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In our October 7 show, we'll keep it quiet

So, as you heard if you follow Melissa on Twitter, she's keeping her voice very low this morning.

So, as you heard if you follow Melissa on Twitter, she's keeping her voice very low this morning. Mostly, because we here on the #nerdland staff are begging her to.

Shortly after yesterday's show, there were signs that Melissa's head cold began stealing her voice, reducing it to little more than a whisper. In the hopes of preventing one of our guests, "The Cycle" co-host Steve Kornacki, from becoming "MHP" impromptu guest host Steve Kornacki, we've asked her to save her voice for the show. Despite the whispers, the beat indeed goes on. (Ahem.)

Topics Melissa will broach today through her (perhaps) amplified mike today include one of the third rails of American politics: affirmative action. We'll have a bonus edition of This Week in Voter Suppression!™, Ohio edition -- and take a look at the first-generation Americans running this fall to serve America in Congress and elsewhere. Melissa also has a preview of this week's vice-presidential debate in store.

In addition to potential substitute host Kornacki, our guests include:

  • Debo Adegbile, acting president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
  • Chloe Angyal, an editor at Feministing -- and contributor to The Atlantic, Jezebel, The Guardian, among others.
  • Sayu Bhojwani, founding director of the New American Leaders Project.
  • Grace Meng, Democratic candidate for Congress from New York.
  • Christopher Smitherman, Cincinnati councilman and head of the Cincinnati NAACP.
  • Robert Traynham, msnbc contributor and former communications director for Rick Santorum.
  • Kenji Yoshino, NYU law professor.

As always, folks -- be sure to interact with us during the show here in the comments of this post, on Facebook, and on Twitter, using the hashtag #nerdland. We look forward to having you join us at 10am ET on msnbc!