Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell spoke Thursday at the annual Jackson Hole conference convened by the Kansas City Fed, which was virtual this year due to COVID-19.
In the highly anticipated speech, Powell laid out a number of key changes to how the Fed approaches unemployment and inflation.
In this recap, NLW looks at how people reacted to the speech. On the one hand, there is disagreement between those who anticipate out of control inflation and those who think the Fed’s track record on achieving even modest inflation is abysmal. On the other, almost everyone seems to think the Fed appears run down, out of tools and increasingly looking to support from Congress.
The Latin Alphabet has become the most widespread system of writing in the world. Its origins can be traced back thousands of years to Ancient Romans and to civilizations before that. It is probably the single biggest thing that we use today which originated in Rome.
Today’s English alphabet, you know that one from the song, is a modification of the system which was used by the Romans, which has had some unique quirks in the past that most English speakers are unaware of.
Episode ninety-five of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “You Better Move On”, and the sad story of Arthur Alexander. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.
What if Chris Cornell -- and Chester Bennington -- were actually murdered? How much do we really know about the early spread of COVID-19 in the US? And what's going on with that long-lost British base buried in the Rock of Gibraltar? All this and more in this week's edition of Listener Mail.
Hurricane Laura slams the Louisiana coast as a category four. Sports teams boycott over police violence. Mike Pence takes center stage at the Republican convention. CBS News Correspondent Steve Kathan has today's World News Roundup.
Baratunde shares the four pillars of How To Citizen. Eric Liu, founder of Citizen University, schools us on power - what it is, who has it, and how the practice of citizenship is empty without this literacy. They also discuss how this power needs to be coupled with civic character to prevent us from becoming finely-skilled sociopaths. Eric answers questions from the live audience and Baratunde gives you some ways to practice understanding and using power.
Show Notes + Links
We are grateful to Eric Liu for coming on the show and schooling us on power.
Buy his books here at our online bookshop for the show that supports local bookstores. Check out Citizen University for more tools for how to citizen and follow @ericpliu on Twitter.
We will post this episode, a transcript, show notes and more at howtocitizen.com.
ACTION FOR THIS EPISODE, HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO
External Action:
Start or join a club. Practice power by being in relationship with others in a self-organized environment.
Interacting with a group of people who are self-organized around a shared interest but who may be very different from you otherwise, allows you to experience and practice being a part of how groups of people make decisions, self-govern, be accountable to each other, negotiate different needs and perspectives, collaborate, and resolve conflicts. Because it is all self-selected, the dynamics are more peer-to-peer, mimicking how we work together as members of society as opposed to a work or family environment.
Internal Action:
Practice seeing and understanding power.
It will literally become your “super-power” as a citizen.
Pick an issue that you care about that impacts a specific community or the general public.
Who benefits from the current state of things, and who doesn’t?
Lastly, how are the decisions about this issue made - is there accountability, transparency, and participation by those most affected?
Who influences the decision-making process and what types of power do they use?
If you took either action or both, share with us what happened or how you felt - action@howtocitizen.com. Mention Episode 01 in the subject line.
Visit Baratunde's website to sign up for his newsletter to learn about upcoming guests, live tapings, and more. Follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844.
How To Citizen with Baratunde is a production of I Heart Radio Podcasts. executive produced by Miles Gray, Nick Stumpf, Elizabeth Stewart, and Baratunde Thurston. Produced by Joelle Smith, edited by Justin Smith. Powered by you.
Baratunde lays the spiritual foundation for the show. His first guest, Valarie Kaur, activist and author of See no Stranger, helps us go inward to ready our hearts and minds for How To Citizen. Welcome to the show!
In December 2016, activist, lawyer, and Sikh faith leader Valarie Kaur, asked this question in her Prayer for America: “What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb, but the darkness of the womb? What if our America is not dead but a country still waiting to be born? What if the story of America is one long labor?” Nearly four years later, Baratunde could think of no better spiritual invocation for this show than a conversation with Valarie, the author of See No Stranger. In the premiere episode of this podcast, Baratunde and Valarie discuss the role of love, joy and relationships in reimagining and reclaiming the act of being a citizen.
Show Notes
We are grateful to Valarie Kaur for helping us give birth to this show.
Buy her book See No Stranger here at our online bookshop for the show that supports local bookstores.
We will post this episode, a transcript, show notes and more at howtocitizen.com.
ACTION FOR THIS EPISODE, HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO
Take 10-15 minutes to think about the questions below - ideal is to let yourself write down any thoughts that come to mind. It’s not about putting down a single word answer for each. Laying this internal foundation will be important as we start to take actions outward in relationship with others.
Number 1: What is your super power in our fight to make society better for us all? (voice, pen, bank account)
Number 2: What protects you, and who has your back when things get tough? (law degree, social media feed)
Number 3: Who is your beloved community, the group of people you connect with most deeply? (show up with you when things get hard)
Number 4: What object or activity will ground and center you, reminding you who you are?
Number 5: Where do you find joy, and how will you protect your joy every day?
We’d love to hear your reflections to one or all of these questions - email us action@howtocitizen.com. Mention Episode 1 in the subject line.
Visit Baratunde's website to sign up for his newsletter to learn about upcoming guests and live tapings, and more. Follow him on Instagram or join his Patreon. You can even text him, like right now at 202-894-8844.
How To Citizen with Baratunde is a production of I Heart Radio Podcasts. executive produced by Miles Gray, Nick Stumpf, Elizabeth Stewart, and Baratunde Thurston. Produced by Joelle Smith, edited by Justin Smith. Powered by you.
Sarah tells Mike about her new foray into Dad Studies and, for the second time this week, discusses a horror movie about families from 1975 and sings a little.
