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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260602T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260602T130000
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UID:63853-1780401600-1780405200@bigtentusa.org
SUMMARY:BigTent Book Discussion: "Liar’s Kingdom"
DESCRIPTION:On Tuesday\, June 2\, truth\, accountability\, and the future of American democracy took center stage in BigTentUSA’s conversation with Andrew Weissmann–MS NOW legal analyst and veteran federal prosecutor. Moderated by Reed Galen of The Union\, Weissmann discussed themes from his new book Liar’s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump’s Deceit and Save America\, arguing that the growing normalization of political lies poses a serious threat to democratic institutions. He highlighted a key contradiction in American law: while lies in business\, courtrooms\, and congressional testimony can carry legal consequences\, political lies often do not. \nWeissmann emphasized that restoring trust requires more than defending old norms. He called for stronger legal safeguards\, reforms to prevent the weaponization of government power\, and greater transparency from institutions such as the Department of Justice. He also argued that future leaders must be willing to confront past abuses rather than simply “look forward\,” warning that accountability is essential to preserving the rule of law. \nThe conversation ended with a clear challenge: democracy is not self-executing\, and protecting it requires public engagement\, institutional reform\, and a refusal to accept corruption or dishonesty as normal. \n  \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS: \nAndrew Weissmann is an NYU Law School professor and widely respected legal analyst on MS NOW. He was a lead prosecutor in Robert S. Mueller’s Special Counsel’s Office\, Chief of the Fraud Section in the Department of Justice\, General Counsel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Director Mueller\, a leader of the Enron Task Force\, and started out as an organized crime prosecutor in Brooklyn. He is a co-host of MS NOW‘s award-winning podcast Main Justice and\, before that\, Prosecuting Donald Trump. He has written two New York Times bestsellers\, Where Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation\, and\, as co-author\, The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents With Commentary\, and also writes the Substack newsletter Behind the Headlines. He holds degrees from Princeton and Columbia Law School\, was a Fulbright scholar\, and teaches at NYU School of Law. He is a New Yorker through and through. \nReed Galen is an independent political strategist\, co-founder of The Lincoln Project\, and currently serves as the President of The Union\, a nationwide coalition working to rebuild American democracy from the ground up. The Union brings together volunteers\, organizers\, and local leaders to support decent\, competent candidates at every level of government. Under Reed’s leadership\, The Union is building the infrastructure needed to show up in all 50 states and strengthen civic engagement nationwide.
URL:https://bigtentusa.org/event/liars-kingdom/
LOCATION:BigTent Zoom Room
CATEGORIES:BigTent Spotlight Speaker Series,BigTent Events,Preserving Democracy
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://bigtentusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Recap_Andrew-Weissmann_Reed-Galen.webp
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260609T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260609T130000
DTSTAMP:20260618T204435Z
CREATED:20260603T144526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260618T204435Z
UID:63896-1781006400-1781010000@bigtentusa.org
SUMMARY:Ready\, Set\, Vote: Removing Barriers to the Ballot
DESCRIPTION:Democracy works best when everyone can participate—and that starts with making sure every eligible voter can cast a ballot. \nAt this BigTentUSA TentTalk held on June 9\, VoteRiders’ Sylvester Johnson III joined activist and organizer Jessica Craven for a practical conversation about one of the biggest barriers to voting: voter ID requirements. Johnson explained that more than 34 million voting-age Americans lack a current government-issued ID\, while 38 states require identification to vote. He outlined how VoteRiders helps voters navigate often confusing state rules\, obtain supporting documents such as birth certificates\, secure transportation to ID offices\, and successfully complete the process from start to finish. \nThe discussion also explored broader threats to voter participation\, strategies for increasing turnout\, and the importance of grassroots engagement. Attendees learned how simple actions—letter writing\, texting\, sharing information\, and helping neighbors prepare to vote—can make a measurable difference. \nThe takeaway was clear: Whether you live in a battleground state or not\, there are concrete ways to help ensure every eligible voter can make their voice heard. \n  \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS: \nSylvester Johnson III serves as the Voter Outreach & Data Manager for VoteRiders. A Georgia native\, Sylvester’s commitment to civic engagement began in high school through his work with organizations such as the Special Olympics of Georgia. After graduating from Howard University\, he returned to his home state and served as Political Director for Carolyn Bourdeaux’s 2018 congressional campaign in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District. Since joining VoteRiders\, Sylvester has spent more than six years helping ensure that all eligible citizens have the information and support they need to exercise their fundamental right to vote. \nJessica Craven is a full time activist\, community organizer\, political TikTok creator\, and elected member of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party’s Central Committee. She’s also the author of “Chop Wood\, Carry Water\,” a daily actions e-mail.
URL:https://bigtentusa.org/event/removing-barriers-to-the-ballot/
LOCATION:BigTent Zoom Room
CATEGORIES:Tent Talks,Preserving Democracy,Letter-Writing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://bigtentusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Recap_VoteRiders_Jessica-Craven.webp
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260611T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260611T200000
DTSTAMP:20260626T161256Z
CREATED:20260602T195045Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260626T161256Z
UID:63892-1781204400-1781208000@bigtentusa.org
SUMMARY:Uncovering the Epstein Network: Accountability\, Power\, and Civic Action
DESCRIPTION:On Thursday\, June 11\, our Spotlight Speaker event centered on COURIER Newsroom’s ongoing reporting into Jeffrey Epstein’s network and the launch of an AI-powered database designed to make thousands of pages of public records more accessible to journalists\, researchers\, advocates\, and the public. COURIER Journalist Camaron Stevenson and CEO of Thorian AI\, Josh Levine\, demonstrated how technology can help uncover connections\, identify patterns\, and accelerate the search for facts hidden within massive volumes of documents. \nPanelists Nina Burleigh of COURIER and Ambassador Norm Eisen\, co-founder of Democracy Defenders Action\, emphasized that transparency\, accountability\, and persistence remain essential to protecting democracy. They discussed the critical role of investigative journalism\, litigation\, and public engagement in exposing corruption\, combating disinformation\, and ensuring abuses of power do not go unchecked. \nA consistent theme emerged throughout the discussion: meaningful change requires informed citizens who stay engaged\, support independent journalism\, and demand accountability. \n  \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS: \nNina Burleigh is a a journalist\, best-selling author\, documentary producer\, and publisher of a Substack on politics called American Freakshow. A contributing editor at The New Republic and frequent contributor to The New York Times and New York Magazine\, her journalism has been published widely including in translation in the Norwegian and Italian press. She’s the author of eight books on an array of topics including archaeological forgery\, scientists in 18th Century Egypt\, James Smithson\, Amanda Knox in Italy\, and the Trump women\, which were reviewed\, excerpted or covered in The New York Times\, The Wall Street Journal\, The Nation\, New York Magazine\, BBC\, ABC\, MSNBC\, and other media outlets. \nAmbassador (ret.) Norman Eisen is a co-founder and board member of Democracy Defenders Action\, which has been helping lead the successful national court fights against the Trump Administration\, helping secure multiple landmark orders against its authoritarian moves. His work in the courts of law is matched by his efforts in the court of public opinion as the co-founder and publisher of The Contrarian. He is also the co-founder and former chair of other major non-profits including CREW and States United. \nCamaron Stevenson is a national correspondent for COURIER Newsroom and publisher of the Below The Beltway newsletter on Substack. A veteran political journalist\, he spent more than a decade reporting in Phoenix and served as the Founding Editor and Chief Political Correspondent of The Copper Courier. His reporting focuses on politics\, policy\, and the forces shaping American democracy at the national and local levels. \nJosh Levine is a multi-time entrepreneur (1x exit) building at the nexus of AI\, public policy\, and the future of data. After an initial career in public finance\, Josh founded companies in the education technology and small business M&A spaces. He is now building Thorian AI\, which specializes in data processing\, extraction\, and automation-building across massive\, multi-modal datasets. Thorian serves as a data backbone for local government permitting processes\, state and federal compliance processes\, and complex grant applications/management while keeping costs low through the use of data methods that allow us to use the smallest possible language models for the job. For his efforts\, Josh was recently named one of Austin’s top five technologists under 40 for the second time in 2026. A native of Texas\, he holds a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs and an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University.
URL:https://bigtentusa.org/event/uncovering-the-epstein-network/
LOCATION:BigTent Zoom Room
CATEGORIES:BigTent Spotlight Speaker Series,BigTent Events,Preserving Democracy
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://bigtentusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Recap_COURIER_Norm-Eisen.webp
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260629T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260629T140000
DTSTAMP:20260706T195757Z
CREATED:20260624T184921Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260706T195757Z
UID:64930-1782738000-1782741600@bigtentusa.org
SUMMARY:A Term in Review: The Supreme Court’s Impact
DESCRIPTION:The Supreme Court is reshaping the balance of power in America—and understanding what comes next has never been more important. \nOn Monday\, June 29\, in this timely BigTentUSA conversation\, Michael Waldman\, President and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice\, joined Boston Globe journalist Kimberly Atkins Stohr to unpack the Court’s most consequential rulings of the term and what they mean for democracy\, civil rights\, immigration\, executive power\, and the rule of law. They explored landmark decisions limiting nationwide injunctions\, expanding presidential authority\, and signaling a diminished role for Congress\, while emphasizing the real-world consequences these rulings will have for Americans. Throughout the discussion\, the speakers stressed that the Constitution ultimately depends on an engaged public and accountable elected leaders. They urged viewers to stay informed\, support organizations defending democratic institutions\, advocate for a stronger Congress\, and participate in every election. \nThe message was clear: protecting democracy isn’t someone else’s job—it’s a responsibility that belongs to all of us. \n  \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS: \nMichael Waldman is president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. A nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to improve systems of democracy and justice so they work for all\, the Brennan Center is a leading national voice on voting rights\, money in politics\, criminal justice reform\, and constitutional law. Waldman is a constitutional lawyer and writer who is an expert on the presidency and American democracy. He has led the Center since 2005. He was a member of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States in 2021. \nKimberly Atkins Stohr is a senior opinion writer and columnist at The Boston Globe. She is also an MSNBC contributor\, a frequent panelist on NBC’s “Meet the Press\,” and co-host of the weekly Politicon legal news podcast #SistersInLaw. Previously\, Kim was the inaugural columnist for The Emancipator\, a collaboration between The Boston Globe and Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research that reframes the conversation about racial justice and equality.
URL:https://bigtentusa.org/event/a-term-in-review/
LOCATION:BigTent Zoom Room
CATEGORIES:BigTent Spotlight Speaker Series,BigTent Events,Preserving Democracy
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://bigtentusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Recap_Michael-Waldman_Kimberly-Atkins-Stohr.webp
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