US of Ed

"The ongoing economy is falling even faster, so this is something deeper than the Depression, I don't know how the United States gets out of this."

Widely denounced and largely in-character, Trump's calls to delay the November election may come to nothing but they did serve to distract away from the States' dire economic position. But his constant attacks on mail-in voting could damage Republicans more so than Democrats. And one of the largest non-nuclear blasts on record has rocked Beirut, how will if affect a country already teetering on the edge? Also talking the latest on COVID, William Barr, Roger Stone, and Joe Biden, where is his running mate?

"Trump did so much damage and the nation is so far behind, that's going to be a really tough catch-up but a very necessary one."

Bumper episode this week as Ed and Sean look at what's in the Democratic platform for 2020, both foreign and domestic. How might relations with China be improved under Biden? What about Russia and Syria? What approach are Democrats taking on improving Obamacare? Where's the plan on climate change and environmental cutbacks? But first, a quick look at the news, with COVID deaths, Portland retreat, William Barr and the passing of John Lewis.

"There's people who now want him out at any cost, and it may be bloody."

It's been a concern for some time now, but following fresh comments this week what happens if Trump loses in November but refuses to accept the results? How likely even is such a possibility? And with the current strategy on COVID of shutting eyes, putting fingers in ears and singing loudly failing to do much to stop the pandemic, Trump is switching tacks but reasons things will get worse before they get better. Also talking Roger Stone, pandemic compensation, militant crackdown in Portland, and Joe Biden keeping his head way, way down in the lead-up to November.

"It took the Supreme Court to wrest justice back for America and give the nation some spine."

No man is above the law declares the latest Supreme Court decision regarding Donald Trump's financial records, limiting the presidential power Trump has been relying on to keep himself above prosecution. Although the public may not see those records before the November election, the loss is part of a larger losing streak Trump and Republicans are experiencing in the court. Ed and Sean take a look at the latest decision, and implications on cases such as the Louisiana abortion bill, Oklahoma reservations, DACA and more.

"[Trump] is peddling a message that nobody really wants to hear."

Trump seems to be counting on dividing Americans even further into Us and Them camps in order to win in 2020, inflaming the divides already being fought, or maybe his strategy is just to lose. Meanwhile, claims that the US is a global leader in COVID, and it is, just in all the worst ways. Also talking Ghislaine Maxwell, why Russian bounties have disappeared from headlines, Israel, Black Lives Matter, and Kanye West's run at the presidency.

"The president knew nothing, and didn't want to know."

Big week this week as Ed and Sean talk bounties offered by Russia on US soldiers, and why it seems the supposedly pro-military Trump did nothing to defend American lives. Plus picking apart the Democrats' Green New Deal, hope for a brighter tomorrow or purely political exercise? Plus the latest reboot; the Soviet Union, spikes of COVID-19, abortion clinics in the Supreme Court, Hong Kong, and escalating rhetoric on the national divide.

"He can't declare a victory anywhere, everything looks like a failure."

What was meant to be a triumphant return to the campaign trail for Donald Trump ended up a fizzling failure in Tulsa, with rows upon rows of empty seats and abandoned overflow areas, but is there more it can tell us about the 2020 campaign? And is Biden doing much better? Meanwhile, William Barr is doing untold damage to the Justice Department as calls grow for his impeachment. Also talking the latest on COVID-19, Roger Stone, foreign worker visas, and Black Lives Matter.

"Their ability to put other people down because of their sexual orientation, because their skin colour, or whatever, is coming to an end."

Good news out of the Supreme Court for LGBTQ rights in what's being called the most important decision out of the court in this area since marriage equality was put into law in 2015. Good news and bad for black lives matter protests globally as the heat is kept on making real reforms, but some protesters are also meeting violent resistance. Also, we talk John Bolton, post-COVID, North Korea, Brexit and more.

"This is a worldwide change, I think it's going to rival what we've been doing with climate change."

Protests sparked by the death of George Floyd continue to cripple America, but at long last might we be seeing some real positive progress on injustice in the USA and around the world, racial and otherwise? And while COVID sees a small spike against the grain in some states, some positive news on the economic front, although that's not the case for Latin America and Russia. Also talking North Korea, nuclear treaties, Prince Andrew, and Democrats looking to wrest control of the Senate.

"The system is deeply broken, very fragile, not just in the United States but around the world."

It's a tumultuous and evolving situation, but Ed and Sean do their best to unpack the factors behind the George Floyd protests and consequences going forward. Racial injustice, COVID, and an utter failure of leadership from on top, we also talk attacks on media, attempts to blame antifa, and how, as someone who marched with Martin Luther King Jr himself, Ed thinks MLK might have seen attempts to use his quotations to shame black protesters into silence. Also checking in with what's happening with COVID since it's been knocked off the front pages, the G7, Trump vs Twitter, and former Bush alumni for Biden.