Call It Like I See It

Continuing their “Streaming Between the Lines” series, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the 2017 documentary film “Saving Capitalism,” which follows professor and former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich as he explains how the capitalist system in the US has been intentionally configured in recent times to primarily benefit the few, and how that imperils the continued operation of a democratic system.

Saving Capitalism (Netflix)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider whether sports gambling, particularly with mobile apps, may be going too far in light of a recent lawsuit against FanDuel filed by former employee of the Jacksonville Jaguars Amit Patel who is currently serving a 6 ½ sentence in federal prison for conduct related to his gambling (01:30).  The guys also react to the misinformation explosion surround FEMA hurricane relief, which coincidentally or not followed 100+ Republicans in congress voting against FEMA funding (24:23).

Ex-Jaguars employee Amit Patel sues FanDuel for $250 million (ESPN)

Florida Republicans Who Voted Against Funding FEMA Are Now Facing Disaster (Rolling Stone)

Suspect arrested after reports of threats toward FEMA operations in North Carolina (CNN)

Hurricanes Milton and Helene are a wake-up call for the stakes of this election (MSNBC)

FEMA Scrambles to Confront Two Storms—and Misinformation (WSJ) (Apple News Link)

Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Now Adding Lasers to Her Hurricane Helene Conspiracy (The Daily Beast)

DeSantis misses post-hurricane meeting with Biden — again (Politico)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the controversies and hate campaigns that are being seen more and more with entertainment properties like Star Wars, Snow White, Gladiator, and the Little Mermaid, and consider whether complaints about “forced diversity” and “woke” agendas in entertainment and fantasy have any merit (01:26).  The guys also consider whether the latest revelations by Jack Smith about Donald Trump’s conduct following his 2020 election loss further demonstrate that at least for some parts of the American public, unethical or bad behavior is no longer a significant concern (25:12).

‘The Acolyte’ Has Caused Star Wars Fandom To Plunge Into Civil War (Forbes)

How the culture war ruined ‘Star Wars’ (Medium)

Rachel Zegler says her ‘Snow White’ movie gives the princess’ name a new origin story (Los Angeles Times)

The Only Winner Of The Star Wars Culture War Is Disney (Giant Freakin Robot)

Star Wars: Daisy Ridley Has Some Thoughts On The Hate Rey Gets From Fans (GameRant)

11 damning details in Jack Smith’s new brief in the Trump election case (Politico)

Tina Peters, former Colorado county clerk, sentenced to 9 years over voting systems breach (Nebraska Examiner)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the AI chatbot that seems to be able to pull people away from conspiracy theories and the viability of using of technology to address problems created by technology (01:11).  The guys also take a look at what is happening with Argentina’s economy with the shock therapy that the new libertarian president has implemented (25:39).

This Chatbot Pulls People Away From Conspiracy Theories (NY Times)

Argentina’s poverty rate spikes in first 6 months of President Milei’s shock therapy (AP News)

Percentage distribution of wealth in Argentina in 2021, by wealth percentile (Statista)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the 2024 movie “Shirley,” directed by John Ridley and currently airing on Netflix, which tells the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, and her trailblazing run in the 1972 democratic presidential primary.

Shirley (Netflix)

Regina King Inspires as Presidential Candidate Shirley Chisholm in a New Biopic (Tudum by Netflix)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the use of debunked claims by the Trump campaign about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio eating pets for political gain (01:09).  The guys also react to the revelation that Onlyfans has become one of the most popular and profitable websites (32:12).

Trump and Vance Are Harming the People They Claim to Care About (The Atlantic)

Calls for J.D. Vance to resign after he admits that he created pet-eating story about immigrants (NJ.com)

Haitian immigrants helped revive a struggling Ohio town. Then neo-Nazis turned up (The Guardian)

Two Springfield, Ohio, hospitals locked down as more bomb threats rock city amid migrant crisis tensions (NY Post)

Stochastic terrorism (Wikipedia) 

OnlyFans figured out the best porn business on the internet (Business Insider) (Apple News Link)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the Apalachee High School shooting in Georgia and what it really means if one believes that stuff like this is now just “a fact of life” (1:16). The guys also consider why Russian propagandists seem to be so keen on secretly amplifying right wing voices in America (22:29) and react to the question of whether marijuana has become too strong since big business has now gotten in the business of growing and selling it (34:59).

'Great' dad. 'Caring' brother. Families mourn Georgia high school shooting victims. (USA Today)

JD Vance says he laments that school shootings are a ‘fact of life’ and calls for better security (AP News)

Illinois law banning concealed carry on public transit is unconstitutional, judge rules (AP News)

How Russian operatives covertly hired U.S. influencers to create viral videos (NPR)

Right-wing US influencers say they were victims of alleged Russian plot (BBC)

What to know about Tenet Media, Tennessee company linked to Russian propagandists (The Tennesseean)

Marijuana Is Too Strong Now (The Atlantic) (Apple News Link)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the sharp decline in encounters at the southern border with people wanting to come to the US and why some who oppose immigration are not thrilled about the development (1:14). The guys also react to the banning of Twitter/X in Brazil (28:14) and consider if dolphins really are evil (55:43).

July Immigrant Border Arrests Lower Than Trump’s Last Month In Office (Forbes)

GOP senator reveals threat he received working on border bill (CNN)

Senate Republicans block bipartisan border deal and foreign aid package following months of negotiations (CNN)

Fentanyl scanners that were sitting idle for lack of federal funds can now be installed at the border to catch smugglers (NBC News)

X goes offline in Brazil after Elon Musk’s refusal to comply with local laws (The Guardian)

Social media loves to villainize dolphins. Here's why it's wrong. (National Geographic) (Apple News Link)

Much Like Humans, Dolphin Pods Have Complex Social Structures (Discover Magazine)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to some recent comments by JP Morgan Chase CEO Jaime Dimon about the looming national debt crisis and whether the rich need to pay more taxes (1:14). The guys also weigh in on what many have said is a recent uptick of people in right wing circles trying to mainstream race pseudoscience (33:24).

Jamie Dimon wants to hit millionaires with the ‘Buffett Rule’ to tackle national debt - Fortune (Yahoo! Finance)

What is the national debt? (Treasury.gov)

U.S. Debt by President: Dollar and Percentage (Investopedia)

Reaganomics (Wikipedia)

The Far Right Is Becoming Obsessed With Race and IQ (The Atlantic) (Apple News Link)

How we fail black patients in pain (Association of American Medical Colleges)

Streaming Between the Lines – “The Eugenics Crusade” - Call It Like I See It (Apple Podcasts)

Netflix's "Behind the Curve" and the Belief in a Flat Earth - Call It Like I See It (Apple Podcasts)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss “It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump,” the 2020 New York Times Bestseller written by longtime Republican political consultant and strategist Stuart Stevens which looks the lies the modern Republican Party built itself on and how that led to the party’s complete submission to former president Trump.

It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump (Penguin Random House)