Eddie Oygur is an Australian businessman who's sold sheepskin ugg boots for years. But one day, he was hit with a lawsuit for breaking American trademark law. On today's show — what's in the name ugg?
Will and Chris host a round table of three organizers from across the country fighting to unionize Starbucks: Vic from Buffalo, Alisha from Oklahoma City, and Quentin from Portland, OR. They discuss the progress they’ve made at their respective locations, how they achieved it, and where they hope to go from there. We also discuss Starbucks’ retaliation methods (ranging from buffoonish to insidious), various legal challenges they’ve faced, and building bonds across the labor movement. Also, the most insane Starbucks orders they’ve ever seen.
Support Starbucks Workers United:
No Contract No Coffee pledge: https://crm.broadstripes.com/ctf/SJID0H
Solidarity Fund for SBWU partners by Coworker: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/starbucksworkersfund
DSA Labor Solidarity Fund: https://laborsolidarity.com
And here is Alisha’s Jacobin piece on Starbucks use of reproductive benefits as a cudgel against organizers: https://jacobin.com/2022/08/starbucks-abortion-transgender-health-care-promises-pr-stunt-union-contract
Today's podcast wonders at Joe Biden's decision to celebrate the "Inflation Reduction Act," complete with James Taylor warbling a 50-year-old ditty about drug abuse and suicide, on the day a terrible inflation number is released. The question: Will the media succeed in turning attention away from that and toward Republican extremism and abortion rights? Give a listen.
After 50 years of columns, George F. Will realizes he writes in order to think. The Pulitzer Prize winner and author of American Happiness and Discontents discusses a political culture coming unmoored by degrees, and his stance on dungarees. Plus, MAGA-backed candidates will either damn their party or damn us all, and the tempting-but-deadly siren call of a pet kangaroo.
On today’s episode, NLW catches listeners up on the latest news in crypto, including:
Arrest warrants for Do Kwon and others from Terra
El Salvador Bond Repurchase program
Crypto regulatory and enforcement news from Uruguay and Argentina
Canada’s Prime Minister makes bitcoin a campaign issue
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I.D.E.A.S. 2022 by CoinDesk facilitates capital flow and market growth by connecting the digital economy with traditional finance through the presenter’s mainstage, capital allocation meeting rooms and sponsor expo floor. Use code BREAKDOWN20 for 20% off the General Pass. Learn more and register at coindesk.com/ideas.
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“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “Razor Red” by Sam Barsh and “The Life We Had” by Moments. Image credit: z_wei/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
The Chicago Skyway is under new management: the Australian company Atlas Arteria, which owns and operates toll roads in Europe and the United States. In 2005, Chicago leased the Skyway to private shareholders. The shareholders can buy or sell, but the city has to remain in the agreement for 99 years. Reset learns more Chicago Tribune reporter Robert Channick and toll road expert Robert W. Poole, director of transportation for the Reason Foundation.
The nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization Color of Change presented its Black Tech Agenda to members of Congress this week in a push for policy solutions to advance racial equity in the technology industry. Reset learns more about the group’s plan from Washington Post reporter Cristiano Lima and Rashad Robinson, president of the advocacy group Color Of Change.
The most valuable crypto stories for Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022.
"The Hash" hosts discuss the South Korean court issuing an arrest warrant for Do Kwon, the co-founder of the now defunct stablecoin issuer Terraform Labs, according to the financial crimes unit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Plus, a closer look at what may happen in the crypto markets ahead of the Ethereum Merge.
I.D.E.A.S. 2022 by CoinDesk facilitates capital flow and market growth by connecting the digital economy with traditional finance through the presenter’s mainstage, capital allocation meeting rooms and sponsor expo floor. Use code HASH20 for 20% off the General Pass. Register now: coindesk.com/ideas
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This episode has been edited by Michele Musso. Our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Neon Beach.”
Over the past week, the Ukrainian military has retaken thousands of square miles of territory from Russian troops, in a counteroffensive east of Kharkiv. Retreating Russian soldiers left behind tanks and ammunition as they fled.
We'll hear the stories of Ukrainians who spent months under Russian occupation, and take a look at what the counteroffensive means for the next phase of the war.