Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien
Season 3
A weekly program presenting analysis and insight into current events, including interviews with political leaders and experts.
Where to Watch Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien • Season 3
48 Episodes
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2018E1
SEPTEMBER 8, 2018This weekend on Matter of Fact, the use of artificial intelligence is booming. It’s being used for everything from finding friends on social media, to helping companies decide if you’ll be considered for a job. But there’s a problem: AI is biased. Will President Trump’s trade war spoil his relationship with struggling dairy farmers who supported his campaign? Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti eyes a run for the White House, but will problems in his city ruin his chances? - SEPTEMBER 15, 2018E2
SEPTEMBER 15, 2018This weekend on Matter of Fact, is President Trump testing the boundaries of his political power or violating the constitution when it comes to current laws? In honor of Constitution Day, September 17, we talk to author Corey Brettschneider about his new book, The Oath and the Office. Americans are saying “adios” to expensive housing and finding relief south of the border. Could you commute to work from Mexico? Is a program designed to prevent inequality in public schools making it worse? Nora Gordon is a professor of public policy at Georgetown University and serves on the Dept. of Education’s expert panel on Title I, and says the program needs serious changes. Plus zero-gravity champagne is on the way, but astronauts can’t toast to this news. - SEPTEMBER 29, 2018E3
SEPTEMBER 29, 2018This week Soledad O’Brien talks historic midterm wins with Congressional nominee from Massachusetts, Ayanna Pressley. Plus, 77% of Latinas say sexual harassment in the workplace is a major problem, how social media is helping. And, Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau talks political satire in the age of President Trump. - OCTOBER 6, 2018E4
OCTOBER 6, 2018After the destruction of Hurricane Florence across the Southeast, the housing crisis is worse than ever in North Carolina, especially for poorer communities. Plus, more and Americans are choosing to live in Mexico to follow their undocumented spouses. And, meet one of the MacArthur Foundation grant winners for her performance on life after sexual violence. - OCTOBER 13, 2018E5
OCTOBER 13, 2018This week on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, how do you turn climate change deniers into believers? This Evangelical Christian scientist may have the answer. Plus, why are politicians getting more and more partisan? And, the obstacles Native Americans face in making their voting voices heard. - OCTOBER 20, 2018E6
OCTOBER 20, 2018This week on Matter of Fact, can Republicans run on protecting parts of Obamacare? Plus, the founder of the #MeToo says men accused of sexual assault should be allowed to come back society. And, Matthew Shepard, 20 years after being brutally murdered, is finally be laid to rest. - OCTOBER 27, 2018E7
OCTOBER 27, 2018This week on Matter of Fact, how do you drive minority voters to the polls? Turns out it’s not through inciting anger. Plus, what it will take either party to bring Latino voters out in full force. And, the late Senator John McCain was known as a fiery maverick, who stood up for his beliefs. Will the next generation take up the call? - NOVEMBER 3, 2018E8
NOVEMBER 3, 2018This week on Matter of Fact, Soledad O’Brien speaks with organizers looking to get out the youth vote for the midterm election. Plus, how does your brain keep you trapped in your political ideology? And, Soledad speaks with an artist with a unique way of photographing events he never witnessed. - NOVEMBER 24, 2018E11
NOVEMBER 24, 2018This week on Matter of Fact, a business looking to change the way other companies treat women in the workplace. Plus, a company investing in future employees by helping them get clean. And, how these twin sisters ran for different parties without fighting each other. - DECEMBER 1, 2018E12
DECEMBER 1, 2018This week on Matter of Fact, a father explains his family’s terror after his son contracted a mysterious polio-like illness. How the CDC is looking to find a cure. Plus, nearly half of all college students are struggling to eat, but Sara Goldrick-Rab says there are solutions the government can put in place. And, Rep. Speier shares why she says Capitol Hill is a breeding ground for sexual harassment. - DECEMBER 8, 2018E13
DECEMBER 8, 2018This week on Matter of Fact, the simple question “Are you an American citizen?” is causing a lot of controversy. Plus, a women who overdosed and still wanted to use, explains what keeps her strong today. And, WI lawmakers are changing the laws to limit the powers of incoming Democrats. - DECEMBER 15, 2018E14
DECEMBER 15, 2018This week on Matter of Fact, how a new hotline is working to bring down the number of innocent people in America’s prisons. Plus, artificial intelligence is biased but this woman is working to change that. And, Latinos start businesses faster than any other group. So why are they struggling to get capital? - DECEMBER 22, 2018E15
DECEMBER 22, 2018This week on Matter of Fact, Native American women and girls are disappearing across the country. Correspondent Leone Lahkani speaks with families of victims who say they are outraged, but law enforcement isn’t doing enough. Then, Soledad O’Brien sits down with Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) about what he thinks need to be done in his state where 30% of missing women are Native American. Plus, a discussion with analysts on both sides about what we can expect in the upcoming Congressional session. - JANUARY 12, 2019E18
JANUARY 12, 2019This week on Matter of Fact, two co-authors are sharing a collection of America’s immigration stories. Plus, a teen with autism is helping police officers learn to handle mental crisis situations. And, the Brazilian state where some African-Americans are finding their roots. - JANUARY 26, 2019E20
JANUARY 26, 2019This week on Matter of Fact, a city works to update its neighborhoods without pushing out lower-income residents. Plus, the President of the US Mayors Conference says mayors are better prepared to run the country. And, the author of “Be Fearless” explains how one person can change the world. - FEBRUARY 2, 2019E21
FEBRUARY 2, 2019This week, some lawmakers are trying to get the Equal Rights Amendment back on the Congress floor. Plus, flawed forensics may have wrongly sent people to prison for decades. And, a woman’s life went from middle class to poverty; now, she wants others to understand the struggle. - FEBRUARY 23, 2019E23
FEBRUARY 23, 2019This week on Matter of Fact, more Americans than ever say they’re already impacted by climate change. Plus, why can’t one of the top high school football teams find a team in their league to play against? And, quitting your smartphone addiction might be easier than you think. - MARCH 2, 2019E24
MARCH 2, 2019A special edition of Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien from Puerto Rico. First, Soledad O’Brien sits down with the island’s governor, Ricardo Rossello, to discuss why he says Puerto Ricans are treated like second class citizens. Then, more families are turning to solar power to try to keep the lights on ahead of the next big hurricane. And music in Puerto Rico as a form of expression for the frustration felt after Hurricane Maria. - MARCH 9, 2019E25
MARCH 9, 2019This week on Matter of Fact, will “Medicare for All” become a litmus test for Democratic presidential candidates? Soledad O’Brien talks with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) is the chair of the Medicare for All Congressional Caucus. Native American women are murdered ten times more than non-Native women. Now, their families searching for justice on their own. - MARCH 16, 2019E26
MARCH 16, 2019This week on Matter of Fact, social media is giving rise to political candidates that don’t need the establishment’s blessing. Soledad O’Brien speaks with Republican strategist Bruce Mehlman about the potential downsides. Plus, how immigration how shaped New England’s first minority-majority city. And, military burn pits have been called the Agent Orange of our generation. Soledad speaks with Bonnie Carroll, founder of TAPS, and Coleen Bowman, whose husband died after being exposed to toxic fumes from the pits. - MARCH 23, 2019E27
MARCH 23, 2019This week on Matter of Fact, the devastating financial and emotional toll farmers are facing as communities work to keep down suicide rates. Plus, climate change could make this year’s historic flooding across the Midwest the new normal. And, what’s it like being an undocumented immigrant in America? The answer could depend on the color of your skin. - APRIL 6, 2019E28
APRIL 6, 2019This week on Matter of Fact with Soledad, we continue to push the conversation about climate change out of the political sphere and into science, where it belongs. 97% of U.S. government scientists agree that global warming is happening, including NASA’s chief scientist, Dr. James Green. He joins Soledad to explain how the space agency is using satellite technology to track changing rivers, peer deep into snowpacks, and work to predict future flooding before it becomes a humanitarian disaster. Plus, it’s been called the most beautiful building in Washington, and once you look inside you’ll see why. Soledad heads to the Library of Congress for a special tour with Carla Hayden. She’s the first woman, and first African-American to become Librarian of Congress. She not only shares her plan to keep libraries relevant in the digital age but also tells Soledad what her all time favorite book is. (We bet you haven’t heard of it.) And would you give up your First Amendment rights to get a job? 26 states have passed anti-BDS legislation. The laws are meant to show political support for Israel, and ban states from doing business with people and companies who protest Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians through BDS – boycott, divestment, and sanctions. But when does supporting an ally become unconstitutional? Soledad sits down with ACLU attorney Brian Hauss to find out. In our weekly segment, “we’re paying attention even if you’re too busy”, it’s not the sexiest topic on Capitol Hill but it could be the most important to your daily life: infrastructure. New analysis finds more than 235,000 bridges in the country are in need of repair and nearly 50,000 are structurally deficient. And without more funding from Congress, it could take a century to fix them all. And finally, emoji are getting a diversity upgrade. Emoji need to be officially approved by a special consortium. There are about 15 emoji that show hair, but not one is an afro. We’ll show how two women a - APRIL 13, 2019E29
APRIL 13, 2019This week on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, we return to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It’s one of the poorest areas in America, and has been devastated by major flooding that washed out roads and bridges leaving some residents stranded for weeks. Contributing correspondent, Joie Chen, traveled to Pine Ridge and shows us a community that’s in crisis but determined to rebuild. And journalism can be a dangerous business. Just ask Shahidul Alam. An award-winning photojournalist from Bangladesh, he was arrested last year after criticizing the government’s deadly crackdown against protestors. He was jailed for 107 days before being granted bail in November. Alam is in the U.S. where he received an award from the International Center of Photography in New York, but he’s returning to Bangladesh on Sunday. He’s due back in court on Monday and he admits he doesn’t know what fate awaits him. But Alam tells Soledad, as a journalist, he must return to stand up for freedom and the fourth estate. Plus, is man inherently good? It’s a question philosophers have been asking for centuries. With the hyper-partisanship in America, social media fueled rants, and depressing news headlines, you might think the answer is no. But Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a social scientist at Yale University, says you’d be wrong. He says our evolutionary DNA is built on love and kindness. He defends his optimism in his new book, Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society and joins Soledad to discuss the evidence of positive natural selection. In our weekly segment, “we’re paying attention even if you’re too busy” you Monday is the deadline to file your tax return. This year, the IRS is expecting a record number of Americans to file for an extension. The reason? This is the first filing since President Trump’s sweeping changes to the tax code took effect. But while extensions are up, refunds are down. The IRS says the average refund is down about $30 dollars ove - APRIL 20, 2019E30
APRIL 20, 2019This week on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, when it comes to vaccination, when does public safety override individual rights? That’s what elected officials, judges, religious leaders, and doctors are asking right now as a measles outbreak is hitting New York. And it’s not just New York, measles outbreaks have also been reported in New Jersey, Michigan, Washington, California. Can the government force everyone to get vaccinated? Soledad talks with Dr. Oxiris Barbot, the health commissioner for New York, to find out how the city is working to stop the spread of highly contagious virus. Plus, the lack of affordable housing is a problem for many Americans but for adults with disabilities it’s on the verge of becoming a disaster. There are nearly 1-million intellectually or developmentally disabled people living with a caregiver 60 years of age or older. As those caregivers age, many worry their adult children risk being institutionalized or becoming homeless. The warning comes as a massive wave of children with autism, about a half a million, will reach adulthood within the next decade. Correspondent Jessica Gomez tells us, in many parts of the country (including Wisconsin and Vriginia) parents are now taking matters into their own hands. Monday is Earth Day. Since 1970, Earth Day has been a celebration of achievements in protecting the environment and a call to action. Soledad talks to Denis Hayes, one of the founders of the Earth Day movement to find out what have been the biggest environmental policy successes in the past fifty years, and what are the two biggest threats facing the planet right now. Plus, for the first time, drivers in Mississippi can order a special license plate with a flag design that doesn’t include the Confederate emblem. Mississippi is that last state with a Confederate symbol on its official flag. This new flag was designed by the granddaughter of the state’s former U.S. Senator, John Stennis, who was a staunch segregationist du - MAY 25, 2019E35
MAY 25, 2019This week on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien takes our listening tour to Sacramento for a special show on California. California has the fifth largest economy, is home to Hollywood and Silicon Valley. But the Golden State is also face some serious challenges, including massive wildfires. We travel to the town of Paradise, about ninety miles north of Sacramento, to see how the town is rebuilding six months after it was almost completely destroyed by a wildfire last November. Plus, former Governor Jerry Brown sits down for a one on one with Soledad O’Brien. Gov. Brown gets honest with Soledad about some of the biggest threats facing California (and the world), the future of high speed rail, and his new life making olive oil at his off the grid ranch in Colusa. And Californians struggle with some of the highest home prices in the country with a median price that tops half a million dollars. We travel to the Bay Area to find out how people with six figure salaries are struggling to make ends meet. Just outside of Sacramento is Stockton, California. This river port city is called the Gateway to the Central Valley and for years enjoyed a vibrant economy fueled by its ties to the ag industry. But Stockton has suffered in recent years and had to declare bankruptcy. Now, with funding from private sources, it’s making headlines for a new economic initiative. Stockton is the first city in the country to handout out cash – no strings attached – as part of a universal basic income study. And finally, no visit to Northern California would be complete without mentioning the iconic giant redwoods. These trees- some of the tallest and largest in the country – can be more than a thousand years old, and now scientists from U.C. Davis are working to map their genetic codes. It’s like “23 and me” but for trees. Researchers hope the information will help them determine which trees are better at resisting droughts and wildfires so they can better protect one of California’ - JUNE 22, 2019E39
JUNE 22, 2019This week on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien we are in America’s birthplace- Philadelphia. Pennsylvania is a critical battleground state in the upcoming 2020 Presidential election. As part of our MOF Listening Tour, we examine the issues that will drive voters to the polls here in the Keystone state. Since 1992, Pennsylvania’s electoral college votes had gone to the Democratic candidate but that changed in 2016. Donald Trump’s victory was driven in large part by support from voters in rural counties, including Erie. That’s where our special contributor, Joie Chen traveled to find out if voters will still turn out for Trump. Perhaps no one is better at understanding Pennsylvania voters than Ed Rendell. He served as governor from 2003 to 2011 and was also the mayor of Philadelphia. Gov. Rendell sits down with Soledad and has some advice for Democrats hoping to flip Pennsylvania from blue to red next year: “get ready for the fight of your life.” He also explains why progressive Democratic candidates could have a hard time selling their message in Pennsylvania. One issue that’s important to younger voters is student debt. That’s especially true in Pennsylvania which has the highest average student debt in the country, more than $36,000 per graduate. Millennial voters in Philadelphia tell our correspondent Jessica Gomez, they are looking for candidates who have concrete plans to fix the debt crisis impacting millions of voters. When it comes to partisan gerrymandering Pennsylvania had the dubious distinction of being one of the worst states in the country. In 2011, Republicans drew district maps in bizarre shapes that virtually guaranteed their candidates would win. Finally, the state Supreme Court stepped in and ruled it unconstitutional. A new map was drawn but as we find out, this issue is far from settled. Finally, no trip to Philadelphia would be complete without a little history lesson. We look back at how Philadelphia, which served as the unofficial capita - JULY 20, 2019E43
JULY 20, 2019This week on Matter of Fact, Soledad O’Brien sits down with Erika Wilson, a professor of public policy at the University of North Carolina to discuss why public school equality is still a political fight. Plus, more Americans are choosing to live in Tijuana, Mexico to beat the high cost of housing in California. And, marine biologist Dr. Ayana Johnson talks with Soledad about working to find solutions for coastal communities.