Public Affairs-Current Events   

Two seasoned criminal defense attorneys who between them have defended persons accused of committing a crime and who have tried too many cases to remember will guide the class through an examination of a number of high-profile criminal cases that were tried in Colorado and elsewhere. The cases will include the Trump indictments that have been or are to be tried, the Allen Berg murder case, the Texas 7 extradition matter and others.

Barbara and Tom are interested in the events that are shaping our community and those policies that may make for a more robust and fulfilling society. We will discuss events each week that have either come to our recent attention or that may represent issues that are of recurring interest. The co-facilitators are excited to work together to bring to the class diverse views representing differing philosophies and suggesting competing solutions to today’s issues. Barbara and Tom are looking for OLLI members to register for the class who are of open minds, who value lively and respectful discourse, and are looking to share ideas.

This Current Events course will be a discussion-based course addressing issues that are topical at the time the course is offered. The issues discussed will be international, national, and local with general broad outlines and selections determined by a survey of class participants in the first class. Likely issues will include: International - the wars in Israel /Gaza and Ukraine, climate change, migration and immigration, threats to democracy; National - Congressional disfunction, 2024 elections, medical/health issues, abortion politics, demographic/population issues, “culture war” issues and free speech, artificial intelligence, gun rights/control; Local - 2024 elections, K-12 education, homelessness and Denver city policy, water issues, housing affordability, tax policy, and crime. Issues to be discussed in the upcoming class will be identified at the conclusion of the prior week’s class; readings from national and local publications (2 to 3 readings) will be selected by the facilitator and electronically distributed so that each participant will have a common basis for discussion.

We will discuss the prior week’s news in the first hour. In the second hour a topic that is current will be determined by the facilitators and articles will be sent out for that discussion. The facilitators of this class express a Progressive point of view on American politics, especially during this election year. They welcome Conservative or other points of view and encourage discussion as part of our learning experience.

We will discuss the prior week’s news in the first hour. In the second hour a topic that is current will be determined by the facilitators and articles will be sent out for that discussion. The facilitators of this class express a progressive point of view on American politics, especially during this election year. They welcome conservative or other points of view and encourage discussion as part of our learning experience.

Each week a different documentary film will be shown in class followed by a discussion. Pertinent readings will be sent out prior to class. None of the films have been previously shown in the facilitator’s prior courses.

Don’s new book (with co-author Kevin Adler), We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America (2023) North Atlantic Books, will be the center of this new course. Each of the six classes will focus on one or two chapters in the book, including the ways we dehumanize those experiencing homelessness, the ways in which each of the relevant systems fail to meet the needs of the unhoused, and potential solutions that address our forgotten humanity and the broken systems. The Facilitator will make a brief presentation at each session, but the bulk of the class will be a discussion of the issues that underlie one of the most complex issues of our time.

The facilitator will generously provide his book for free to each member who registers for this class.

We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America by Kevin Adler and Donald Burnes

By some estimates over $100 Billion is spent each year in American sports. Sports are integral parts of our child-rearing, our educational institutions, our entertainment and our social fabric. Still, issues in sports are numerous. Youth sports, high school, college, Olympics and pros have all been challenged by questions of ethics, emphasis, fairness, equity and financial concerns. This class will explore issues in American sports at all levels including recent changes such as participation rates, NIL, transfer portal, gender issues, and other shifts in the sporting world.

The Surveillance State Big Data, Freedom, and You is a 2016 Great Courses video series presented by Paul Rosenzweig, JD.

Over 24 lectures (12 in Fall 2024 and 12 in Winter 2025), you will:

• Learn some of the history of surveillance.
• Gain understanding of how intelligence collection works in the US and why 9/11 was so transformative.
• Explore new technologies and their ramifications.
• Examine big data.
• Learn why the Internet is a treasure trove for spies and commercial companies.
• Explore how people are trying to get off the grid or secure their communications.
• Discover how Europe is answering some of these difficult questions.

We will watch two 30-minute lectures with discussion of related material after each. Knowledgeable class members are encouraged to present brief updates on material covered in the lectures or discussions.

Veteran journalists and political observers Bob Steele and Dennis Ryerson will lead this four-class discussion of the twists and turns, the drama, the lowlights, and the highlights during the final weeks leading to the November 5th vote plus the day after post mortem. For the first three weeks class participants will discuss a wide range of election topics: The candidates’ jousting and punching, the contentious issues, the final polls, the TV commercials, the media coverage, the unexpected, and more. We will get insights and commentary from political pundits and expert observers. Dennis and Bob will send out weekly emails with articles and prompt questions to help frame the class discussions.

Our final class on Wednesday November 6th will be the morning-after reactions to the election results or possibly the contested vote count. Bring your caffeine, your scorebook, and your huzzahs, lingering hopes, or your shattered dreams.