In the early 1960’s the Soviet space program was on a roll. They launched the first satellite into space. They launched the first man and woman into space. They conducted the first space walk.
Then, around 1966, everything changed.
The momentum they had ground to a halt, and the Americans quickly surpassed them in the space race.
What happened?
Learn more about Sergei Korolev, the most important Russian you probably have never heard of, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
From the twentieth century onward, women took on an extraordinary range of roles in intelligence, defying the conventions of their time. Across both world wars, far from being a small part of covert operations, women ran spy networks and escape lines, parachuted behind enemy lines, and interrogated prisoners. And, back in Bletchley and Whitehall, women’s vital administrative work in MI offices kept the British war engine running.
In this major, panoramic history, Helen Fry looks at the rich and varied work women undertook as civilians and in uniform. From spies in the Belgian network “La Dame Blanche,” knitting coded messages into jumpers, to those who interpreted aerial images and even ran entire sections, Fry shows just how crucial women were in the intelligence mission. Filled with hitherto unknown stories, Women in Intelligence: The Hidden History of Two World Wars (Yale UP, 2023) places new research on record for the first time and showcases the inspirational contributions of these remarkable women.
We'll update you on the situation in the Middle East exactly one month after Hamas' brutal attack on Israel.
Also, we're talking about another high-stakes gun rights case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
And it's Election Day! We'll tell you about a few of the statewide races voters will be deciding today.
Plus, a company that was once the most valuable startup is now filing for bankruptcy, there's a new version of ChatGPT, and Taylor Swift turned her past into a more profitable future.
Israeli forces said they were closing in on Gaza City as of Monday night. Meanwhile, Palestinian health officials said more than 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began. Israel said it will not agree to a ceasefire, although White House officials said there might be “tactical pauses” on the table to allow for humanitarian efforts.
Former President Donald Trump took the stand on Monday in his New York civil fraud trial. During his testimony, Trump called New York Attorney General Letitia James a political hack and scolded the case’s judge. He also acknowledged his role in putting together the company’s annual financial statements.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in United States v. Rahimi, a case that could shape limitations on gun ownership in the future. This is the second major gun rights case this Court has taken, and it’s shaping up to be even more consequential – and contentious – than the first.
And in headlines: a jury found a Colorado police officer not guilty in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, teachers in Portland, Oregon were back on the picket line, and Gannett announced its new Taylor Swift beat reporter.
Show Notes:
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In this episode, the Goods from the Woods Boys have a full house at Disgraceland Studios as we welcome comedians Ed Greer and Alex Mandelberg back to the program! We kick this one off by slurping some Korean energy pouches and chatting about the recent passing of showbiz icons Richard Roundtree (a.k.a. "Shaft") and, to a lesser extent, Matthew Perry. We also chat about a man in Florida who's been impersonating police in a Chevy truck labeled "Booty Patrol". Then we go through our Top 3 lead singers of all time and ancient websites from the 90s and early 00s. The Animals's "House of the Rising Sun" is our JAM OF THE WEEK! Tune in now, y'all. Follow Ed on all forms of social media @EdGreerDestroys. Follow Alex on all forms of social media @AlexMandelberg. Music at the end is a cover of Tom Waits's "Downtown Train" by Jonny Moze. Rivers is @RiversLangley Carter is @Carter_Glascock Sam is @SlamHarter on Twitter and @SamHarter666 on Instagram Subscribe on Patreon for HOURS of bonus content and growing ALL THE TIME! http://patreon.com/TheGoodsPod Pick up a Goods from the Woods t-shirt at: http://prowrestlingtees.com/TheGoodsPod
Ruffini spoke with The Daily Signal about the demographic changes that are rapidly transforming America’s two biggest political parties—and what it means for the 2024 presidential election and beyond.
“When I first started in politics, Republicans had this reputation as being the country club party,” Ruffini said. “Democrats had this reputation as being the party of the people, the party of the working class.”
He added, “Flash forward almost 20 years, and that trend has completely almost reversed.”
Recent election results show the GOP’s gains with working-class voters were not an aberration or confined to one candidate. Republicans today are increasing their support among non-college voters—the type of working-class American who once loyally supported Democrats.
“The parties used to be defined by income and now they’re defined by education,” Ruffini said. “I argue that that's good news for Republicans in the sense that you have many more working-class, non-college voters in the country than you have college-educated voters.”
The breakdown for 2024, according to Ruffini, is about 60% non-college voters compared to 40% who have a college degree. This, he surmises, will provide the GOP with an advantage in upcoming elections. Factor in Republican gains with Hispanic and black voters, and you have a different GOP than the one of yesteryear.
Most surprising to Ruffini, however, is how the political alignment happened.
“I did not expect Donald Trump to be the one who was able to pull this off, but my credit goes to him for getting us to this point,” Ruffini said.
“The fact that he was able to expand the Republican coalition first to include the Rust Belt states and dramatically expand Republican performance among working-class voters in 2016, and then in 2020, almost defying the odds and winning re-election with the help of more Hispanic voters and continued progress among black voters,” he added. “It really has upended what we think the two parties are about.”
Ruffini began writing “Party of the People” after observing the trends of the 2020 election, and he hopes it serves as a helpful guide for readers to understand the realignment.
To celebrate their third wedding anniversary, Anjali and Rahul are each selecting a surprise activity to do together. This happy couple loves spontaneity, so they’re concerned about someday growing bored in their relationship. They’re also feeling pressure to mark the traditional milestones of marriage, including having kids. On this episode of How To!, authors Caryl and Jay Casbon join us to share the wisdom they gained from interviewing other married couples for their book Side by Side. The Casbons draw upon their own 22-year marriage to urge Anjali and Rahul to face conflict with openness and focus on individual “inner work”—in order to grow together.
Learn more about Caryl and Jay Casbon here. If you liked this episode, check out an episode that Anjali loved: How To Decide Whether to Have a Baby with Wild author Cheryl Strayed.
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How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Jabari Butler.
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