1A - The News Roundup For August 2, 2024

The National Association for Black Journalists invited former President Donald Trump for an on-stage interview on Wednesday.

Iowa's abortion ban went into effect this week.

And, in global news, Israel says two major leaders of Hamas were killed this week.

While the U.N. Human Rights Office issued a report saying tens of thousands of Palestinians have been arbitrarily detained by Israeli authorities since Oct. 7.

We cover the most important stories in America and around the world in our weekly News Roundup.

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CrowdScience - Why is my handwriting so messy?

CrowdScience listener Azeddine from Algeria has had bad handwriting since he was a child. In fact, it was so untidy that, when he later became a chemistry lecturer, his university students complained that they could not read his lecture notes. That was when he decided he had to do something about it. And it got him wondering… why do some of us have very neat handwriting while other people’s is almost unreadable? Why do his sisters all write beautifully when his natural style is quite the opposite? Presenter Alex Lathbridge sets out to answer Azeddine’s question. He explores the different factors which determine how well we write. How much of it is inherited? What part does family and education play? And what is actually going on in our brains when we apply pen to paper? Alex talks to anthropologist Monika Saini of the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Delhi, who has analysed writing styles within families and in different regions across India. She tells him about the genetic and cultural factors which seem to influence our handwriting. We also hear from neuroscientist Marieke Longcamp of Aix Marseille Université, France, who uses MRI scanning to find out which parts of our brains are involved when we write by hand. She has looked at what is happening in the brains of people who write in more than one script – for example in French and Arabic, like Azeddine. Another neuroscientist, Karin Harman James, from Indiana University, USA ,has been looking at the link between learning something by writing it down compared to typing it on a tablet or laptop. And Alex meets handwriting tutor Cherrell Avery to find out if it’s possible to improve your writing – even as an adult. Presenter: Alex Lathbridge Producer: Jeremy Grange Editor: Cathy Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano Studio Manager: Emma Harth

Planet Money - What to do when you’re in a class action

Maybe you got a boring slip of paper in the mail. Maybe you got a spammy-looking email promising you money. Surprise! You're in a class action. If you've done any commerce in the last decade, there's a good chance that someone somewhere was suing on your behalf and you have real money coming your way... if you know what to do.

Class action settlements are on the rise. And, on today's show, we're helping decipher the class action from the perspective of the average class member. How do class actions work? Why are these notices sometimes undecipherable? And, what do you stand to gain (or lose) by responding?

This episode was hosted by Kenny Malone and Nick Fountain. It was produced by James Sneed with help from Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Jess Jiang and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Engineering by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

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The Bulwark Podcast - George Conway: Crazy in a Bad Way

Donald Trump checks all the boxes of a person with narcissistic personality disorder, but the mainstream press goes out of its way not to cover his apparent pathologies—and ends up normalizing them. 

George Conway wants to change the media narrative to stop the guy who only cares about himself from getting back in the Oval Office. Conway joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod.

show notes:

George's Anti-Psychopath PAC
Rolling Stone piece by Alex Morris that George references
Post story on whether Trump took a $10 million payout from Egypt
Tim's playlist

CoinDesk Podcast Network - UNCHAINED: Is It a Good Idea for the US Government to Stockpile Bitcoin?

Presidential candidates Donald Trump and RFK Jr., as well as Senator Cynthia Lummis, have proposed the U.S. establish a strategic bitcoin reserve. George Selgin of the Cato Institute unpacks their various proposals.


Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

In this episode, George Selgin, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, discusses the recent proposals by Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Senator Cynthia Lummis for the U.S. government to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve. George provides his insights into the differences between these proposals, their potential implications, and why he believes the government should not be investing in bitcoin or other assets.

Show highlights:

  • How the Bitcoin proposals by Trump, RFK Jr., and Lummis differ
  • Why George believes that Trump’s proposal to not sell the government’s bitcoin is just symbolic 
  • What the purpose of acquiring BTC is in the Lummis and RFK proposals
  • Whether the government should even be investing in bitcoin or other assets
  • How would the government buy BTC as per the Lummis bill
  • How likely is it that the bill passes through Congress

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com

Thank you to our sponsors!

Guest

  • George Selgin, Senior Fellow and Director Emeritus of the Cato Institute's Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives


Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC. Distributed by CoinDesk.

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Lost Debate - A Kamala Skeptic Makes Her Case

Ravi welcomes New York Times Op-Ed columnist Pamela Paul to the show to discuss her skepticism about Vice President Kamala Harris as a candidate and the way in which Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee. Ravi and Pamela explore what Harris needs to do to start making her case to voters, from the importance of a new vision for K-12 education to how voters crave authenticity in today's politics. They also discuss Pamela’s recent piece, 'The Republican Party’s Elite Conundrum,' which examines how Ivy League graduates lead the Republican Party but downplay any whiff of intellectualism.


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CoinDesk Podcast Network - COINDESK DAILY: Kamala Harris Can’t ‘Cede Crypto to Trump’; Bybit Withdraws Services From France

Host Jennifer Sanasie breaks down the news in the crypto industry from how Kamala Harris should approach crypto policies to Bybit's exit from France.

To get the show every day, follow the podcast here.

"CoinDesk Daily" host Jennifer Sanasie breaks down the biggest headlines in the crypto industry today, as the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum says that Harris cannot afford to "cede crypto to Trump." Plus, the U.S. added 114,000 jobs in the month of July, and crypto exchange Bybit said it will withdraw its services from France in response to regulations in the country.

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This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie. “CoinDesk Daily” is produced by Jennifer Sanasie and Melissa Montañez and edited by Victor Chen.

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