We'll tell you about a daunting new count that shows just how many people have been impacted by COVID-19 and why even that number doesn't tell the whole story.
Also, a first-of-its-kind lawsuit. Another country is now suing big-name gun makers here in the U.S.
Plus, why it might be a good idea for Americans to start hurricane preps, how TikTok is starting to look a little more like Instagram and Snapchat, and who just became the richest woman in the music industry.
Growing up in the now-defunct Soviet Union was not easy for Zilvinas Silenas or his family.
“Government basically brainwashes you from a very early age, and government thinks you are disposable,” Silenas says of living under communism.
After leaving Russia and spending four years attending a “very left college” in America, Silenas says he became even more committed to the principles of economic freedom. Today, Silenas is the president of the Foundation for Economic Education, an organization that educates young people about economic freedom.
He joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss his experience growing up under communism and why he is so passionate about teaching the next generation the realities of socialism.
We also cover these stories:
The Biden administration works to find a way to extend the expired federal eviction ban.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, says he wishes he hadn’t signed a ban on mask mandates.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking a stand for Israel and against Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
Paris Marx is joined by Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran to discuss Australia’s robodebt scandal where automated decision-making was used against welfare recipients, and how exploitative AI implementations are being deployed by governments in social welfare and at the borders.
Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran is a proud Tamil person and a PhD candidate at Australian National University whose work focuses on digital identification systems and border policing regimes. Follow Dhakshayini on Twitter as @Dhakshayini_S.
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.
Ohaaay another edited-down, classroom-friendly Smologies! About... toads! Are they frogs? Do they have arms? What do they eat? How long do they live? What’s with the warts? Amphibian enthusiast Priya Nanjappa joins with a toadally awesome episode that will change the way you crouch down and shake hands with your tiny backyard grumpa.(And for the full version with NSFW stories, the link is below.)
New full-length episodes of Ologies drop Tuesdays, and new Smologies come out every other Thursday.
(Encore episode) The World Health Organization has called the spread of misinformation around the coronavirus an "infodemic." So what do you do when it's somebody you love spreading the misinformation? In this episode, Maddie talks with Invisibilia's Yowei Shaw about one man's very unusual approach to correcting his family. And we hear from experts about what actually works when trying to combat misinformation.
After some thrilling haircut talk, we get to this month's questions! Topics this time include: choosing government by sortition, Manchin and Sinema ruining the country, who was the best movie president, vaccinating yourself vs. your children, a general strike, and neoliberalism!
Chicago has a “strong mayor” system, and during the pandemic, Mayor Lightfoot gained additional emergency powers. Things work differently in Phoenix, Ariz., which operates under a “weak mayor” or “council-manager” system. Reset examines the benefits and drawbacks of how things work in Phoenix, and what lessons Chicago can learn.
It's been exactly one year since a massive explosion in Beirut's port killed over 200 people, injured thousands and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Supporters of ranked-choice voting argue that it might reduce partisanship and compel candidates to be less polarizing. New York’s recent confusing experience with ranked-choice voting offers some lessons. How does it work? Is it ready for greater adoption? Adam Kissel of the Cardinal Institute offers his take.
SEC Chairman Gary Gensler’s speech at the Aspen Security Conference has Crypto Twitter in a frenzy. On this episode, NLW covers the latest in regulatory action, including:
Infrastructure bill update
Overall take of Gensler’s speech: hostile or bullish?
Crypto Twitter has not reached an agreement on the tone of Gensler’s comments. While some claim this is as a catalyst for incoming regulation and the most aggressive stance to date, others saw it as a run-of-the-mill conservative, consumer protection-focused take.
Aside from securities definitions discussion, Gensler’s comments did point to a Bitcoin bias and an admiration for some of the ideals behind crypto. This outlook contrasts with the negative perception of crypto from Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is attempting to shift to a more negative narrative and from Congressman Don Beyer, who recently dropped a surprise comprehensive crypto bill.
Who will be the biggest adversary to crypto with securities, stablecoins and ‘systemic risk’ on the minds of so many regulators?
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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: Melissa Lyttle/Bloomberg/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.
