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It’s Time to Talk About UFOs Jul 02, 2021

Show notes

Last week, the U.S. government released a new report that attempts to categorize 144 verified sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAP. They could only definitively explain one of them.

The new report signals a shift in the way we think about UAP. As technology has advanced and evidence of these encounters has increased, the question has become more urgent: What exactly is happening in our skies?

Guest: Shane Harris, intelligence and national security reporter for the Washington Post

Host

Lizzie O’Leary

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What’s Kyrsten Sinema’s Deal? Jul 01, 2021

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Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema has become a constant source of consternation for the left wing of the Democratic party. But early in her career, she was a vocal proponent of progressive ideals. How did she turn into one of the party’s staunchest defenders of bipartisan compromise?

Guest: Amanda Becker, Washington Correspondent for the 19th.

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What Really Happened in the Miami Tower Collapse Jun 30, 2021

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The Champlain Tower South building in Surfside Florida collapsed early last Thursday morning, seemingly out of the blue. But reporting shows that the condo board members were aware the building was structurally unsound for years.

Right now the death toll stands at 12, with 149 people still unaccounted for. How did such a preventable tragedy take place?

Guest: Daniel Rivero, reporter for WLRN in Miami.

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#FreeBritney Is Just the Beginning Jun 29, 2021

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Pop star Britney Spears spoke out in court last week about the conservatorship she’s been under for 13 years, shedding light on all the restrictions she’s lived under. In doing so, Spears opened up a world rarely-seen outside of courtrooms and the reality for an estimated 1.3 million people living under a court-ordered guardianship.

Guest: Sara Luterman, freelance journalist covering disability policy, politics and culture.

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Will the NFL Finally Support Gay Players? Jun 28, 2021

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Last week, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end, Carl Nassib, came out in an Instagram post, making him the first openly gay active player in NFL histroy. The league immediately posted in in celebration of Nassib’s announcement. But given the NFL’s sorry history of standing by players on the vanguard, will the league really put its money where its mouth is this time?

Guest: LZ Granderson, LA Times opinion columnist and host of ABC News’ “Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson.”

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TBD | Welcome to Bitcoin Beach Jun 25, 2021

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For nearly two years, an unprecedented experiment has been taking place in the town of El Zonte in El Salvador. Funded by a mysterious donor, the town’s residents built a Bitcoin economy, using the cryptocurrency to purchase just about anything.

Now, El Slavador has passed a new law making it the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Can they replicate El Zonte’s success at a national scale?

Guest: Ezra Fieser, reporter at Bloomberg

Host

Lizzie O’Leary

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Bitcoin Beach Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

Now, El Slavador has passed a new law making it the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Can they replicate El Zonte’s success at a national scale?

Guest: Ezra Fieser, reporter at Bloomberg

Host

Lizzie O’Leary

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Delta Variant: BFD or NBD? Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

COVID’s Delta variant is on the rise in the U.S. The data suggest we have room for optimism -- so why are we seeing dire messages from public health experts?

Guest: Dr. Monica Gandhi, infectious diseases and HIV doctor at UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital.

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Are the Democrats Blowing It on Voting Rights? Jun 23, 2021

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Senate Democrats tried to open up debate on sweeping voting rights legislation Tuesday but were stopped by a lack of support from their Republican counterparts. Would a more incremental approach have succeeded?

Guest: Rick Hasen, professor of law and political science at the University of California–Irvine School of Law and the author of Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy.

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Can Lina Khan Really Take On Monopolies? Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

America has gone soft on monopolies. A small number of businesses control an ever-increasing market share with only muted protests from the Federal Trade Commission, the supposed antitrust watchdog of the U.S. government. But that all might be about to change with Lina Khan’s appointment as FTC chair.

Guest: Matt Stoller, director of research at the American Economic Liberties Project and the author of Goliath: The Hundred Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy. Stoller also writes the Substack newsletter, BIG.

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