Work From Homeroom
The school year is officially beginning in some states and there have already been disruptions due to students and staff testing positive for Covid-19. A huge number of students will learn remotely for now, with only 6 of the nation’s 25 largest school districts saying they will do in-person teaching. Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington all have primaries today. We highlight som...
17m Aug 04, 2020
17m
USPS We Can
Disruptions and delays to the postal service have prompted concern since so many people are planning to vote by mail this year. We break down what’s behind the delay, and how to ensure your vote is counted.  Congress still can’t agree on how to structure unemployment benefits in the next relief bill. Midwestern states like Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin are emerging as coronavirus hotspots. ...
17m Aug 03, 2020
17m
Can You Veep A Secret
The Biden campaign says they will announce his VP pick any day now. According to reports, over a dozen women are being vetted — some more seriously than others.  We talk to Crooked Media’s Alyssa Mastromonaco, who helped President Obama select Joe Biden, about what goes into the process in the final days and the importance of this decision.  To hear more from Alyssa, check out That’s The Ticket...
16m Jul 31, 2020
16m
I Don't Get No Relief
Rent is due next week, but we still don’t have a new relief bill to extend federal unemployment assistance and eviction protections. Negotiations have stalled, with Senate Republicans, the White House, and Democrats far apart in negotiations.  Federal agents will withdraw from Portland after a deal was reached between Oregon’s governor and the Department of Homeland Security. When this will hap...
16m Jul 30, 2020
16m
In Tech We Antitrust
The CEO’s of Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Alphabet will testify before Congress today in hearings that will examine whether their companies hurt consumers and stifle competition. The Trump administration isn't getting rid of DACA (yet) but it is trying to restrict it. And the country’s second largest teachers union says they’ll support their members if they want to strike rather than go back to...
16m Jul 29, 2020
16m
Moderna Medicine
Pharmaceutical company Moderna entered phase three trials of its Covid-19 vaccine, and plans to test the efficacy of their drug on 30,000 healthy participants. The director of the NIH said they plan to reach out to communities that have been hardest hit by the virus to form that sample group.  Major League Baseball has already announced that it’s postponing two games after players and coaches t...
16m Jul 28, 2020
16m
Jobless This Mess
Florida has now passed New York in total known coronavirus cases, making it the second worst-hit state behind California which is nearly twice its size. In Europe, the UK is imposing a two week quarantine on anyone who’s been in Spain after an uptick in virus spread there.  Republicans are set to propose their bill for the next round of coronavirus relief today. As federal unemployment benefits...
16m Jul 27, 2020
16m
Landlord Szn
The federal eviction moratorium from the CARES Act expires today, leaving up to 12 million people vulnerable to eviction if they can’t pay rent. Trump cancelled the Jacksonville portion of the RNC, after he moved the event there from North Carolina.  The Justice Department’s Inspector General and the Department of Homeland Security will investigate federal law enforcement actions in Portland. T...
17m Jul 24, 2020
17m
Don't Burst My NBA Bubble
NBA games start next week with just 22 qualifying teams finishing off the season that the pandemic put on hold back in March. We interview Tania Ganguli, who covers the Lakers for the LA Times and is reporting live from the Disney World basketball “bubble” where games will be held. The world passed 15 million coronavirus cases yesterday, with the US accounting for a quarter of that total.  And ...
21m Jul 23, 2020
21m
Makes No Census
Trump signed a memo yesterday that aims to omit undocumented immigrants from the census count. It seems like a way for Trump to side-step a Supreme Court ruling that removed citizenship questions from the census, and it's unclear how or if he'd even be able to do it.  Protests in Portland have only increased in response to the presence of federal agents. Democrats in the House are working to ta...
16m Jul 22, 2020
16m
Season's Briefings
Trump says he’s bringing back coronavirus briefings starting today. The largest teachers union in Florida is suing Governor Ron DeSantis for using an emergency order to compel public schools to fully reopen next month.  Americans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program at record high rates early on in the pandemic. Food stamps were set to be gutted by the Trump administration ...
16m Jul 21, 2020
16m
Portland Authority
Civil rights activists Rep. John Lewis and Minister CT Vivian passed away on Friday. Democrats in Congress are urging lawmakers to honor Lewis by passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020, which would restore voter protections struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013.  Federal agents in camouflage are patrolling streets in Portland, Oregon,using tear gas and other violent means to con...
18m Jul 20, 2020
18m
Hack In The USSR
The US, Canada, and Britain are alleging that Russian cyberspies are trying to steal coronavirus vaccine research. In more upbeat pharma news, the biotech company Moderna is making progress with its vaccine, which will soon undergo Phase 3 testing.  Last week was the 17th week in a row that new unemployment claims have exceeded 1 million countrywide. A new study showed that high unemployment ha...
15m Jul 17, 2020
15m
The Perks Of Being A Walmarter
All 5,300 plus Walmarts and Sam’s Clubs nationwide will begin requiring shoppers to wear masks next week. On the state level, half of the governors in the US have now instituted at least some kind of mask requirement in public settings.  New safety recommendations from the National Academies of Science, Engineering,and Medicine say schools should prioritize younger children and children with sp...
16m Jul 16, 2020
16m
BCC The CDC
We talk to The Atlantic’s Ed Yong about how public health workers and officials are fighting the pandemic, and what we're now learning about the potential long-lasting effects of Covid-19. The Trump administration is now asking hospitals to send data on Covid-19 patients directly to them and not the CDC.  And in headlines: Joe Biden announces new climate change proposal, Trump administration ba...
19m Jul 15, 2020
19m
There's Something About Fauci
California is re-closing many of its businesses as cases continue to rise. LA County and San Diego County schools have agreed to cancel in-person learning this fall in favor of going back online.  White House advisors to the president have been criticizing NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci in recent days. It definitely seems like retaliation for Fauci’s refusal to back down in the face of Trump’...
15m Jul 14, 2020
15m
May The Task Force Be With You
Arizona’s governor pushed back the start of the school year from early-August to mid-August since his state has the worst Covid-19 numbers in the nation. Teachers unions don’t think that a two-week delay is enough to keep students, staff, and faculty safe.  The Biden-Sanders joint task force put out policy recommendations last week, and left-leaning members seem happy with the direction things ...
18m Jul 13, 2020
18m
This Land Is Your Land
Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled that much of eastern Oklahoma is Native American tribal land, and that the state of New York has the power to subpoena Trump’s financial records.  The WHO has revised some past positions on coronavirus spread, and is now saying unequivocally that asymptomatic spread is possible, and coronavirus can linger and infect people in the air. And in headlines: Thailand...
16m Jul 10, 2020
16m
The Endless Summer
As the summer weeks go by, and the virus rages on, the big question remains: How to go back to school in the fall. Trump caused a minor crisis by criticizing the CDC’s recommendations on school reopenings and threatening to cut federal funding for schools that don’t reopen in person.  The Supreme Court announced a ruling yesterday that will exempt businesses from covering birth control for empl...
16m Jul 09, 2020
16m
Operation Warp Speed Ahead
The Trump administration officially started the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization. “Operation Warp Speed,” the government’s program to fast-track Covid-19 vaccine development, signed its largest deal so far, allocating $1.6 billion to the pharmaceutical company Novavax. Plus, an update on testing issues in hotspots across the country. Brazilian President and prominent vi...
17m Jul 08, 2020
17m
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 ...
16m Jul 07, 2020
16m
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 ...
16m Jul 06, 2020
16m
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 Ne...
17m Jun 26, 2020
17m
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 tre...
16m Jun 25, 2020
16m
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, ...
16m Jun 24, 2020
16m
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 b...
16m Jun 23, 2020
16m
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 da...
18m Jun 22, 2020
18m
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 hea...
19m Jun 19, 2020
19m
The Amazing Trace
COVID-19 cases have plateaued in the US at around 20,000 a day as some states are seeing outbreaks grow. That hasn’t stopped Texas governor Greg Abbot from enforcing his executive order that bans cities from making face coverings mandatory.  The police officer who killed Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, Georgia is now facing 11 charges including felony murder.  Contact tracers are working around the...
17m Jun 18, 2020
17m
Disqualified Immunity with Rep. Ayanna Pressley
Trump signed a fairly inconsequential executive order yesterday that is supposed to incentivize police departments to adopt reforms. Across the country, local officials are continuing to respond to protests against police brutality and systemic racism—some making more impactful moves than others.  We interview Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley about federal legislation on policing, and why end...
20m Jun 17, 2020
20m
Pride And Joy
Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act protects LGBTQ+ employees from workplace discrimination in a 6-3 ruling. This is the first major case involving transgender rights, and it comes from a decidedly conservative court. We get into what it means, and how we got here. Plus, the latest on coronavirus, where cases are on the rise and how states and business are reacting. And ...
17m Jun 16, 2020
17m
Black Trans Lives Matter
Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by a white officer in Atlanta this weekend, in another horrific instance of police violence. Atlanta’s police chief subsequently announced she would step down and the officer who shot Brooks was fired.  Tens of thousands of people protested violence against Black trans people this weekend in cities across America. These protests came just as the Trump adminis...
17m Jun 15, 2020
17m
CHAZ Good As It Gets
Police in Seattle abandoned their East Precinct building and ceded about six blocks of the city to protestors, who have now set up the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone or CHAZ. Some conservatives are comparing that area to “Lord of the Flies,” while those on the ground say it’s more like orientation week at Evergreen State College. Another 1.5 million workers filed for unemployment last week. Trump...
18m Jun 12, 2020
18m
More Police Money, More Police Problems
More than a third of states are seeing increases in Covid-19 cases in the last week. It’s hard to draw conclusions about what’s behind that trend—among states that reopened early, some are seeing cases plateau, while others are seeing cases ramp up.  Plus, journalist and lawyer Josie Duffy Rice fills in for Akilah Hughes. We discuss the culture of policing in this country and how shifting money...
22m Jun 11, 2020
22m
Georgia In My Line
Georgia held its primary yesterday, and in a state where officials have been accused of voter suppression, the elections were rife with issues. Polling stations saw hours-long lines that invariably led some voters to give up.  Raquel Willis, writer and trans activist, fills in for Akilah Hughes. We discuss how we can better support black queer and trans leadership in this moment. And in headlin...
17m Jun 10, 2020
17m
Extreme Cop Makeover
Democrats in Congress introduced the Justice In Policing Act yesterday, which includes a ban on chokeholds, a ban on no-knock warrants, and makes it easier to prosecute police officers. Plus, what New York's legislature is doing to reform policing in their state. Guest-host Dylan Marron fills in for Akilah Hughes. He shares lessons from his podcast “Conversations With People Who Hate Me," on ho...
20m Jun 09, 2020
20m
MPD Unplugged
Minneapolis City Council members have said they intend to disband the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a community-based public safety model. On the federal level, Democrats will introduce reform legislation today that, among other things, will change the standard for use of force. We interview Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who recently took the lead in the prosecut...
22m Jun 08, 2020
22m
Still Marching After All These Years
Trump’s former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis published a scathing indictment of his presidency, and he’s been backed up by Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski. Lawmakers in the Congressional Black Caucus are preparing a piece of police legislation that will aim to end racial profiling and qualified immunity. We speak with Dr. Keisha Blain, a professor of African American History at University of P...
23m Jun 05, 2020
23m
No Statues For Bad Men
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has upgraded charges against George Floyd’s killer Derek Chauvin by adding a charge of second-degree felony murder. The three officers on the scene who did nothing to protect Floyd have also been charged, with offenses that include aiding and abetting second-degree murder.  One full week of protests has produced immediate changes nationwide. Confederate ...
17m Jun 04, 2020
17m
Presidential Insurrection
Trump’s threat to deploy military to states to help squash unrest would require him to use the Insurrection Act of 1807. We discuss that law’s history and whether Trump would need support from governors to invoke it.  Former VP Joe Biden spoke on Monday, discussing inequality, racial injustice, and calling for unity. Biden is now proposing federal legislation to reform police, and has committed...
17m Jun 03, 2020
17m
Curfew Enthusiasm
Protests against racial violence continued in well over 100 cities, leading local officials to continue to take drastic measures like curfews and calling up the National Guard. Police in Washington, DC charged a group of peaceful protestors so that Trump could take a bad photo in front of a church.  The organization Campaign Zero gathers data on policies aimed at ending police violence. We disc...
18m Jun 02, 2020
18m
Protesting 1, 2, 3
Protests in response to the police killing of George Floyd continued throughout the weekend. There were demonstrations in over 75 American cities, leading local officials to activate the National Guard in at least 11 states, and impose curfews. At one point, Trump hid underground.  Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughte...
19m Jun 01, 2020
19m
Trump Orders You To Log Off
President Trump signed an executive order aimed at social media companies yesterday. We explain what's behind it and why legal experts don't think it's going anywhere. Varshini Prakash is the co-founder and executive director of Sunrise Movement. She's also an advocate for the Green New Deal who’s been appointed to Joe Biden’s climate change task force. We speak with her about what she’s pushin...
20m May 29, 2020
20m
The Sisterhood Of The Traveling RNC
The planned site of the Republican National Convention this August is North Carolina, one of the states where coronavirus case numbers are currently on the rise. Governor Roy Cooper’s understandable concerns about this event going forward have led to a low-tier scramble, with Georgia and Florida offering to host.  Also in Florida… key American innovation Walt Disney World has announced reopenin...
16m May 28, 2020
16m
Racism Cont'd
George Floyd was killed by police officers in Minneapolis this week, in an abusive and excessive show of force. We discuss his murder and the incident in Central Park this Monday where a white woman threatened Christian Cooper, a black man, distorting the facts in an apparent attempt to evoke an aggressive law enforcement response. Click here for anti-racism resources and organizations to follo...
23m May 27, 2020
23m
Dropping The Bolsonaro
The US has imposed a ban on flights from Brazil because of a dangerous surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. This comes after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro repeatedly dismissed the severity of the pandemic and mocked social distancing efforts... even as the country became a global hotspot for coronavirus.  A federal judge in Florida has ruled against a state law that required people convicte...
18m May 26, 2020
18m
Grand Re-Opening, Grand Re-Closing
China’s leaders are poised to impose a controversial new national security law in Hong Kong. The law would reportedly ban secession, subversion of state power, foreign interference, and terrorism. All that will essentially put Hong Kong more under China’s control and political system. Facebook has followed Twitter’s lead and will move to allow employees to work more from home, even after the pa...
21m May 22, 2020
21m
We'll CDC What Happens
The CDC has quietly posted a report with detailed suggestions about how to reopen. We dig into it and how the states might or might not use it. More than 900 children have been deported since March under a new pandemic border policy. Before, children had the opportunity to speak with a social worker or make a plea for asylum. Now, they can deported within hours of arrival in the US.  And in hea...
18m May 21, 2020
18m
Contact Tracing: There's An App For That
Contact tracing apps have been adopted in countries around the world to track the spread of COVID-19, but they’re not being used as much in the US. American tech companies are working to get these apps up-and-running… despite some privacy concerns. Cybersecurity reporter Patrick Howell O'Neill joins the show to update us on how these apps are working worldwide. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin ...
21m May 20, 2020
21m
WHO's Fault Is It Anyway?
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will testify this morning about the economic crisis and response. We preview the hearing. A biotech company called Moderna reported preliminary results from a phase one trial of their coronavirus vaccine. So far, the results are positive—but the vaccine still has a lot more testing to go. Plus, California starts its progra...
17m May 19, 2020
17m