Journalist, poet, and the executive editor of The Economy Hardship Reporting Project Alissa Quart joins us to discuss her new book, Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America, a timely release that explores the shame and anxiety felt by a plurality of Americans who despite being “middle class” are just getting by, what she calls “The Middle-Class Vortex.” Quart details the lives of this precarious vortex: the teachers who need to drive Uber on the weekends, homeless adjunct professors, and how formerly prestigious (or at least stable) jobs can no longer provide the stability they once did. Quart also details the new phenomena of “1% TV” and how shows like Billions, Succession, and Downton Abbey have become the opiate of the middle class, a projection of the lives we’re made to desire. Quart also details a dystopian reality we’re already living in, including GoFundMe school lunch campaigns, 24-hour daycare centers, and crowdsourced baby supplies. Check out Alissa’s latest piece, “Do you have student debt? There’s a reality TV show for that” in the Guardian.
Candidate for Massachusetts’ 3rd congressional district, Barbara L’Italien, joins us to discuss how she hijacked a Fox News morning segment that wasn’t even about her or her campaign but a different Democratic candidate in Arizona. L’Italien went on Fox & Friends First and sent a direct message to Trump and called on the administration to end its hostile treatment towards immigrants and asylum seekers. Check out her campaign at teambarbara.com
And in the Fun Half: Matt shares the kink etymology “unicorn,” Texas Civil Rights Project shares an asylum reunification video, the role of capital is mass incarceration and a police state, increasing the numbers of immigration judges, Old Man Racist he just keeps calling to talk, Sasha Baron Cohen has completely exploited the GOP’s hero fantasy complex, woman at Pompeo’s Iran speech protests asylum seeking detention, California Congresswoman Karen Bass gives an impassioned immigration speech from Brownsville, can religious arguments swing people to the left? Trump’s economic advisor really thinks Trump wrote “Art of the Deal” himself (and/or really likes his ghostwriter), Michelle Wolfe’s “ICE is…” sketch is very good, American opposition to ICE is growing rapidly, Mike from PA tells us about the fall of Wilkes-Barre, PA and the rise of the barbell society, and the rest of your wonderful calls and IMs!
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