Episode

4/11 Climate Displacement In The US; Abortion Pill Legal Fight Explained w/ Jake Bittle & David Cohen

April 11, 2023

Emma hosts Jake Bittle, staff writer at Grist, to discuss his recent book The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration. Then, she’s joined by David Cohen, professor at Drexel Law School, to discuss the recent district court rulings on medication abortion in Texas and Washington State. And in the Fun Half, it’s Dan From The Internet! First, Emma runs through updates on the identity of the Louisville bank shooter, statistics on gun violence in the US, Nashville reinstating Justin Jones to the Tennessee statehouse, and potential ethics hearings about Clarence Thomas’ relationship to billionaire GOP donor Harlan Crow, before diving into updates on the incredible Rutgers faculty strike and the support among students. Jake Bittle then dives right into his work exploring the existing displacement of myriad communities in the US due to environmental disasters, first walking through the parallels and contrasts he draws with the great migration of Black Americans from the South over the first half of the 20th Century, and the particular role that the chaotic nature of climate disaster plays in separating them. Next, Bittle walks through the various examples we have in recent years of climate displacement, from California wildfires to the flooding and weather in the South, to explore why failed capitalist policies – like those around housing and corporate exploitation – create insecure communities that cannot appropriately respond to immediate disasters, before looking to a particular community in North Carolina as a perfect example for why we need to emphasize resilience over relocation when these disasters strike. Professor David Cohen then parses through the last week in abortion news, with a carefully coordinated GOP lawsuit in Texas successfully overturning a multi-decade precedent by the FDA that approved the abortion pill Mifepristone. He and Emma discuss the particular role of Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in pushing the GOP agenda through the US court system, analyze his absurd reliance on 1800s obscenities laws in his decision, and why this decision completely ignores medical studies and the authority of the FDA. Wrapping up, they tackle the impact this ruling might have on gender-affirming care, and other medical rights under threat.

And in the Fun Half: Emma is joined by Dan From The Internet! They reflect on their come-up at TYT, Dan making a deal with the devil to produce good progressive content, and the Right’s utter failure in pitching conservatism to the youth. Alex Jones and Stephen Crowder discuss the ANTI-WOKE victory that is the Super Mario Bros. premier, Owen from LA dives into candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Anesh from India calls in to discuss the ultimate oppression: elective circumcision. Candace Owens goes on a pro-nationalist rampage, exploring why Hitler’s issue was invading Poland, not genocide, plus, your calls and IMs!

Check out Jake’s book here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Great-Displacement/Jake-Bittle/9781982178253

Check out David’s work at Slate here: https://slate.com/author/david-s-cohen

Check out all of Dan’s work here: https://lnk.bio/danfromtheinternet

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