What A Day - OH Said No!

Episode Date: August 9, 2023

Ohio overwhelmingly voted against Issue 1 in a statewide special election on Tuesday. It’s a major relief because the ballot measure would have made it harder to change the state’s constitution and protect abortion rights in an upcoming vote this November.The Supreme Court sided with President Biden in a 5-4 ruling Tuesday and allowed his regulations related to ghost guns to move forward. That means the administration can continue to regulate ghost gun kits and require that they be treated like firearms while the issue continues to be challenged in courts.And in headlines: former Vice President Mike Pence qualified to participate in the first Republican presidential primary debate, public schools in Hillsborough County, Florida will cut back on teaching Shakespeare, and Marvel Studios’ visual effect crew has filed for a vote to unionize.Show Notes:What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastCrooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

It's Wednesday, August 9th. I'm Josie Duffy Rice. And I'm Juanita Tolliver, and this is What A Day, the podcast that's applying to be Ron DeSantis' campaign manager. I'm not actually sure we're doing that, Josie. I mean, he just removed his latest one, his third campaign shakeup in less than a month. Ron DeSantis, hire me. I have your best interests at heart. He'll fire you like the last person he just fired. And you'll be in and out in like a month, so...

I'll be in and out in a month and I will do so much damage in that month. On today's show, the Supreme Court says Biden's regulation on ghost guns can remain in effect for now. Plus, some of the special effects artists at Marvel Studios want to unionize. That's coming up.

But first, in Ohio, in a major relief, voters overwhelmingly voted against issue one, in a major relief, voters overwhelmingly voted against Issue 1 yesterday in a statewide special election. Victory! Oh, it feels so good. I know. I'm so relieved. The votes are still being counted as of our recording at 930 Ohio time Tuesday night, but the Associated Press called it for the no side, which at the time of recording had a 15-point lead. If Issue one had passed, the ballot measure would have made it much more difficult to pass a constitutional amendment in Ohio requiring 60% of the vote to pass

instead of the current 50% plus one. Issue one also would have made it much more difficult to get amendments on the ballot at all. The ballot measure was basically a right-wing attempt to prevent voters from passing a constitutional amendment this November that would protect the right to abortion. So in other words, issue one was like an attempt to prevent abortion access by subverting democracy. Not sure why they thought this would be a really strong selling point for voters. And luckily, voters did reject it. I feel like the key to this

GOP attempted one-two punch is that voters wouldn't be paying attention. But here's the thing. The amazing organizers on the ground in Ohio got it entirely together, even though Republicans tried to throw in this random special election in an off-off year in August, no less. But tell us a little more about the upcoming abortion rights amendment that will be up for a vote about three months from now. Yeah. So the amendment is called the Ohio Right to Make Reproductive Decisions, including Abortion Initiative. And basically, it would give people the right to make their own reproductive decisions. Imagine that. That includes decisions about contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and, of course, abortion.

The state would be prohibited by interfering with that right, with the primary exception being that states would be able to restrict abortion access after viability, unless the mother's life is at risk. Currently, abortion is legal up until about 20 weeks in Ohio, but this constitutional amendment would basically codify that right so that it couldn't be stripped by the legislature, right? Voters would have to approve changing the law on abortion. So voters in Ohio will definitely need to go to the ballot again in November. Right. It's not a done deal, y'all. Got to run this back again in November. Also, power to the people. Like, imagine that's clearly the GOP's worst nightmare. I love that this is possible. Show up, show out, do it all again in November. So this is not the first ballot measure we've seen dealing with abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe in June of 2022. How have those fared so far?

And are there more coming up? Yes. So last year, there were ballot measures in six states dealing with abortion. And the three that protected the right to abortion all passed. That was in California, Michigan, and Vermont. And the three that restricted the right to abortion in Kansas, Kentucky, and Montana all failed. You know what we call that in sports? Batting a

thousand or something. I love how it was sports, not even baseball. But yes, you're on the right track. I was like, I'm pretty sure it's baseball, but let me just keep it general just in case, you know. Given the results of issue one, I'm feeling really good about Ohio being in the list of states that express support for abortion rights. Yeah. And this is the part that I'm going to say explicitly clear for any political strategist or organizers who are listening out there. Abortion is a winning issue. And I need Democrats to stay the course in 2024 because this is what motivates voters. As Josie said, we're bad in a thousand here. Like it's clear that this is always going to be a mobilizing issue. It's going to drive turnout and it's going to be producing huge wins. So stick with it, please. And this won't be the last ballot measure we see on this issue either, is it Josie?

No, it's definitely not. In fact, just yesterday, advocacy groups in Arizona launched a campaign to pass a constitutional amendment in that state that would protect abortion rates. So the fact that Ohio's issue one failed at the ballot box this week, it's really just great news. It's great news for people who like democracy. It's great news for people who like bodily autonomy. It's great news for the right to reproductive freedom. We're batting a thousand. Yes. And I'm sure the data is going to show that this support came across demographic lines of all kinds. I'm talking age, race, socioeconomic income status, as well as partisanship, right?

Like this is something that cuts across. Even some Republicans out there have a line that they won't cross when it comes to bodily autonomy and democracy. And that feels good, right? Totally. We actually know that this is not a surefire democratic state.

Right. And we are seeing an overwhelming rejection of issue one in the state. I mean, it's incredible. It's huge. And I feel like we're just going to keep the good news coming because we got another good news story for you. Oh my gosh, I can't believe it.

In a rare moment, the Supreme Court actually did the right thing. Can you believe that, Josie? Like, I'm still trying to absorb this. I truly can't. And I must say, this might be the first time on the show that we've ever had two good news stories in a row, which is not our fault. It's the world's fault.

Yes, gold star to the universe. Gold star. Gold star to the universe, yes. The court sided with the Biden administration on Tuesday with a 5-4 ruling that the president can move forward with his regulations related to ghost guns. That's the term for privately made, untraceable firearms that can be bought as kits online and assembled at home or even 3D printed. These guns have been used more and more frequently in crimes across the nation,

too. And if you're anything like me, you're probably thinking, hmm, a 5-4 ruling? Which of the hardliner judges flip this time? Well, Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Barrett figured it out this go-round, and they joined with Justices Jackson, Kagan, and Sotomayor in the majority. Yeah, this is very big news. Apparently, the Supreme Court does have limits, and that limit is dystopian nightmare gun production. It's relieving. So what comes next here? Like, this is not saying the issue is over. So what happens now?

With this ruling from the Supreme Court, the Biden administration is allowed for now to continue to regulate ghost gun kits and require that they be treated like firearms, which is a huge deal. Up until the president announced the rule back in April 2022, ghost guns and gun parts were pretty much unregulated. And it's clear that the rule is needed. The most recent data from the Department of Justice showed that in 2021, local law enforcement agencies seized more than 19,000 ghost guns at different crime scenes. That's wild. It's really wild. It's a huge number. This is not like a fringe thing. This is a big issue. And we are literally talking about people who are assembling guns or building guns in their house. Right.

It's so bananas. It's like hard to even process. And the fact that they're untraceable. They're totally untraceable. So imagine as they're found at crime scenes cannot be connected back to anyone or any manufacturer or distributor or individual. And that's what's really scary about this. Right. Because you ordered a like DIY kit online. I just don't think this is what the founders were thinking with the Second Amendment. You know, I don't think they imagined 3D printers.

They also didn't imagine us in front of microphones. So let's just level set there. Yeah. No, they imagined nothing. But they definitely didn't imagine 3D printers. Okay. Because I can barely imagine 3D printers. Anyway, continue. I feel like that's for a later date of Josie versus science.

So let's put that on the list. Absolutely. But this rare respite from the Supreme Court is only temporary. The administration continues to defend the regulation in the courts after a federal judge in Texas invalidated the ghost gun rule back in July. In his opinion, the judge argued that Congress must change the law, not the judiciary. So the next step is completing the appeals process within the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, and then potentially a return to the Supreme Court. Of course, we should not get our hopes up

for a repeat positive outcome from the Supremes if this case makes it back to the highest court in the land. But I think yesterday's ruling warrants some positive feelings. But don't go overboard, because this court still needs to be regulated and still needs to be held to ethical standards that cut out gifts from, you know, billionaires and trips on private jets. Yeah. And term limits, some may say, some meaning me. Or expansion. Yeah, or expansion limits. Some may say, some meaning me. Or expansion. Yeah, or expansion. Or both.

How about that? This is really, really great news. It also is worth noting that for justices, think that this is fine. 100% fine. Just to be able to do what you want with your gun and build it in your house and... Be alarmed. I'll remember that it's good news, but just keeping that in mind. So how are gun safety advocates reacting to this ruling? All in all, they seem pleased with the ruling,

but of course they're looking to the Fifth Circuit next. The organization Everytown for Gun Safety posted online, quote, ghost guns are guns and they should be treated as such. And Deputy Chief Counsel for Giffords Law Center, David Pacino, said in a statement, quote, we applaud the Supreme Court's decision to stay the lower court's ruling. We call on the Fifth Circuit to do the right thing and keep this vital rule intact. We'll definitely keep following this case and bring you more updates as it progresses, but that's the latest for now. We'll be back after some headlines. Headlines.

We have two updates out of Ukraine. Russians launched two missile strikes on the small eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovskaya on Tuesday night. The blast killed at least nine people and injured dozens more, including 38 emergency workers. The second attack happened less than an hour after the first one, and it appeared to target the rescue workers that were helping those injured in the first strike. Also on the war, Ukrainian officials arrested a Ukrainian woman suspected of helping Russian intelligence with a plot to kill President Volodymyr Zelensky last month. This announcement was made on Monday, but the woman, who is still unnamed, was arrested

on August 1st. Zelensky has been making unannounced visits to regions of Ukraine near the front lines and formerly occupied territories. Ukrainian state security put out a statement explaining that, quote, the perpetrator tried to establish the time and list of locations of the approximate route of the head of state. Security services intercepted her plot and said she could face up to 12 years in prison. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency yesterday due to a growing number of migrants arriving in the state and a lack of available housing. At the moment, there are more than

20,000 people living in state shelters, which the governor says is an 80% increase from last year. Governor Healy reached out to Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday to ask for federal partnership and funding and to request expedited work authorizations for migrants. In a letter to him, Governor Healy also said the number of people being admitted to shelters per month is more than double the number they were during the pandemic. At the same time, the number of families leaving the shelters has dwindled. And at this rate, the governor fears the state will be unable to meet the growing demand for shelter. Massachusetts isn't the only place dealing with a migrant crisis. New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday said he plans to house asylum seekers in his city on an island in the East River. And Republican

governors in Texas and Florida have bused or flown migrants to democratically led states and cities. Former Vice President Mike Pence has officially qualified to participate in the first Republican presidential primary debate happening exactly two weeks from today in Milwaukee. That is according to his campaign, which on Monday said Pence had exceeded the 40,000 donor threshold needed to take part in the debate. Prior to that, he also met a polling requirement by the Republican National Committee. The qualification now makes Pence the eighth candidate to be on stage during the debate, where he could be facing, among others, his former boss, Donald Trump. That is a big if, though. Trump has suggested he will skip it, while the New York Times reports he told party officials that he's now keeping an open mind. So we will have to wait and see.

But the other candidates who have qualified include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott, businessman Vivek Vermaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. It will be a crowded stage, no doubt, but we will be here to share the highlights and lowlights and break it all down for you. And none of these people will be president. Right. That's the number one key takeaway.

Yeah, none of them will be the nominee. I feel like the second takeaway for me is that seven other people qualify for this debate before a former vice president, including Chris Christie, whose polling numbers have been in the toilet since the beginning. So I'm shocked. I'm shocked. Chris Christie, go home. Oh, Florida, wherefore art thou, Florida? Burrell County, including Tampa Bay and the surrounding area, will cut back on teaching Shakespeare to align with Governor Ron DeSantis' expansive new restrictions on curriculum.

That comes from a Monday report by the Tampa Bay Times. The schools usually required students to read two of Shakespeare's novels or plays in their entirety per year. These new restrictions come from the new Parental Rights in Education Act, which bans classroom lessons of any content that is sexual in nature. I don't think this will stop your teenagers from being interested in sex, but okay. That's the thing. Like, do you think Shakespeare is the reason that teenagers are thinking about sex? Apparently. It's bananas. We've also got a follow-up on another Florida education story we told you about last week. The state announced that it effectively banned AP Psychology as a course for high school credit

because of its content about sexual orientation and gender identity. Well, after the college board released a frankly very disappointed statement, Florida now appears to have walked back that decision. In a letter shared with school superintendents, Florida's education commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. wrote that the department, quote, is not discouraging districts from teaching AP psychology. The department also seems to deny that it had banned the course in the first place. When speaking with reporters on Friday, DeSantis told them that he believed that the AP psychology course will, quote, end up being offered. I mean, it's giving, we'll do the absolute bare minimum and probably still not offer it fully in our schools.

That's my translation. Also, you're the problem, boo boo. You caused this whole thing. And finally, a new superpower in the MCU might be collective bargaining. Marvel Studios' visual effects crew filed for a vote to unionize on Monday. Most of the 50-person team signaled that they want to be represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE. That union currently represents 168,000 people working in movies and TV. Marvel's visual effects workers have previously called the working conditions at the company toxic and voiced concerns about long hours and seven-day work

weeks. Since its conception, the visual effects industry has been primarily non-unionized and the visual effects organizer at IATSE shared, quote, this is a historic first step for VFX workers coming together with a collective voice demanding respect for the work we do. By voting to join IATSE, visual effect workers would be granted the same protections and benefits that other on-site crew members have. The vote could take place as early as August 21st. Considering that not a single Marvel comic movie would exist without effects. These workers have so much leverage right now.

And I'm excited to see them get together in a unified voice. Please give them what they need because otherwise you'll just be staring at grown men in leotards in front of a green screen. And those are the headlines. One more thing before we go, call me crazy, but I think getting a life-saving medication should not be more expensive than a fun night

where you mistake the rug for a giant cat. Oh my God. You've never done that? I totally agree. I totally agree. I totally agree. Healthcare is a human right. And that means the only pills we should be paying for are the fun kind with little happy faces on them. Which ones are those?

I have never seen a happy face pill. I don't think we're cool. I don't think we're cool. If you're nodding along, check out our new Only Fun Drugs Should Cost Money tees and stickers available now at the Cricut store. Head to Cricut.com slash store to get yours because these are some really dope shirts. I love this, actually. I do, too. I'm getting one immediately as someone who is not cool enough for fun drugs.

With smiley faces. That is all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, check out our LinkedIn, Ron DeSantis, and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just much ado about nothing, uncensored and uncut like me, What A Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at Cricut.com slash subscribe. I'm Juanita Tolliver. I'm Josie Duffy Rice.

And nothing is a pun. It means vagina because there's no thing. Okay. I learned so much on this podcast. So many things I should have learned in school. I mean, this is clearly what Florida doesn't want them to learn. Unless you want your kids to know as little Shakespeare as I do. Let them learn some Shakespeare.

What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Bill Lance. Our show's producer is Itzy Quintanilla. Raven Yamamoto and Natalie Bettendorf are our associate producers. Our intern is Ryan Cochran. And our senior producer is Lita Martinez. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka.