Federalism is a Failure

Welcome back to the Bill Bradley Collective, where this week your examine the ongoing fallout from a February 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. That evening a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying, among other freight, hazardous materials (namely vinyl chloride) derailed in northeastern Ohio following mechanical failure exacerbated by a lack of ECP brakes. The hazardous materials on board the train were subjected to a controlled burn, causing hydrogen chloride and phosgene to be released in the air causing an evacuation of local residents and a crisis situation. Tune in as your hosts evaluate both the local and federal response to the accident; the connection between this crisis and the broken rail strike covered last season; the right wing news media echo chamber decrying the situation as a failure of the Biden administration; and finally the state of our federal government and it’s functionality. But first we rant, as Zak pillories the uncouth behavior of Republican members of Congress during the 2023 State of the Union Address; Andrew laments Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy once again being left on the outside looking in at an NFL head coaching position; and finally Ed welcomes Tulsi Gabbard to the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination with a recap of her heretofore ignoble behavior.