What The Hell Happened?

Millions of Texans were without power and water as their electrical grid failed. Instead of helping his residents, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz jumped on a plan to Cancun with his family. As you know, he got caught. Will the scandal stick?

Last week, the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump. 57 Senators voted to convict Trump, falling short of the 67 vote threshold. He's not out of the legal troubles yet as multiple cases continue to mount. 

President Biden continues his honeymoon period with a 62% approval rating. Congress is set the pass the very popular covid 19 relief bill next week. What will the next priority be for the administration.

Lastly, Rush Limbaugh passed away this week. He played a large part in why American political discourse is where we find it now. 

The second impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump is wrapping up. It is tough to find impartial jurors in the U.S. Senate. Reports that some GOP Senators skipped out on their jury duties are infuriating. North Dakota's Senator John Hoeven was among those too busy to hear Thursday's arguments according to those reports. Kevin Cramer declared this was, "the stupidest week in the U.S. Senate" before hearing the arguments. An embarrassing duo for a once proud legacy of U.S. Senators from North Dakota.

The Biden covid relief plan is supported by over 80% of Americans. Congress should pass this unifying plan as soon as possible. Guess where Hoeven and Cramer are on the idea.

These top stories and soo much more on "What the Hell Happened This Week!?" 

Hedge fund managers and Wall Street were exposed this week after a subreddit group pooled investments for GameStop, AMC, and a variety of other companies. The little guys took on Wall Street and won. For a moment anyway. Many of the applications that marketed themselves as means for the "average joe" to invest barred investors from buying and selling select stocks with their own money. Apparently, the rules are different for big hedge fund managers and those of us that work on main street. The episode outraged people on all sides of the political spectrum and was the first real "unifying" moment of 2021.

Congress is still maneuvering another covid 19 relief package. It seems more likely "reconciliation" will be used to get the proposal passed and signed by President Biden. With variants being discovered, it is a race against the clock for both people's health and the economy.

Lastly, the in-fighting in the GOP continues to take shape. More of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's past conspiracy theories and behaviors are coming to light. Will there be any accountability in Congress? Rep. Matt Gaetz flew to Wyoming to rally against Rep. Liz Cheney. Which course will lead the GOP? 

Every Wednesday of 2021 has had a historic event. January 6th was the insurrection on Capitol Hill. January 13th was the second impeachment of President Donald Trump. January 20th was the inauguration of President Joe Biden. It has been bumpy, but democracy survived. For now.

A new administration doesn't mean old crisis are gone. The pandemic is raging in parts of the country. Biden wants $1.9 billion in another round of relief. To pass the proposal, Democrats are talking about "reconciliation" to get around Senate Republican obstruction. To prevent further obstruction, will the Senate filibuster be eliminated? After all, obstruction fuels extremism. 

To prepare for the week ahead, recap what the hell happened last week with Tyler Axness and Jason Matthews. 

Exactly one week following the attack on our nation's Capitol, President Donald Trump was impeached for the second time. He is the first President to be impeached twice. The Senate will take up the trial next week. Can they balance the trial with the important work laid out for President-elect Biden's first 100 days? 

Law enforcement continues to investigate and arrest those who stormed the House and Senate with more to likely come. Will there be accountability for other elected officials involved with the insurrection? The corporate world has stood up by pulling back its campaign donations. Will censures and expulsion happen if evidence warrants?

Biden rolled out a $1.9 trillion covid relief package. It was met with praise from both Senator Bernie Sanders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Will the $15 minimum wage increase derail its passage? Tyler Axness and Jason Matthews break down this week's moments on "What the Hell Happened This Week?"

***Language Warning***

The attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th was one of the darkest days in American history. Tyler Axness and Jason Matthews talk about the attack, the years that built up to it, and what the fall out may be. Just 24 hours before the attack and certification of President-elect Joe Biden's win, two Democratic gains in the U.S. Senate were delivered by Georgia voters. What does the new Congressional makeup mean for policy in Washington? What does Joe Biden need to do in his first 100 days in office? 

***Explicit language warning***

Many are eager to put 2020 in the rearview mirror. The pandemic rages on and new variations of coronavirus are discovered, but there may be an end in sight with the vaccine. After months of failure, Congress finally passed another relief package to help struggling businesses and families. 

At the same time, President Trump has surrounded himself with sycophants urging him to overturn the election he lost by 7 million votes. Some Republican leaders are even urging him to "cross the Rubicon." The election loss has been the only focus of Trump's while Americans die and Russia attacks us through cyber warfare. The ramifications of that hack are not yet fully understood.

How does the reaction from the "losing side" to the 2020 election compare to 2016? Will there be a struggle between conservativism and Trumpism? President-elect Biden's cabinet is his comfort zone. Will they be able to meet the challenges ahead? Will 2021 be any better than 2020 in American politics? Tyler Axness and Jason Matthews wrap up season one of "What the Hell Happened?"

After taking Thanksgiving week off, Tyler Axness and Jason Matthews break down the past 2 weeks. It wasn't just turkeys receiving pardons from President Trump. Now we're hearing there may be "preemptive pardons." The pandemic is spiking, vaccines are coming, and there is a group of bipartisan senators looking to get a relief package out. Will this be the power group for the next two years? The far left is attacking potential cabinet picks from the Biden administration. Heidi Heitkamp has been their focus. We explain why the left wing's focus is misguided and simply idiotic. 

Though Trump's legal team isn't winning in court, they may be winning the war on truth. Press conferences full of half-truths and outright lies are being consumed by casual political observers and it is shaping their reality. It is increasingly harmful to our democracy and faith in our institutions. Tyler Axness and Jason Matthews discuss the dire situation and how American politics isn't just urban vs rural, but there are basically five political parties in our country. 

Following the election results, there is a lot of discussion on whether or not America is a "center-left" or a "center-right" nation. With a majority of Americans being somewhere in the center, why are the extremes on both the left and right controlling our politics? Tyler Axness and Jason Matthews discuss that and describe our our democracy is, "the frog in the pot."