If you’re not yet on the Chappell train...you’re late. Her meteoric rise to stardom has been amazing to watch; not to mention her unbelievable talent and incredible music.
When invited to perform at the White House during Pride this past June, she had this to say, “We want liberty, justice, and freedom for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come.”
Headlines
Let Them Speak
“‘I am not a politician,’ [pediatric intensive care physician Tanya] Haj-Hassan said. ‘I’m not even an activist—my life prior to this year has been spent primarily doing clinical work.’ But the ‘complete destruction of human life’ she saw in Gaza—and the awareness that the destruction is made possible thanks to US funds and US weapons—has made Haj-Hassan determined to speak.”
“So here’s the main memo: Your brown-skinned sisters are not going to be OK between now and November. We neither want you to fawn over Harris and uncritically throw your support behind her, nor do we want to allow Trump to retake office. Rather, vote as though your life depends on it—because ours does. And then work to hold accountable whoever occupies the White House next January.”
“It’s true that wage growth has outpaced consumer prices, but this does not mean working Americans are experiencing meaningful improvements in their quality of life as a result. Most obviously, even by Krugman’s own estimate, average real wages have only outpaced consumer prices by 1% per year since 2021. That’s not nothing, but it’s not much either, especially since growth in real wages over the past four years follows forty years of stagnation in workers’ purchasing power — driven by, among other reasons, a sharp increase in benefit costs and the decline of labor unions.
“In other words, a 4-percentage-point increase in consumer purchasing power between 2021 and 2024 is hardly enough to make working Americans — struggling to get by after decades of spiraling income and wealth inequality, a shrinking middle class, tens of millions of lost manufacturing jobs, children earning less and less than their parents, and evaporating personal savings — feel that things are looking up.”
In October of 2022, we released this episode on Peter Thiel. The last line of the story is that he’s a monster. At the time, we were focused on his personal selections and funding of Congressional candidates, one of whom was none other than JD Vance. Far from his purported hillbilly roots, the country quickly came to know that JD is little more than a huckster who grew up pretty well and became a go-to hedge fund guy for Peter Thiel. Amazingly, Thiel is still on the backburner of people’s awareness and given Vance’s sudden rise to VP prominence, it’s important we continue to bring him forward.
Here’s a snippet from the pod:
Max: “People like Thiel are characterized these days as ‘incels’ when they’re young. Disassociated misogynists who live largely online and are incapable of relationships. Then there’s the alt-right wing of the Republican Party that does things like storm the Capitol. We’ve got white Christian nationalists who are anti-immigration, xenophobic survivalists who want to give power to the states. And we have the billionaire libertarian tax evaders who support far right candidates to clear a path for the groups above and their patrons to avoid taxes.
“In the center of this venn diagram sits Peter Thiel.”
“Before Donald Trump became America’s most prominent politician and birth certificate inspector, he spent his days making everyone in New York City slightly uncomfortable. Michael and Peter discuss ‘The Art of the Deal,’ Trump’s 1987 bestseller chronicling his exploits as a celebrity slumlord.”
This is what I’m currently reading (and thoroughly enjoying).
“Most women, transgender, and non-binary people who menstruate can expect to have hundreds of periods in a lifetime. So why is real information so hard to find? Despite its significance, most education about menstruation focuses either on increasing the chances of pregnancy or preventing it. And while both are important for many people, those who menstruate deserve to know more about their bodies than just what happens in service to reproduction. At a time when charlatans, politicians, and social media are succeeding in propagating damaging misinformation with real and devastating consequences, Dr. Jen provides the antidote with science, myth busting, and no-nonsense facts.”
Behind a truly progressive platform, the Green Party candidate for president is back for another run, again arguing that the American duopoly is unable to effectively stand up for the average American.
“Our mission is to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system. Imagine a world free of cruelty, a world in which we nurture our bodies, minds, and spirits with wholesome, healthy food that is kind to animals and sustainable for our planet. Mercy For Animals believes that world is possible. In fact, it is inevitable if we work together to elevate humanity to its fullest potential.”
