Month: May 2020

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Read Me a Poem - “Postcard from Kashmir” by Agha Shahid Ali

Amanda Holmes reads Agha Shahid Ali’s poem, “Postcard from Kashmir.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.


This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.


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SCOTUScast - County of Maui, Hawai’i v. Hawai’i Wildlife Fund – Post-Decision SCOTUScast

On April 23, 2020, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court decided County of Maui, Hawai’i v. Hawai’i Wildlife Fund and vacated and remanded the case. The Court held that the Clean Water Act, which forbids “any addition” of any pollutant from “any point source” to “navigable waters” without the appropriate Environmental Protection Agency permit, requires a permit when there is a direct discharge from a point source into navigable waters or when there is the functional equivalent of a direct discharge.
Under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), someone seeking to discharge a pollutant from a “point source,” such as a pipe or well, into navigable water must first obtain a permit via the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program (NPDES). The County of Maui, Hawai’i (the County), owns and operates four wells at a wastewater treatment plant that processes several million gallons of sewage per day. Treated wastewater from the plant is injected into groundwater via these wells, and some ultimately enter the Pacific Ocean via submarine seeps.
The 6-3 opinion was given by Justice Breyer on April 23, 2020. Justice Kavanaugh filed a concurring opinion. Justice Thomas filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Gorsuch joined. Justice Alito filed a dissenting opinion.
To discuss the case, we have Glenn Roper, attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation.
As always, the Federalist Society takes no particular legal or public policy positions. All opinions expressed are those of the speakers.
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The Intelligence from The Economist - Degrees of separation: universities and covid-19

Many universities were on thin ice financially before the pandemic. Now, with foreign travel slumping and distancing measures the norm, a global reckoning is coming. In many Asian countries, Ramadan seems largely untouched by pandemic-protection measures; we ask why. And the vexing question of how many people live in North Macedonia.

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Bay Curious - What Help Is There for California’s Undocumented Immigrants?

Listener Russ Johnson asked how coronavirus is impacting undocumented Californians, and if leaders are working to help them. An estimated 2 million Californians are undocumented. Whether they're essential workers or have recently lost employment, none of them are eligible for federal aid right now. State and local governments, and non-profits are filling some of the void, but many are still left struggling.

Resources mentioned in the show:

Ask your COVID-19 questions in English, or in Spanish.

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Reporting by Farida Jhabvala Romero. This episode was produced by Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Devin Katayama, Alan Montecillo, Olivia Allen-Price and Rob Speight. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey and Vinnee Tong.

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Tech Won't Save Us - Elon Musk is a Cult Leader w/ Ilari Kaila

Paris Marx is joined by Ilari Kaila to talk about Elon Musk's latest unhinged tweeting episode, his self-serving calls to end COVID-19 lockdowns, and how the outlandish promises he makes and stories he makes result in a cult-like devotion by those who follow him.

Ilari Kaila is a Finnish-American writer and Composer-in-Residence at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His work has been published by Aeon Magazine, Jacobin Magazine, Muftah Magazine, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, and others. Read his blog post about how Elon Musk is a cult leader at LimitedHangoutBlog.com and follow him on Twitter as @IlariKaila.

Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.

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