Natasha Explains It All

On March 5th, residents of District 4 of Alameda County will be voting for their supervisor, who will represent them on the county's Board of Supervisors. The candidates are 24-year incumbent Nate Miley and his challenger, Jennifer Esteen. Esteen joins me to talk about her campaign and why voters should support her. We talk about public safety, mental health, housing and homelessness, the Coli...

Last week, there were major developments in the insurrection cases against both former Brazilian president Bolsonaro and former US president Trump. Let's explore. Early in the episode, I mention another podcast called "Alexandre," which is focused on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. You can listen here . I also recommend checking out this interview with Elie Mysta...

I want to share a fun collaborative podcast project I did with Singing for Survival host Mike Pinto to discuss the abolitionist movement in Brazil. We focus on one key person in that struggle, Dragão do Mar, and explore the ties to capoeira and the ongoing struggle for a better world. I hope you'll take a listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FjaP2hpSj81aRNT7xfkEO?si=5gwxVIdvTryeVLKm4ljWNQ

As of Jan. 1, 2024, new laws have gone into effect in California regarding traffic stops and enforcement. These laws have implications for pretext stops, racial profiling, and road safety. I explore. *does not constitute legal advice* For more: AB2773, requiring police to explain why they have pulled you over AB645, Speed Safety Systems Pilot Program I also recommended Allow Me to Retort by Elie M...

What's the difference between civil and criminal courts? A recent conversation with friends led me to this topic. I dive in and also talk about how the public can access court records online. Another example of civil cases I didn't touch on in this episode: product liability/consumer protection. A product is defective, dangerous, and/or there was false advertising and the company gets sued...

A recent interview I watched with @AGoodWitchOfficial and the fact that Ohio just became the 24th state to legalize marijuana sparked this episode. I share some thoughts on why legalization is good policy and that the continued illegality of marijuana at the federal level and in some states, as well as criminal court policies, actually exacerbate the opioid epidemic. Plus, I share some fun stats a...

Today I share my first foreign title, still currently unavailable in English: Pequena Coreografia do Adeus (Little Choreography of the Goodbye) by Brazilian author and poet Aline Bei. This book, written as one long poem, is beautiful and painful. It is about how a family (particularly the daughter) navigates a divorce. Aline Bei plays a lot with format to convey meaning, which reminds me of anothe...

Oakland is giving out grants for individuals, groups, and orgs to host free public events to build community and safety. I talk about this initiative (deadline is October 12th!) and share personal stories about the importance of public spaces. We can be part of the solution! For more info on the Activate Oakland grants, check out the grant website and read this Oaklandside article. In this episode...

If you live or work in Oakland, CA, you've likely noticed illegal dumping/blight/trash heaps. One organization -- founded by a formerly unhoused Oakland native -- is tackling this problem, one cleanup at a time. The Urban Compassion Project does weekly clean ups around the city (in addition to other awesome work) and is always looking for volunteers and donations. Please consider supporting. C...

The real-life novela of Spanish soccer federation head Rubiales clinging desperately to power following his sexual misconduct at the Women's World Cup trophy ceremony continues. Let us hope that #SeAcabó. For more: I brought World Cup glory to Spain, so I can kiss whomever I want by Sally Jenkins: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/08/26/luis-rubiales-spanish-soccer-kiss/ When a sports...

The Women's World Cup just wrapped up and was filled with excitement, firsts, and joy. But it was also mired by sexism and sexual harassment, taking focus and energy away from the incredible accomplishments of these incredible athletes. I explore the situations faced by the Spanish and Zambian national teams and hope for a day where women players can just focus on winning.

A recent survey of Brazilians found that the vast majority of Brazilians believe Brazil is a racist nation, but only a small minority believe that they themselves hold discriminatory views. I share more about this survey and make comparisons to American attitudes on race. Cited during the episode: Instituto Peregum: https://peregum.org.br/ The Seta Project: projetoseta.org.br Boletim Folha podcast...

On Nov. 7th, Ohioans will have the chance to vote on a constitutional amendment to protect reproductive rights. This amendment is polling very well, with about 59% of the public in support. Upset by this, Republican legislators have added an election on August 8th to vote on Issue 1, which would change the threshold to amend the state constitution by referendum from 50% + 1 vote to 60% — virtually...

The City of Atlanta wants to spend $90 million in taxpayer dollars to tear down forest and build a police training center, where they will build a mock city for training for urban warfare, engage in explosions testing, have shooting ranges, and controlled building burns. This proposal is deeply unpopular among Atlanta residents, who want the money to be spent on several other areas where there are...

Today's episode focuses on one of the Supreme Court cases decided last week, 303 Creative v. Elenis , which held that businesses can refuse service to gay customers. This case is bad news, and in this episode, I explain why. I also mention the website www.oyez.org, where you can listen to all Supreme Court oral arguments and read the opinions (the decisions of the justices).

First episode of season 3! Today I talk about the quick yet powerful read called Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey. In a capitalist society, our worth is measured by our productivity. Unfortunately, that measurement is unsustainable, not only for us, but for the planet as well. I reflect on Tricia's book and examples from various countries around the world about how we can make the world bet...

Today we continue exploring how criminal courts work. We start by building off of last episode's discussion about the prohibitive cost of jail/prison phone calls with good news that Minnesota is making calls in its state prisons free. To learn more about that, check out Worth Rises: https://worthrises.org/pressreleases/minnesota-connecting-families-win. We then skip ahead in the criminal court...

Immigration has been in the news a lot lately and the usual fear mongering about the southern border seems to be everywhere. To help understand what’s actually happening, I interview immigration lawyer (and immigrant herself) Natalia Santanna. To learn more, Natalia recommended the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies: www.cgrs.uchastings.edu. To learn more about Santanna Law, please visit: www.s...

Today's episode is another in the Book Report series. I review this memoir composed of a series of essays. Ever wondered what it’s like to grow up in a cult? Be a cable guy? Be gay in the army? Go to jail? Be a bouncer? Question the American Dream? Well, Lauren Hough has a perspective for you. To purchase: Better World Books Bookshop.org

You may have seen headlines about a corruption scandal involving Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. I explore. You may not have heard about another corruption scandal concerning former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. I explore that as well. In this episode I also mention legal scholar Steve Vladeck, whom you can follow on Twitter at @steve_vladeck to learn more about what’s happening with...

Some positive criminal justice news today! Expansion of voting rights for people with felony convictions in New Mexico Expansion of voting rights for people with felony convictions in Minnesota The Sentencing Project report on felony disenfranchisement Rikers Island jail is not going to digitize mail (for now) The problem of digitizing prison mail

In this episode, we talk about plea bargaining and how expensive it is to stay in jail. Read the Prison Policy Initiative's report on how jails and prisons across the country are privatizing (read $$$) mail for incarcerated people. Check out Worth Rises ' work to make calls from jails and prisons free.

I'm starting a new series called Book Report, where I share books I've read/listened to and liked enough to recommend to listeners. This memoir, You Can't Be Serious , is a funny and touching look into what it's like being the son of immigrants and making it in Hollywood (while also doing a stint at the Obama White House).  If you're interested in purchasing this book, rather than buying it o...

You are invited to come to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, CA on April 1st at 1pm to demand an end to deaths at the jail and for funding of community-based mental health services. This rally is being organized by the Care First Coalition , which you can follow on Instagram @freesrj. Four people have already died in the jail this year alone, and we're only in March. That's in addition to dozens...

First guest interview! Joining me today is Kevin Mulshine, former deputy general counsel for the Architect of the Capitol and current Special Advisor to Demand Progress Education Fund . We talk about efforts to unionize congressional employees, how those efforts tie into broader labor trends across the country, what the Architect of the Capitol does and how that relates to the Jan. 6th insurrectio...