Press Advance with Johanna Maska Situation Room Studios

On this week's episode, host Johanna Maska speaks with a political panel featuring Democratic strategist Michael Starr Hopkins and Boyd Matheson, former Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Mike Lee of Utah (R). They discuss pushback from Democrats and Republicans over threats to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, politics in the office and whether it should be off limits, and heightened tensions on college campuses after pro-Palestinian student protests have spread across the country. Plus, we talked to Hagar Chemali, an adjunct assistant Professor at Columbia University, for her first-hand account of what she saw at student protests on campus and the challenges the school faces in balancing freedom of speech with a safe environment for students.
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On this week's episode, host Johanna Maska speaks with a political panel featuring Adam Hodge, former Spokesperson for the National Security Council in the Biden administration, and Amy Tarkanian, former Chairwoman of the Nevada State Republican Party. They discuss the White House response to Iran's drone and missile strikes against Israel and pushback from the progressive wing of the Democratic party on U.S support for Israel, former President Donald Trump's legal troubles and if voters are paying attention, and abortion access in Arizona after the state's Supreme Court ruled a Civil war-era abortion ban can be enforced.
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This week's episode features "A Fair and Free Press? A Debate on the Role of Media in 2024 Politics," which was held Tuesday April 9 with Press Advance host Johanna Maska and Sean Spicer, a former White House Press Secretary in the Trump administration. The discussion was moderated by six-time Emmy award-winning journalist and former NBC 6 Miami news anchor Willard Shepard. Maska and Spicer discussed the media landscape from their first hand perspective before a sold-out audience of students at Florida International University. They spoke about network news coverage of the 2024 election cycle, how social media algorithms drive political polarization, and interacted and answered questions from students in the audience.

Disclaimer: This event was held at Florida International University as part of the OFFICE OF PUBLIC POLICY EVENTS. Johanna Maska and Sean Spicer's views expressed on this podcast are their own and do not represent FIU. To learn more about FIU's statement of free expression, visit fiu.edu.
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This week's Press Advance episode is dropping a little later this week. It will feature host Johanna Maska and Sean Spicer, former White House Press Secretary in the Trump administration, debating the role of network news and social media in this election cycle and how they drive political polarization. You won't want to miss it. Check back here on Thursday to hear the full discussion.  
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On this week's Press Advance, Johanna Maska welcomes Obama administration colleague and friend Deesha Dyer, who served as the White House Social Secretary, to discuss her new book, "Undiplomatic: How My Attitude Created the Best Kind of Trouble." Deesha discusses her unexpected journey—from being a skeptical political observer to serving in a senior role in the Obama administration. She talks about rebelling against forced structure to find confidence, struggling with imposter syndrome, and what lessons she learned to help us in this era of political toxicity. The book is out on April 23 and is available for preorder on Amazon. 
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Press Advance producer Christine Baratta joins Johanna Maska to discuss the rollout of former RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel as an NBC contributor amid an outcry from network staffers questioning her credibility and past support for Donald Trump. Plus, we talk with Gina McCarthy, who served as the first White House National Climate Advisor and was instrumental in shaping the administration's landmark climate law—The Inflation Reduction Act— the country's most significant legislation designed to achieve energy independence and reduce pollution for America's communities. Johanna asks McCarthy about how the Inflation Reduction Act could tackle the costs of the clean transition.
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