What A Day

The FDA granted full approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, making it the first vaccine in the country to move beyond the "emergency use authorization" that's been in place for months now. The announcement was followed by a slew of new vaccine mandates for educators, service members, and more.

Republican attacks on voting rights are continuing every day in Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia. We discuss the latest updates in the conservative push to make voting harder, and the racist history of laws that bar people who have been convicted of a felony from casting a ballot.

And in headlines: the Paralympic Games begin in Tokyo, the Cyber Ninjas are taken out in Arizona, and the latest on T. Rex's jaw.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

In the new season of “This Land,” journalist Rebecca Nagle investigates who is attempting to take down a federal law that aims to keep Native American foster and adoptive children with Native American communities, and why.

Nagle joins WAD to explain how all is not what it seems in a court case where a white couple claims that they cannot adopt their foster child, who is of Navajo and Cherokee descent, because of that law.

And in headlines: California’s Prop 22 is ruled unconstitutional, powerful storms deluge Tennessee and the Northeast, and school districts face a bus driver shortage.

Show Notes:

“This Land: Season 2” – https://crooked.com/podcast-series/this-land/

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

On the same day Facebook announced the launch of “Horizon Workrooms,” a virtual reality app for remote work meetings, the Federal Trade Commission filed an updated antitrust suit against the company. The FTC argues that Facebook tried to maintain a monopoly in the social media sphere through acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, and lessened the ability of contending apps like Vine to compete. Previously, a federal judge said the FTC failed to prove its contention that Facebook holds a monopoly, but with new FTC chair Lina Khan heading the more detailed suit this time around, Facebook may be forced to break up.

House Democrats introduced HR 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which is expected to be taken up by Congress next week. HR 4 is less sweeping than HR 1, the For the People Act, but contains measures that reinstate oversight powers of the Voting Rights Act, and make it easier for courts and observers to block election law changes. Though HR 4 is more limited, only one Republican in the Senate, Lisa Murkowski, is likely to support it, which means Democrats need nine more Republicans to bypass the filibuster.

And in headlines: Taliban members go door-to-door to hunt U.S. allies, OnlyFans bans sexually explicit videos, and Sha’carri Richardson returns to the track.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced that a vaccine booster plan can begin September 20, but only if the FDA determines that a third shot for those who got Pfizer and Moderna is deemed safe and effective. Federal health officials estimate that vaccine protection against COVID-19 decreases over time, but their effectiveness against severe disease, hospitalization and death remains high. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization criticized the plan, saying it was, “handing out extra life jackets to people who already have life jackets.”

After decades of accusations and investigations, R. Kelly’s first trial started yesterday in Brooklyn’s federal court. He faces multiple charges including racketeering, kidnapping, forced labor, and eight counts of violating the Mann Act. Though he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008, the explosive “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary and the #MuteRKelly campaign brought about the current charges, which center around six women who say they were physically abused. This case is expected to last 6 to 8 weeks and, if convicted, legal experts say Kelly would be facing at least 15 years in prison.

And in headlines: protestors in Afghanistan oppose Taliban rule, a Texas school district finds a mask mandate loophole, and T-Mobile gets attacked by hackers.

Show Notes:

CDC: “Considerations for booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines” – https://bit.ly/3k3hdYA

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The Biden Administration is expected to announce as soon as today that boosters should be in order for most fully vaccinated people who got either the Pfizer or Moderna shots. The recommended third dose should come approximately eight months after the last shot. But those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will have to wait on a possible booster shot until results from a study are released in a few weeks.

The Taliban has started to speak publicly about its plans for Afghanistan, and offered many reassurances that people who formerly assisted the U.S. and NATO, as well as women, will not be targeted. Those promises, however, have been met with skepticism by Afghan civilians as well as other countries.

And in headlines: the legal settlement over the opioid crisis hits a snag, Chris Cuomo finally opens up about his brother, and New Zealand locks down for a single COVID case.

Show Notes:

NYT: Malala, “I Fear for My Afghan Sisters” – https://nyti.ms/3k3pYBJ

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

After Taliban fighters took control over Afghanistan this weekend, UN Secretary General António Guterres urged all countries to open their doors to Afghan refugees and refrain from deportations. Panicked civilians flooded the airport in Kabul on Monday, some even clinging to a departing U.S. plane, hoping to escape an uncertain future under Taliban rule. President Biden defended the U.S. withdrawal saying it was the right decision to avoid a third decade of war, and blamed Afghanistan’s military and political leaders.

On Saturday, Haiti was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, causing at least 1,400 deaths. The recovery effort is lagging, however, due to hospitals being overtaxed as well as Tropical Depression Grace, which made landfall in the island country on Monday night. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world due to its historical colonial oppression, and Prime Minister Ariel Henry was reportedly frustrated at the slow international response to their calls for aid.

And in headlines: the Colorado River faces a water shortage, Oklahoma tribes’ SCOTUS victory may be overturned, and Olivia Rodrigo’s merchandise isn’t so “good 4 u” after all.

Show Notes:

A List of Some Charities Helping Those in Afghanistan – https://twitter.com/crookedmedia/status/1427384439466692619?s=20

A List of Some Charities Helping Those in Haiti – https://bit.ly/3CTkDWl

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The Taliban seized Afghanistan with a takeover of its capital Kabul this past weekend, leading the country’s President Ashraf Ghani and U.S. personnel to flee. Afghan civilians also attempted to leave the country, which led to chaos at the airport in Kabul. We talked about what led to the swift takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban forces with Laurel Miller, director of the International Crisis Group’s Asia Program. Between 2013 and 2017, Miller was the deputy and then-acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the U.S. State Department.

And Josie Duffy Rice joins as WAD co-host. In headlines: recovery efforts in Haiti after a 7.2 magnitude quake, Canadians face a snap election, and a trio of volcanoes erupt in Alaska.

Show Notes:

Twitter: Laurel Miller – https://twitter.com/LaurelMillerICG

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The Taliban has taken over twelve provincial cities in Afghanistan, and U.S. intelligence officials estimate the country's capital Kabul could also fall within a few months. The takeovers have not affected the timeline of withdrawing U.S. troops from the country. 

New Census data shows that diversity has grown quickly in the past decade with the greatest gains seen among people identifying as Hispanic, Asian, or multiracial. We spoke with Yurij Rudensky, redistricting counsel in the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, about how these numbers could be used and potential Republican gerrymandering. 

And in headlines: the country's biggest teacher's union supports requiring vaccinations, blue hydrogen might not be all that clean, and a mayor in Japan bites an athlete's gold medal.

Show Notes:

Brennan Center for Justice: Redistricting – https://bit.ly/3CLp99p

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Senators Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema say they might not support a budget bill with a $3.5 trillion price tag, but Democrats in the House won't support the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure package unless the larger bill passes, too. We spoke with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal about how House progressives are thinking about these two crucial bills.

America is facing two major heat waves in the Pacific Northwest and in the eastern and central U.S. Abroad, there are wildfires burning in Canada, Russia, Greece, Algeria, Turkey, and Italy, all fueled by extreme heat and dry vegetation, and causing evacuations and mass destruction.

And in headlines: rebel Tigray and Oromo forces announce an alliance against Ethiopia's government, Texas House Democrats may face arrest for their exodus, and NASA's next space suit is delayed.

Show Notes:

NYT: “Hidden Toll of the Northwest Heat Wave: Hundreds of Extra Deaths” – https://nyti.ms/2U8rREe

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation yesterday, one week after New York Attorney General Leticia James’ office released a damning report detailing allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against the governor by 11 women who worked for him. Cuomo's resignation will take effect on August 24th, at which point Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will take over.

The International Panel on Climate Change released a report on Monday presenting clear and unequivocal evidence of the human impact on climate change. We talked to Dr. Kim Cobb, the Director of the Global Change Program at the Georgia Institute of Technology and one of the 200 authors who worked on the report, about the consequences of global warming and what world leaders can do about it.

And in headlines: the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal finally passes in the Senate, Prince Andrew is sued for sexual assault, and hermit crabs are getting horny from plastic pollution.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday