What A Day

Congressional leaders are putting together the final pieces of an emerging deal on COVID relief, but the negotiations could continue into the weekend. We spoke to Congressman Ro Khanna about the relief bill, the Biden transition and what gives him hope for next year.

This year saw the largest-ever racial justice uprisings since the 1960s, following the racist killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many other Black Americans. We looked back at some of the conversations we’ve had with activists, journalists, and elected officials about the movement and what it means to them. 

For our final round of headlines, we focused on the issue of policing: the botched raid of Anjanette Young’s apartment in Chicago and the city’s attempt to keep it quiet, new studies that show giving police military gear doesn’t lower crime rates, and Tamika Palmer’s open letter to Joe Biden about her daughter, Breonna Taylor.

Show Announcement:

What A Day will be off for the rest of the year & back on Monday January 4th. Thank you for listening and we'll see you next year!

Congressional leaders think they could pass a roughly $900 billion stimulus bill by the end of the week, which might include direct payments, but won't include money for states and localities. A deal can’t come soon enough: eight million Americans have been pushed into poverty since this summer, while jobless claims (and COVID cases) are rising.

The Supreme Court announced it will hear a case on compensation of athletes in the NCAA. Players think the NCAA’s cap on student athlete compensation violates antitrust laws… not to mention, college sports bring in billions in revenue each year on the backs of majority Black athletes.

And in headlines: Bezos’s ex Mackenzie Scott gave away $6 billion in 2020, Jackass guys got broke off on day two of filming, and at long last Trump gets new shower-head rules on the books.

Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg was announced as Biden’s nominee for transportation secretary yesterday, and former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm is expected to be picked to lead the Energy Department. We discuss those picks, plus other recent Biden nominees, like Marcia Fudge, Tom Vilsack, and Denis McDonough. 

The Dolly Parton-backed Moderna vaccine has been reviewed by the FDA and found to have an efficacy rate of 94.1 percent. Zooming out, a New York Times report said it may take until 2024 for less affluent countries to fully immunize their population, since rich countries have bought up all the supply. 

And in headlines: Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for kidnapping 300 boys in Nigeria last Friday, European countries announce antitrust proposals for tech companies, and Prince Harry and Meghan are podcasters now.

The first coronavirus vaccines were administered in the US yesterday, and public education efforts also got underway with the HHS and CDC emphasizing the safety of the drug. 

Congress has one week left to agree on a relief bill before they go on recess. The latest proposal splits provisions into two parts, one that everyone can agree on, and one that contains more controversial elements. We explain, plus get into why Senator Bernie Sanders says he’ll vote against the bills. 

And in headlines: Bill Barr out as AG, PornHub deletes around 10 million videos after NYT op-ed, and powerful women rise up to defend Dr. Jill Biden against a WSJ hater.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized by the FDA on Friday evening, and the first shipments went out on Sunday. Most state governments intend to follow CDC recommendations and give the first few batches to health care workers and nursing home residents and staff… members of the Trump White House might also get it early.

Today is the official electoral college vote, after which Biden and Harris will officially become the President-elect and Vice President-elect. Some Republicans may try to raise final objections when Congress counts the electoral votes in January, but… the end is near.

And in headlines: A judge orders the jail population in Orange County, California to be cut in half, pro-Trump protestors demonstrate and commit violence in D.C., and Russian hackers infiltrate the Treasury and Commerce Department.

The FDA’s advisory panel voted to approve emergency authorization of the Pfizer-BionNTech coronavirus vaccine. Once it’s authorized, which could be any day now, an initial shipment of about 6.4 million doses is expected to be sent across the country. 

The state of the pandemic in the United States is extremely dire, with this week bringing a new record in single day fatalities, and a record number of people hospitalized across the country. One of the main sources of reliable data throughout the pandemic has been the Covid Tracking Project. We spoke to Alexis Madrigal, one of its co-founders, about the current numbers, how we measure where we’re at, and where we go from here.

Plus, we’re joined by writer and comedian Tien Tran for headlines: Amazon’s new invasive fitness tracker, MPD defunds the police, and a DMT study in England.

Show Links:

https://covidtracking.com/

https://www.theatlantic.com/author/alexis-madrigal/ 

Listen to Tien Tran on Hysteria and find her on Instagram:

https://crooked.com/podcast-series/hysteria/

https://www.instagram.com/hanktina/?hl=en

Facebook is facing two major antitrust lawsuits, one from the Federal Trade Commission and one from nearly every state in the country. The suits argue that Facebook has turned itself into a social media monopoly by purchasing or unfairly stifling its rivals. As a solution, the FTC is calling for the company to break off WhatsApp and Instagram.

An FDA panel is meeting today to vote on whether to approve Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. Meanwhile, Canada has now approved it, and the UK is now recommending that people prone to severe allergic reactions hold off on getting it.

And in headlines: another Trump EPA win for polluters, DoorDash has a banger IPO, and there’s more stuff than life now on Earth.

As vaccinations kick off in the UK, the approval process is moving forward here in the US as well. The FDA now says Pfizer’s vaccine offers protection within just 10 days of getting the first dose, though efficacy goes up even further after a second one. Authorization is still pending. The US had planned to rely heavily on the AstraZeneca vaccine, having made a deal to buy 300 million doses… but new data indicate the drug isn’t as effective as some of the other options being reviewed. 

On his first day, the new district attorney of Los Angeles George Gascón announced a suite of policy reforms that will change how law enforcement is done in the city. Gascón is part of a larger wave of newly-elected progressive DA’s, from places like Austin, Orlando, and New Orleans.

And in headlines: the Army fires or suspends 14 officials at Fort Hood, police raid the home of COVID data scientist Rebekah Jones, and Christopher Nolan is not happy with Warner Bros.

Show Links:

"Blunders Eroded U.S. Confidence in Early Vaccine Front-Runner"

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/business/covid-vaccine-oxford-astrazeneca.html

"AstraZeneca vaccine details published in Lancet, but data suggests need for more trials"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/astrazeneca-lancet-covid-vaccine-oxford/2020/12/08/482ca0f0-34b5-11eb-9699-00d311f13d2d_story.html

A bipartisan relief bill that had some momentum last week hit a snag after two senators said they won’t support the proposal. We explain. Plus, an update on coronavirus restrictions in New York.

The Trump administration has five executions planned between now and January 20th, including that of Brandon Bernard, whose sentence many are fighting to commute. Biden is against the death penalty and said he will work to end it as president. 

And in headlines: police shooting of 23-year-old Casey Goodson in Ohio, the Trump admin passed on extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and one weird trick pandas use to stay warm.

Show Links:

https://www.helpsavebrandon.com/

"Brandon Bernard Awaits Execution Amid Calls for Clemency"

https://theintercept.com/2020/12/05/federal-executions-brandon-bernard/

Biden has reportedly selected California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who led the defense of the Affordable Care Act in the Supreme Court last month, to lead the department of Health and Human Services. We discuss the pick.

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s new lockdown order takes effect today in large parts of the state, and will be in effect for at least the next three weeks but possibly longer. 

The UK will begin its initial batch of COVID-19 vaccinations this week, using the drug from Pfizer. Russia began vaccinating thousands in Moscow with their Sputnik V vaccine this past weekend, and there’s reporting that China is gearing up for a rollout of vaccines, too. 

And in headlines: judge orders DACA restored, hundreds of thousands of farmers strike in India, and Trump doesn’t nail the messaging in Georgia.