Racial Disparity In Plea Deals, Presidential Impeachment, Federal Climate Change Report

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time

Research shows that white in Wisconsin are offered more favorable plea deals than African-Americans. We find out how big the disparity is and what consequences it’s having. With occasional calls for the impeachment of President Trump, a legal expert joins us to talk about what would actually be needed to start impeachment proceedings. Plus, we hear about a federal report finding that human activity is the driving force behind climate change.

Featured in this Show

  • Racial Disparities In Plea Deals In Wisconsin

    New research shows that white defendants in Wisconsin are offered more favorable plea deals than African-Americans. Over seven years, Carlos Berdejo looked at more than 30,000 misdemeanor cases in our state, and the results were striking. For example, white defendants were more than 74 percent more likely than their Black counterparts to have all charges carrying potential prison time dropped, dismissed, or reduced.

    We’ll take a look at what might be leading to those racial inequities, and what the consequences are for individuals and communities of color.

  • Impeachment: A Citizen's Guide

    A legal scholar explains the mechanism of impeachment–and why he says it’s a critical failsafe for the American Republic.

  • New Report Places Blame For Climate Change Squarely On Humans

    A new report from the U.S. government detailing the progression of climate change was released on Friday. The report places the blame on the rising temperatures on human activity, namely the ongoing burning of fossil fuels. The White House approved the release of the report last week, but it does contradict the Trump Administration’s stance on climate change We speak Katharine Hayhoe, climate scientist and one of the lead authors of the report, about what she learned from compiling the data and what steps can be taken to mitigate the impact on the planet.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Rob Ferrett Producer
  • J. Carlisle Larsen Producer
  • Carlos Berdejo Guest
  • Cass Sunstein Guest
  • Katharine Hayhoe Guest

Related Stories