Show Notes
The Supreme Court justices get lucrative book deals, luxe travel junkets, and the freedom to invest in almost anything they want – all with limited and forgiving disclosures. And one justice, Clarence Thomas, has routinely offered evidence of some of the Court’s most glaring conflicts of interest. ProPublica recently revealed a goldmine of gifts and financial favors Thomas has received from a prominent Texas businessman, Harlan Crow. Thomas also has a spouse who makes a living advocating for conservative causes that have also found their way to the court. How disinterested can the justices be ruling on weighty matters like corporate power, business competition, and the future of democracy when their own wallets are involved? Gabe Roth is the founder and executive director of Fix the Court, a nonpartisan advocacy group pushing for various court reforms, including new ethics guidelines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Just as mobile banking revolutionized our relationship with our money and led to a plethora of new tools for management and investing, the proliferation of crypto and blockchain technologies have opened up all manner of new investment opportunities that go far beyond what early Bitcoin adopters could’ve imagined. This episode is sponsored by Coinbase. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this limited series, Odd Lots explains some of the thorniest issues facing the US economy through the medium of … chicken. Chicken occupies a unique position in the US diet, but issues facing the poultry industry illustrate wider points about the development of the US economy and the decisions being made about how it's structured and who benefits from it. So why has the chicken industry evolved in the way that it has? What’s been driving the price increases in eggs and meat? And what does it all say about things like inflation, the labor market and the nature of American capitalism? Check out Beak Capitalism on Odd Lots wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Taylor Swift embodies a rare cultural presence and moment – and she’s everywhere. She inhabits her presence (amid an unusual amount of glare) with an unusual amount of grace. But now, a lot of weird conspiracy theories from Fox and conservative commentators have attached themselves to her. Nevertheless, Taylor Swift has kept her wits about her when everyone else is losing theirs. Emma Gray co-writes a culture Substack called Rich Text, is the author of “A Girl’s Guide to Joining the Resistance,” and is a columnist with MSNBC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Joe Biden secured a victory in the Democratic primary in 2020 after Rep. Jim Clyburn threw his support, and that of his Black constituents in South Carolina, behind the candidate. Black voters – and young Black voters in particular – appear to be much less enthusiastic about Biden these days. They’re the most unenthusiastic they’ve been about a Democratic president in decades. Republicans have also intentionally thrown roadblocks in front of efforts to mobilize the full power of the Black vote: think gerrymandering, voter ID laws and the like. Nia-Malika Henderson is a political columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.