Month: December 2020

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The Allusionist - 127. A Festive Hit for 2020

The usual canon of Christmas songs may not really fit people's moods in this year 2020, when I'm not sure a lot of us are feeling all that holly jolly. So I drafted in singer and songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs and we wrote a festive song that is suitable for 2020.

Content note: there are swears. Several of them.

Jenny Owen Youngs makes music - find it at jennyowenyoungs.com - and podcasts - Buffering the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars Investigations. She’s @jennyowenyoungs on Twitter and Instagram.

Martin Austwick provided music, backing vocals and linguistic analysis. Hear Martin’s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or on Spotify, and he’s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. He also composed the music for the kids’ science podcast Maddie’s Sound Explorers.

There’s more about this episode at theallusionist.org/mistletoe.

The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/allusionist. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow.

Also, check out the previous festive Allusionist episodes, absolute bangers, one and all! We’ve got Winterval, a jolly romp through a portmanteau that sparked another war on the war on Christmas; How The Dickens Stole Christmas, about how Charles Dickens became a festive trend-setter; Dear Santa, about how a load of letters to Santa got delivered to a couple in Manhattan, who set out to answer them; and Xmas Man, about the many names for Santa/Father Christmas/St Nick, and deathy and meaty Victorian Christmas cards.

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The Best One Yet - “The (New) Roaring 2020s” — Disney’s Shmovies. Restoration Hardware’s Gatsby earnings. Pfizer’s vaccine payday.

Happy Vaccine Day, Snackers… The first US vaccines shots could hit this afternoon, so we’re looking at Pfizer’s $19B payday. Restoration Hardware’s earnings report reads like a Gatsby novel because its stores expect a new Roaring 20’s. And Disney shares hit an all-time high thanks to a new strategy we’re calling “Shmovies.” $RH $DIS $PFE $MRNA Got a SnackFact? Tweet it @RobinhoodSnacks @TBOYJack @NickOfNewYork Want a shoutout on the pod? Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/KhUAo31xmkSdeynD9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Who Gets the Vaccine First?

After months of anticipation, the first FDA-authorized coronavirus vaccine has begun distribution. But even with an effective vaccine in hand, big questions remain. How are vaccines being distributed? And with so many lives on the line, who gets it first?


Guest: Sarah Owermohle, reporter for Politico and the Prescription Pulse newsletter. 


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Strict Scrutiny - Normal Scrutiny

Leah and Melissa are joined by the first repeat guest on Strict Scrutiny, Elie Mystal, to discuss his recent column about Democratic leadership on the Senate Judiciary Committee. They also provide some dramatic readings and reenactments of some of the hearings and filings from the (poorly run) coup attempt.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 6/12 – NYC
  • 10/4 – Chicago

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Start the Week - Inspiring awe – from the heavens to the oceans

Look into the night sky in the coming days and Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer than they’ve been since the early 17th century, according to the astronomer Stuart Clark. He tells Tom Sutcliffe it’s a beautiful great conjunction that happens once every 20 years, but this year is especially rare. In his book, Beneath the Night, Clark explores how the stars have shaped the history of humankind, inspiring awe and fascination throughout the centuries.

It was the extremity and majesty of whales that inspired the writer Rebecca Giggs. In her latest book, Fathoms: the world in the whale, she fuses natural history, philosophy and science to look at our relationship with this most magnificent of mammals. She asks how far the lives of whales might shed light on the condition of our seas, and the impact of climate change.

Artists have long taken inspiration for their work from the heavens and the natural world around them. In Shaping the World: Sculpture from Pre-History to Now, the world-renowned sculptor Antony Gormley explores this art form, alongside the art critic Martin Gayford. Gormley argues that the desire to make objects can be found in every culture throughout the world, and is a fundamental part of our human journey and need for expression.

Producer: Katy Hickman

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Start the Week - Inspiring awe – from the heavens to the oceans

Look into the night sky in the coming days and Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer than they’ve been since the early 17th century, according to the astronomer Stuart Clark. He tells Tom Sutcliffe it’s a beautiful great conjunction that happens once every 20 years, but this year is especially rare. In his book, Beneath the Night, Clark explores how the stars have shaped the history of humankind, inspiring awe and fascination throughout the centuries.

It was the extremity and majesty of whales that inspired the writer Rebecca Giggs. In her latest book, Fathoms: the world in the whale, she fuses natural history, philosophy and science to look at our relationship with this most magnificent of mammals. She asks how far the lives of whales might shed light on the condition of our seas, and the impact of climate change.

Artists have long taken inspiration for their work from the heavens and the natural world around them. In Shaping the World: Sculpture from Pre-History to Now, the world-renowned sculptor Antony Gormley explores this art form, alongside the art critic Martin Gayford. Gormley argues that the desire to make objects can be found in every culture throughout the world, and is a fundamental part of our human journey and need for expression.

Producer: Katy Hickman

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NBN Book of the Day - Adrian Wooldridge, “The Wake-Up Call: Why the Pandemic Has Exposed the Weakness of the West, and How to Fix It” (HarperVia, 2020)

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed that governments matter again, that competent leadership is the difference between living and dying. A few governments proved adept at handling the crisis while many others failed. Are Western governments healthy and strong enough to keep their citizens safe from another virulent virus—and protect their economies from collapse? Is global leadership passing from the United States to Asia—and particularly China?

The Wake-Up Call: Why the Pandemic Has Exposed the Weakness of the West, and How to Fix It (HarperVia, 2020) addresses these urgent questions. Journalists and longtime collaborators John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge identify the problems Western leaders face, and outline a detailed plan to help them become more vigilant, better prepared, and responsive to disruptive future events.

The problems that face us are enormous; as The Wake-Up Call makes clear, governments around the world must re-engineer the way they operate to successfully meet the challenges ahead.

Kirk Meighoo is a TV and podcast host, former university lecturer, author and former Senator in Trinidad and Tobago. He hosts his own podcast, Independent Thought & Freedom, where he interviews some of the most interesting people from around the world who are shaking up politics, economics, society and ideas. You can find it in the iTunes Store or any of your favorite podcast providers. You can also subscribe to his YouTube channel. If you are an academic who wants to get heard nationally, please check out his free training at becomeapublicintellectual.com.

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Short Wave - To Unlock Sublime Flavor, Cook Like A Scientist

What is flavor? Is it merely what your nose and tongue tell you? For cookbook author and recipe developer Nik Sharma, flavor is a full-body experience. Drawing upon his background in molecular biology, Nik brings scientific inquiry to the kitchen in his new cookbook, The Flavor Equation. In today's episode, Short Wave reporter Emily Kwong and producer Rebecca Ramirez cook two recipes from Nik's book and explore the scientific principles at work. Check out the episode page for photos and other links! Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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The NewsWorthy - Vaccine Rollout, U.S. Gov’t Hacked & Cleveland’s Name Change- Monday, December 14th, 2020

The news to know for Monday, December 14th, 2020!

What to know about:

  • the first Americans getting a COVID-19 vaccine today
  • the next big step in the U.S. elections process happening today
  • how top federal agencies were hacked
  • another sports team changing its name
  • another TikTok rival changing hands
  • tributes pouring in for a country music legend
  • Apple's newly-launched products
  • why Christmas trees are becoming more popular than ever

Those stories and more in just 10 minutes!

Head to www.theNewsWorthy.com or see sources below to read more about any of the stories mentioned today.

This episode is brought to you by www.Rothys.com/newsworthy and ButcherBox.com/newsworthy

Become a NewsWorthy INSIDER! Learn more at  www.TheNewsWorthy.com/insider

 

 

 

 

Sources:

Pfizer Vaccine Gets Emergency Authorization: WaPo, NPR, Reuters, FDA

First Vaccine Doses Could Arrive Today: NBC News, Bloomberg, AP, WSJ

Building Vaccine Confidence: NY Times, HHS, Pew Research

Electoral College Will Meet Today: AP, WSJ, LA Times, FOX News

SCOTUS Denies Texas Election Challenge: WaPo, NY Times, Axios, Supreme Court, Trump Tweet

Pro-Trump Protests Turn Violent: NY Times, WaPo, CNN, AP

Cleveland ‘Indians’ Dropping Name: NY Times, AP, ESPN

Possible Hacks at Federal Agencies: WaPo, AP, CNBC, Reuters, FireEye, SolarWinds

Charley Pride Dies: AP, EW, NY Times, CMT

Reddit Acquires Dubsmash: TechCrunch, WSJ, Axios, Reddit

Apple Launches Fitness+: Engadget, The Verge, Apple, Apple Fitness+

Apple Launches AirPods Max: MacRumors, Cnet, Apple

Money Monday - Christmas Tree Sales Booming: NY Times, CNBC

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What A Day - Better 538 Than Never

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized by the FDA on Friday evening, and the first shipments went out on Sunday. Most state governments intend to follow CDC recommendations and give the first few batches to health care workers and nursing home residents and staff… members of the Trump White House might also get it early.

Today is the official electoral college vote, after which Biden and Harris will officially become the President-elect and Vice President-elect. Some Republicans may try to raise final objections when Congress counts the electoral votes in January, but… the end is near.

And in headlines: A judge orders the jail population in Orange County, California to be cut in half, pro-Trump protestors demonstrate and commit violence in D.C., and Russian hackers infiltrate the Treasury and Commerce Department.