"Off Press" — The Podcast of LMU Magazine

Catholic voters, whose ballots were crucial in 2016, may sway the 2020 presidential election. But, says Prof. Sean Dempsey, S.J., the days when Catholics voted as a bloc are long gone. Today, they span the political spectrum, and, Dempsey says, candidates should find out what they care about.

"The Republican Party has made little to no attempt to historically appeal to Black voters since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act," says Prof. Chaya Crowder in describing why Black voters, especially Black women, are the backbone of the Democratic Party.

With the Biden-Trump presidential battle threatening to sweep most national issues from the nation's radar, Prof. Stefan Bradley discusses what he sees at stake for Black Americans in the 2020 election.

As Election Day approaches, the White House turns into a virus hot zone and political incivility deepens. Carol Costello, former CNN anchor, discusses America's diseases of body and spirit — and what she's doing about them.

If Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, her impact may be shaped by her relationship with Chief Justice John Roberts, says Allan Ides, LMU Loyola Law School professor. Ides, who clerked for Justice Byron White, shares an inside view of the Barrett nomination.

Justin Levitt, constitutional law professor at the LMU Loyola Law School, may be one of the few election law and voting rights experts who does not expect an electoral apocalypse to overwhelm Election Day on Nov. 3.

Prof. Michael Genovese, a leading expert on the presidency, discusses the upcoming presidential election, which will present voters with a stark choice and promises to be as unpredictable as it will be momentous.

In May, an LMU Loyola Law School suit was rejected that would have forced the release of more juveniles in detention who are at risk for the coronavirus. Sean Kennedy, director of the LLS Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, explains why the decision is a failure of juvenile justice.

The rapid, global onset of the coronavirus pandemic slammed economies around the world. Sung Won Sohn, LMU professor of finance and economics, discusses signs of hope in a stark U.S. and California economic forecast.

U.S. relations with China — from the COVID-19 crisis to democracy protests in Hong Kong — may shape the November 2020 presidential election. Tom Plate, LMU professor and Asia expert, talks about foreign policy disputes and pragmatism in dealing with a superpower.

When the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles surveyed L.A. residents this spring about Mayor Eric Garcetti's leadership in the COVID-19 crisis, they documented overwhelming support across the board.

The coronavirus has caused more than 80,000 deaths in the United States in just four months. Shira Shafir '99, professor of epidemiology, warns that as in the 1918–19 influenza epidemic a second wave of infections in the COVID-19 crisis could cause more deaths than the first.

The COVID-19 shutdown has slammed the film industry, causing delayed movie releases, closed theaters and widespread unemployment for workers. David Offenberg, an expert in entertainment finance, describes the devastating impact on financing, creation, production and employment in a crucial L.A. industry.

The COVID-19 crisis is now straining health services in several U.S. regions. In the third of our series on the pandemic, Chilembwe Mason, M.D., who is an emergency medicine physician in Bronx, New York, describes the overwhelming needs he is facing on the front lines and the pressures on the medical staff who are responding as best they can.

"I don't want to be anywhere where there's no pressure," says Stan Johnson, new head coach of the LMU men's basketball team. "That's not fun; pressure is a privilege." Johnson talks about the recruiting challenge during the COVID-19 crisis, when face-to-face contact with student athletes and their parents is out of the question.

The COVID-19 crisis is already straining health services in several U.S. regions. In the second of our series on the pandemic, Thomas V. Cunningham, a bioethics director at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center and lecturer with the LMU Bioethics Institute, describes the impact of trauma and stress from the virus on medical professionals and staff people.

COVID-19 has created a global medical crisis and a U.S. health policy crisis. In the first of our series on the pandemic, Prof. Kate Pickert, who covered the U.S. healthcare system for Time magazine and other publications, talks about the impact of a lagging governmental response on patients, doctors and nurses, and federal and state health agencies.

Paul Westhead's innovative basketball philosophy, known as "The System," produced one of the most high octane teams seen in college basketball and an unforgettable run to the NCAA tournament Elite Eight. Westhead talks about his strategy and his players — including Gathers, Kimble, Fryer and Gaines — who deployed his system to perfection.

Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour anchor, discusses the debate moderator's role in one of the most visible stages in a presidential election process. It's part of our special Off Press podcast series focused on the Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate at LMU.

Tony Coelho, who ran the 2000 Gore Democratic presidential campaign, says don't underestimate approachability when it comes to the voters' choice for president. It's part of our special Off Press podcast series on the Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate at LMU on Dec. 19, 2019.

Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, says the 2020 election will be a moral fork in the road for the United States. His interview is the fourth in our six-part Off Press podcast series on the Democratic Presidential Candidates debate at LMU on Dec. 19.

Young voters may determine the 2020 presidential election. Tia Carr and Olin Osborne, LMU international relations majors, describe what they expect from presidential candidates and what they believe candidates offer. It's the third in our six-part Off Press podcast series on the Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate at LMU on Dec. 19, 2019.

Prof. Michael Genovese, a leading expert on the presidency, looks at the Democratic presidential candidates and talks about the party's need to offer a compelling alternative to President Trump if it hopes to win the 2020 presidential election. It's the second in our six-part Off Press podcast series on the Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate at LMU on Dec. 19, 2019.

Prof. Richard Fox, an expert on U.S. elections, discusses the Democratic primary race and which contenders have the best chance to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020. It's the first in our six-part Off Press podcast series on the Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate at LMU on Dec. 19, 2019.

In recent western history, hate has seemed to fuel political movements and national conflicts around the world from the Nazi Holocaust to the Rwandan genocide of Tutsi people. Elizabeth Drummond, professor of modern European history at LMU, talks about the ways hate plays a role in wars, ethnic conflict and even the processes within democratic societies.