Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

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Episode 288: Recognizing Defendants' Disabilities Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

The criminal legal system often misunderstands—and mishandles—people with intellectual disabilities. Law professor Katie Kronick explains how and why these individuals so often fall through the cracks in a system built around efficiency and rigid rules. She breaks down the stakes with real examples, including a high-profile death penalty case now before the Supreme Court, and shares ideas for building a criminal justice system that recognizes and respects the needs of defendants with intellectual disabilities.

For more on this topic:

Read Kronick's amicus brief for the Supreme Court case Hamm v. Smith
Check out her essay in the Sentencing Matters Substack: Why is it So Hard for Courts to Adjust to Advancements in Knowledge of Human Behavior?
Read her op-ed in the Baltimore Sun: The Criminal Legal System Is Failing People With Intellectual Disabilities

Episode 287: Why Local Elections Matter Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

This Election Day is the perfect moment to look beyond the national headlines and focus on what's happening closer to home. As Americans head to the polls, Professor Brian Adams breaks down why state and local elections matter—from the mayors, town councils, and school boards shaping daily life to the policies that affect housing and public safety. He explains how voters make decisions with limited information in these races, the growing partisanship in local politics, and new initiatives aimed at reducing the influence of money in local elections.

For more on this topic:

Read Adams's article in The Conversation, Local Elections Are Less Partisan Because Voters Will Cross Party Lines When Issues Hit Close to Home, coauthored with Edward L. Lascher Jr. and Danielle Martin
Check out his book: Citizen Lobbyists: Local Efforts to Influence Public Policy

Episode 286: The Past, Present, and Future of Reproductive Care Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

As access to abortion and contraception are curtailed across much of the U.S., Professor Lina-Maria Murillo explains that today's reproductive rights debates are part of a much longer story. Her research in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands show how race and power have always influenced who can get care and who cannot. She connects how earlier attempts to control women's bodies still shape current laws and discussions, and she shares what history can teach us about defending reproductive freedom now.

For more on this topic:

Check out Murillo's book, Fighting for Control: Power, Reproductive Care, and Race in the US-Mexico Borderlands
Read her perspective in the Washington Post: Before Roe v. Wade, U.S. residents sought safer abortions in Mexico
Read her SSN brief: Reproductive Freedom along the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands

Episode 285: The Big Business of Immigration Detention Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

The number of people held in immigration detention centers in the U.S. has exploded in recent years, reaching record highs under multiple administrations. And thanks to the Republican-led budget bill that became law in July, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has seen a major influx of federal funding, further fueling the expansion of detentions. Professor Nancy Hiemstra explains how detention became a multi-billion-dollar industry, breaking down who profits, who pays, and how communities across the country, not just along the border, have become tied to detention economies.

For more on this topic:

Check out Hiemstra's book with co-author Deirdre Conlon, Immigration Detention Inc.: The Big Business of Locking up Migrants
Read the op-ed they co-authored in Newsweek: People Will Die at Alligator Alcatraz
Read their SSN brief: How Expanded Migrant Detention Drives Profiteering and Leads to Tougher Immigration Policies

Episode 284: The New Reality of College Debt Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Student loans are shaping the college experience more than ever. As tuition rises and financial aid rules keep changing, more students are taking on college debt. Professor Monnica Chan explains what's happening with student loans, Pell Grants, and repayment plans, and how these choices affect students long after graduation. She discusses the real impact of debt on college affordability, career decisions, and family life—and what solutions could make paying for college less stressful.

For more on this topic

Listen to Chan speak about proposed federal student aid regulations: Nine Scholars Provide Public Comment at U.S. Department of Education Hearing on Student Loan Reforms
Read the piece she co-authored in The Conversation: 5 things to consider before taking out a student loan

Episode 283: How Maps Decide Elections Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

Political maps decide who has a voice in government, and who doesn't. And right now, big legal battles in Texas and California are putting redistricting in the spotlight. Professor Michael Latner breaks down the difference between redistricting and gerrymandering, why unfair maps weaken voters' voices, and what today's gerrymandering fights mean for the future of American democracy.

For more on this topic:

Check out the book Latner co-authored, Gerrymandering the States: Partisanship, Race, and the Transformation of American Federalism
Read his SSN brief: How Election Reforms Could Improve American Democracy
Read the op-ed he co-wrote in the New York Daily News: How the Supreme Court Made Gerrymandering Worse

Episode 282: The Unequal Costs of Climate Change Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

In the U.S., 2025 began with devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, followed by hundreds of tornadoes across the central states, and has recently been marked by catastrophic flooding in Texas and across the South and Midwest. These escalating weather disasters aren't isolated events—they're part of a global pattern in which climate change is making disasters worse, with the most vulnerable communities often getting hit hardest. Professor Farhana Sultana explains how the history of colonialism and ongoing inequalities shape who suffers most from climate disasters, both in the U.S. and around the world. Drawing from her experiences in Bangladesh and her global research, she makes the case for climate justice that addresses power dynamics, not just pollution.

For more on this topic:

Check out Sultana's book, Confronting Climate Coloniality: Decolonizing Pathways for Climate Justice
Watch her interview with Al Jazeera about COP29: A New Era for Climate Finance
Read an op-ed she co-wrote in The Guardian: In 2023 we've seen climate destruction in real time, yet rich countries are poised to do little at Cop28

Episode 281: When the Safety Net Shrinks Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

On July 4, President Trump signed a sweeping new law that makes major changes to the social safety net—with serious consequences for families and children. Child and family policy expert Professor Taryn Morrissey breaks down the Republican-backed legislation, which slashes Medicaid, SNAP, and other key supports that millions of families rely on. She examines how the law shifts resources away from low-income and younger Americans—especially children—and toward wealthier, older households. Morrissey discusses how these changes could make inequality worse and what it would actually mean to put kids at the center of national policy.

For more on this topic:

Read Morrissey's recent opinion article published in The Hill: Trump's Medicaid and SNAP red tape will devastate millions of Americans
Read her op-ed published in The Progressive: GOP Tax Bill Will Hurt Children and Families
Check out the book she co-authored, Cradle to Kindergarten: A New Plan to Combat Inequality

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Episode 280: Is the Drop in Gun Violence at Risk? Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

Gun violence is down, but you wouldn't know it from the headlines. This progress didn't happen by accident—it's at least partially the result of smart, targeted strategies that address the root causes of violence. Professor Daniel Semenza explains what's working, drawing lessons from Camden's dramatic shift from "murder capital" to record-low homicide rates, and what we stand to lose as federal support for violence prevention is being rolled back.

For more on this topic:

Read Semenza's op-ed in Common Dreams
Check out a research paper he co-authored: In-person and media gun violence exposure in the United States

Episode 279: Clearing Up Vaccine Confusion Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

When Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the entire federal vaccine advisory committee and installed new members, it raised alarms across the public health world. At the same time, measles is making a comeback as more Americans are hesitant about getting vaccines. Professor Lindsey Haynes-Maslow explains how we got here and what it will take to rebuild public trust. Drawing on her work in community-based health outreach, she shares why clear, consistent communication is critical for vaccine education and how local leaders and trusted messengers can help cut through the noise.

For more on this topic:

Watch Haynes-Maslow's video, "A Journey through Public Health: Health Policy," produced by UNC's Department of Health Policy and Management.
Check out her work on immunization education and vaccine hesitancy at EXCITE.

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