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State treasurers in red states have been banding together to punish companies that are trying to divest themselves from the fossil fuel industry. But it isn’t clear if, say, BlackRock needs West Virginia more than West Virginia needs BlackRock. And this new front in the culture war may come with a bill that taxpayers have to pay. 

Guest: David Gelles, correspondent on the Climate desk at The New York Times, covering the intersection of public policy and the private sector.


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When Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron investigated the night Breonna Taylor was killed, his office concluded that the two officers who shot Taylor acted in good faith while executing the warrant provided. The Department of Justice’s investigation, however, suggests the warrant itself had false information, without which officers would never have been at Taylor’s home in the first place. Now a candidate for governor, will Cameron pay for his inattention in this high-profile case?

Guest: Tessa Duvall, Frankfort bureau chief for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

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After an FBI search of Mar-a-lago last week, it was revealed that Donald Trump is being investigated for federal crimes including violating the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice, and criminal handling of government records. How can the Justice Department do its job with the former president calling the investigation a hoax and his supporters demonstrating a willingness to respond violently? Who should be worried here? 

Guest: Ankush Khardori, contributing writer for New York Magazine's Intelligencer, and contributing editor at POLITICO Magazine.

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During his presidency, Donald Trump demonstrated the power that social media can have in politics. Now, influencers are taking money to spread messages from across the spectrum. Unlike political ads in older media, though, influencers don’t have to disclose who is paying them—or even that they’re being paid at all.

Guest: Ben Wofford, writer based at Stanford Law School, contributor to Wired. 

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The psychedelic renaissance is here. But not everyone’s on board.
Guest: John Semley
Host: Sonari Glinton
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters this November. The franchise has provided a showcase for African Americans across the entertainment industry, including those behind the scenes. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with one of those rising creatives, conceptual artist Phillip Boutte Jr. Boutte left an acting career for film design, working on several sci-fi blockbusters. They discuss how Black Panther has helped change the dynamic for African American film professionals who had struggled to get a foothold in Hollywood.

Guest: Production designer Phillip Boutte Jr., co-founder of 9B Collective, the first Black owned conceptual artist incubator in the industry.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.
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