Month: June 2020

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Opening Arguments - OA391: Republicans Are Still Trying To Break the Government, Part Eleven Billion

Today's episode takes a deep dive into H.R. 965, which (quite sensibly) permits proxy voting in the House of Representatives in light of the COVID-19 crisis, and the lawsuit filed by various Republican lawmakers to try and stop it. Good news! The lawsuit has no chance of success thanks to... litigation prompted by Donald Trump.

We begin, however, with an update on the DOJ probe into insider trading allegations against four Senators that allegedly -- either on their own behalf or via another party -- sold off stock prior to the public pronouncements about COVID-19 that tanked the stock market. Who got off? Who's left under the microscope? Is there anything nefarious here? We break it all down for you!

After that it's time to delve into the recent legislation and accompanying (nonsense) lawsuit by Republicans challenging the House's simple resolution, H.R. 965 (and the implementing legislation, H.R. 967). Find out how the whole thing is going to be precluded thanks to the D.C. Circuit's recent ruling in Blumenthal v. Trump, which was of course hailed as a victory for the President at the time.

Then, it's time to check back in with #T3BE involving potential negligence for a factory that failed to install sprinklers. Can Thomas pull this one out? Listen and find out!

Patreon Bonuses

If you missed our Live Q&A #32, the audio is now up for all Patrons! Also remember that Patrons can give their input on the OA Amicus Brief!

Appearances

None! If you’d like to have either of us as a guest on your show, event, or in front of your group (virtually!), please drop us an email at openarguments@gmail.com.

Show Notes & Links

  1. DOJ probe links: (a) here's the NPR link to the story; and (b) here's the GovTrack link to the fact that Marco Rubio still doesn't do his damn job.
  2. On remote voting, check out (a) H.R. 965 (and the implementing legislation, H.R. 967; (b) the D.C. Circuit's recent ruling in Blumenthal v. Trump; (c) our discussion of that case in Episode 361; (d) the Congressional Research Service article we discussed; and (e) United States v. Ballin, 144 U.S. 1 (1892).

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

-Follow us on Twitter:  @Openargs

-Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/openargs/, and don’t forget the OA Facebook Community!

-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-Remember to check out our YouTube Channel  for Opening Arguments: The Briefs and other specials!

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com!

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The Gist - Trump Can’t Heal America

On the Gist, guns and violence.

In the interview, Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer are here to discuss their new podcast This Day in Esoteric Political History. Mike talks to them about Hands Across America, the Johnstown flood, and the meaning of esoteric.

In the spiel, what is reasonable, and do we need to hear from Trump?

Email us at thegist@slate.com

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Margaret Kelley.

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Pod Save America - “Justice for George Floyd.”

George Floyd’s murder sparks nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism, Donald Trump responds by hiding in the White House and tweeting, and Joe Biden ventures out to meet with protesters and black community leaders. DeRay Mckesson joins to talk about what police reforms actually work, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms talks to Jon F. about grappling with this crisis as a mayor and a mother.

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Consider This from NPR - Protesting In A Pandemic; The Fight Over Mail-In Voting

The coronavirus pandemic has collided with protests all over the country over police brutality and the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and many other black Americans.

Now public health officials are concerned for the health of protesters. Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms even encouraged protesters in her city to get tested.

NPR's Pam Fessler reports the legal fight between Democrats and Republicans over mail-in voting has intensified ever since the pandemic hit.

Listen to Short Wave's episode about what we will ⁠— and won't ⁠— remember about the pandemic on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and NPR One.

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CoinDesk Podcast Network - BREAKDOWN: The Power and Peril of the ‘Bitcoin Fixes This’ Meme

As the U.S. experiences the most sustained civil disobedience in more than a generation, an exploration of what role bitcoin has to play in building a better system.

This episode is sponsored by Bitstamp and Ciphertrace.

Cities around the country have been engulfed in protest in the wake of the murder of 46-year-old black man George Floyd. There is an intense battle for the narrative around the protests. Are they legitimate outcries against institutional racism and police brutality? Is the looting covertly being driven by white supremacists on the one hand or ANTIFA on the other? 

In the Bitcoin community, some have plumbed the “Bitcoin Fixes This” meme to argue that the core underlying issue has to do with a monetary system that structurally creates inequality. Others have clapped back against pushing that meme in this moment. 

In this episode of The Breakdown, NLW looks at:

  • What bitcoiners are trying to say when they apply the “Bitcoin Fixes This” meme to this moment.
  • Why the current system structurally exacerbates inequality.
  • Why the meme fails to capture additional economic, political and power dimensions of what’s going on.
  • Why the meme in this moment might feel so out of place as to inspire the opposite of its intended effect: turning people away from bitcoin rather than making them want to learn more.
  • Why Satoshi’s “If you don’t get it, I don’t have time to explain it to you” quote is the most misused and abused of his sayings.
  • Why complexity and nuance, not memes, are needed now.

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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - The Demand For Change Across The Country, And What Comes Next

From Minneapolis to New York, D.C. to Detroit, to right here in Chicago, the chants can be heard: “I can’t breathe,” “No justice, no peace” and “Black lives matter.” Across the country, people have taken to the streets to express their hurt and their outrage.

Today on Reset, we take stock of what’s led the country to this moment, and start to talk about the steps needed to achieve racial equity once and for all.

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Cato Daily Podcast - Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Protest Movements That Get Things Done

The relationships between police and communities are as thin as they've ever been. How do protest movements that achieve concrete ends actually do it? Fabio Rojas is a sociologist at Indiana University. We discussed recent high-profile killings and how protestors can maximize their impact.

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

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Cato Daily Podcast - Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Protest Movements That Get Things Done

The relationships between police and communities are as thin as they've ever been. How do protest movements that achieve concrete ends actually do it? Fabio Rojas is a sociologist at Indiana University. We discussed recent high-profile killings and how protestors can maximize their impact.

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

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Time To Say Goodbye - A cop is still a cop; ‘PoC’ respectability politics, and how China sees the American Uprising

A special welcome to all new subscribers!  

Today’s episode is about the murder of George Floyd and the actions around the country.

A few days ago, Jay wrote in our newsletter about Tou Thao, the Hmong cop who participated in Floyd’s killing, and “the myths of Asian American solidarity.” Jay describes what motivated this post, and we discuss when Asian American self-reflection is useful versus narcissistic

Tammy and Jay describe the protests they attended in Brooklyn and Oakland, respectively, over the weekend (May 29 and 30). We also discuss the allegation—made by local, state, and national officials as well as liberal media—that the uprisings in Minneapolis and other cities have been the work of “outside agitators.” Finally, Andy asks whether having an international spotlight on these protests could serve progressive ends. 

0:30- We discuss Jay’s essay, “Tou Thao and the Myths of Asian American Solidarity,” which preceded the first Minnesota protests.

5:45 -  Street updates from Tammy (Brooklyn) and Jay (Oakland). 

26:50- Tammy explains the theory and practice of mutual aid, and we unpack the unsubstantiated news of “outside agitators.” (Note that the Minneapolis government retracted this claim after an investigation into arrest records, but other parties have continued to run with it.) 

59:20- Andy lays out a bizarre parallel: American conservatives support the Hong Kong protests but denounce Black Lives Matter; tankies believe the opposite. Could this moment present an opportunity for international solidarity? How might we use international criticism of the U.S. to support a left agenda?

ABOUT US

Time to Say Goodbye is a podcast—with your hosts, Jay Caspian Kang, Tammy Kim, and Andy Liu. We launched this thing because, like you, we’ve been sheltering in place and wanted an outlet for our thoughts on the coronavirus, Asia, geopolitics, and Asian Americans.

A short introduction to your hosts:

Jay Caspian Kang is a writer-at-large for the New York Times Magazine and the author of the forthcoming book The Loneliest Americans.

E. Tammy Kim is a magazine reporter, a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, and a retired lawyer. She co-edited the book Punk Ethnography.

Andrew Liu is a historian of modern China. He wrote a book called Tea War, about the history of capitalism in Asia. He remains a huge Supersonics fan.



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