Aid In America
Emergency unemployment benefits included in the CARES Act are set to expire at the end of the month. With that deadline looming, and the health crisis raging, we look at what the next potential aid package might include.Some colleges and universities have announced their back-to-Zoom plans for classes in the fall. The faculty at Georgia Tech are currently pushing back against a plan to resume in-person classes, while Harvard will make all classes remote while charging full-price for tuition, and hosting some freshmen on campus.And in headlines: the Dakota Access Pipeline must be shut down during review, Uber eats Postmates, and Amy Cooper could be charged in New York.
7 Juli 202016min
Captain America: Culture War
Scientists worldwide want the World Health Organization to take a stronger stance on airborne transmission of COVID-19. In the US, records were set last week for the highest number of daily cases, with hotspots that led some governors to halt re-openings or begin re-closings. Trump gave some hall-of-fame dumb speeches this week, stoking division by focusing on “cancel culture”, then adding to the confusion around coronavirus by downplaying the disease’s severity. And in headlines: new opinions to come from SCOTUS, sports teams consider name changes, and some fish eggs that don’t give a duck.
6 Juli 202016min
Your Antibody Is A Wonderland
New antibody data from the CDC indicates that only 1 in 10 COVID-19 cases in the country have been identified. That still means more than 90 percent of the country hasn’t had the virus. Incidences of police brutality continue to be reported around the country. Three officers resigned and the police chief offered his resignation in Tucson, where Carlos Ingram-Lopez died in police custody. In New York, an NYPD officer was charged with using an illegal chokehold. And in headlines: the Supreme Court says asylum seekers can’t challenge their deportations in court, the Democratic Republic of the Congo ends its Ebola outbreak, and The Dixie Chicks reinvent themselves. We’re taking a weeklong summer hiatus! We’ll be back on Monday, July 6th.
26 Juni 202016min
It Takes Two Bills To Make Reform Go Right
Democrats in the Senate blocked a Republican police reform bill yesterday, and Democrats in the House are expected to bring their police reform bill to the floor today. In Colorado, millions are calling for a new investigation into the death of Elijah McClain, who was killed in police custody last year. The country hit its single-day high in new confirmed coronavirus cases yesterday. A new trend is emerging of local jurisdictions making their own calls in the absence of state and federal leadership. And in headlines: early results from Tuesday’s primaries, GNC goes bankrupt, and Roundup pays out 10 billion to settle cancer suits.
25 Juni 202016min
Meat The Packers
An estimated 25,000 cases of COVID-19 are tied to U.S. meatpacking plants, where employees work in close quarters and enclosed spaces. We speak with a Smithfield Foods employee out of South Dakota about what it's been like at her facility. Dr. Fauci says the US is experiencing a “disturbing surge” of infections after states reopened too quickly. But he’s cautiously optimistic about a vaccine, suggesting that one could be available as soon as the end of this year. And in headlines: federal prosecutors will testify against Bill Barr, Seattle’s CHAZ to be dismantled, and celebrities continue to say sorry for doing blackface.
24 Juni 202016min
Visas Banned in DC
Trump signed a new executive order yesterday temporarily barring new foreign workers from coming to the US until the end of the year. The tech industry has warned that this order hinders their ability to recruit top talent. In Minneapolis, a city council pledge to dismantle the police department could be harder to implement than expected. And one county jail is facing criticism for allegedly blocking non-white correctional officers from guarding former police officer Derek Chauvin. And in headlines: CARES Act stimulus checks prevented poverty, four authors quit JK Rowling’s agency, and the FDA advises against nine brands of hand sanitizer.
23 Juni 202016min
To The Left, To The Left
New York, Virginia, and Kentucky have primaries on Tuesday. We speak with two progressive candidates for congress: Jamaal Bowman, who’s running against incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel for New York’s 16th congressional district, and Charles Booker, who’s running against Amy McGrath, for senate in Kentucky.COVID-19 is still happening in the US, whether government officials recognize it or not. New daily cases have hit record highs in 12 states, with about 30,000 new daily cases countrywide. And in headlines: an 18-year-old security guard is killed by police in Los Angeles, Bill Barr tries to fire someone quietly and fails, and a new name for Columbus, Ohio.Head to crooked.com/podcast/to-the-left-to-the-left/ to read a transcript of our full interview with Jamaal Bowman.
22 Juni 202018min
DREAM On
The Supreme Court ruled that Trump can’ t immediately end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, because his administration’s reasons for ending it are not sufficient. We explain what comes next. Today is Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. We discuss the day’s significance and why this year’s Juneteenth feels different than others. And in headlines: Seattle’s largest labor group votes to expel the police union, California’s mask law, and a high-tech new ring for the NBA.
19 Juni 202018min
