What A Day - Can You Hear The Donald Ring?

Episode Date: January 4, 2021

In a leaked phone call from this weekend, Trump used every line he could to pressure Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger to overturn the state's election results. About a dozen GOP senators say they’re going to raise objections during the congressional vote to certify the presidential election this week, in a show of election theater that will lead nowhere.A more-contagious coronavirus variant first discovered in the UK has been identified in California, Florida, and Colorado. Despite predictions from the federal government that 20 million Americans would receive their first vaccine dose by the end of December, the current number is about 4.2 million… we discuss why that is.And in headlines: India approves two COVID vaccines, Pelosi reelected as Speaker, and Bitcoin does huge numbers on its 12th anniversary.

It's Monday, January 4th. I'm Akilah Hughes. And I'm Gideon Resnick. And this is What A Day, where we are excited to kick off the first year of the rest of our lives. Yeah, we're not letting anything touch us in 2021, including, you know, contagious aerosols and other viral vectors. I am fully in saran wrap at this point. Yeah, high key, get away from me germs. Stop playing. Well, we're back. It has been a little bit of a break. A lot of people on Twitter saying

that they cannot start their day. So are you ready to start a day? We're back. It's 2021. We only came back because people were tweeting, not for any sort of like contractual obligations, work obligations, morality of duty. It was your tweets. Yeah, tweets are pretty much the only way I can communicate with people these days because, you know, the whole virus thing. Yeah, can't even wave anymore.

On that note, on today's show, an update on those vaccines that we are all waiting too patiently for, what we know and don't know about the new coronavirus variant, then some headlines. But first, the latest. All I want to do is this. I just want to find the 11,780. One more that we have.

Have they moved the inner parts of the machines and replaced them with other parts? No. All right, so that was another hit from the Gregory brothers, mashing up seasons of love from rent with Trump's latest perfect phone call. So yesterday, the Washington Post published audio from a phone call which took place on Saturday between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Raffensperger's lawyer that sounded more like this. But they are shredding ballots, in my opinion, based on what I've heard, and they are removing machinery and they're moving it as fast as they can, both of which are criminal fines. And you can't't let it happen and you are letting it happen. You know, I mean, I'm notifying you that you're letting it happen.

So look, all I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more that we have because we won the state. I think that that's not even the amount that you would need to make up the deficit. But anyway, OK, just yeah, just do extortion whenever you feel like it in a really sad way. It was it was very pleading. Yeah. I mean, it's just clearly a bad strategy when the strategy is just we need to have one by one vote. Like since when is that believable? Yeah. I mean, it's just clearly a bad strategy when the strategy is just we need to have one by one vote. Like since when is that believable? Yeah. He's like, we won.

We definitely won by exactly one vote that you're going to prove. Implausible, sir. Yeah. Well, it's a new year. It's officially 2021. And, you know, we didn't want to keep talking about this dude. But we're in some sort of Groundhog Day-esque nightmare scenario where the lame duck just won't stop quacking. I mean, he literally waited until we were back from break to start this crap up again. All right, leave us alone already. Leave us alone. We beg of you, leave us alone. We are just a day out from the Georgia Senate runoff where there has been record early voting. Some 3 million early votes were cast by the end of last week, and that's compared to 3.9 million that were cast in November. So a very high turnout so

far, and one that is disproportionately coming from Democratic areas of the state. So Republicans are hopeful that same day voting will go their way to make up this deficit. Trump is supposed to be in Georgia today, but now you have this phone call complicating things. Is it even possible that he doesn't know that he's negatively impacting his own party's chances? I mean, it's possible that he doesn't know anything. But in this particular phone call, Trump pressured Raffensperger to call a meeting today to re-examine their certified results because, and I quote,

you have a big election coming up. And because of what you've done to the president, you know, the people of Georgia know that this was a scam. And because of what you've done to the president, a lot of people aren't going out to vote. Now, did Trump know that this was a scam. And because of what you've done to the president, a lot of people aren't going out to vote. Now, did Trump know that this embarrassing call where he played good cop and bad cop,

every cop, like he was Eddie Murphy in an Eddie Murphy movie, would be released to the public? Probably not, right? But even if not, he knows that he's absolutely fractured the GOP's base

in what is their only chance to keep control of any part of the legislative branch. His motto seems to be, boo and don't vote. In any case, several Congress members are already calling for this unhinged conversation to be investigated and for articles for another impeachment drawn up. So we are really living in this Groundhog Day scenario. Yeah, take another one for the road.

The other big political event coming up this week, which isn't really a big political event, but Republicans are trying to subvert democracy, is the vote in Congress to certify the presidential election. Yeah, doesn't that always happen after you get the electoral college vote, then they subvert democracy, then whoever's president at the end gets to be president. Well, the vote takes place on Wednesday, and now a group of about a dozen GOP senators is saying that they're going to raise objections citing imaginary allegations of voter fraud. I remember before we went on break, we were saying that, of course, these objections would be raised by extreme GOP House members, but that it would be a bigger, wilder deal if senators actually took it up, too. And now they have.

So those senators include Ron Johnson, Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, who are in some kind of competition over who can grift the most from the MAGA crowd. On Wednesday, they, along with some House members, are going to vote to contest the results and are calling for an emergency audit of the election, even though no investigation and no court has found any evidence of fraud. The stunt isn't expected to stop the certification because other Republicans don't support it, but it could mean that the proceedings go on longer, like all night and into the next day, which is exactly what you want on your first week back from a break. Just really long, pointless days. Thank you. Yeah. So this comes after a failed attempt by Trump allies to give VP Mike Pence the power to reject the electoral votes at the session. But that attempt was squashed last Friday when a judge, a Trump-appointed judge, by the way, threw out the lawsuit seeking to give him that power. That took the political pressure off of Pence. And he also put out a statement over the weekend saying that he welcomes the efforts of GOP members to use their power to object to

the election results and bring forward evidence, which, again, they haven't because they can't. Right. Yeah. I mean, ultimately, this is just the theater of what's been happening for months, but it's still very bad and it's still very bad that it is encouraged and taken up by so many people. It seems like that is almost what this party is saying that they stand for. But totally on another note, since we last spoke, the covid crisis in America has, by most metrics, gotten a lot worse. Over the weekend, the country passed an astonishing 350,000 total deaths, and cases and hospitalizations are still at record highs. We don't quite know the full impact of what the holidays will bring, and we might not know until at least the second week of January. But here's current Surgeon General Jerome Adams talking about the dangerous situation. Well, what I want people to know is the projections are pretty, pretty scary, but they're projections.

And what we do now matters. If you gathered over the holidays outside of your household without a mask, there are still measures you can take right now. You still can self-quarantine. You still can get tested, knowing that greater than 50 percent of the spread now is among people who are asymptomatic. You still can wear a mask, wash your hands and watch your distance. And if we do that, we will be able to temper this surge. Oh, so that's pretty devastating. Mm hmm. Hope people listen to that advice, but I won't say that I believe that they will. And,

you know, the situation has been and is still particularly out of control in places like Arizona, Tennessee, Kansas, Arkansas, but especially here in L.A. County, which is currently the epicenter of the pandemic. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Sunday that a new person was being infected every six seconds. We also know that there are reportedly at least four identified cases in California of this new, more contagious variant we've been hearing a lot about. So let's unpack that for people who may have missed the updates about this. Yeah, so this story began in the UK where a variant of the coronavirus, they're calling it B.1.1.7, was detected initially in November.

So researchers believe that the variant has led to an explosion in cases in the country in the last month or so. And Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now warning of even more restrictions likely on the way, even as most of the country is already on the highest tier of their lockdown. The World Health Organization estimated that the new variant represents more than half of new cases in the UK. So that kind of brings us to what we know and don't know about this so far. Mutations on their own are not uncommon with viruses. And for now, researchers don't think that this variant is more deadly or non-responsive to existing vaccines, which is the good news here. But the bad news is that according to NPR, scientists believe it could be 50% more transmissible than the original strain, which is largely the cause for alarm. And that in and of itself creates a huge issue when there's out of control spread like there is in the US currently.

There isn't enough science yet on what makes it more contagious on its own. But one theory is that people with the variant have more virus in their nose and throats to transmit to others. Another theory is that the variant is better at attaching onto our cells. But for now, the advice is still largely the same as it has been, social distance and wear a mask. I mean, yuck. Gross. Everybody, please stay home. And we mentioned that so far there had been some cases of it identified in California, but is there anywhere else that it spread? Yeah. So this is the other part of the bad news. According to the Washington Post, over 30 countries have identified the presence of the new variant. And in the U.S., it had been found in Florida, California, and Colorado by the time we were recording this.

And public health officials believe that it's actually already present around the country and that limited genetic sequencing here hasn't fully detected it yet. And that belief is supported by the U.S. cases thus far being reported in individuals who hadn't traveled recently. So it wasn't folks that were like, I'm going to go visit my UK friend today. Right. And then while all of this is happening, vaccine doses are being administered, but real slowly. And so a big new question is why we're behind on this. What do we know? So to start with the big picture here, we were told by the federal government that by the end of December, at least 20 million Americans would get their first vaccine dose. That was the overarching goal. December has, of course, come and gone.

And as of recording time, that number is around 4.2 million or more, quite a bit less than 20. The government has said that it has shipped more than 13 million doses around the country and that the remainder of the 20 will be sent by the end of this week. And it seems like there are a lot of reasons as to why this has happened. So first, Surgeon General Adams claimed that local health departments were struggling with testing during the surge, and that combined with the holiday staffing, that just meant a shortage of resources. Basically, health departments are already really strained, and it's difficult for them to kick off a new big task when they're under all this pressure. But he and others in the federal government say the pace just has to speed up, and they pointed to recent evidence that it had. Dr. Anthony Fauci cited the fact that 1.5 million doses had been administered over three

days recently, which is a faster pace. But broadly, though, this seems to be stemming from the fact that states are handling the scheduling and staffing elements of this. So it ends up being kind of patchwork and communication about all of it is patchwork too. The New York Times reported that states are reserving doses that are set to go out to nursing homes and long-term care facilities, explaining in part why there haven't been as many doses given yet overall. When you look at the maps, it shows like 1% or 2% or something like that. Also, pharmacies haven't begun offering them in stores yet, which is expected to get this going faster. In the meantime, there have also been isolated incidents of people being confused as to where and when to make appointments,

a phone system crashing in Houston due to high demand, and reports of long lines in places like Florida, where Governor DeSantis just opened the process to anyone older than 65. So there are major logistical challenges to be ironed out here, to say the very least. Yeah, and lastly, there are some ideas about how to deal with a limited number of doses and extend the reach of the vaccine, at least in the short term. What are people thinking? least. Yeah. And lastly, there are some ideas about how to deal with a limited number of doses and extend the reach of the vaccine, at least in the short term. What are people thinking? Yeah, they're already improvising now. There's reporting that the UK is trying to give as many people their first shots as possible instead of waiting to administer the second doses

to a smaller initial pool. According to The Times, they are also thinking of mixing and matching vaccines, i.e. No, I'm good. If the second dose of one manufacturer isn't available, a person could get whatever other one there is, which is being viewed as a risky move. Just do it the right way. Just do it the right way. We all agreed. The science agreed. Anyway, then here, Dr. Monsef Slaoui of Operation Warp Speed suggested on Sunday that the Moderna vaccine could possibly be cut in half in order to give it to double the amount of people. And he was thinking that that idea came from their trials showing that 18 to 55 year olds showed the same immune response with two doses of half the amount.

So there is some scientific basis there, but that would be up to the FDA to decide overall. There is a whole lot more to discuss on all of this, which we'll get into later. But that is the latest for now. It's Monday WOD Squad. And for today's Tim Check, we're talking about new beginnings. This is our first episode of 2021, and people are already following through on New Year's resolutions. By now, Kumail Nanjiani has hit the gym about a thousand times,

and we are working on ourselves too. So Giddy, what is your 2021 New Year's resolution? I would say generally to keep healthy and survive, as I would hope for other people. I know that's sort of, I shouldn't say an easy one, but that's like, you know, the overarching goal. But on a more granular level, I want to start working at my desk more

because I find that if I am working on the couch and also relaxing on the couch, I'm doing too much mixing of church and state in a way where I need to draw the lines if we're going to continue working like this. I mean, I feel like church and state have already been blurred because we're working from home.

Like if my home is my work, if my work is my home, the desk is my bed and so is the couch. But I admire you for even thinking that you're going to do that. I sat on my bed most of the day today typing on my computer and, you know, in a decade, my back will pay for it. Yeah, I did desk today. I don't know if I like it. I don't know if I'm going to end up practicing what I preach, but I'm going to try at least to have some semblance of normality on, you know,

the two minute commute. But same question for you, Akilah, what are you thinking going into this year? What do you want to accomplish? You know, don't dies at the top of the list. It's, you know, more and more likely now that we're in this part of the pandemic. So I'm just trying to do my best to stick around. But in terms of things that I have more control over, I suppose, I'm really, really trying to get better about getting rid of stuff. I feel like I'm a person who, I wouldn't say I'm a hoarder. Like I don't have like piles to like the max, but I, because I've moved to LA and all my stuff is mostly in storage, I've re-bought a lot of stuff and I'm like, it's too much now. Like there's no way that the clothes

that are overflowing the drawers can ever meet the clothes that are in storage. Like we have to figure out who's getting thrown out. And you know, there's a good place to donate around the block where you just ring the bell and then run away with the bag. And so I feel like that's what I'm going to be trying to do at least once a month. Any stuff I'm not using, if I can donate it, donate it. If I can't use it, throw it the fuck out. Yeah. I really relate to hiding items away from view as a way of just being like that's been dealt with instead of actually like giving it away like if you just tuck it in somewhere and like force it down into

a drawer such that even the door doesn't open that's it mission's been solved you know there's no reason to sort through it at that point I feel feel you. I just, you know, I went so hard on these sweatpants and I don't like all of them the same. Yeah. Some of them should go. Some of them don't have to be on my body ever again. And so just trying to be okay with the fact that I'm not using everything I have, it'll be better. Someone else can use it. So that's the mantra that I have running. I respect it. I think some sweatpants are one and done operations, you know, that's just how it is. It's a sad truth. And we learned. Yeah. Well, just like that, we've checked our temps. Stay safe. Throw out the sweatpants you don't like. You don't have to suffer through them. And let's wrap up with some headlines.

Headlines. which had already stockpiled 75 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine before this weekend's approval and aims to produce 100 million more each month. From an American, good luck. India's government plans to administer two doses of the vaccine to 300 million people by the summer, and they're planning to run mass vaccinations similar to how they run elections, setting up vaccination sites like polling booths. India's infection load currently is the second highest in the world coming in right behind the U.S. Yeah, by summer, we'll probably have 15 people vaccinated. So I guess we're all doing great. Almost half a million cannabis-related criminal records in Illinois

just went up in smoke. Don't laugh. You don't have to. But don't laugh. It's actually serious. Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the decision last week, forgetting and expunging those charges and also pardoning over 9,000 convictions. This is all part of the state's recent marijuana legalization process, which includes efforts to undo some of the harm inflicted during the war on drugs. Weed has only been legal in Illinois for one year, and the industry within the state has been booming with sales totaling over half a billion dollars. Under state law, 25% of the tax revenue of those sales now goes to communities of color that are disproportionately targeted by the justice system. Illinois counties are still in the process of expunging arrest records at the local level

and have until 2025 to get it all done. There you go. The 117th Congress convened for the first time yesterday with Nancy Pelosi winning reelection as Speaker of the House by a narrow margin. Pelosi got 216 votes after a handful of moderate Democrats defected, and all 211 Republican representatives supported House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for Speaker. Here's Pelosi following her reelection. It gives me great pride to serve as Speaker of the most diverse House of Representatives in the history of our country, with a record-shattering 122 women. 122 women. You can applaud that.

122 women. 100 years after women won the right to vote. I mean, some. Of course, no meeting of our government would be complete without some light COVID denial, which two Republicans were happy to provide. Texas Representative and real life Yosemite Sam Louie Gomer and Georgia Representative and QAnon lady Marjorie Taylor Greene reportedly caused a, quote, screaming match after they refused to wear masks, which is bringing big viral video energy to the Capitol building. Congrats to them. The building is not really that different, actually, from a Target or Trader Joe's,

except you have to dress nicer. And the only thing that's for sale is laws. Gotcha. Democrats are set to have a 222 to 211 lead in the House, which is the smallest majority either party has had in 20 years. Yeah, I love when we have a sideshow in our Congress. All right. Well, yesterday was the 12th anniversary of the creation of Bitcoin, the thing that is like money, but a lot more confusing. Bitcoin was huge in 2020, which it has in common with baking bread and longing for human contact. The coin quadrupled in value over the year.

And as of yesterday, it hit its all-time high of $34,000. The surge has to do with large financial institutions showing support for Bitcoin, plus the value of traditional currencies taking a hit as world governments launch stimulus programs and take on debt amid the pandemic. Other factors are at play too. But with Bitcoin, it's hard to know anything for sure, except that you mine it and people who built their own computers used it to become millionaires.

Bitcoin has seen big rallies before, though, like one in late 2017 that was followed by an 80% drop in value the next year. If you're concerned about your own investment, your best move is to transfer all your Bitcoin to the official WOD account as soon as possible. We will make sure that your money gets spent. Yeah. Cash app link in bio, etc. And those are the headlines. One last thing before we go, as you may know, tomorrow is the runoff election in Georgia, which means today is your last chance to remind your Georgia friends, family, acquaintances, exes, and beyond to vote. Yeah, best time to talk to your exes right now. There will be volunteer opportunities available right up until the polls close tomorrow. So sign up for a shift today at votesaveamerica.com

slash Georgia and send the link to your Georgia friends so that they have access to valuable voting information tomorrow. That's votesofamerica.com slash Georgia. Go and do it right now. That is all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, have a terrific New Year's Monday, and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just trustworthy tips from Bitcoin gurus like me, what a day is also a nightly newsletter.

Check it out and subscribe at crooked.com slash subscribe. I'm Akilah Hughes. I'm Gideon Resnick. And good luck to Georgia. Good luck. I mean it. You guys get all the peach pies. That's what we're talking about, right? Yeah. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Charlotte Landis. Sonia Tan is our assistant producer. Our head writer is John Milstein, and our executive producers are Katie Long, Akilah Hughes, and me. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka.