Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien

FEBRUARY 17, 2018 (2x22)

Air date: Feb 17, 2018

This week on Matter of Fact, Soledad O’Brien takes a look at young teens looking to make a difference by running for office. Last year, then 16-year-old Jack Bergeson found a loophole in the law showing that there are no age requirements to hold a statewide office in Kansas. He decided to run for governor as a Democrat. Then, he invited 17-year-old Tyler Ruzich to run as a Republican. Soledad O’Brien sits down with both teens for a conversation about why they say their national parties are out of touch with young voters and their hopes for the future of gun legislation following the school shooting in Parkdale, Florida. Then, Nelson Mandela was a fierce advocate for equality and a champion for the power of young people. Yet, his grandson Kweku says today’s youth may recognize the name, but many don’t understand what he represented. He is hoping to change that through his new initiative 100 Conversations. Soledad O’Brien moderated the very first conversation between Kweku Mandela and Academy Award winning actor Charlize Theron as they discussed issues related to the icon’s legacy. And, it’s being called the labor case of the century as the Supreme Court hearing arguments on whether force public employees to pay non-member union fees is a violation of their freedom of speech. UCLA Law Professor Eugene Volokh joins Soledad from L.A. for a conversation on the historical nuances of the case and why he says this case has nothing to do with the First Amendment.