Fed Versus Blue

Congressional Republicans have countered President Biden’s nearly $2 trillion infrastructure proposal with their own plan and a lower price tag: $928 billion. It came as Biden is expected to unveil a $6 trillion budget on Friday, too. We breakdown what’s in the GOP version of the infrastructure bill, and where this puts negotiations.The filibuster is coming into play as Senate Republicans vow to block the creation of a bipartisan commission that would’ve investigated the January 6th Capitol insurrection.And in headlines: three Tacoma, Washington, police officers charged for the killing of 33-year-old Black man Manuel Ellis, Super Smash Bros becomes a high school varsity sport, and Usher announces a sequel to “Confessions.”For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

28 Touko 202118min

Amazon plans to buy movie studio MGM for $8.45 billion, which would give the tech company a huge library of movies, shows, and franchises including the James Bond series. Some in Congress want to block the sale. The tech company is also the target of a new antitrust suit from the D.C. Attorney General. The largest Confederate monument in the country is in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and it’s three acres large and carved into the side of a rock face. The park said this week that the monument will be left intact, but more context will be added to represent the South in a way that doesn’t glorify the Confederacy.And in headlines: a gunman killed eight people in San Jose, Howard University names its College of Fine Arts after Chadwick Boseman, and the latest on sea snot.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

27 Touko 202115min

Moderna said that its vaccine trial for 12-17 year olds resulted in zero cases of symptomatic COVID. Also, we discuss so-called breakthrough cases, which happen when fully vaccinated people get coronavirus: Don't worry, they're wildly rare and a sign of the effectiveness of vaccines.Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law that would prohibit social media platforms from kicking off political candidates. If you're thinking "How do you enforce that?" or "Is this all to suck up to Trump?" the answers are “yes” and “obviously.”And in headlines: a Russian company tried to pay science influencers to sow vaccine misinformation, Marjorie Taylor Greene's holocaust analogies, and Simone Biles lands a double pike on vault.Show Notes:NYT: "C.D.C. Will Not Investigate Mild Infections in Vaccinated Americans" – https://nyti.ms/2RKG7SxWSJ: "Intelligence on Sick Staff at Wuhan Lab Fuels Debate on Covid-19 Origin" – https://on.wsj.com/3yOKFbkFor a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

26 Touko 202117min

Today is the 1-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. His friends, family, and the community of Minneapolis will memorialize him with a gathering and a candlelight vigil. Floyd's killing by now-former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin rallied activists to demand that their local police departments reform, be defunded, or be abolished completely. We discussed these efforts with Oluchi Omeoga, a co-creator of Black Visions Collective and organizer in Minneapolis.And in headlines: Myanmar's ousted leader appears in court, EU leaders agree on sanctions against Belarus, and #AdriansKickback becomes a Gen Z mini-purge in Huntington Beach, California.Show Notes:Black Visions Collective – https://twitter.com/BlackVisionsMNFor a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

25 Touko 202119min

The state of the pandemic in the US is looking brighter with infection rates dropping to where they were in June of last year, and hospitalization rates declining, too. But vaccination rates vary widely depending on where you look on a map, with New England showing rates above average and the South showing rates below average.The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas reportedly held over the weekend, and now the focus has shifted to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Rebuilding after the destruction will inevitably be complicated by Israel's blockade on most construction supplies entering the region.And in headlines: Belarus intercepts an airplane to arrest a journalist, the AP fires a Jewish journalist for voicing pro-Palestine views, and the Texas legislature approves a law to ban teaching of critical race theory.For a transcript of this show, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 Touko 202116min

The NBA playoffs begin tomorrow after a season that's played out during a global pandemic and a mass movement against police brutality. To discuss this season in context, we're joined by the host of Takeline and ALL CAPS NBA, Jason Concepcion.Israel's security cabinet voted to accept a ceasefire that a Hamas official said would start at 2 a.m. local time on Friday. The full terms of the agreement aren't clear just yet, but this comes after mounting international pressure and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.And in headlines: police body cam footage released in the violent arrest of Ronald Greene in 2019, two scandals for Andrew Cuomo, and Twitter will open its public verification program.Show Notes:Al-Jazeera: Live Updates on the Israel-Palestine Conflict – https://bit.ly/3f6RtZXFor a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

21 Touko 202116min

Progressive Representatives in the House led an effort to block a $735 million arms sale to Israel in a demonstration of the shifting political attitudes towards the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. We spoke with Simone Zimmerman of B'Tselem USA and Yousef Munayyer at the Arab Center in Washington D.C. to get their perspectives. Also, Israel and Hamas are moving slowly towards a cease-fire.We're approaching the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma where a white mob destroyed 1,200 homes in the thriving Black neighborhood of Greenwood, leaving an estimated 10,000 Black people homeless. Congress is considering reparations for victims and their descendants.And in headlines: Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an extreme ban on abortion, Billy Porter spoke about his HIV-positive diagnosis, and Mitch McConnell won't support a independent investigation of the Capitol insurrection.Show Notes:C-SPAN: "Tulsa Race Massacre Survivors Testify" – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3L1e90L9cEWSJ: "Gaza Doctors Say Hospitals Overwhelmed With Casualties From Israeli Airstrikes" – https://on.wsj.com/3405AtOFor a transcript of this episode, visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

20 Touko 202120min

Airstrikes have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with numerous vital resources damaged or destroyed. We spoke with Inès Abdel Razek, advocacy director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, about the situation on the ground. Also, EU members called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.The House passed an anti-Asian hate crimes bill, yesterday, which would speed up review of COVID-19 related hate crimes, help law enforcement to better identify anti-Asian bias, and more. We discuss the rise in anti-AAPI violence that led to the bill, plus the response to it.And in headlines: the police officers in North Carolina responsible for shooting Andrew Brown Jr. will not face criminal charges, Rudy Giuliani's son will run for governor of NY, and cicadas get high and watch their butts fall off. Plus, Elise Hu from NPR and TED Talks Daily fills in for Akilah Hughes.Show Notes:Some organizations where you can make donations to help the people in Gaza: Human Concern – humanconcern.org/palestine-relief Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) – imeu.funraise.org Islamic Relief USA – irusa.org/middle-east/palestine For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

19 Touko 202122min