What A Day - One Small Step For Manchin, One Giant Leap For Mankind

Episode Date: July 29, 2022

Senate Democrats reached a deal on a historic climate spending package – thanks to a surprise reversal from West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who previously rejected the measure.Judges in North Dakota and Wyoming both put temporary holds on abortion bans that would have taken effect in those states this week.And in headlines: the U.S. economy shrank again, torrential rains triggered devastating floods in eastern Kentucky, and Pope Francis ends his week-long tour of Canada today.Show Notes:The Guardian: “‘Hunted’: one in three people killed by US police were fleeing, data reveals” – https://bit.ly/3BnpUanVote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked 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/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

It's Friday, July 29th. I'm Travelle Anderson. And I'm Priyanka Arabindi. And this is What A Day, where we were sadly unable to get our hands on the dinosaur skeleton that was auctioned off yesterday for $6 million. Reptar and Barney are somewhere trying to figure out how their ancestors' bones got taken away from them. Yeah, give the money to who it belongs to.

Barney. On today's show, we've got some small wins to share on abortion access from North Dakota and Wyoming. Plus, we bring our hive minds together to talk about Beyoncé's new album, Out Today. You're definitely going to want to stick around for that. But first, Senate Democrats reached a surprise deal on climate legislation and a domestic spending

package earlier this week, thanks to everyone's absolute last guess in this scenario, Senator Joe Manchin. All of you, I know, might be surprised, but there should be no surprise because I've never walked away from anything in my life. Oh, girl. Excuse me, what? Yeah, we're all surprised, suffice to say. Yes. Well, honestly, though, this is a little bit shocking, right? Definitely. I mean, even to people who were involved in negotiating this legislation.

This comes after a year of negotiations and is a major reversal for Manchin, who just earlier this month was saying that he couldn't support a climate bill like this because he was concerned about inflation. Because he doesn't know how to walk and chew gum at the same time. Gotcha. Apparently. So tell us more about what's in the bill

and why it's such a big deal. Yeah, so it's a large domestic spending package. It clocks in at $369 billion, and it would be the U.S.'s most ambitious action ever to try and combat global warming. It includes billions of dollars devoted to clean energy technology and is aimed at cutting carbon emissions an estimated 40 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, which is a huge deal and very soon. It also includes other non-climate-related provisions. It allows Medicare to negotiate

drug prices and lowers Affordable Care Act premiums. It also closes a bunch of tax loopholes by giving more funding to the IRS. It's all stuff that's going to help bring down inflation. The whole thing is actually called the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, formerly known as Build Back Better. It got this new name that is, you know, a little on the nose, but we like it. We'll take what we can get. We will take it. So tell me, what changed Manchin's mind here? Yeah, it was apparently a lot of people working really hard behind the scenes. Just two weeks ago, Manchin rejected the proposed Democratic package, but apparently everybody from fellow lawmakers to labor leaders to climate experts to executives, even former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, were there

behind the scenes trying to address Manchin's concerns about inflation and making the case for the new technologies that this package supports. Gotcha. So with Manchin's support, are Democrats in the clear to get this actually passed ahead of midterms? You know, hopefully. That much isn't quite clear yet. Senator Kyrsten Sinema hasn't weighed in on the package in the past. She's stood in the way just as often as our guy, Joe Manchin. So who knows what she'll have to say. And in the House, there is still a contingent of swing district Democrats that could make things difficult as well. But here's what President Biden had to say yesterday. My message to Congress is this.

This is the strongest bill you can pass to lower inflation, cut the deficit, reduce health care costs, tackle the climate crisis and promote energy security all the time while reducing the burdens facing working class and middle class families. You heard the man. So it does have a real chance at becoming law as early as this August. The Senate is supposed to vote on the package next week, and after that, it'll go to the House. Passing it would be a huge deal for Democrats as we head into the midterm elections, but it'll also be a huge deal for just about everybody who isn't interested in being burnt to a crisp during our lifetimes here on Earth.

Mother Nature has been telling us to get our shit together for some time. So, you know, maybe we're ready to listen to her for once. Let's hope. Now let's talk about the state of abortion bans across the country, because there's some good things to report on on the local level.

As we all know, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month like fools, triggering a number of bans on the procedure nationwide. Since, abortion rights proponents have been taking legal action to challenge several of these restrictions. And I'm happy to say that over the last couple of days, we've gotten some positive news regarding a few of them, even if it is just temporarily. Yeah, so let's start with North Dakota. What is happening there?

So North Dakota is one of the states that had a trigger law, which would have outlawed abortions in the state starting yesterday. But on Wednesday, a judge put a hold on the ban while a lawsuit arguing that it violates the state constitution moves forward. In this case, the judge is siding with the state's only abortion clinic, the Red River Women's Clinic in Fargo, North Dakota. Now, the reasoning behind this case, the judge is siding with the state's only abortion clinic, the Red River Women's Clinic in Fargo, North Dakota. Now, the reasoning behind this judgment, which is a positive among the local organizing community, is that the judge agrees with the clinic. Red River argued that the state's attorney general was basically too eager to institute the ban and that he prematurely calculated the date it should take effect. The clinic argues that the date should have been 30 days from the official certified judgment of the Supreme Court, which happened earlier this week,

and not when their opinions were released last month. This temporary hold on the North Dakota ban, which would make abortion illegal in the state except in cases of rape, incest, and the endangering of the parents' life, gives Red River Women's Clinic more time to get their ducks in a row. They're considering relocating a few miles down the road to Moorhead, Minnesota, where abortion remains legal. So another judge in Wyoming also blocked their state's ban. Can you tell us more about what's happening there?

Yeah, so Wyoming's ban, which would outlaw abortions also except in cases of rape or incest or to protect the parents life or health was supposed to take effect Wednesday. Under it doctors and others who provide the services could also get up to 14 years in prison. Well four women and two non-profits challenged the Wyoming law saying it too violates rights guaranteed in their state constitution. While that case is being considered the judge here did agree with them that the ban would leave pregnant patients with dangerous complications

and their doctors in a difficult position as they balance serious medical risks against the possibility of prosecution. Yeah, definitely would. And then in Minnesota, their Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison said Thursday that he will not appeal a state judge's ruling that invalidated

several of their abortion-related restrictions. That ruling actually came down earlier this month, and it struck down a 24-hour waiting period, a two-parent notification requirement for minors, and certain hospitalization rules, among other laws. But by the AG saying he won't appeal, folks in Minnesota have a bit of security in making the decisions they need to regarding their bodies. Yeah, just a side note about this. It really highlights the importance of the role of an attorney general. Like your job as an AG is to stick up for the laws of your state. And, you know, by doing this, by not appealing here, Keith Ellison basically was like, this is the right decision, not what's on the books for the

state's law. And I don't know, as you go to the voting booth this November, when you're filling out your ballot, if you do it early, pay attention to that position because it is important. They're making decisions like this that have real consequences on your everyday life. Absolutely. And then one quick note about Kansas. Voters there on Tuesday will decide whether to strip abortion rights from their state constitution or not. They will be the first state in the country to actually vote on abortion rights since the reversal. We will be sure to let y'all know how that turns out and plan to cover this heavily in the coming days. But you can help out now.

In our show notes, we've got a link to Vote Save America's Fuck Bans Action Plan, where you can help donate to local organizations on the ground who are mobilizing people in Kansas to go and vote. More on all of this very soon, but that is the latest for now. Let's get to some headlines. Headlines. First off, more not-so-great news on the economy. A report put out by the federal government yesterday found the U.S. economy shrank again in the second quarter. The specific nerdy thing to know is that this means that the gross domestic product, or GDP, dropped two quarters back to back. Now, there's no hard and fast rule on this, but many economists agree that if that happens, that's a sign we're headed toward a recession. But President Biden has insisted that's not the case and reiterated that message Thursday to business leaders at the White House. There's going to be a lot of chatter today on Wall Street

and among pundits about whether we are in a recession. But if you look at our job market, consumer spending, business investment, we see signs of economic progress in the second quarter as well. So even though there's a fight whether to use the R word or not, we'll obviously be watching to see what happens and putting our money where it is safe. Torrential rains have battered eastern Kentucky since Wednesday, which triggered massive flooding. At least eight people are dead and many others are missing as of our recording time, 9.30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday night. And Governor Andy Beshear warned that the floods could be among the deadliest in recent memory and said that the death toll could reach double digits.

Rescue crews rushed to save dozens of people stranded on their rooftops as days of the relentless downpour dumped several inches of rain across the Appalachian region. And thousands of people in the hardest hit areas could be without electricity or clean water for days to come. And mudslides have cut off road access to many rural communities. This sounds horrific. Yeah. Almost one third of people killed by police in the U.S. were trying to flee, with black people making up a disproportionate amount of those dead. That's according to a new report from The Guardian, which used stats collected by the research group mapping police violence from 2015 up to this year. The newspaper

notes that out of the more than 2,500 people killed in that span, just nine officers were convicted. It goes on to say that police reform efforts are still necessary so officers aren't allowed to kill without consequences. And it's important to note that in 1985, the Supreme Court said police can only use lethal force to stop a fleeing person if they might be a reasonable threat to bystanders or other officers. We'll link to this Guardian story in our show notes so you can read more. Pope Francis ends his week-long tour of Canada today with a visit to the predominantly Inuit city of Akaluit. He's been in the country all week long to apologize for the historic abuses

that the Catholic Church has inflicted on indigenous populations, where for decades children were routinely ripped away from their families. But many indigenous people say that his sorries aren't enough. Yesterday in Quebec, while the Pope was celebrating mass, two protesters unrolled a large banner to demand that he also rescind the doctrine of discovery. That is the papal decree from the 1400s, which allowed colonizers to justify taking land and abusing native populations under the claim that they, quote, discovered them. The Vatican is reportedly preparing a statement about the doctrine, but won't release it until after the Pope's visit. Hollywood is one of many industries scrambling to protect its employees

in the wake of recent political events. Yesterday, a group of over 400 TV creators and showrunners sent a letter to top execs at Netflix, Disney, Warner Brothers, NBC, Universal, and more. They demanded new and specific protocols to keep their employees safe when working in states where abortion is outlawed. Signed by industry heavy hitters such as Shonda Rhimes, Issa Rae, and Amy Sherman-Palladino, the letter outlines the need for protocols in states where anti-abortion trigger laws have gone into effect. That includes production-heavy states like Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. They're also looking to legally shield anyone who helps a colleague obtain an abortion.

Meanwhile, many of the same media companies who received the letter have also been organized by the Human Rights Campaign to sign their own letter in support of the Respect for Marriage Act, which, if passed in the Senate, would federally protect same-sex marriage. Hopefully, Hollywood can help move the needle on these issues of safety and equality. Use your money and your influence for good. Do it. Do it. Sometimes Hollywood gets it wrong. In this case, they definitely did not. Please help us. Republican Senator and 100-meter race gold medalist Josh Hawley has announced that he's coming out with a new book.

Hawley has been desperate to change the narrative around his public cowardice on January 6th, when last week the insurrection committee showed a video of him fleeing the mobs. But instead of just buying a Hummer like most guys, Hawley has decided to gripe about the downfall of masculinity. Hawley's book, titled Manhood, will hit shelves next May, a few weeks after he is slated to speak at the, quote, Stronger Men's Conference, where men go to relearn how to be masculine,

complete with bull riding and monster trucks. Oh my God, this sounds like some men's health nightmare. No word yet from the eight-year-old who planned this conference. Do we really need a book on manhood from him? No. What publisher said, yes, you are the person? Do we really need any of these like political people's books i'm not really understanding why they're writing them who is buying them don't really get

it but it makes no sense and those are the headlines we'll be back after some ads with our picks for the tracks you don't skip off of beyonce's new album which is finally out today. It's Friday WOD Squad and it's time for the Unskippables where we tell you which tracks of a new album you cannot skip. Today we have been blessed by the queen herself. Beyonce has dropped her new album

Renaissance which she has promised is act one of a three act experience people. Okay. It is officially out today, and I am loving it and have been loving it for three days. Y'all know what it is, okay? Don't tell me anything, okay? This will never get back to Beyonce

because this is a secret between us and the Wild Squad. I, of course, waited until today to listen to it out of respect for my president. I set my alarm clock for midnight and have been listening all day long. Okay, so I will go first. After the song Thick gained an early lead, okay, in my consciousness, my unskippable actually now is the song Church Girl. DJ, take us to church, honey. Bad girl at the naughty church, girl. Don't hurt nobody. You can be my daddy if you want to.

You can be my daddy if you want to. You can get it tatted if you want to. You can get it tatted if you want to. Put your lighters in the sky. Get this motherfucker lit. She gonna shake that ass and I'm pretty. Take a bit of this. I mean, come on, Priyanka.

Come on. Our whole Zoom is dancing. It is wild. And I didn't want to laugh because I didn't want to get in the way of the audio. But it's a good time. So good. And I know it doesn't sound like any church song you have ever heard. And that's okay.

Okay? Because we need to redefine what church means. Okay? Church can be on the dance floor as well, Priyanka. And she just brought us there. That is a great one, Travelle. I love it too. My Unskippable actually had a little bit of a journey too.

So like, this is definitely a new sound for Beyonce, as we talked about before we went to record. I like heated personally for like a vintage Beyonce vibe. But like, if we're talking like this new energy, my unskippable is Virgo's groove. It's a fun vibe. Let's play a clip. So dance on and on to the crowd, baby.

Feel the beat. Don't you leave me. Don't you leave. So use me. Use me. Pursue me. Pursue me. Pursue me when you bruise me. So use me Pursue me Pursue me Will you bruise me

Will you leave me Oh, so good. It's so good. I think our clips are the max amount we can do without getting sued by Beyonce. Absolutely. So please, if we went a little over the limit, Beyonce,

it is just in the interest of sharing your genius with the WOD squad who also loves you. So please do not sue us. Yes. And if you want to hear more, which we know you do, go get the daggone album yourself. Go and give her your streams. Yes. She deserves. She does. Give her a little bit of your money. You've been hiding under your mattress. Okay? Yeah. She deserves it as well. Inflation can wait. Inflation can absolutely wait, okay? This has been The Unskippables.

One more thing before we go. This week on Hot Take, Mary and Amy are back together. The duo is sitting down with Aline Brown, a New York-based reporter focused on environmental justice issues, to discuss the unique intersection of climate change and the prison industrial system. Listen to new episodes of Hot Take every Friday, wherever you get your podcasts. that is all for today if you like the show make sure you subscribe leave a review promise me we're not headed toward a recession and tell your friends to listen and if you're into reading and not just books about how to be a big strong masculine man like me what today is also a nightly newsletter check it out and subscribe at crooked.com slash subscribe. I'm Priyanka Arabindi. I'm Travelle Anderson. And if Joe Manchin can change, anything is possible. I believe it.

You know, Whitney Houston in the Cinderella movie was talking about Joe Manchin. Okay? That's a deep cut. It is. It really is. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Bill Lance,

Jazzy Marine, and Raven Yamamoto are our associate producers. Our head writer is John Milstein, and our executive producer is Leo Duran. Our theme music is by Colin Gillyard and Kshaka.