Political Misfits

Pipeline Battles; SCOTUS on Speech and Donors; Recovery Plan Spending

Aging pipeline infrastructure continues to harm communities. How the federal government fails to punish polluters in cases of wanton neglect.
Sputnik

Darren Thompsom, reporter for Native News Online and Unicorn Riot, talks to us about the worst pipeline spill in 20 years in North Carolina, where the Colonial pipeline has leaked 1.2 million gallons of gasoline into the surrounding areas, the impact it has had across many states in the country, how the company repeatedly neglected safety measures and how these companies get away with this due to lack of federal regulation and enforcement of penalties.  We also talk about a move announced by the Department of the Interior changing how tribes can request that land be placed in the trust, how this could protect tribal homelands and the impact this could have in native communities.

Kim Keenan, adjunct Professor at George Washington University and former General Counsel of the NAAC, talks to us about a case being heard in the Supreme Court involving free speech, where a student was punished for posting comments on social media about her school, how the limitations of speech are interpreted, whether the school overreached in the reprimand, and how the outcome of this case could affect other free speech cases. We also talk about the court striking down a state law identifying charitable nonprofit donations, the controversy behind this, and why this is being challenged.  

Dr. Linwood Tauheed, professor of economics at the University of Missouri - Kansas City, and former President of the National Economic Association, joins hosts Michelle Witte and Bob Schlehuber in a conversation about how media does not always succeed in finding the right balance when telling stories about individuals and communities, and how there could be a generational divide in the way we tell stories. We also talk about the Biden administration’s recovery plan, how it is being implemented, what its limitations are, and its prospects for its success.  

Nate Wallace, creator and co-host of the podcast Redspin Sports joins our Foul Play segment to talk about the UFC organizing a fight in front of a packed indoor crowd in Florida, the Olympics saying no protesting will be allowed, and the continued fallout from the attempts to create a European Super League.  

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