Month: August 2021

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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons - Reimagine Chicago: How City Council Works In The Windy City

Is Chicago’s City Council set up to best serve its residents? The “strong mayor” form of government has its pros and cons, but what could a better system look like? In the first installment of our “Re-imagine Chicago” series, we dive into the powers of two engines that make Chicago run: the mayor and the aldermen.
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CoinDesk Podcast Network - BREAKDOWN: A Partial Victory in the Infrastructure Bill Battle

Crypto allies rally to soften the more problematic parts of the bill.

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

First, the Brief:

  • Bank of America’s research highlights the pros of El Salvador's bitcoin law
  • Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard discusses the need for a U.S. CBDC
  • Bank of China intends to continue significant pressure on crypto
  • No sign of a slowdown in U.S. bitcoin mining industry
  • Kentucky as the fifth state to stop BlockFi
  • Lastly, a record week for NFTs and the emergence of a new institutional narrative


Our main discussion centers on the ongoing battle surrounding a crypto provision within the highly debated infrastructure bill. The original language of the draft targeted crypto intermediaries, from hardware wallet manufacturers to miners, mandating that they report transactions made through their services. Doing so would be virtually impossible and hinder the U.S. crypto industry. 

In response, the community rallied for an updated bill with more forgiving standards. Crypto allies, from industry heavy hitters like Coin Center’s Jerry Brito to Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, expressed their discontent with the original language of the draft. With an amendment process underway, will these statements be enough to make a significant change?

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NYDIG, the institutional-grade platform for Bitcoin, is making it possible for thousands of banks who have trusted relationships with hundreds of millions of customers, to offer Bitcoin. Learn more at NYDIG.com/NLW.

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The Breakdown is written, produced by and features NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and additional production support by Eleanor Pahl. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Razor Red” by Sam Barsh. Image credit: Samuel Corum/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

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The Commentary Magazine Podcast - The Lunatics Running the COVID Asylum

Today's podcast is a threnody of denunciation: Of the CDC, of the Biden administration's haplessness, and of the seemingly deliberate disinformation regarding the Delta variant in the New York Times and on CBS News, among many other places. Plus: Will Democratic leftists kill the infrastructure bill? And how delusional was the Biden negotiating team when it came to dealing with the Iranians on the Iran nuclear deal? Matt Continetti joins us. Give a listen.

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Stuff They Don't Want You To Know - Strange News: DNA Breakthrough in Atlanta Child Murders, Billionaires Aren’t Yet Astronauts, and COVID-19 May Impair Long-term Intelligence

A breakthrough in the case of the Atlanta Child Murders may lead to further revelations. The US Government clarifies that recent billionaires in space are not officially astronauts. A study in the UK may indicate long-term cognitive consequences for those who've contracted COVID. All this and more in this week's Strange News.

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Headlines From The Times - To COVID shame or not to COVID shame?

Thanks to the Delta variant, the coronavirus is stronger than ever. Medical and government officials blame the rise largely on one group: the unvaccinated. So a debate that has persisted for months is now raging hotter: Does shaming persuade folks to finally get the shots?

Today, we talk about what’s being done to increase vaccinations among Black people and Latinos. The two groups have suffered inordinately from COVID-19 — yet they don’t have nearly the same shot rates as whites and other groups.

We talk to L.A. Times reporter Brittny Mejia, who recently attended a vaccination event in a working-class Latino neighborhood and talked to people about what finally convinced them to get the Fauci ouchie. And columnist Erika D. Smith talks with host Gustavo Arellano about whether shame can convince the vaccine-hesitant to get a shot. She says no. He really wants the answer to be yes.

More reading:

Why haven’t you been vaccinated? With COVID-19 raging, people explain what took so long

Column: I wish I could be angry with the unvaccinated. Being Black makes that complicated

Column: Don’t be a ‘pandejo.’ Take the pandemic seriously

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The Intelligence from The Economist - No-sanctuary cities: the Taliban’s latest surge

Sweeping rural gains made as American forces have slipped out are now giving way to bids for urban areas; an enormous, symbolic victory for the insurgents looms. Singapore has enjoyed relative racial harmony for decades, but shocking recent events have revealed persistent inequalities. And why chewing gum has lost its cool.

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer