PODCAST

The Scholars" Circle

Insight into Today"s Most Pressing Issues

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All Episodes

58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Israel and Iran War – June 22, 2025

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/06/26

We look at the history of conflict and outcome in the past to understand the attacks between Israel and Iran to control Nuclear capabilities of Iran. What is the humanitarian and political impact of this war? On both Iran and on Israel. What is the impact on the region? Is this war legal, based on the laws of war? Principle of JUS AD BELLUM. And how would American intervention on behalf of Israel escalate the war, and complicate the war. [ dur: 58mins. ]Note: This recording was made before US

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – ICE and Militarization on the...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/06/16

President Trump has ordered federalization of the California National Guard and deployed them to Los Angeles. He also has deployed active Marines in the city. Does this violate the law? What is the law of posse comitatus? What is its history? And will mass protests help preserve democracy? The law of Posse Comitatus needs reform to prevent abuse? In today's political environment, is this even possible? [ dur: 58mins. ]David S. Meyer is Professor of Sociology, Political Science, and Planning,

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Pope Leo & Augustinian thought –...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/06/09

What will it mean for Catholicism and the world to have the first Augustinian Pope? What were the teachings of Augustine of Hippo, who inspires the Order of Augustine? And what are Pope Leo's theological views for the Church and beyond as the Church confronts a world with poverty, violence, and war? [ dur: 58mins. ]Sarah Stewart-Kroeker, is the Associate Professor of Early Christian Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary; Pilgrimage as Moral and Aesthetic Formation in Augustine's Thought,

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Author interview of the book – Can...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/06/03

We interview Professor James S. Fishkin author of the recently published book - Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy? . Then we remember Ngugi wa Thiongo , scholar of language and author many books such as Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature (1986).First our discussion with Professor Fishkin on his book Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy?. He shares his experience in conducting deliberative polling 150+ times around the world. Hosted by Doug

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58:01

Scholars’ Circle – Emolument Clause & Trump Qatar...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/05/27

What exactly an emolument? Is the airplane gift from Qatar to President Trump an emolument? Is it evidence of corruption? And has the Supreme Court continued to enable corruption? Hosted by Doug Becker. [ dur: 26mins. ]Clark D. Cunningham is Lee Byrd's Chair in Law and Ethics at Georgia State University College of Law. He is the author of Using Empirical Data to Investigate the Original Meaning of Emoluments. In the Constitution, and has co-authored several amicus briefs on the Using Empirical

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Canadian election insights – May...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/05/19

Canada's Liberals were facing a 20 point deficit a few months back but came back to maintain power by re-electing Liberal Prime Minister, Mark Carney. What does this mean for the country and its challenges this year and beyond? What are Canada's most pressing political challenges? Canadian politics are complex and experts argue their most recent election was not only a reaction to Donald Trump's remarks about the country. [ dur: 58mins. ]Terry Givens is Professor of Political Science at the

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58:01

Scholars’ Circle – First 100 days into the second ...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/05/12

We are 100 days into the second Trump Administration. How different is this term from his first and from other Presidents? What are the constitutional and normative challenges it poses to American democracy? Just how much has Trump attempted to consolidate power in the Presidency? What are the biggest threats his administration poses to the constitution, the rule of law and to American democracy? [ dur: 58mins. ]Heidi Kitrosser is Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School. She is

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58:01

Scholars’ Circle – Science denial and disinformation...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/05/06

Science is under attack. Who and what are behind the attacks? While we face catastrophic climate change and other pending disasters, how can we restore the public’s understandings about scientific realities? We explore disinformation and ways to communicate with non-scientists to loosen the grip the disinformants have on so many people. [ dur: 58mins. ]Lee McIntyre is a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and a recent Lecturer in Ethics at

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Insights into Cambodian Genocide...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/04/28

April is Genocide Awareness Month, and no genocide was more devastating, more destructive and more emblematic of the demand for never again like the Cambodian Genocide. Often referring to as the “Killing Fields” after the moving Dith Pran novel and movie of the same name, 2 million people out of a pre-genocide population of 7 million were killed by the Khmer Rouge government in Cambodia between the years 1975 and 1979. The importance of the remembrance of the genocide lies in remembering its

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Armenia – Azerbaijan treaty update...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/04/28

Recent peace treaty communication coming from Armenia and Azerbaijan explained. Robert English is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California. He is the author of Russia and the Idea of the West: Gorbachev, Intellectuals and the End of the Cold War and The Other Side: How Soviets and Americans Perceive Each Other. Talin Hitik is an international human rights advocate focused on seeking accountability for war crimes and human rights violations. She also

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Origins of war and ways to resolve...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/04/14

With wars still raging in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, we return to an earlier interview on the origins of war. When and how did war begin?While some have argued it evolved in early human behavior within forging bands societies, our guests say, that's not true. Forger bands did not wage war. [ dur: 30 mins. ] Douglas P. Fry is Professor and Chair of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is the author of Beyond War, The Human Potential

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Alien Enemy’s Act invoked to...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/04/07

Trump Administration's immigration policy invokes Alien Enemy's Act to remove longtime residents in US without justification. This is a 1798 law that allows the government to remove nationals of countries When the US is at war with their country without due process. And it was signed in order to counter potential espionage. Prior to this citation, it has been used three times. In the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. In the last case, it was how the US created internment camps for Japanese

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58:01

Scholars’ Circle – Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/04/01

The Russian invasion and war in Ukraine is now over three years old. The new Trump Administration is trying to negotiate a cease fire and peace in the war. Why has an agreement been so elusive? [ dur: 20mins. ]Robert English is Associate Professor of International Relations and Co-Director of the Central European Studies Program at the University of Southern California (USC). He is the author of Russia and the Idea of the West. Anti-science propaganda has driven ignorance-fueled decisions that

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58:01

Scholars’ Circle – Trump’s assualt on academic...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/03/24

The Trump Administration has launched full frontal political assaults on academic freedoms on college campuses. Both professors and students are being targeted for their political positions. Schools fear the loss of funding based on protests on campus and faculty political advocacy. And departments are being targeted not just for classes but also existentially, such as gender studies and Middle East studies. What does this mean for academic freedom, academic excellence, free speech and advocacy on

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58:01

Scholars’ Circle – The Suffragist Peace: How women...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/03/16

The expansion of the vote to women throughout the 20th Century has had an impact on the discourses and politics of war and peace. What is the relationship between women voting, electing women leaders, and women-lead groups in civil society on the issue of war and peace? Does the expansion of the vote to women lead to the election of women as leaders? And are these leaders more committed to peace than their male counterparts? We explore a new book, The Suffragist Peace: How Women Shape the Politics

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Title IX history and compliance...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/03/10

Title IX, the landmark legislation on women’s equality in higher education, was passed to equalize funding between men’s and women’s athletics. What has it achieved? Where does it fall short? When some schools failed to implement Title IX for athletics, activists sued. We look at the landmark cases and what they have achieved. [ dur: 58mins. ] Lisa S. Kaplowitz is Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the Finance and Economics department at Rutgers Business School. She is co-founder

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58:01

Scholars’ Circle – Trump’s violations of US...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/03/02

Is the US in a constitutional crisis? Is the constitution itself a crisis? What are the specific actions of the Trump Administration that has led to this? How will the courts respond? And what is the unitary executive theory and how has it undermined the checks and balances of the system? [ dur: 58mins. ]Heidi Kitrosser is William W. Gurley Professor of Law at Northwestern – Pritzker School of Law. She is the author of Reclaiming Accountability: Transparency, Executive Power, and the U.S

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Book author interviews: The fight...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/02/24

We honor Black History Month.The South outlawed black literacy all the way until the Civil War. What was this war on black literacy and how did educators resist this law? [ dur: 32mins. ] Derek Black is professor of law in the Ernest F. Hollings chair in constitutional law at the University of South Carolina's School of Law. He's the author of numerous articles, and his book is Dangerous Learning The South's long war on Black Literacy. Then, Black women have long been at the forefront of black

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58:01

Scholars’ Circle – Trump’s war with the Deep State...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/02/17

The Trump Administration is actively seeking to destroy the public service and the protections offered by government. What does this mean for the future of the democracy and for the future of the country? Who will will stand up for public services that we've long come to rely on for public safety, clean water, air, health and financial protections? What is the role of the courts in preventing Trump’s complete takeover of the government? Can the courts slow down the the destruction of the public

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58:00

Scholars’ Circle – Immigrants to US and how they are...

The Scholars" Circle ·

2025/02/09

What exactly is the political, physical, and existential meanings of borders? Borders are human creations but often define state and national boundaries and even identities. They define belonging to a nation. And under this new administration, borders have become the most visible feature not just of policy but who belongs in the United States. Our first guest has written a new book on borders and their impact on our conversations on immigration, borders, and belonging. Hiroshi Motomura is the author

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