What A Day

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reached a deal where 15 states agreed to drop their opposition to the company's bankruptcy plan in exchange for concessions from the Sackler family. The move has paved the way for the company to settle with plaintiffs, who blame Purdue for its role in the country’s opioid crisis, for roughly $4.5 billion.

The world’s known COVID deaths just passed 4 million by one count, and many countries are still seeing rises in cases and hospitalizations due to the Delta variant and vaccine inequity. Meanwhile in the U.S., White House officials said that nearly 100 percent of recent COVID deaths have been among those who are unvaccinated.

And in headlines: Biden announced an end-date for U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, two Haitian Americans are arrested for the assassination of President Moïse, and Michael Avenatti was sentenced for attempting to extort $20 million from Nike.

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

Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home by a team of mercenaries amid claims by opposition groups that he tried to illegally extend his presidential term by one year. Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph is calling for an international investigation, and Biden promised assistance to fight for a safe and secure Haiti in a time of growing gun violence.

Texas State Republicans start a special legislative session on Thursday to discuss 11 conservative agenda items that didn’t pass the last session. These include a bill banning drive-through and 24-hour voting, a bill restricting critical race theory education, a bill preventing transgender students from competing on sports teams that align with their gender identity, and more.

And in headlines: Darnella Frazier’s uncle is killed in a Minneapolis police car chase, Tokyo will declare a state of COVID emergency, and the ship that blocked the Suez Canal is back in the water. 

Show Notes:

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

Reflecting upon President Biden’s missed July 4th vaccination goals, we talked to epidemiologist and former Detroit health commissioner Dr. Abdul El-Sayed about the spread of the Delta variant and Republican vaccination hesitancy. We also discussed concerns of a potential resurgence of COVID-19 when a partially-vaccinated America returns to indoor, crowded spaces this fall and winter.

And in headlines: Hurricane Elsa to make landfall on Florida's coast, a new large-scale ransomware attack, and Nikole Hannah-Jones chooses Howard University over UNC-Chapel Hill.

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

The Supreme Court affirmed two provisions of an Arizona law that restricted voting rights, yesterday. One would void ballots from citizens who voted in the wrong precinct, and the other would restrict voters from having their ballots delivered to a polling station by a third party. The justices also overturned a California law requiring charities to disclose the identities of their major donors, citing it as a violation of the First Amendment.

The Manhattan DA’s Office charged the Trump Organization for an alleged 15 year tax evasion scheme involving concealed benefits paid to executive employees. The focus of the prosecution is on the firm’s CFO, Allen Weisselberg, who is expected to take the brunt of the criminal charges instead of Trump himself.

And in headlines: the U.S. gained international support for a global minimum tax, Liz Cheney was nominated to the January 6th Committee, and Britney Spears’ father remains part of her conservatorship.

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

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court set Bill Cosby free on a technicality after he served part of his sentence for three counts of sexual assault. Back in 2005, when he was a local DA and before he was Trump’s defense lawyer, attorney Bruce Castor promised Cosby that nothing he said in a deposition for a civil case would be used against him in a criminal proceeding, and honoring that promise meant Cosby should never have been charged in the first place. 

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld died at 88 years old from multiple myeloma. He was responsible for countless war crimes in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, so it’s almost perfect timing that U.S. troops are set to withdraw from Afghanistan this week following his death.

And in headlines: counting chaos in the NYC mayoral race, the U.S. State Department adds a third gender to passports, and Nikole Hannah-Jones finally gets tenure from UNC.

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

Intense heat waves in the Pacific Northwest are causing heavy power demands and rolling blackouts. Unprecedented rainfall in the Midwest has caused flooding, which politicians have blamed on a lack of spending on proper infrastructure.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced a bill to establish a House committee that will investigate the January 6 Capitol riot. The committee will have 13 members, but it's not known whether Republicans will want to be part of it.

Plus Cleo Stiller fills in for Gideon. And in headlines: L.A. County advises masking indoors again, rare black hole and neutron star collisions are spotted, and the House votes to remove Confederate statues from the Capitol.

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

The Delta variant of coronavirus has been detected in 92 countries, leading to lockdowns and the reintroduction of limitations on border crossing. Additionally, researchers in India have identified a variant of the Delta variant they're calling Delta Plus, though it's so far unknown whether it's any more transmissible than the original variant.

Mixing and matching the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines may increase immunity, according to early results from a study in the UK. If the CDC approves combining vaccine brands, it could increase access to the vaccine and avoid supply bottlenecks.

And in headlines: Ethiopia declares ceasefire in Tigray, airstrikes and rocket attacks between U.S. forces and Iranian-backed militants, and SCOTUS upholds transgender bathroom rights.

Show Notes:

NIH clinical trial evaluating mixed COVID-19 vaccine schedules – https://bit.ly/3jot1FZ

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

A 12-story residential building collapsed in Miami last week, resulting in the deaths of at least 9 people, with more than 150 people still missing. An engineering report from 2018 found major structural damage to the building, and it was supposed to undergo repairs this year. There’s a climate change connection, too, with some suggesting that rising temperatures and sea levels might have accelerated the building’s erosion. 

Republicans in several states have been trying to audit the results of the November election to prove there was some kind of fraud that led to Trump’s defeat. We talk through some recent L’s state-level Republicans have taken, and the tactics they’re still trying to deploy. 

Plus, Liz Plank fills in for Gideon. And in headlines: a historic heat-wave in the Pacific Northwest, Turkish police crack down on a pride march, and a woman with a sign causes a pileup at the Tour de France.

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

President Biden announced a new $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package that will be primarily funded through heightened IRS efforts to reduce tax evasion by corporations and the wealthy. Human infrastructure spending, which covers things like childcare, education, and clean energy, is missing from the deal and would need to be part of a second bill passed through reconciliation without Republican support.

Pride events this weekend in cities like New York, Denver, and Seattle have banned out LGBTQ police officers from participating in marches if they're in uniform. We spoke with Chris Roney, an organizer of the Queer Liberation Movement, about the history of police resistance in the queer community and what's motivating people to ban cops at pride.

Plus, we're joined for headlines by special guest Margaret Cho: New York suspends Giuliani’s law license, EU leaders condemn anti-queer Hungarian bill, and chaos at a Redneck Rave.

Show Notes:

Search and Rescue Underway After Partial Collapse of Surfside Condo Building – https://www.nbcmiami.com/

Chris Roney: "In Honor of Pride, Let’s Put Our Privilege to Work For Black Lives Matter" – https://yhoo.it/3zWcVt3

Queer Liberation March – https://reclaimpridenyc.org/

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

The Supreme Court ruled that President Biden had the authority to remove the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who was appointed by the former Trump administration. Other SCOTUS rulings from yesterday protected a high school cheerleader's free speech on Snapchat, barred a union from organizing workers at their worksites, and banned police from entering homes without a warrant to arrest misdemeanor suspects.

The Delta variant now accounts for one-fifth of recent COVID cases in the U.S., predominantly in unvaccinated areas. If the variant persists, it could cause another COVID surge this fall or winter.

And in headlines: Nikole Hannah-Jones refuses to join UNC without tenure, Hong Kong’s last pro-democracy publication shuts down, and no tuna DNA found in Subway’s tuna sandwich.

Show Notes:

Slate: "The Supreme Court’s Latest Union-Busting Decision Goes Far Beyond California Farmworkers" – https://bit.ly/3zRlPIc

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