The News Reviewed: Recent Episodes
Shelby & Jenna
We believe that open conversations about difficult topics is still possible. Join us each week as we tackle the news headlines, critique the divisiveness and bring things to a middle ground.
Elle Reynolds, columnist for the Federalist, discusses the limits of Liberalism and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. References: This week's article: https://thefederalist.com/2021/08/19/liberalism-and-afghanistan-failed-each-other/ (Liberalism And Afghanistan Failed Each Other) Retired Army Colonel Mike Jason discusses what we did wrong in Afghanistan: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/how-america-failed-afghanistan/619740/ (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/how-america-failed-afghanistan/619740/) Mark Lilla- The End of Identity Liberalism: https://marklilla.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NYT-identity-liberalism.pdf (https://marklilla.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NYT-identity-liberalism.pdf)
Elle Reynolds, columnist for the Federalist, discusses the limits of Liberalism and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. References: This week's article: https://thefederalist.com/2021/08/19/liberalism-and-afghanistan-failed-each-other/ (Liberalism And Afghanistan Failed Each Other) Retired Army Colonel Mike Jason discusses what we did wrong in Afghanistan: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/how-america-failed-afghanistan/619740/ (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/how-america-failed-afghanistan/619740/) Mark Lilla- The End of Identity Liberalism: https://marklilla.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NYT-identity-liberalism.pdf (https://marklilla.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NYT-identity-liberalism.pdf)
According to Pullman, the vaccine is undeniably saving lives, there is no solid evidence against getting vaccinated, but its still reasonable to be afraid of it. Huh? Important terms with Pullman's definitions: Covid vaccines - "COVID-19 therapy shots", "experimental injections" or "unnecessary medical treatments" Mask mandates/non vaccine virus mitigation efforts - "extremist and anti-science COVID protocols" Vaccine developers - “authoritarians who viciously censor all information contrary to their political designs, have spent the last year lying about COVID and science, and treat citizens who question them like cattle to be prodded, branded, and corralled” AND Schools - "'learning' institutions that are really social conformity systems pushing experimental genetically based therapies, social restrictions, and face coverings" References: Vaccine And Mask Coercion Is A Purge Of Republican Voters, And Republicans Are Letting It Happen https://thefederalist.com/2021/08/09/vaccine-and-mask-coercion-is-a-purge-of-republican-voters-and-republicans-are-letting-it-happen/?fbclid=IwAR1h1-pDCFhHPyzw-oHW7ivabmgYCPcfs2v8wj0THwwZKrwiBQzI4at_HWM EPA Mask Effectiveness https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/epa-researchers-test-effectiveness-face-masks-disinfection-methods-against-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR3sTB51sQf8ytDVmgra_BwyLflufpMbOfkykL0_cB0-O9ECb7bD52zmh_k (https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/epa-researchers-test-effectiveness-face-masks-disinfection-methods-against-covid-19)
Joy Pullman, executive editor of the Federalist, expresses gratitude for the vaccine while simultaneously questioning the safety and necessity of vaccination. Important terms with Pullman's definitions: Covid vaccines - "COVID-19 therapy shots", "experimental injections" or "unnecessary medical treatments" Mask mandates/non vaccine virus mitigation efforts - "extremist and anti-science COVID protocols" Vaccine developers - “authoritarians who viciously censor all information contrary to their political designs, have spent the last year lying about COVID and science, and treat citizens who question them like cattle to be prodded, branded, and corralled” AND Schools - "'learning' institutions that are really social conformity systems pushing experimental genetically based therapies, social restrictions, and face coverings" References: Vaccine And Mask Coercion Is A Purge Of Republican Voters, And Republicans Are Letting It Happen https://thefederalist.com/2021/08/09/vaccine-and-mask-coercion-is-a-purge-of-republican-voters-and-republicans-are-letting-it-happen/?fbclid=IwAR1h1-pDCFhHPyzw-oHW7ivabmgYCPcfs2v8wj0THwwZKrwiBQzI4at_HWM
Where does America fall on the "Best Countries" list? Should we be more patriotic? References: Rep. Jim Jordan: Loving America shouldn't be controversial. So why do Dems want you to be ashamed? https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/loving-america-controversial-democrats-ashamed-rep-jim-jordan Best Countries 2020 https://www.usnews.com/media/best-countries/overall-rankings-2020.pdf Fact checking Rep. Jordan's claim that Speaker Pelosi was responsible for US Capitol security... https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/21/politics/fact-check-jim-jordan-nancy-pelosi-january-6-security/index.html 6 Months After The Insurrection, The Remaining Capitol Fencing Comes Down https://www.npr.org/2021/07/09/1014561578/6-months-after-the-insurrection-the-remaining-capitol-fencing-comes-down
We are trying something new! Welcome to our first ever Policy Debate! Today we talk the Electoral College, pros, cons and alternatives. Enjoy! Sources: Electoral College Alternatives: Electoral College Alternatives and US Presidential Elections - Vincy Fon https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/scer.12.3655317 The Future is Faction - Steven M. Teles & Robert P. Saldin https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-future-is-faction The Politics Industry - Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter https://www.amazon.com/Politics-Industry-Political-Innovation-Democracy/dp/1633699234 History of the electoral college https://www.history.com/news/electoral-college-founding-fathers-constitutional-convention (https://www.history.com/news/electoral-college-founding-fathers-constitutional-convention) Faithless elector statistics https://ballotpedia.org/Electoral_College (https://ballotpedia.org/Electoral_College) Taegan Goddard’s electoral college vote map: “What If All States Split Their Electoral Votes?” https://electoralvotemap.com/what-if-all-states-split-their-electoral-votes-like-maine-and-nebraska/ (https://electoralvotemap.com/what-if-all-states-split-their-electoral-votes-like-maine-and-nebraska/) Gallup poll: “American’s Split on Proposals for Popular Vote” https://news.gallup.com/poll/257594/americans-split-proposals-popular-vote.aspx (https://news.gallup.com/poll/257594/americans-split-proposals-popular-vote.aspx) Gallup poll: “Quarterly Gap in Party Affiliation Largest Since 2012” https://news.gallup.com/poll/343976/quarterly-gap-party-affiliation-largest-2012.aspx (https://news.gallup.com/poll/343976/quarterly-gap-party-affiliation-largest-2012.aspx) Article on the 5 times candidates won the popular vote, but lost the electoral college https://www.potus.com/presidential-facts/lost-popular-vote/ (https://www.potus.com/presidential-facts/lost-popular-vote/)
This week we talk voting rules. Democrats and Republicans have a lot to say on this topic. Who should decide how our voting systems work? What is the Senate filibuster, and what would it take to eliminate it? https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/votervital/what-is-the-senate-filibuster-and-what-would-it-take-to-eliminate-it/ 80% Of Americans Support Voter ID Rules—But Fewer Worried About Fraud, Poll Finds https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/21/80-of-americans-support-voter-id-rules-but-fewer-worried-about-fraud-poll-finds/?sh=2a5f47731e0b
Main Article. Headline "Happy 4th of July, America. Stop Letting Polarization Kill You". https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/happy-4th-july-america-stop-letting-polarization-kill-you-n1273068 (https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/happy-4th-july-america-stop-letting-polarization-kill-you-n1273068) NPR- American Life Expectancy Dropped By A Full Year In 1st Half of 2020 https://www.npr.org/2021/02/18/968791431/american-life-expectancy-dropped-by-a-full-year-in-the-first-half-of-2020 (https://www.npr.org/2021/02/18/968791431/american-life-expectancy-dropped-by-a-full-year-in-the-first-half-of-2020)
USA Facts- U.S. Coronavirus Tracker (by state) https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/ (https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/)
Pew Research Center- COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Slows Race to Defang the Virus. https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/03/02/covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy-slows-race-to-defang-the-virus (https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/03/02/covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy-slows-race-to-defang-the-virus)
Today we talk about Biden's new infrastructure bill, throwback to FDR's New Deal and discuss the re-branding of both the Democratic and Republican parties. FACT SHEET: The American Jobs Plan https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/ Reuters: U.S. House approves $715 bln infrastructure bill https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-approves-715-bln-infrastructure-bill-2021-07-01/ How Classical Liberalism Morphed Into New Deal Liberalism https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/general/news/2012/04/26/11379/think-again-how-classical-liberalism-morphed-into-new-deal-liberalism/ The Revenue Act of 1935, 49 Stat. 1014 (Aug. 30, 1935) https://apps.irs.gov/app/understandingTaxes/student/whys_thm02_les05.jsp Did the New Deal get us out of the Great Depression? https://www.history.com/news/new-deal-effects-great-depression Politico: What FDR Understood About Socialism That Today’s Democrats Don’t https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/16/democrats-socialism-fdr-roosevelt-227622/
This week we talk about immigration, human trafficking and fact check a Right-leaning narrative. References Deroy Murdock: Biden opposes the slavery of 1619-1865. So why does he enable the slavery of 2021? https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/biden-slavery-1619-1865-2021-deroy-murdock U.S. Customs and Border Protection Stats: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters TIP Report: https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/ Human Trafficking Hotline: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/states Further Reading Key facts about the changing U.S. unauthorized immigrant population by PEW Research https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/13/key-facts-about-the-changing-u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-population/
Today we discuss Critical Race Theory. Join us as we delve into the Left and the Right and look for a middle ground. References: NPR: What's Behind The GOP's 'Critical Race Theory' Rhetoric? The Federalist: The Proliferation of Critical Race Theory is Killing American Schools with Politics Daniel A. Farber and Suzanna Sherry, authors of the 1997 book Beyond All Reason: The Radical Assault on Truth in American Law
Today we try something new! Enjoy our discussion of hotly debated news items that stood out to us. We talk FAKE NEWS and the recent democratic effort to alter the 13th Amendment. References: Sean Hannity talks Fake News: https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/hannity-on-media-mob-bidens-immigration-policy Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/06/19/13th-amendment-prisons-juneteenth/ The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander https://www.amazon.com/New-Jim-Crow-Incarceration-Colorblindness/dp/1595586431 Community response to crime of the Babemba Tribe in South Africa: https://fetzer.org/resources/practice-remind-people-their-goodness Summary of incarceration rates from the 1920s to the 1980s: https://www.nap.edu/read/18613/chapter/2 Recent data on incarceration rates: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/05/02/americas-incarceration-rate-is-at-a-two-decade-low/ Incarceration rates if every state were a country: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2018.html WGtClU6OOSaxmDmoIH14
Migration Policy Institute discussion: https://youtu.be/LQag6U3ki0Y The news media bias chart we utilize: https://www.adfontesmedia.com/
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