stories that are getting far less attention than they deserve. Rebecca Cokley, the former executive director of the National Council on Disability and new senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, joins the show to discuss the quiet effort to roll back rights for people with disabilities. Next, DC Councilwoman Elissa Silverman, one of the original sponsors of DC’s new paid family and medical leave policy, calls in to explain why some council members are pushing to change the law. To close the show, we caught up with Ariel Levinson-Waldman of TZEDEK DC, the District’s newest legal aid program.

Earlier this month, Michelle Jones became a household name after her admission to Harvard’s Ph.D program was reversed due to her criminal record. NYU admitted her, and that’s where she’s begun her studies this fall. But Harvard’s controversial decision to override its history department’s decision to admit her has spurred a renewed conversation about the lifelong stigma formerly incarcerated people can face. Glenn Martin, president of Just Leadership USA and Ed Chung, vice president of criminal justice at the Center for American Progress, join the show to discuss the particular stigma confronting people convicted of offenses we choose to label “violent.” But first, Rebecca and Jeremy sat down with Topher Spiro, vice president of health policy at the Center for American Progress, for the latest on the GOP’s final hail mary pass to repeal the ACA.

This week the Census Bureau released its annual snapshot of poverty, health insurance, and income in the United States, and poverty is finally back to pre-recession levels. But this good news comes amid a political climate where any progress could quickly be erased. Jared Bernstein, a fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the former Chief Economist for Vice President Joe Biden, joins the show to unpack the new Census data--and how much is at stake under the Trump agenda. Next up, Tracey Ross, an expert on disaster recovery at PolicyLink's All-In Cities Initiative, explains why low-income communities and communities of color are hardest hit by natural disasters. And lastly, Rebecca is joined by Andy Slavitt, former senior healthcare official in the Obama administration, for the odds on the GOP's latest Hail Mary attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

It’s not just U.S. politicians considering major cuts to programs that serve struggling families. Rebecca speaks with Mary O’Hara, a columnist with The Guardian, about how austerity is playing out in the United Kingdom. Next, Rebecca's conversation with Tressie McMillan Cottom about her book, Lower-Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy. Then, Sarah McBride of the Human Rights Campaign, and the first openly transgender speaker at a major party convention, on the fight ahead for the LGBTQ community under Trump — and why she’s managed to remain optimistic. Lastly, Rebecca's conversation with Greg Berman, the Director of the Center for Court Innovation, on the closure of New York City's Rikers Island jail and its significance for criminal justice reform.

In the inaugural episode, host Rebecca Vallas was joined by Sarah Jaffe, author of Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt, which examines resistance movements in the U.S. and how they have the power to reshape American politics. Next, Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor and publisher of The Nation, joined us to break down Trump’s other war on the media playing out quietly at the FCC. And lastly, Joe Soss, a professor at the University of Minnesota, talked with us about how disability beneficiaries have become the new welfare queens.

Today in the United States, sweeping majorities of the public say they support fair housing laws and integrated schools. Nine in 10 say they would back a black candidate for president from their own party, and the same say they approve of interracial marriage. More than a triumph over private prejudice, these numbers reflect changing social norms. But in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, these norms may be fraying. Emily Badger, a writer with the Upshot at the New York Times, joins to talk about how we define fringe views in the Trump era. Later in the show, Tommy Valentine, an activist turned candidate for local office in the poorest college town in America, discusses why he's running on expanding opportunity for low-wage workers. And finally, Rebecca speaks with Gillian Thomas, author of New York Times bestseller Because of Sex: One Law, Ten Cases, and Fifty years That Changed American Women's Lives at Work. 

In the wake of the attacks in Charlottesville, the debate about confederate monuments has reached a fever pitch, with municipalities across the country moving forward to #takethemdown, and brave activists in Durham, North Carolina tearing down a statue with their own hands. When arrest warrants were issued for those alleged to be involved, hundreds of allies lined up at the police station attempting to turn themselves in, in solidarity. Jeremy Slevin speaks with Professor Kirk Savage, an author and expert on civil war monuments, to discuss the troubling history of these monuments. Later in the show, we bring you more interviews from last weekend's Netroots Nation conference in Atlanta.

This week, we brought Off-Kilter to Atlanta for the 2017 Netroots Nation, a yearly conference of progressive bloggers and activists. Listeners need no introduction for our first guest, Randy Bryce, who is running to unseat Speaker Paul Ryan in Congress. What’s so exciting about Bryce’s campaign, apart from the opportunity to replace a far-right extremist with a solid progressive, is seeing a working guys’ guy go from obscurity to stardom for all the right reasons. Later in the show, Rebecca speaks with Ezra Levin, co-Executive Director of Indivisible, about how we can win on the next fight post healthcare: tax and budget. And last, but certainly not least, Rebecca sits down with a group of bad-ass disabled activists who explain how disability can save the progressive movement.

After efforts to repeal Obamacare were dealt a deathblow (we hope), GOP leaders in Congress are turning their attention to so-called tax reform. CAP budget guru, Harry Stein, joins us to lay out the fight ahead: In a time of crushing income inequality, Americans want tax reform that ensures everyone is paying their fair share but the Republican Party wants a wealth grab for the highest earners in the country. Later in the show, Maura Calsyn, CAP’s Managing Director of Health Policy, talks with us about Trump’s continued efforts to sabotage Obamacare markets. A self-described feminist Muslim, Iranian-American comedian, Zahra Noorbaksh, shares how she uses comedy to break through bigotry in America. And Rebecca closes the show with some thoughts on efforts by Trump’s Department of Education to make colleges campuses safer… for students who commit sexual assault.

Paul Ryan said it best back in March: “Obamacare is the law of the land.” On Friday, for the first time in months, millions of Americans woke up with the comfort of knowing that their healthcare will remain intact. After a nail-biting week and multiple last-ditch efforts by Republicans to strip people of their coverage, Democrats snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress and one of the architects of the Affordable Care Act, unpacks how we secured this victory, and what’s next for healthcare (because is this fight ever really over?). Later in the show, Jeremy shares what we all missed while we were paying attention to healthcare. And finally, Stephen Pimpare explores how movies have portrayed poor and homeless people throughout history, and why their portrayals matter.

There’s been no shortage of news this week, between the healthcare debate, a House GOP budget proposal that slashes nearly every program that helps families afford the basics to pay for millionaire tax cuts, and Sean Spicer’s resignation. But Rebecca spent the week far away from all of that at Sundance, alongside dozens of incredible artists, comedians, writers, documentarians, and others using art and culture to make change, at the Opportunity Agenda’s annual Creative Change retreat. This week’s episode features a few of Rebecca’s conversations with some of those artists — who are working to close the book on solitary confinement, achieve comprehensive immigration reform, stop police brutality, and much, much more, all through cultural means.

Following the election, it seemed all but certain that the Affordable Care Act would be immediately repealed. And while its fate remains uncertain, constituents have made it more and more difficult for Congress to strip them of their healthcare. Rebecca speaks with Jeff Stein, a Congressional reporter at Vox who’s been covering activism to kill the bill in communities across the country. Next, she speaks with a member of Indivisible’s Phoenix chapter, whose efforts to swing Senator Jeff Flake to the “no” column are informed by her time as a claims analyst at a health insurance company. Then, with July marking eight years since the last time the federal minimum wage was raised, Rachel West of the Center for American Progress explains the trend that has enabled Republican-controlled legislatures to stop wage hikes in their states. And finally, thousands of LA families are facing serious health and safety consequences due to the now-closed Exide battery plant. Hilda Solis — former Secretary of Labor and current