What A Day

Latest Episodes:

Which Side Are You Amazon? Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

Amazon faces its first unionization vote in the country in seven years next week in Bessemer, Alabama, and if the workers decide to unionize, it could spark waves of action across the country.

We interviewed Christian Smalls, a former Amazon employee, who led a walkout last March at a warehouse in Staten Island and was subsequently fired. He told us about his experience, his thoughts on the union push in Alabama, and what's next for essential workers.

And in headlines: Andrew Cuomo signs a bill to repeal the “walking while trans” ban in New York, Canada designates the Proud Boys as a terrorist organization, and country music’s Morgan Wallen gets dropped after using the n-word.

Show Links:

"Amazon to face first U.S. unionization vote in seven years next month"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/15/amazon-union-alabama-vote/

The Congress Of Essential Workers

https://tcoew.org/

Follow Christian Smalls on Twitter

https://twitter.com/Shut_downAmazon

Get In Loser, We're Doing Budget Reconciliation Feb 03, 2021

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Trump’s second impeachment trial starts next week in the Senate, and yesterday we got a preview of the arguments both sides will be making. We go through the details of legal filings from the House Managers, and the response from Trump's team.

Democrats in the Senate voted yesterday to get the budget reconciliation process started, which they could use to pass coronavirus relief. Meanwhile, Biden signed three executive orders focused on immigration, including one to reunite families that were separated by Trump's immigration policies.

And in headlines: Russia’s COVID vaccine is highly safe and effective, Wikipedia rolls out new code of conduct, and Jeff Bezos steps down as Amazon’s CEO.

The Needle And The Doses Done Feb 02, 2021

Show notes

The daily pace of vaccinations is picking up, with some states working faster than others. We talk about states that have given the most shots per capita, and what’s led them to succeed relative to the country at-large.

Following the 2020 election, Republicans at the state level are doing all they can to pass laws to suppress the vote, particularly vote-by-mail. It’s also a redistricting year. We explain.

And in headlines: police in Rochester pepper sprayed a Black 9-year-old girl while she was handcuffed, Facebook and Apple feud over data privacy, and Robinhood got 2.4 billion in funding yesterday.

Show Links:

Subscribe to Hysteria! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hysteria/id1399025196

"After Record Turnout, Republicans Are Trying to Make It Harder to Vote"

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/30/us/republicans-voting-georgia-arizona.html

Less Talkie, More Stimmy Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

A group of Republican Senators are sending Biden a counter-proposal on Covid relief. They want to slash the bill by over a trillion dollars, and limit the size and scope of stimulus checks. They’re framing it as a bipartisan solution, but Democrats are reportedly planning to move forward with their own plan using budget reconciliation.

The average number of new cases in the US has dropped off significantly since peaking three weeks ago, but January was still an awful month in the pandemic, and the presence of new variants has the potential to disrupt progress. Johnson & Johnson released data for their one-shot vaccine candidate last Friday. We explain what to make of it.

And in headlines: several members of Myanmar’s ruling party were detained in a possible military coup, Hong Kong residents can now apply to become permanent British citizens, and Trump hires two new attorneys for his Senate impeachment trial.

Subreddit And Forget It Jan 29, 2021

Show notes

The COVID strain first discovered in South Africa was found in the United States for the first time in the state of South Carolina. This strain is more contagious, and there’s some concern that it might be slightly more vaccine resistant than the strains we’ve been dealing with thus far.

Robinhood and similar trading platforms restricted purchases of Gamestop stock and other companies targeted by Redditors yesterday, and the values of those stocks dropped off dramatically. We talk through the steps that brought us to this point, how lawmakers are reacting, and what's next.

And in headlines: nationwide protests in Poland as the government enacts a near-total abortion ban, Austin votes to use police money to fund supportive housing, and GM will stop making gas and diesel powered cars by 2035.

Show Links:

"Robinhood’s Customers Are Hedge Funds Like Citadel, Its Users Are the Product"

https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjpnz5/robinhoods-customers-are-hedge-funds-like-citadel-its-users-are-the-product

The Gig Short Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

At the Biden team's first public health briefing, officials noted that the number of COVID cases and hospitalizations in the US is on a downward trend, and they also emphasized the importance of genomic sequencing for detecting coronavirus variants.

Over 10 million people are still out of work due to the pandemic, and recent data suggest that the economy isn't getting any better. We spoke to people who have lost their jobs about what they are going through right now, months and months into the crisis.

And in headlines: a Seattle Seahawks player arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence, Biden signs executive orders directed at climate change, and another banner day for stonks.

All In A Hundred Days Work Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

Impeachment is moving forward in the Senate despite a Republican effort to dismiss it yesterday, but a conviction next month doesn't seem likely.

Meanwhile, Senate leaders finally came to an agreement on Monday on how the 50-50 chamber would run, with the filibuster intact. For many of President Biden’s larger goals, he will need Congress to cooperate. We spoke to Crooked Media’s Editor in Chief and host of Rubicon, Brian Beutler, about the new Congress and Biden’s first 100 days in office.

And in headlines: Biden signs four executive orders targeted at fighting racial inequality, farmers continue to protest in India, and Putin and Biden get on the phone.

Show Links:

Subscribe to Rubicon: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rubicon-the-first-hundred-days-of-the-biden-presidency/id1485109198

Life With The Fast Strains Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

Pfizer and Moderna say their vaccines may be less effective against a new coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom somewhat inexplicably lifted statewide stay-at-home orders… that decision received quick backlash given the dire state of the pandemic, especially in Southern California.

Ice loss around the globe is accelerating at a record pace according to a new study, and is line with the worst case climate change scenarios that scientists projected. We discuss Biden’s early efforts to counteract climate change, including plans to limit new drilling on federal land, and more.

And in headlines: Biden lifts Trump’s ban on transgender service members in the military, Amazon warehouse workers will vote on whether they want to unionize, and Rudy Giuliani faces a $1.3 billion lawsuit for Dominion defamation.

Anarchy In The GOP Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

The House is expected to send the article of impeachment to the Senate today, with the trial set to begin the week of February 8th. There’s a distinct lack of harmony right now in the GOP, with House members who voted to impeach Trump facing backlash from local party officials, and national Republican leaders trying to hold things together.

The US surpassed 25 million COVID cases this weekend, with some researchers saying the latest surge may have peaked… but where it has leveled off is a disaster. We talk through the state of vaccinations nationally, plus what we need to know about coronavirus variants.

And in headlines: Chicago Teachers Union votes to defy an order to return to in-person teaching, anti-Putin protests in Russia, and Miami Heat to use dogs to test for COVID.

Show Links:

"Black, Deaf And Extremely Online" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/23/us/black-american-sign-language-tiktok.html

"Vaccines Alone Will Not Halt The Raging U.S. Pandemic, Modelling Shows" https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/24/world/covid-19-coronavirus/vaccines-alone-will-not-halt-the-raging-us-pandemic-modeling-shows

Not Throwing Away My Shot Jan 22, 2021

Show notes

Biden released a 200-page national plan yesterday to centralize the COVID response effort, along with a flurry of executive orders and directives targeted at the health crisis. Plus, a more candid Dr. Fauci did his first press briefing under the new administration.

The vaccine goal for the Biden administration is 100 million shots in the first 100 days. We spoke with Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health about that plan, whether it’s fast enough, the threat of new variants, and more.

And we’re joined by actor and comedian Alice Wetterlund for headlines: rumors of a forbidden romance between a 30 Rock Star and a MyPillow guy, new rooster laws in France, and Instacart fires all its unionized employees.

Show Links:

Listen to Rubicon Season 2: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/rubicon/

Follow Alice Wetterlund: https://twitter.com/alicewetterlund

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