The 2020 U.S. Election included record levels of participation and a collective decision to make a change at the top, and James Keys, Tunde Ogunlana, and Rick Ellsley discuss what the election results reveal about the mindset of Americans, the messiness of democratic elections, and what circumstances or trends we need to keep our eyes on moving forward. Biden defeats Trump in an election he made about character of the nation and the President (CNN)Kamala Harris makes history as first woman of color elected US vice-president (The Guardian)Voter Turnout Hits Historic Levels With States Still Counting Votes (Bloomberg)
COVID-19 rates are spiking across the globe, and James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider whether our societies have misjudged how pervasive the pandemic would be (01:13) and discuss comments from a conservative party leader in the UK about Boris Johnson “giving in to scientific advisers” with his lockdown measures (09:14). The guys also take a look at the apparent availability of cloned pets and some implications of technology’s advance on that front (33:56).U.S. reports world record of more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases in single day (Reuters)Boris Johnson accused of ‘giving in to scientific advisers’ as England heads for lockdown (CNN)Iowa Woman Has Her ‘Wonderful’ Cat Cloned After His Death (People)
Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm reveals a lot about our society’s values, or its lack thereof, and James Keys, Tunde Ogunlana, and Rob Richardson take a look at various causes and effects of what we see (01:10) and consider what would be needed to get things on track (28:40).Material discussed:Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Amazon Prime)Republican and Democrat running against each other for Utah governor unite for joint ad (CBS News)
The story surrounding Ice Cube’s Contract with Black America was hijacked by politicians, so James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the Cube’s approach to getting it on the table and the public fallout, reasons why this type of action continues to be necessary, and the extent to which Black Americans may be taken for granted by America’s main political parties.Contract with Black AmericaThe Platinum Plan (pdf)The inside story of how Ice Cube joined forces with Donald Trump (Politico)From N.W.A. to MAGA: Ice Cube takes some heat for working with the Trump administration (CNN)To understand why some Black men support Trump, start with Ice Cube (LA Times)Ice Cube and Trump team up on jobs – Why are the left and right getting this story so wrong? (FoxNews)New survey of 30,000 black voters finds that black communities feel ignored by Democrats (Vox)
The lifeblood of our system of government is voting, so James Keys, Tunde Ogunlana, and friend of the program Rick Ellsley discuss why voting matters in our governmental system (01:35), what they make of the aversion many Americans have to everyone (including themselves) voting (11:23), the specific challenges being faced in 2020 (27:18), and what it would take for more Americans to come together as far as wanting everyone (including themselves) to vote (44:56).How, Where, and When to Vote (USA.gov)Republican senator says ‘democracy isn’t the objective’ of US system (The Guardian)National General Election VEP Turnout Rates (electionproject.org)U.S. trails most developed countries in voter turnout (Pew)Participation in Presidential Elections by Sex Since 1980 (census.gov)The 100 Million Project (the100million.org)Trump’s encouragement of GOP poll watchers echoes an old tactic of voter intimidation (The Conversation)Paul Weyrich – “I don’t want everybody to vote” (Youtube)Georgetown created fact sheets on illegal militias at the polls and what to do if you spot them (CNN)A federal court just struck down North Carolina’s voter ID laws, citing racial discrimination (Vox)Coronavirus update: New England Journal of Medicine says Trump should be voted out over pandemic management as U.S. death toll tops 212,000 (Market Watch)Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Ask Americans to Get Out and Vote: “You Deserve to Be Heard” (Yahoo)
Paulo Coelho’s international bestselling book, “The Alchemist,” is a timeless story about self discovery, destiny, travel and treasure, and James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss their impressions of and takeaways from some of the major themes in the story. Note that this podcast does contain spoilers.The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
The financial settlements paid by cities following police misconduct are undoubtedly a red flag, so James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the implications of the $12 million settlement paid by Louisville to the family of Breonna Taylor (01:05). The guys also compare discuss the commonality between America’s original conspiracy theory and conspiracy theories floating around today (26:56) and the disturbing story about mass hysterectomies being performed in ICE facilities (34:50).Police Settlements: How The Cost Of Misconduct Impacts Cities And TaxpayersAn Illuminati Conspiracy Theory Captured American Imaginations in the Nation’s Earliest Days—And Offers a Lesson for NowAn ICE Nurse Revealed That A Georgia Detention Center Is Performing Mass Hysterectomies
The “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” documentary provided a fasted paced and fascinating look at the evolution of capital in recent history and how this has affected so much, and James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss what stood out the most (01:27), what can be made of growing inequality trends (17:05), the link between wealth inequality and social instability (30:04), and how current trends can be addressed (43:12).“Capital in the Twenty-First Century” documentary by Justin Pemberton (Netflix)
Our society’s recklessness and disregard seems to be making the Earth less hospitable to our society, so James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the accelerating destruction of, and increasing threats to, our habitat (01:21) and discuss ways that societies can make preserving the planet we live on more of a priority (32:55). Referenced:Death toll rises in US as wildfires continue in West Coast states (BBC)Animal Populations Fell by 68% in 50 Years and It’s Getting Worse (Bloomberg)Don’t Call It A Garbage Patch: The Truth About Cleaning Up Ocean Plastics (Huffpost)Opinion: The Trump administration wants to discourage your 401(k) from including ESG investment options (MarketWatch)
With the coronavirus driven economic downturn still creating so much uncertainty, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss reports that are suggesting that the worst of the economic fallout is still to come (01:04). The guys also make sense of the fact that more young adults under 30 are living with their parents than on their own (28:49). Material Discussed:Here comes the real recession (Axios)‘A tale of 2 recessions’: As rich Americans get richer, the bottom half struggles (Politico)Majority Of U.S. Adults Under 30 Now Living With Parents, Study Finds (HuffPost)
