Created Equal

Election Day is finally here. American democracy has persisted for more than two centuries, and the importance of the results of this year’s election has been touted by both sides of the political aisle. Today on Created Equal, award-winning journalist Desiree Cooper and New York Times columnist Bret Stephens join the show to discuss how they feel about American democracy and what they are keeping in mind as they cast their ballots.

Today on Created Equal, we share highlights from this week's episodes, including new efforts to unionize video game industry workers; the connection between early voting and election distrust and more.

With just a few days left before the 2024 presidential election, many people are feeling at least a little bit stressed – by the deluge of ads and information about the election, by the deep division that is represented in the campaign and on the ballot, or by a sense of fatigue. Psychiatrist Arash Javanbakht and clinical psychologist Rheeda Walker join the show to talk about election-related stress, how much worse it has gotten and how we can manage it a bit better.

David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation & Research and University of Michigan-Dearborn political science professor Dale Thomson join Created Equal to discuss how early voting improves election integrity, despite misinformation saying otherwise.

Video games are a huge part of American culture and a largely profitable industry. But even as the industry booms, many workers have very little job security and work unimaginable hours. These circumstances have led to new efforts to unionize these workers to give them stronger workplace protections. Nicole Carpenter, a senior reporter at Polygon who covers labor issues in the games industry, and Johanna Weststar, an associate professor at Western University, joins Created Equal to discuss the effects of unionization on the video game industry. 

Today on Created Equal, we share highlights from this week's episodes, including the impact of white Christian nationalism on American history and democracy; Michigan’s teacher shortages in K-12 schools and more.

Despite often being a loyal voting bloc for Democrats, Black Americans are politically diverse. Garrison Hayes, a journalist for Mother Jones and the Reveal podcast, has been spending some of this year talking to Black Republicans to determine what draws them to the GOP — and, in many cases, to Donald Trump. He joined Created Equal on Thursday to discuss the motivation behind their votes, and what they hope to gain from this election.

Teachers in classrooms are dealing with an especially tough set of circumstances. Many are dealing with the after effects of the pandemic on student mental health and taking responsibility for keeping kids safe from violence. A panel of educational professionals join Created Equal to discuss the teacher shortage in Michigan, its effect on students, and some possible solutions.