Hard Reset

What it’s like to be doxxed, systemic problems with American courts and why journalism is like an immune system. This is BigIfTrue.org’s last episode of Hard Reset. Thank you for listening, and keep up with our reporting by subscribing to our newsletter at BigIfTrue.org/hardreset.

On this week’s show, we spoke with Will Bedwell, housing attorney for the Mississippi Center for Justice. Since last year, the nonprofit law firm has seen a surge of evictions in Mississippi, which has some of the least tenant-friendly laws in the country. Also: What steps should you take if you get an eviction notice?

During the pandemic, many criminal courts moved at a glacial pace. Now some courts are facing backlogs that public defenders worry will further delay trials for their clients. We spoke with Jana Hayes, who wrote about this issue recently for Big If True. Also: Deepfakes and how Trump could return to social media

During the covid vaccine rollout, Americans have relied on state and federal websites to get vital information and sign up for the vaccine. But Kaiser Health News reported recently that millions of people with visual impairments have had trouble accessing the sites and getting vaccine appointments. We spoke with Lauren Weber, a Midwest correspondent for Kaiser Health News and one of the reporters behind the story. Also on the show: Millions of families are behind on their rent, placing a high demand on legal aid programs that provide free legal services to low-income Americans.

On this week's episode, Justin talks about what it was like on the ground in Houston during a brutal winter storm that left many Texans without electricity and water. Also: What makes Texas' grid different from those in other states and the optics of Sen. Ted Cruz leaving the state during the emergency.