President Biden gave his first address to Congress last night, themed largely around moving America out of the most difficult stage of the pandemic and approaching a new normal. Part of that has to do with The American Families Plan, a $1.8 trillion program that would pay for two free years of community college, universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds, and more. We go over the main takeaways.
Biden timed his speech to come right as he approaches his 100th day in office on Friday, too. To discuss that broader context and what we can learn from Biden's first 100 days, we spoke with Crooked Media's editor-in-chief and host of the podcast Rubicon, Brian Beutler.
And in headlines: Mario Gonzalez died after being pinned by police in California, charges for the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery, and the Senate restores Obama-era regulations on methane leaks.
Show Notes:
Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politics
Three L.A. comedians are quarantined in a podcast studio during a global pandemic. There is literally nothing to be done EXCEPT make content. These are "The Corona Diaries" and this is Episode #134. Our VERY SPECIAL guest today is Carly Garber. Follow her on all social media @CarlyJGarber. Music at the end is "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground. RIP Shock G.
Nikki Haley, previously U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and governor of South Carolina, joins "The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss what conservatives realistically can try to accomplish during the next 18 months while faced with a liberal Democratic president and Congress.
Haley—a Republican and founder of Stand for America, a 501(c)(4) advocacy group that promotes public policies it says strengthen America's economy, culture, and security—also discusses how conservatives can engage in the debate of issues such as race and election security, including voter ID.
"Don't assume that minorities can't do for themselves," Haley says of the latter. "We are perfectly capable of getting a photo ID. We're perfectly capable of picking the school of our choice. We are perfectly capable of understanding how to make the most of our opportunities if they are put in front of us."
Plus: We share some of the highlights from President Joe Biden’s address to Congress.
Paris Marx is solo this week, providing an update on the podcast, the series of guests planned for May, and what’s coming next for Tech Won’t Save Us!
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, and support the show on Patreon.
Our extreme wealth inequality isn’t just caused by economic exclusion; we are also struggling with the concentration of corporate power. Simply put, most of our money flows directly into the pockets of a few wealthy individuals. This week, Baratunde learns how it’s possible for Amazon to receive one out of every two dollars spent online. He speaks with antitrust reformer Stacy Mitchell who breaks down why concentrated power like this is a threat to our businesses, communities, and democracy.
Guest: Stacy Mitchell Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Twitter: @stacyfmitchell
Bio: Stacy Mitchell is Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its Independent Business Initiative, which partners with a broad range of allies to design and implement policies to reverse corporate concentration and strengthen local enterprise.
Show Notes + Links
Go to howtocitizen.com to sign up for show news, AND (coming soon!) to start your How to Citizen Practice.
Please show your support for the show by leaving a review and rating. It makes a huge difference with the algorithmic overlords!
We are grateful to Stacy Mitchell for joining us! Follow her at @stacyfmitchell on Twitter, or find more of her work at ilsr.org.
ACTIONS
PERSONALLY REFLECT
Why do you shop at Amazon?
Do you like the convenience? The prices? Are you a working family and don’t have many other options? Or do you not have access to local shops? If you have the means, challenge yourself to find one item that you regularly purchase on Amazon and commit to buying it locally.
BECOME INFORMED
What does the research tell us about Amazon?
In Fall 2020, the House subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative law released a historic investigation into monopolies like Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon. The report calls on Congress to restore antitrust laws of the New Deal era and to finally start regulating these companies. Check out The Institute for Local Self Reliance’s summary of the report, The People vs. Amazon, available at bit.ly/peoplevamazon. Bonus points if you then call your representative to tell them you care about this issue.
PUBLICLY PARTICIPATE
Join the fight against monopoly power
To take on monopolies like Amazon we must flex our citizen muscle, not just our consumer muscle! Check out ilsr.org/fighting-monopoly-power to learn ways you can join the fight locally and nationally. If you're a small business owner or entrepreneur, consider joining Small Business Rising, a coalition of independent businesses that are banning together to urge policymakers to take on Amazon.
If you take any of these actions, share that with us - action@howtocitizen.com. Mention But They Make It So Easy! in the subject line. And share about your citizening on social media using #howtocitizen.
Visit the show's homepage - www.howtocitizen.com - to sign up for news about the show, to learn about upcoming guests, live tapings, and more for your citizen journey.
How To Citizen with Baratunde is a production of iHeartRadio Podcasts and Dustlight Productions. Our Executive Producers are Baratunde Thurston, Elizabeth Stewart, and Misha Euceph. Stephanie Cohnis our Senior Producer and Alie Kilts is our Producer. Kelly Prime is our Editor. Original Music by Andrew Eapen. Valentino Rivera is our Engineer. Sam Paulson is our Apprentice. This episode was produced and sound designed by Stephanie Cohn. Special thanks to Joelle Smith from iHeartRadio and this week's community voices: Elizabeth Silva, Kim Swann, Mike Fraietta, and Michael Cartwright.
If you hear church bells ring in the Chicago-area, it’s likely they’re automated. Some bell systems are pneumatic or electronic. Others pipe digital hymns through amplifiers. But do real people ever ring real bells? That’s the question we’re exploring in this week’s episode. And the answer is yes! We head to five different spots, each with its own sound, unique history and distinct community.
Join John Green and special guests on the The Anthropocene Reviewed virtual book tour! Each ticket purchased will grant access to the respective live event and include a signed copy of The Anthropocene Reviewed. Ticket links and more information at http://www.johngreenbooks.com/appearances.
Tour dates: Monday, May 17th at 4:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM ET Northeast Event in partnership with The Wilbur Theatre With special guest Clint Smith
Tuesday May 18th at 7:00 PM PT / 10:00 PM ET Western Event With special guest Sarah Green
Wednesday, May 19th at 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET Southern Event With special guest Hank Green
Saturday, May 22nd at 1:00 PM CT / 2:00 PM ET Midwest Event With special guest Ashley C. Ford
For every ticket purchased, $2 will be donated to Partners In Health. $1 is included in the ticket price, and my publisher Dutton will match every $1.
Join John Green and special guests on the The Anthropocene Reviewed virtual book tour! Each ticket purchased will grant access to the respective live event and include a signed copy of The Anthropocene Reviewed. Ticket links and more information at http://www.johngreenbooks.com/appearances.
Tour dates: Monday, May 17th at 4:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM ET Northeast Event in partnership with The Wilbur Theatre With special guest Clint Smith
Tuesday May 18th at 7:00 PM PT / 10:00 PM ET Western Event With special guest Sarah Green
Wednesday, May 19th at 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET Southern Event With special guest Hank Green
Saturday, May 22nd at 1:00 PM CT / 2:00 PM ET Midwest Event With special guest Ashley C. Ford
For every ticket purchased, $2 will be donated to Partners In Health. $1 is included in the ticket price, and my publisher Dutton will match every $1.
This is the second part of our racial bias in criminal justice episodes. This one focuses on sentencing, and explores studies showing just how desperate the death penalty is, and how racial bias drives that.
Baldus et al (1998) -Racial Discrimination and the Death Penalty in the Post-Furman Era Eberhardt et al (2006) – Looking deathworthy: Perceived Stereotypicality of Black defendants predicts capital-sentencing outcomes Eberhardt et al (2004) – Seeing Black: Race, crime, and visual processing
