Call It Like I See It

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss wokeness in our society, taking a look at its traditional social justice framing as well as the way it has been made a part of the so called “culture wars” (01:29).  The guys also marvel at the scale of the world’s caffeine additions and consider the implications of this (35:58). 

Where ‘woke’ came from and why marketers should think twice before jumping on the social activism bandwagon (The Conversation)

Why Attacking ‘Cancel Culture’ And ‘Woke’ People Is Becoming The GOP’s New Political Strategy (538)

Woke activists hurt cause with ‘self-righteous toxicity’: left-wing think tank (NY Post)

The invisible addiction: is it time to give up caffeine? (The Guardian)

With the U.S.’s 20-year war in Afghanistan coming to an end this summer, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the move to withdrawal the remaining troops and the legacy of the conflict (01:37).  The guys also take a look at recent research that in some circumstances, the color lost in gray hair can be regenerated by simply reducing stress (32:56).

Biden announces U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will end August 31 (CBS News)

Afghanistan war cost more than $2T and 240,000 lives, report finds (Military Times)

From Afghanistan, disgraceful echoes of Vietnam (Star Tribune)

Yes, we can reverse gray hair. No, we don't know why it works. Just chill. (Mashable)

Seeing the effects of climate change appearing to continue to pick up steam, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss extent to which what we are seeing is the off the charts as well as things that may be driving our societies inability to truly address to the problem (01:47).  The guys also react to recent reports that scientists have cloned an endangered ferret from the genetic material of a ferret that died over 30 years ago (46:19).

Pacific Northwest heat wave reaches astonishing peak on Monday (Axios)

Here's how the heat is impacting residents of the Pacific Northwest (CNN)

How climate change 'loads the dice' for heat waves (NBC News)

A Former Trump Adviser May Have Revealed What The Fossil Fuel Bonanza Was Really About (HuffPost)

Proud Boys and petro-masculinity (Heated World)

Men Resist Green Behavior as Unmanly (Scientific American)

Defense Secretary Calls Climate Change an Existential Threat (Defense.gov)

Ford's Electric Mustang Mach-E SUV Outsold the Gas Mustang Last Month (MotorTrend)

Scientists Have Cloned an Endangered Species. Will They Be Able to Bring Back Extinct Animals? (Popular Mechanics)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss what Critical Race Theory is and how it has gone from exclusively being an academic and scholarly matter to a dominant topic in our political and media environments (01:16).  The guys also take a look at recent findings on how to combat attention fatigue with soft fascination (41:30).

What the hysteria over critical race theory is really all about (Vox)

Anti-Sharia law bills in the United States (Southern Poverty Law Center)

Stephen Bannon thinks GOP could gain 50 House seats if they focus on critical race theory (Yahoo)

Critical race theory battle invades school boards — with help from conservative groups (NBC News)

How ‘Soft Fascination’ Helps Restore Your Tired Brain (Elemental)

Following years of advocacy, Juneteenth has been made a federal holiday in the U.S. and James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the way the holiday fits into the U.S. narrative and consider how, after years of this being a disputed matter, an overwhelming consensus supporting the issue was formed in Congress (01:18).  The guys raise the alarm about recent findings on how antidepressants being found in our waterways may be affecting how animals are behaving (21:22).

One Woman's Decades-Long Fight To Make Juneteenth A U.S. Holiday (NPR)

For Black People In Corporate America, Juneteenth Is About More Than A Day Off (Forbes)

Antidepressants in waterways may make crayfish bolder, increasing risk of predation (National Geographic)

Following ProPublica’s bombshell report on the massive levels of tax avoidance that America’s highest earners are engaging in, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take opposite sides on whether the existence of this level of tax avoidance means that our tax system is broken and unfair (01:28).  The guys also look at some recent research on whether the universe may be conscious as we understand it (42:51).

The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax (ProPublica)

‘These revelations make me sick’ — Cramer suggests a billionaire surtax after ProPublica bombshell (CNBC)

Some Scientists Believe the Universe Is Conscious (Popular Mechanics)

With interest in and coverage of the Tulsa Race Massacre peaking right in time for its 100th anniversary, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss what stands out about the incident, the types of factors that something like it to happen, and the why it received such little attention for so long (01:22).  The guys also look at both parallels and points of distinction in our contemporary social climate (36:11).

Tulsa Race Massacre - The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (Oklahoma Historical Society)

(PDF) Tulsa Race Riot - A Report by the Oklahoma Com mission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 (Oklahoma Historical Society)

Why it took 100 years for America to learn about the Tulsa massacre (Vox)

Tom Hanks: You Should Learn the Truth About the Tulsa Race Massacre (NY Times)

3 Documentaries You Should Watch About The Tulsa Race Massacre (NPR)

Whitewashed: The racial cleansing of Forsyth County (11alive)

Republican leaders say they want to focus on the future, but Trump is far from done with the past (WaPo)

Seeing both market and legal pressures pushing society away from endless fossil fuel consumption, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the recent announcement of the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning, the placement of climate friendly members on Exxon’s board of directors, and the court order requiring Shell to reduce emissions by almost half in less than a decade (01:14).  The guys also take a look at some recent studies on the prevalence of polyamorous relationships (38:30).

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup could change how America travels and works (Detroit Free Press)

Engine No. 1 wins at least 2 Exxon board seats as activist pushes for climate strategy change (CNBC)

Court orders Shell to slash CO2 emissions in landmark climate ruling (CNN)

Polyamory Is More Common Than You Think, One in Nine Americans Have Tried It (Newsweek)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the recent hot conflict between Israel and Hamas and discuss the more humanistic view some have taken of the incident and the limitations of attempts to classify various actors in the dispute as pure hero or pure villain (01:28).  The guys also react to recent discussions about the need to incorporate insects into our diets in order to keep the planet habitable (42:41).

The Israel-Hamas ceasefire stopped the fighting — but changed nothing (Vox)

Bernie Sanders calls Hamas a 'terrorist group' but says Israeli government has 'overt racists' (FoxNews)

Palestinians Echo Black Lives Matter as U.S. Activists Repay George Floyd Solidarity (Newsweek)

A brief history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict (Independent)

If we want to save the planet, the future of food is insects (The Guardian)

A no-beef diet is great — but only if you don’t replace it with chicken (Vox)

Following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s sudden and substantial change in its mask wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider what the actual change may mean to different parts of society (01:28).  The guys also take a look at some recent findings on how sharks are able to precisely determine geolocation (42:41).

U.S. administers 273.5 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC (Reuters)

The CDC’s New Mask Rules Just Follow the Science (Bloomberg)

Surprising reversal of COVID mask guidance based on science, CDC says. Here’s the data (Miami Herald)

CDC director says mask turnaround based solely on science (AP)

Millions Are Saying No to the Vaccines. What Are They Thinking? (The Atlantic)

As more Americans get vaccinated, 41% of Republicans still refuse COVID-19 shots (PBS)

Sharks use Earth's magnetic field as a GPS, scientists say (Yahoo)