It’s Casual Friday! Sam and Emma speak with David Dayen, executive editor at the American Prospect, to round up the week in news.
First, Sam and Emma run through updates on Western aid to Ukraine and Israel, Pritzker’s assault weapons ban, Biden caving on right-wing immigration reform, the Fed’s rate cuts, and the GOP’s Santos replacement, before watching Shawn Fain continue his militant labor activism as he takes a stand with the UAW against the relentless bombing of Gaza. David Dayen then joins as he previews the American Prospect’s upcoming telethon stream, before diving into the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, first tackling the internal politics behind the policy in the bill, and then parsing through the particulars of the bill, including the revamping of the US surveillance apparatus. Next, Dayen steps back as he, Sam, and Emma assess the state of this Congress, tackling the insanely low quantity of bills passed – the majority of which are simply naming things after people – and why the contents of the functional bills just involves punting government funding down the road. They also walk through Biden and the Democrats’ unsurprising yet disheartening capitulation to far-right immigration reform, with anti-progressive John Fetterman joining the ride, all while refusing to challenge the far-right narrative or even suggest that immigration could be a good thing, maybe. After briefly touching on Biden’s complete endorsement of Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza, David, Sam, and Emma explore the future of the Fed’s management of the economy, and wrap up with some major takeaways from Google’s monopoly case, and the future of anti-trust in the US.
And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma tackle John Fetterman’s “I Left the Left” turn, updates on Israel’s (admitted) murder of hostages, and the role of the ICC in Gaza. They also listen to Ahmed Tobasi’s reflections on Israeli oppression and violence in the West Bank, Dave Rubin’s reflections on making progressive taxation more conservative, Florida’s State House letting predators go unchecks when they’re also employers, and Steve Deece finally turns on Nancy Mace’s politics… for getting divorced, plus, your calls and IMs!
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