On The Issues With Michele Goodwin

It’s been a harrowing year for many families. The Trump administration’s budget cuts are giving tax breaks to billionaires at the expense of funding healthy meals for students experiencing food insecurity; legislatures are banning books and attacking LGBTQ+ students; and immigration crackdowns are leaving many students afraid to go to school at all. Families have had a lot to be worried about—more than just tests and grades—this year. What are students, parents, and teachers worried about—and what policies are advocates watching?Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest, Becky Pringle: Becky Pringle is president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest labor union. Becky is a middle school science teacher with more than three decades of classroom experience and has distinguished herself as a fierce social justice warrior and defender of educator rights.Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

In the year since the Trump administration returned to office, there have been hundreds of executive orders, many of which district courts have ruled unconstitutional and illegal. As judges have noted, these actions have caused direct harm to Americans all across the country. And hard-hitting attorneys general have fought back. There are now over 450 lawsuits against the Trump administration, and in many of them district courts have ruled that the administration acted unconstitutionally. In this episode, recorded earlier this year, I’m joined by two Attorneys General who are leading this resistance: Massachusetts’s Andrea Campbell, and Michigan’s Dana Nessel. Joining me to discuss these important issues are two very special guests: Attorney General Andrea Campbell: Andrea Joy Campbell has been Attorney General for the state of Massachusetts since 2023. Prior to being elected AG, Campbell practiced law as a legal services attorney for the EdLaw project, defending the rights of children and their families; and at Proskauer LLP as an employment attorney. In her public service career, she has served as General Counsel at the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and legal counsel to Governor Deval Patrick. In 2015, she became the first woman to represent District 4 on the Boston City, Council, and in 2018, she was unanimously elected City Council President – the first Black woman to hold the title.Attorney General Dana Nessel: Dana Nessel has been Attorney General for the state of Michigan since 2019. Prior to being elected Michigan Attorney General, Dana Nessel served as a Wayne County Prosecutor for over a decade. In her private practice, she was lead attorney for the plaintiffs in DeBoer v. Snyder, a precursor to the landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which codified same-sex marriage and granted adoption rights to same-sex couples nationwide.Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

Content warning: this episode contains discussions of sexual assault. In July, the Justice Department released a controversial report about Jeffrey Epstein. Now with the release of over 23,000 files associated with Epstein, questions are being raised about the scope and scale of this sex trafficking ring and its connections to power. The House Oversight Committee has yet to hear testimony from Epstein survivors, despite urging by Rep. Ayanna Presley and others. In this episode, Dr. Goodwin is joined by journalist Moira Donegan to discuss the implications of the files, and what needs to be done in order for his victims to receive justice.This episode is part of our ongoing series on the Epstein Files. We unpack the record, combing through the various emails, speaking with reporters, and ask the fundamental question: what will it take for men in power to treat women and girls with dignity and respect? Joining us to discuss these important issues is a very special guest: Moira Donegan: Moira Donegan: Moira Donegan is a feminist writer and opinion columnist with the Guardian U.S., as well as a writer in residence for the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University.Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

Content warning: this episode contains discussions of sexual assault. Over the past several months, the Epstein files have been extensively covered by the media. But too often,  the voices of actual survivors are missing. In this episode, we’re filling that gap and shifting the focus to where it belongs: to the survivors and what justice means to them. Dr. Michele Goodwin is joined by Jessica Michaels, a sexual assault awareness advocate and Epstein survivor. Dr. Goodwin speaks with Jess about her experience as a survivor of sexual assault, her work as an advocate, and what she wants the public to know about sexual violence as news about Epstein and his connections to powerful men and women continues to come to light.This episode is part of our ongoing series on the Epstein Files. We unpack the record, combing through the various emails, speaking with reporters, and ask the fundamental question: what will it take for men in power to treat women and girls with dignity and respect? Joining us to discuss these important issues is a very special guest: Jess Michaels: Jess Michaels is a dance industry professional with 30 years experience as a performer, educator, and entrepreneur. She is also a 1991 survivor of sexual assault by Jeffrey Epstein and childhood sexual abuse. She is the founder of 3Joannes Sexual Assault First Aid, teaching people to “know what to do when someone says ME TOO." Through her work, Jess equips communities with the tools to minimize the devastating long-term effects of sexual violence.Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

As we mark Domestic Violence Awareness month this October, we know there’s a long way to go when it comes to addressing the domestic violence crisis in our country. From pandemic-era spikes in violence to the Trump administration’s recent budget cuts and their impact on support for women and girls experiencing domestic violence, how are advocates and policy experts addressing the ongoing crisis? Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight are our very special guests, Lauren Schuster: Lauren Schuster is the VP of Government Affairs at Urban Resource Institute. Schuster joined Urban Resource Institute after serving as Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan) for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked at the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility, including Staff Attorney, Environmental Campaign Coordinator and Voting Empowerment Project Coordinator. She received her Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law and graduated from New York University’s College of the Arts and Sciences, with a BA in political science.Chris Negri: Chris Negri is the Associate Director of Public Policy at the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence. At the Partnership, he works on funding and on an array of other issues, from tech to child welfare, representing the interests of more than 100 domestic violence agencies and the survivors they serve. Prior to joining the Partnership, Chris served as Program Director at Equality California Institute. Chris holds a BA in History from UC Riverside, an MA in Special Education from Loyola Marymount, and an MPP from the University of Southern California. Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

As the Supreme Court opens a new term this week, we take a step back to ask: What did the last term tell us about this Court? About its values, its power, and its vision for American democracy?Because make no mistake: Every decision, every ruling, every case the Court chooses to hear—or not to hear—signals something about who we are becoming as a nation.In this Ms. Studios special, we bring you our 2024-2025 Supreme Court Review: a conversation recorded at Georgetown Law this summer, moderated by myself and featuring some of the sharpest legal minds in the country: Erwin Chemerinsky, Sherrilyn Ifill, Jamelle Bouie, Moira Donegan, Chris Geidner, and Mark Joseph Stern.Together, we reflect on the major rulings, the missed opportunities, and the throughlines that defined the Court in 2024 and 2025—from the reshaping of executive power to the quiet dismantling of long-standing civil rights protections.This episode is a recording of a panel that took place at Georgetown Law School on July 2, 2025. Joining us to discuss these issues are our very important guests:Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law, UC Berkeley School of LawProfessor Sherrilyn A. Ifill, 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy Founding Director and Vernon Jordan Distinguished Professor in Civil Rights, Howard University School of LawJamelle Antoine Bouie, Opinion Columnist, The New York TimesMoira Donegan, Opinion Columnist, The Guardian USChris Geidner, Former Legal Editor, Buzzfeed, Publisher; Editor Law DorkMark Joseph Stern, Senior Writer, Slate MagazineCheck out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

This last Supreme Court term was harrowing—from momentous merits decisions about the First Amendment, parental rights, trans rights and more, to the stream of shocking “shadow docket” decisions and its enabling of many of the Trump administration’s executive actions. What does the 2025-2026 term have in store for our nation? What do we think will advance through the Court? What do we think will come up, when it comes to the shadow docket? And perhaps most importantly, how will the Court choose to mediate the Trump administration’s continued onslaught of executive actions?Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest, Steve Vladeck: Steve Vladeck is a professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center, and a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts; the Supreme Court; national security law; and military justice. Vladeck is CNN’s Supreme Court analyst and editor and author of “One First,” a popular weekly newsletter about the Supreme Court. He is author of the New York Times-bestselling book, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

In this episode, at a time where unprecedented news stories break every day, we’re re-elevating the Jeffrey Epstein files. As victims continue to come forward, and new evidence continues to emerge, the questions and demands for justice grow louder. What can we learn from the information that has been released? What will it take for the full files to be released? And how will Trump respond? Joining us to discuss these issues is a very special guest:  George Conway: George Conway is the President of The Society for the Rule of Law, an organization of conservative and libertarian lawyers devoted to the protection of constitutional government in the United States. He is also the co-host of The Bulwark's popular podcast, George Conway Explain It All, with Sarah Longwell. Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

As families prepare to send their kids back to school this year, some parents must face a new worry: will their children make it home safely, or will they be there to greet them, at the end of the day? Trump’s immigration crackdown is taking a toll on families across America, particularly under new guidance that allows ICE to arrest people in places where they were formerly prohibited from doing so—like schools, healthcare facilities, and places of worship. How will this impact students and families across the nation—and what can we do to fight back?Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest, Kevin R. Johnson: Kevin R. Johnson is the former dean and a Professor of Law at UC Davis.  He is also Professor of Chicana/o Studies and Director of the Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies at UC Davis. He has published extensively on immigration law and civil rights. He is the author of How Did You Get to Be Mexican? A White/Brown Man's Search for Identity (1999) and Immigration Law and the US-Mexico Border (2011). Johnson blogs regularly on immigration law and policy developments at ImmigrationProf, and is quoted regularly by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other local, state, national and international news outlets. Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

In this episode, host Michele Goodwin speaks directly to students, young scholars, and the next generation of leaders, and of course, the people who love them.  As she remarks, they are coming of age in a world that is complicated, challenging, and often unfair. This talk is about standing up when it's easier to look away, holding your ground when the crowd moves in a different direction, and acting with empathy and accountability in a world that often forgets what those values actually mean. This episode is a rebroadcast of a keynote Michele Goodwin delivered at the Law and Society Association's graduate student Early Career Workshop in 2025.Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show