What A Day

Concerns about whether the Biden campaign is doing enough to speak to Latinx voters have grown in recent days following polling that suggests weakness among this group, particularly in Florida. Political consultant and former Bernie Sanders advisor Chuck Rocha joins to discuss.

The director of the CDC says that a vaccine for Covid-19 might not be available until the summer or fall of 2021. He also said that wearing a mask could be more important in fighting the spread of the virus. Trump disagreed.

And in headlines: Hurricane Sally drenches Alabama and Florida, Big Ten football is back on, and a former data-scientist for Facebook blows the whistle on Zuck.

The city of Louisville, Kentucky has come to a $12 million settlement deal with the family of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police officers in her apartment six months ago. The agreement also includes several police reforms. We explain.

Over 5 million acres have now been burned across the West. We discuss the poor air quality caused by the smoke, how it's measured, and the effects it can have on our health.

And in headlines: the key witness in an ongoing investigation of sexual assault by guards at an ICE detention center has been deported by ICE, Trump’s health spokesperson fearmongers on Facebook Live, and some updates on mail-in voting.

Show Links:

"Breonna Taylor's Life Was Changing, Then Police Came To Her Door" https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/us/breonna-taylor-police-killing.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article

Extreme weather continues in the US, with over 4.5 million acres burned across the West Coast and a Category 2 hurricane bearing down on the Gulf Coast. Scientists say two Antarctic glaciers are breaking off and could contribute to large-scale sea level rise, underscoring the need for aggressive environmental policy in the US and abroad. 

Oracle is close to taking over TikTok’s US operations following scuttled negotiations between Microsoft and ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok. Oracle would be a “trusted tech partner,” meaning the deal isn’t a full-on sale—instead, Oracle would manage TikTok’s US data. 

And in headlines: a whistleblower at a privately-run ICE detention camp in Georgia, comparing the pandemic’s economic consequences to the ’09 financial crisis, and scientists discover a perfectly-preserved cave bear in Serbia.

Show Links...

"The Trump Administration Is Reversing 100 Environmental Rules. Here’s the Full List." https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks.html

Wildfires raged on over the weekend in the West, with millions of acres burned, thousands displaced, and dozens of lives lost. Aside from fighting climate change, one of the most effective ways to manage these fires is regular controlled burns, which is something indigenous tribes were doing for centuries. 

Two meat processing facilities were fined a measly total of $29,000 after government regulators at OSHA determined that the plants didn’t do enough to protect workers. OSHA has gotten almost 10,000 Covid-related workplace safety requests so far, and these are the only two companies that have been cited and fined. 

And in headlines: controversies surrounding Disney’s “Mulan,” Israel imposes a second nation-wide lockdown, and Mike Bloomberg pledges to donate 100 million to Joe Biden’s Florida campaign.

Show links:

"They Know How To Prevent Forest Fires. Why Won't Anybody Listen?" https://www.propublica.org/article/they-know-how-to-prevent-megafires-why-wont-anybody-listen

"To Manage Wildfire, California Looks To What Tribes Have Known All Along" https://www.npr.org/2020/08/24/899422710/to-manage-wildfire-california-looks-to-what-tribes-have-known-all-along

Viral videos of police brutality against Black people have generated outrage, protest, and sustained national attention this year. We talk to Bijan Stephen, a reporter at The Verge, about his latest project called “Capturing The Police,” which examines the impact these videos have on the people who film them.

Another 884,000 people filed for unemployment last week, which is more than economists were expecting. The Republicans failed to pass their “skinny” relief bill in the Senate, and it’s not clear whether another deal will be reached before the election.

And in headlines: the NFL kicks off their season, Microsoft announces election hacks, and Mike Pence gets friendly with QAnon.

Show Links:

https://www.theverge.com/21355121/new-civil-rights-movement-police-brutality-protests-film-videos-black-lives-matter