US of Ed

"[Republicans] cannot go into elections in two years and have Democrats take praise for all the infrastructure work, for all the new jobs."

Republicans testing resolve on infrastructure this week, before moving on with Biden's big plans. Meanwhile, COVID is already testing the facilities at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, leading to the question as to whether the games can safely continue. Also talking billionaires in space, Taliban on the march, hacking, and COVID cases among the unvaccinated.

"It sounds like this bipartisanship is hanging by a very slim thread, so nobody wants to say anything."

Joe Biden and Democrats have gotten together this week on a massive $3.5 trillion budget blueprint to push forward with the Biden agenda on education, healthcare, climate change and more, but will it be enough? Chaotic scenes in Haiti and Cuba paint a tumultuous picture of the region's future, and look to make an impact on US immigration. Also chatting about anti-competitive practices in big business, Texas voting rights, the UK's abandonment of COVID restrictions, and Olympics.

"The way you solve a problem in the United States is to kill it, here you might go fishing."

Joe Biden has promised Americans have emerged from their darkest days in a Fourth of July address largely concerned with the COVID-19 pandemic, but for some dark days continue with at least 233 gun-related deaths over the holiday weekend. Meanwhile, Israel's new many-headed hydra of a coalition government appears to have failed its first big test with a split on family unification. Plus Afghanistan, ransomware attacks, Brazil, and the spectre of more indictments in the Trump Organization case.

"This infrastructure bill, as I've said before, is a jobs bill, pure and simple."

Joe Biden has announced in glowing terms this week a bipartisan agreement on infrastructure with Republicans, but given the reduced price tag and threats of a veto if he doesn't get his way on a separate reconciliation bill for other measures is the deal all it's cracked up to be? Meanwhile, Critical Race Theory has entered the mainstream as a new front in the culture wars. Also talking the Jan 6th committee, Afghanistan withdrawal, heat wave, charges for the Trump organisation, and Donald Rumsfeld.

"This is unheard of in the march toward democracy. The notion is, the right to vote is extended, not retracted."

Republicans have blocked the Democrats' first attempt at a bipartisan voting rights bill, with zero dissent on party lines from within the GOP. Meanwhile, Biden has signally a potential breakthrough on infrastructure talks but compromise with Republicans could see him losing support from the left. Also talking American Rescue Plan, missing the target on COVID vaccinations, Texas power, and the race to be New York’s next mayor.

"America's back, and people are loving it."

Rubbing elbows with other world leaders, Joe Biden's trip to the G7 Summit appears a diplomatic success but we look to see if there are any real answers on climate change and China, as well as what's come out of a quiet summit with Vladimir Putin. On the home front, however, fresh revelations about Donald Trump's use of the Justice Department to spy on political enemies reminds us of the long road ahead to stabilising American democracy, if such a thing can be done. Also talking student debt, Lina Khan, Israel, India, and Juneteenth.

"Notions of power run deep in some people, and being powerful is more important than anything including justice."

Voting rights faces stiff opposition and talks with Republicans over infrastructure have unsurprisingly fallen apart, forcing Dems to go it alone, but Joe Biden faces dissent from his own party in the shape of Joe Manchin. What's the Manchin angle? Tech innovation finds bipartisan support though as the US looks to take on China. Also discussing Biden's first trip abroad, Kamala Harris and Mexico, taxing the 1%, Israel, and Anthony Fauci.

"This is the chance for the United States to reestablish economically, socially... and of course Biden is hoping political corrections and improvements will follow on from this."

Biden's big spending budget looking to vastly expand America's social safety net and fix up crumbling infrastructure, being called “the most substantial expansion of the federal government’s spending powers since World War II". We look at the latest additions, plus where to next on the January 6th Commission. Plus Arctic drilling, voting rights in Texas, China, Israel, and the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre.

"What he's doing is facing reality, there's good debt and bad debt."

Biden's first budget is due to be announced at the end of this week, we look at what's anticipated and whether it stacks up to promises made on the campaign trail. And a year on from the killing of George Floyd the policing reforms in his name are yet to become reality, what needs to happen? Also, Biden to meet with Putin in Geneva, COVID conspiracies gaining cred, and Belarus participating in 'state-sponsored hijacking'.

"They are trying to disown it. The more they do that, the more they own it."

The bill for a commission looking into the events of the Capitol Invasion on January 6th, 2021 has passed through Congress this morning against strong Republican opposition but with much of the narrative already settled, will anything actually be learned assuming it also gets through the Senate? Plus Roe v. Wade facing a potential new challenge in the Supreme Court, as the conservative majority considers Mississippi's harsh new abortion bill. Also talking infrastructure, Gaza, and the GOP trifecta of Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz.