SideBar podcast revisits post-2024 democracy debate with Dennie and Goldstone

SideBar: Optimism in Action will air a September 15, 2026 episode featuring Madiba Dennie and Lawrence Goldstone in a revisit of their November 2024 conversation after Donald Trump’s re-election. The episode is part of KAZU 90.3’s expanded digital programming and looks ahead to the stakes of the 2026 elections for American democracy.

Why it matters: - The episode revisits a 2024 conversation about constitutional democracy at a moment when November 2026 is framed as pivotal for U.S. politics. - KAZU 90.3 is adding SideBar: Optimism in Action to its website and mobile app as its first non-newscast, locally produced podcast on the station’s digital platforms. - The podcast highlights nonprofit leaders, advocates, and community members working on humanitarian, public policy, and charitable needs.

What happened: - SideBar: Optimism in Action will welcome Madiba Dennie and Lawrence Goldstone in a new episode going live Tuesday, September 15, 2026. - The episode is a revisit of their November 2024 discussion immediately after Donald Trump’s re-election. - The podcast is a collaboration between KAZU 90.3 and Monterey College of Law. - The episode will be available at SideBar on KAZU.

The details: - Dennie is the author of The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back. - Goldstone is the author of Imperfect Union: How Errors of Omission Threaten Constitutional Democracy. - Dennie serves as deputy editor and senior contributor at Balls and Strikes. - Dennie previously worked as counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, where she focused on democracy issues including the census, the courts, and efforts to disempower communities of color. - Dennie’s commentary has appeared in The Atlantic and The Washington Post, among other national publications. - Goldstone has written more than a dozen fiction and nonfiction books. - Goldstone’s writing has appeared in outlets including the Atlantic, Salon, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Hartford Courant, New Republic, Tablet, Bloomberg, and Berkshire Eagle. - KAZU is the NPR affiliate for Monterey, Salinas, and Santa Cruz. - Monterey College of Law sponsors the podcast and has long supported KAZU 90.3 as a nonprofit sponsor. - SideBar is hosted by former law dean Mitch Winick and produced by David Eakin, a theater composer, media consultant, and podcast producer. - Winick said the podcast features people doing work that improves humanitarian, public policy, and charitable needs, with this season focused on people pursuing positive change during challenging times. - New episodes publish on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. - Listeners can find more than 90 previous episodes and related blog content at SideBarMedia. - More information on Madiba Dennie is available at her website, and more information on Lawrence Goldstone is available at his website.

Between the lines: - The revisit signals an effort to connect the 2024 political moment to the higher-stakes questions now facing voters and institutions in 2026. - KAZU’s move to feature the podcast on its digital platforms suggests stronger integration of local public-interest audio into station programming. - The episode’s framing leans into legal and constitutional debate rather than campaign politics alone.

What's next: - The new episode will publish on September 15, 2026. - SideBar will continue its regular first- and third-Tuesday release schedule. - KAZU and SideBarMedia will continue promoting episodes and archived content through their websites.