What A Day - In This COVID Economy?

Episode Date: October 30, 2020

Another 5 million people cast ballots yesterday, bringing the vote total to over 80 million so far. We explain two recent Supreme Court decisions over voting rights in Pennsylvania and North Carolina… and what they could mean for the post-election count.The GDP went up by 7.4 percent in the third quarter, but the economy is still 3.5 percent smaller than it was pre-pandemic. Plus, we check in on the chances for a new relief bill after the election.And in headlines: Trump HHS can’t find one celebrity to make a PSA with, Jerry Falwell Jr. sues Liberty University, and Taiwan hasn’t had a domestic COVID case for 200 days. Plus, Phillip Picardi joins us as a special guest!Show Links:Listen to Phillip's show "Unholier Than Thou"https://crooked.com/podcast-series/unholier-than-thou/

It's Friday, October 30th. I'm Akilah Hughes. And I'm Gideon Resnick, and this is What A Day, where for this year's Halloween, instead of sexy nurses, we're dressing up as voting nurses. Yeah, and instead of handing out trick-or-treat Halloween, we're just telling people to vote. From a distance. If you come ring my doorbell, I'm gonna yell, vote. Right. I'm gonna throw a tootsie roll at you, and when you unwrap the tootsie roll inside I'm going to yell, vote. Right. I'm going to throw a Tootsie Roll at you. And when you unwrap the Tootsie Roll inside, it's going to say, vote. On today's show, the current state of the COVID economy, then some headlines.

But first, the latest. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself. And you have Michigan locked down. You have all Democrat governors. You know what's going to happen? On November 4th, the day after the election, they're going to open it up. They're doing it for political reasons. Donald Trump just had a super spreader event here again.

They're spending more than just coronavirus. He's spreading division and discord. We need a president who's going to bring us together, not pull us apart. That was Donald Trump and Joe Biden speaking yesterday at their respective rallies in Tampa, Florida, an area that could be decisive in a state that could also be decisive. And it remains voting time in America. And we have even more early vote totals for you today. Another 5 million people cast ballots yesterday, according to the United States Election Project, bringing the total to 80 million people so far.

I'm incredibly hype about it, and participation does bode well for democracy, so win-win. Yeah, it does. And when we hit 100 million, I will pop a bottle of champagne alone. There's a lot of excitement for a year with unconventional voting methods, but there's also been some trepidation regarding unreturned mail ballots.

Yeah. So based on the numbers from the U.S. Elections Project, there are tens of millions of ballots that have not been mailed back yet or recorded. And we should first reiterate that if you haven't mailed your ballot back by now, you should not mail your ballot. You should drop it off or vote in person early or on Tuesday. But with that in mind, we can't know exactly why those ballots weren't mailed back or counted yet. People may be nervous because of all the GOP lawsuits and could have decided to vote in person instead. One day we should definitely unpack how incredibly insane it is that people are so worried in the so-called greatest democracy on Earth that their votes won't count, that they're going out in a pandemic to make sure that they do. Hopefully, these outstanding ballots don't represent people who aren't actually going to exercise their right to vote. But again, we can't be certain.

Yeah, we'll definitely keep an eye on that. And keeping up with all of these lawsuits to limit the rule around ballots being counted, we mentioned a couple of Supreme Court decisions out of North Carolina and Pennsylvania yesterday on the show that we should probably expand on. That's right. So let's start with Pennsylvania. The court was deciding whether to consider a rush petition from state Republicans to get rid of a three-day mail extension for mail ballots to be received. The Pennsylvania State Supreme Court already ruled to allow the extension due to the pandemic, but the GOP is arguing that the court can't do that because it overrides rules set by the Republican-controlled legislature in Pennsylvania. This isn't the first time SCOTUS has been asked to weigh in on this, and they basically said there

isn't enough time to figure it out now. But Justices Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch all said the court could return to the case after the election. I personally hate this. I mean, considering what we know about these conservative justices, it's possible they'll want to reconsider counting outstanding votes in Pennsylvania if on Tuesday it looks like Trump has a lead. They haven't said this, but I was born at night and it wasn't last night. Officially, what they have suggested is that they favor rules set by state legislatures. Given all this, though, election officials in Pennsylvania say they plan to separate votes received after 8 p.m. on November 3rd from other votes in the event that those later ballots come into question. Yeah, and this is terrible and morally wrong, but also don't let it deter you because that

is probably what they want you to do. Okay, and then let's talk about the North Carolina case. Yeah, so in that case, SCOTUS was deciding if state election officials have the ability to change the voting rules set by the state legislature due to the pandemic. The court also had a five to three split with Alito, Thomas and Gorsuch dissenting, which let a lower court ruling stand. So with just four sleeps until the election, it appears the ballots sent by election day will be counted up to nine days later in North Carolina. Aunt Lydia, I mean, Amy Coney Barrett, didn't weigh in on either case, not because she recused herself, but because she said she didn't have enough time to review the cases. Here's hoping her schedule is too busy after the election, too.

Sending her tons of GCAL invites right now to distract. And there was also a decision in Minnesota yesterday where a federal appeals court cut off a week-long window for ballots that could be lingering in the mail after Election Day. So this is very much a live issue, even as we are voting. Yeah. So let's move on to the economy. In short, it's been quite bad for much of the year due to the pandemic and the government's poor handling of it. Yesterday, we got a big new GDP report that the White House was talking up, but economists say it's much more complicated. Yeah. So the top line and the reason the White House was excited about it is that the GDP went up by 7.4% in the third quarter. That's according to

the Commerce Department, which would make it a record. So at first, it seems all very good, but you have to put it into context compared to where we came from. It would be like going from an empty cereal bowl to one that has a few Froot Loops floating in a little bit of milk. So in the first quarter of this year, GDP fell 1.3%, and then a massive drop in the second of 9%, measuring a stretch in time when broader lockdowns were in full effect. So this bounce back, as it were, was expected by economists and reflects that the economy kind of went from fully closed to partially opened up. And it still ended up being 3.5% smaller than the economy was pre-pandemic. For context, that 3.5% is around the size of the hole the economy was in during the last major recession, so not great. And there are at least two pretty obvious concerns about the path forward here from economists. with record high cases which could lead to more restrictions and lockdowns, particularly given the winter weather. The COVID tracking project said that yesterday once again broke a record in daily case numbers exceeding 88,000.

And the other is that some of this recovery was being bolstered by massive federal aid, which has dried up. Yeah, and we've seen evidence of job growth cooling down, plus unemployment claims are still really high. That's right. And all of those things combined have experts thinking the rebound is going to get a lot slower at the end of the year. Also, this bounce back, as it were, economically is far from reaching everyone evenly. According to research at the Urban Institute, Black and Hispanic adults were much more likely to have lost jobs and sources of income since the spring, and twice as likely to go through food insecurity when COVID relief from the government expired. There's also a pretty obvious discrepancy between people who are able to work from home and those working in service sectors, or for instance, mothers being unable to return to work if schools remain closed. There's also this decent spread that went on

between what people are tending to buy if they even have disposable income. More cars, for instance, while places like gyms and restaurants are having a harder time recovering. People like Fed Chair Jerome Powell have been saying that more federal help is needed and that maybe an obvious point here, it's going to take controlling the pandemic for anything to get really, truly fixed. Yeah, I'm glad he said it. It's weird that no one's been saying that we should fix the pandemic before the economy can come back. So I'm glad that someone believes us. But, you know, the question I feel we always ask, you know, where is that federal aid? Yeah, things got even messier on that front yesterday.

I mean, first off, we know that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took a larger relief bill off the table before the election so they could jam through a Supreme Court justice then head out of town. But it appeared that conversations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin were going comparatively better. Then we have yesterday, there was a letter published from Pelosi to Mnuchin that pointed to a lot of unresolved issues like state and local assistance, unemployment insurance, a national testing strategy and more. So it seemed like a bigger gulf between them than we had thought. And Mnuchin was pissed because he claimed that the letter got published in the press before he had the opportunity to look at it. So now you have Pelosi and Trump talking about getting something done in the lame duck session after the election. Pelosi mentioned wanting to do it to essentially take something off Biden's plate should he win. And Trump said that it could be easier to get something passed if Republicans take back the

House, which absolutely no one is predicting at the current moment. Hallelujah. This inability from Trump to get a deal, though, combined with a big drop in the stock market this week, his favorite talking point on the economy, has seemed to put a dent in one of the few polling advantages he had during the pandemic, which was this perceived good handling of the economy. And more importantly, something has got to get done to help people in need, particularly as these COVID cases rise around the country. We'll keep track of all that, but that is the latest for now. It's Friday, WOD Squad. and for today's Timp Check, we're talking about a now-forgotten concept called air travel.

Next month, United Airlines will start rapid testing its passengers for COVID-19 on select flights from New York to London. If you test negative, you'll get to go on board, and if you test positive, you'll be isolated, and the airline will help you book a flight for a later date. So, Giddy, I don't think that would put me at ease. But if it did, you know, where would you take your first rapid tested flight? I feel like the easy answer here is New Zealand because that's always the answer on travel stuff. So to throw a small curveball, never been to Toronto.

I would like to go to Toronto at some point. It seems like a short flight. If I am going to test negative and then also run the risk of testing positive on the way there, it seems like, you know, I don't have to be confined to a place for hours and hours and hours. I can get there, be moderately safe. And if I need to come back, it's also close. So it seems like most say win-win. Yeah, wow. I mean, you could just drive there, though. Like, it's literally that close.

But, you know, fine. If you want an hour and a half flight to Toronto, I'll allow it. It's a good place to visit. And I mean, yeah, they're doing a better job of containing the virus than we are. So at least there'd be that. Yes, yes. I mean, look, New Zealand is always on the table. But I don't want them to get a big head.

I'm frankly a little bit sick of how much everybody talks about New Zealand. Listen, they can back it up. They deserve that ego. Yeah, it's true. It's true. They have the paperwork to show it. But same question for you, Akilah. In this situation, this perfect situation, what are you doing? Oh, man, I'm going to Africa. I'm probably going to head to like Nigeria or maybe even like Ghana or something, just because if I'm going to like get bad news on my way there or, you know, if we find out that there's some COVID situation, I'd rather die on the home continent than be somewhere where I'm just like, well, this is like where I live, but a little bit worse.

So, yeah, that's kind of the vibe. I think that I would go somewhere that I haven't been. That's beautiful. That has good weather that the people look like me and they'll maybe, you know, feel bad if I die. So that's good. Yeah, no, I think that's a great plan. Worst case, I'll be waving to you in my hazmat suit.

A big high five through latex gloves. I think it sounds good. That was always the foregone conclusion for this show. Well, just like that, we checked our temps. Stay safe and we'll be back after some ads. Let's wrap up with some headlines. Headlines. We have got a special guest with us today, Philip McCarty.

He hosts one of our favorite Crooked Pods, Unholier Than Thou. I love him. Philip, hey, how you doing? Hi, Akilah. I love you. You are so beautiful, smart, and talented. And hello, Gideon. Gideon, is it okay if I call you Gideon? Absolutely. Yeah, that's that's wide policy.

Wonderful. Thanks for having me. Thanks for joining, babe. All right. Well, I'll get us started. At a time when you can't be awake without seeing a celebrity PSA, there's one group that can't even make one. It's Trump's Department of Health and Human Services, whose proposed $250 million COVID ad campaign is under scrutiny by House Democrats. Leaked documents show that the taxpayer funded campaign was set up mostly as a campaign ad for Trump. For example, one proposed theme for the campaign was helping the president will help the country. Oh, OK. Well, you know, this is only true for helping him into a cave that will be sealed until the end will help the country. Oh, okay. Well, you know, this is only true for helping him into a cave that will be sealed until the end of time. Period. Period

with a T after the D. Period T. Yeah, well, but apart from these ethics problems, the campaign couldn't seem to find the right celebs to work with. An internal list shows that at least 264 people were ruled out mostly because of their politics. Owen Wilson, for example, made a, quote, negative public statement about Trump in 2015. Wow. Low bars. Or for, you know, even more petty reasons, like with Zach Galifianakis, who, quote, refused to host President Trump on talk show between two ferns. Congrats on hurting the president's feelings. Way to go. Only three celebs were filmed for the campaign, but they've all withdrawn their consent to appear. show between two ferns uh congrats on hurting the president's feelings way to go um only three celebs were filmed for the campaign but they've all withdrawn their consent to appear per politico

the campaign is no longer set to run before the election if at all give me those celebrities names yes i want to know i want to know if it was lil wayne he's like i won't be in the video, but I will be in a pic. Well, in other news, Jerry Falwell Jr. has been forgiven for his sins. According to who, I wonder. And now he wants to make money off of them. He sued Liberty University yesterday, alleging that the Evangelical College destroyed his reputation after he resigned as president in August.

If you remember, Falwell was the subject of a sex scandal that involved his wife and a former pool attendant, or as we call them in the gay community, houseboy. That scandal resulted in him resigning with a $10.5 million severance package, which is a pretty good reward just for having what sounds like a kind of awesome time.

Yeah, right? After that, though, love. I love a little kinky. I don't think it's a scandal. It's like, I appreciate that you want to do this with your sex life, but just like let other people have their sex lives. Anyway. Amen. After that, Falwell alleges he was slandered in part by a pastor who called his behavior, quote, shameful. Falwell's suit also goes off the rails by accusing the

Lincoln Project, question mark, of engineering the scandal. In the immortal words of Shaggy, it wasn't me it was a dozen smirking republicans who are just now realizing their party is bad fellow suit asks for damages but doesn't specify an amount yes i think that is going very far as a case um much like the hit hbo show entourage this next headline is all about wish fulfillment taiwan just reached 200 days without recording a single locally transmitted COVID-19 infection. I want to thank this story for allowing me to vicariously go outside again. Experts say the island's previous experience with the SARS epidemic in 2003 helped them mobilize a quick and efficient response to the virus, complete with tracking and targeted

testing. A Lancet article published this month also showed how Taiwan's established culture of face mask use meant that many citizens started wearing masks voluntarily. Unlike here, where for much of the country, making a person wear a mask is like making a dog wear sunglasses. They absolutely hate it and will shake their heads until you stop it. Experts say a key contributor to Taiwan's success was just acknowledging from the very start that the virus was dangerous. Imagine that. Own it. In the words of Lisa Rinna, own it!

Conservative operatives Jack Berman and Jacob Wohl, who famously hired a man with a triple X tattoo to say he'd slept with Senator Elizabeth Warren, are taking a break from their little schemes. The two were charged in Michigan and Ohio with election fraud on Wednesday after sending out 85,000 deceptive robocalls to discourage voting.

These guys love the Republican Party so much, they're doing voter suppression on a freelance basis. And this economy? The call said that voting could result in arrest or pursuit by debt collectors, and they were sent to mostly minority communities. As part of their punishment, Berkman and Wohl will have to call back every single one of the people they robocalled and say they were lying so honeys get that lemon tea ready put the honey on standby your larynx is

about to do some serious work and take it from a gay man baby i know what larynx work looks like berkman and wool also face up to seven years in prison for the michigan charges and up to 18 years in prison in ohio i just have to go on the record and say i love philip mccarty forever for the lyrics we're doing this every week yes please god please invite me back you are already you are royalty in our house um putting the head in headlines. Yay! I'm obsessed! Well, the years-long battle between Mother Nature and estranged Father Trump raged on this week, with the Trump administration taking shots at our fragile planet to get some votes before the election. Earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture announced they'll be lifting environmental protections

from Alaska's Tongass National Forest. It's the largest forest in the country, Agriculture announced they'll be lifting environmental protections from Alaska's Tongass National Forest. It's the largest forest in the country, one of the largest intact temperate rainforests in the world. And it's also home to the greatest known concentration of bald eagles. The metaphor is just too obvious. And yet I can't totally articulate it because I'm just pissed off. It's just messed up. You know, the USDA's decision will lift restrictions on logging and building roads throughout the park, which conservation groups say will have a disastrous effect.

Moving on from pristine forests, the Trump administration set their sights on wolves, removing endangered species protections for gray wolves across most of the country. That decision could allow people in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to start hunting them again. Conservationists say it's premature and could lead to extinction.

So, yay. Someone call the Animorphs. That is correct. That's what they were about, right? They were just like, I'm going to turn into the animal you want to shoot and bite you. Yeah, exactly. And I'm going to slaughter you. Yeah.

Team Wolf, okay? Yes. Well, Phillip, this is amazing. It's so great to slaughter you. Yeah. Team Wolf, okay? Yes. Well, Phillip, this is amazing. It's so great to have you. You got anything you want to plug, shout out? Oh, just a little podcast that I host with Crooked Media called Unholier Than Now. It's a podcast that is all about the intersection

of religion, pop culture, and politics. I hope you'll listen. I'm a deeply unreligious person just trying to figure out who the hell God is in this world. You know what I mean? Thank you guys so much for having me. I hope I get invited back even though I made a blowjob joke. Philip, you're always welcome here. It was so great to have you. And those are the headlines. All right. One last thing before we go. WOD Squad, it is time to pick up that phone. You have one last weekend to call or text your family and friends to make sure that they have a plan to vote. Yeah. VoteSaveAmerica.com slash plan has all the info they need about where and when they can vote based on where they're registered. Do your part and get them what they need.

That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, avoid ghost schools and goblins, woo, until your friends listen. And if you're into reading and not just a freaky list of things and witches brew 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 have a spooky safe Halloween. Make sure it's both spooky and safe. You got to do two things at once, and I believe you can. 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.