Episode 26 - 2020 In Review

Speaker 0 00:00:01 So, uh, 2020 is almost over, Speaker 1 00:00:04 Almost over we're in the last, from being in 2020 right now, as we record. Speaker 0 00:00:09 Yes, we were recording on the 27th of December, 2020, the early afternoon. Um, today's going to be an interesting episode. We're going to do 20, 20 and review, and we're going to try to parse out which events we think historians of the future will kind of look at. It takes special note of Speaker 1 00:00:30 This has been one of the most challenging ones for me, because there was just so much that happened this year that I don't, it's hard to even pick isn't it? Speaker 0 00:00:41 Uh, yeah, I mean, it's, there's a lot. Um, we'll see, we'll see what we do with this, uh, this huge list that I have, it goes on and on. And like some of the stuff I'm like, damn, that did happen in 2020. It's like that did two. And that did as well. Anyway. I mean, we're coming off the holiday season here going, heading into the new year. Um, this is, you know, we talked about whether we would do this absurd or not. And I think it's a good idea because I think historians do need to kind of pump the brakes. Sometimes when people start doing it being maybe a little too hyperbolic about things Speaker 1 00:01:26 This year, though, there's been plenty of opportunity to be alarmed and it's even more hyperbole. Speaker 0 00:01:37 Right? Well, I mean, sometimes the stories also need to be there and say, yep, there's no precedent for this. This is bad. This is pretty much the worst I've seen. Um, on that cheery note, let's go ahead and get started. Uh, welcome to the show. Welcome to an incomplete history. I'm Hillary and I'm Jeff. And we're your hosts for this weekly history podcast. Speaker 2 00:02:01 <inaudible> Speaker 0 00:02:23 So, uh, good afternoon. Speaker 1 00:02:25 Good afternoon. It's good to talk with you. Speaker 0 00:02:28 So let's, let's do our last weather report together. Last report of 2020. What's the weather like out in Mississippi? Speaker 1 00:02:37 Nothing really to note on my end, it's sunny out. It's nice. It's in the well, like sixties, it's just kind of a nice mild day. Wonderful. How about you? Speaker 0 00:02:49 Well, I'm sure your parents have told you this already. We are getting ready to have our first winter storm Speaker 1 00:02:55 So that like, we're going to have a storm. Like, what's that going? Speaker 0 00:03:00 You're right. And by winters, no, they're actually predicting an inch, a solid inch. Right, right. Speaker 1 00:03:07 And then you might get some flooding down in fashion Valley. Speaker 0 00:03:10 I think we probably will. Um, you know, but, uh, it looks like it yesterday. It was beautiful, clear high sixties. Wonderful day today. It's like super cloudy. We'll see. I mean, rain is an event in Southern California. I know other people from other places listening to like rain, what is wrong with them? No, it's like a major event here. Speaker 1 00:03:32 Well, it's a major event because you're completely, um, ill-equipped to handle any sort of rainfall. So it can be a huge problem with like mudslides. And then as I mentioned, like, there's this low lying Valley that goes through San Diego and it floods really badly because the San Diego river overflows and it's just it's that there's no infrastructure to handle any rainfall. Speaker 0 00:03:52 We just don't get that train. Right. I mean, it's just something Speaker 1 00:03:56 Problems, but there's just, there's never done anything to fix it. Speaker 0 00:03:59 Right. So that's our fun weather. We'll see. Yeah. So 2020, I mean, speaking of weather, let's start 2020 and review off with kind of what was going on January 1st, 2020, which Australia and wildfires the worst in recorded history. Speaker 1 00:04:25 And I remember when the year started, that will actually, I was kind of reminiscing on our episode last year, where we did 2019 and review and we thought we were on the brink of world war three and the wildfires are broken out. And I remember like there was a lot of talk in early January of like the world's on fire. Everybody's mad at each other, the impeachments about to happen. And like we thought that that was gonna, that was like the most exciting, not exciting, but like the most scary part of the new year was like, Oh my gosh, these wildfires are burning. Um, and it was horrible and so devastating, but it was just like this really small preview of what was to come Speaker 0 00:05:08 Well. I mean, that's so that's the thing is like, so as historians will stories in the future talk about those Australia and wildfires, or would they be overshadowed by the rest of 2020? Speaker 1 00:05:19 Well, I think in a broader sense, yes. I don't think that it will be talked about in a context of like, Oh, in 2020, this happened necessarily, but as part of a broader theme of global climate change and the influence or the impact that that has. And I think that wildfires, hurricanes, natural disasters being discussed, um, in a, in a broader context, in sense, not again, not isolated to just this one incident, but it will be discussed because it is the largest. And I fear it's not the last, I mean, and, but I think it'll just be a part of a larger conversation about climate change and about, um, human impacts on the environment. Speaker 0 00:06:01 I concur, I, I think this is a global climate change story, right? And I think this is going to be one of those moments where people point back and say, look, you know, people got, people had clear warning signs, things were going horribly wrong. Um, hopefully it'll be a thing of, and fortunately they didn't wait until it was completely too late to start doing something about it. Although I fear after 2020, it'll be kind of, we actually could have done some stuff if we'd acted. Um, so you also mentioned world war three. So January 3rd, uh, Qassem Soleimani was assassinated. And it's interesting because the language I looked across multiple newspapers to see how they reported it. And they all keep saying killed in the U S airstrike. This is an assassin Speaker 1 00:06:55 That's assassinated. Yeah. And that worried me so much when that happened. I mean, it was horrendous and I think you and I texted about it and I go, Oh my gosh, this is really bad. I mean, and that has not been entirely resolved at this point. Is that true? Speaker 0 00:07:13 That's true. I mean, this is the thing is people were worried about it when this happened back in January, early January, people were worried about it because it, impeachment was already pending in Congress. Congress was going to consider impeaching the president and this seemed to be a way to deflect attention. And that's what a lot of people feared is. This is there's going to be a war that's kind of kicked up in the middle East to deflect attention from what's going on in Congress. Now, fortunately, this actually didn't escalate at the time, at least into a broader conflict, but for a, for a little while there, it looked like it was going to actually possibly spark a war. Um, especially if the Iranians kind of responded the way they said they were going to respond. Yeah. Speaker 1 00:08:07 Something that I think, yes, that was at the moment, a really tense moment. But to me, it's an unresolved conflict. And with the change of, um, our leadership coming in the next few weeks, I think that this is going to be something that's revisited. I don't think that this is over. I don't think that this assassination is going to go completely ignored or unpunished. And if you're thinking about the span of time, not that much time has actually passed between that happening. And right now, um, even though we feel like the, the most tense moments were right there in those few, couple of those couple of days in the wake of it, I just, I still think that there's going to be some unfinished, um, tensions or, or, you know, something that's going to hash out as a result of that assassination. Speaker 0 00:08:58 Now what's interesting is this, and it's, you know, we're not going to talk about this explicitly, like the elephant in the room till a bit later, but even early January, there's now evidence that COVID-19 was spreading around the world. Speaker 1 00:09:13 I had sounded the alarm on this in December. I would just like to point that out because I had a student who was overseas. I'm an online student who's overseas who emailed me and said, I am in Wuhan, China. This is what's happening. It's really serious. We're not allowed to come back and was talking to me about, you know, assignments and all that. And I was just like, you just need to worry about yourself and your family. And then I started following it really, um, intently from about December onward. And I was like really aware of what had been going on because of the student had alerted me. Um, and we knew, we knew very early on that this was a serious crisis on the horizon. And we did very little, Speaker 0 00:09:58 Well, Jen, so January 7th, the CDC does and does issue a travel notice for Wu Han China advisers Americans, not to travel there, but I mean, what's interesting is by January 7th, it's too late, right? Speaker 1 00:10:14 Yeah. I mean, it's, it's way too late at that point. And I would say, even though that there was this advisory, we knew that it was in a new home, but like we later learned that it was in a bunch of other places. Um, Italy, there was a European strain, there was a strain coming from China, all this. Um, but I would say that we didn't start taking it. I don't know, seriously or consider considering it as a, as an actual risk until into March and you know, how illnesses and viruses spread and traveling like a lifetime. Speaker 0 00:10:53 It's interesting because I remember we started having conversations in January and by we, I mean me and some colleagues, um, we started having conversations in January over UCLA because a lot of our students are international students from China and, you know, eat. I was already worried about where this was headed. Um, and the amount of travel in and out of China, I was like, there's no way they've contained it's China. Like it's, it's out already. What's it going to do? Speaker 1 00:11:29 As we learned later, it was coming from Europe Speaker 0 00:11:31 As well. Yeah. So, you know, it's obviously COVID-19 is going to be the thing we returned to again and again, as we kind of go through 2020, but I mean, it's, it basically occupies all of 2020. It is Speaker 1 00:11:46 A lot of craziness that happens before we even go into lockdown in March. Like huge headlines that we, like you said, you kind of forgot things happen in 2020. And because this year has, seemed like five years, but there was a lot that happened in early, early on prior to the lockdown. Right. Speaker 0 00:12:05 Well, so January 8th, I know you're a fan of these people. Speaker 1 00:12:10 I'm a fan of the Speaker 0 00:12:12 Harry and Harry and Megan kind of remove themselves from their Royal duties. Speaker 1 00:12:18 Oh yes, that's true. They stepped back from, Speaker 0 00:12:22 I have to interject some light news in here every once in a while. Speaker 1 00:12:26 I thought when we said January, I thought you were going to talk about Iran, shooting down. We're going to talk about that flight. And I thought, well, I'm not a fan of that. I don't know, Speaker 1 00:12:36 But okay. So some more lighthearted news, it's been very interesting watching that as somebody who, you know, kind of pays attention to this stuff more than I should, that they stepped back from the Royal duties and they, they leave. And Megan just kind of comes in as this force and says, we're not going to live life the way that you guys have all lived life and we're going to go do our own thing. And people are so incredibly bitter about it. Um, but what I find interesting is like, forgive me to anybody. Who's a big Harry fan, but he's kind of a non-entity at this point, right? He's the spare, like, let him go off and live his life, you know, but everyone's very upset by it. And, um, they ha they're highly influential in other ways now, though. Right? Speaker 0 00:13:20 Well, he's not even the spare now that his brother has, once his brother had children, he's like, yeah, Speaker 1 00:13:28 He's not even close to being in line really, Speaker 0 00:13:33 But she'll kind of, uh, uh, you follow the monarchy, right? Speaker 1 00:13:37 I do. I've read several Royal biographies and wasted a lot of my time, but I know a lot of really weird facts about these. Speaker 0 00:13:44 So what would you have felt in 1773 and all Boston town? Speaker 1 00:13:49 What are you going to really put me on spot? Like this I'll do this before. I'm a loyalist, um, big mistake. What we've done Speaker 0 00:13:57 That's right. Hillary would have stayed in the United Kingdom. I would have, yeah, I wouldn't have Speaker 1 00:14:04 Coffee drinker. I'm a tea drinker. Um, and you know, I always like shocked people, but when I asked them in class, you know, what would you have done? And they all raised their hand. I would have been a Patriot. It's like, no, you wouldn't have been statistically speaking without one fourth of people were Patriots. Speaker 0 00:14:24 Right. Um, I'm willing to entertain up to about a third because some people would have been quiet about it. Speaker 1 00:14:31 Have a third of people out wanting to fight. Cause a lot of people, Speaker 0 00:14:34 Oh, no, there were no, no like that's, I mean, that's the thing is most people just want to kind of be left alone. Um, and they don't really care one way or the other, but I mean, you've got a solid third that are very much pro staying in the United Kingdom. They don't want the status quo to change. I probably would have been in the solid third. Yeah. Yeah. Speaker 1 00:14:55 That's okay. But Speaker 0 00:14:59 Yeah, I had to tease you a little bit about Speaker 1 00:15:02 Open I'm open about my loyalist. Speaker 0 00:15:04 So, so January 8th is also, I think this is why this Iran us thing doesn't blow up more than it does. Is Iran accidentally shoots down a Ukrainian airlines flight. Well, accidentally because they thought they were targeting some other plane. They did not know it was Ukrainian plane, Speaker 1 00:15:25 But they purposely shot down a plane. Oh Speaker 0 00:15:27 Yeah. They shot a plane down. They just thought it was a different plane, but it kills me. Six people died. Yeah. It kills him. I think that right there is maybe why it doesn't escalate because suddenly Iran loses the moral high ground. Speaker 1 00:15:40 Right. That was an, you know, I almost thought that that was in response in a way, is that where they connected? Cause I thought like, man, there's all these things going on. Right. Within days of each other, it felt connected. Speaker 0 00:15:52 Yeah. Said after his assassination, they were going to retaliate and so people were waiting for something to happen and then this happens and it turns out, you know, initially Iran didn't admit responsibility for it. Then finally they did. And it's interesting. I think if they hadn't accidentally gotten that plane, I think if they'd actually targeted a military plane and gotten it successfully destroyed, that story would have continued as a much hotter story through the year Speaker 1 00:16:20 And there would have been back and forth. Speaker 0 00:16:22 Oh yeah. We're telling you Speaker 1 00:16:27 One of the worst things I think about 2020 was in the midst of all of this. Like we're talking about so many, 10 stories in the first month or so, but the worst part to me was like in the midst of all this craziness, it was an election year. Speaker 0 00:16:47 An election year. This year. Yes. Speaker 1 00:16:52 Oh my God. That's right in a census year. Yeah. It's like, all of it came together at one time. Like the Christmas star, it was like the great conjunction. Speaker 0 00:17:01 It's like the great conjunction a few days ago. Right. It's something, here's the thing is January 14th, the first democratic presidential debate happens. Um, although it's not really a debate cause they only take the top six people. Um, it's going to be the nominee. No, not at all. Who did you think was going to be the nominee? Um, let me think. I'm trying to think back. I think who I wanted to be the nominee in, who I felt would probably end up being it. I honestly thought in January, I thought Elizabeth Warren was kind of unstoppable a little bit. Speaker 1 00:17:42 I thought she was going to be a good candidate for it. I, I thought too that that could be the case, but then time went on and I just, I saw how things were going. Kind of felt like, well, this is the only path. Speaker 0 00:17:57 Well, her candidate, her candidacy kind of starts really falter after that. I mean that January debate is a high Mo moment for her and it kind of falters a little bit after that. I mean it's um, but I mean, so that happens on January 14th, the very next day, the house, since the articles of impeachment to the Senate. Um, and just to be clear, go back and listen to our impeachment episode. If you're curious about this, Donald J. Trump was impeached. Yes. But impeached period, Speaker 1 00:18:31 You will go down as an impeached one term president. Speaker 0 00:18:35 Right. Um, but I'm tired of people saying, well, he wasn't impeached. It's like, no, he was actually impeached. He was not removed from office. Correct. Like he was impeached Speaker 1 00:18:50 Thought that was going to be the big story to every time story would happen. And we're only on like what, January 15th day. I was like, this is the big story of 2020. Speaker 0 00:19:01 This is the thing is like people started already. People were making memes about it because they thought 2019 was kind of bad. And then like two weeks into June into 2020, they were like, Oh hell no, can we please have 2019 back? Um, January 20th we get the first reported case of Coronas, Corona virus infection, the United States. Although now we know though, right. Although we know that there are other cases that did not go reported when they started exhuming those bodies up in Northern California of people who had died in January and found out that they'd actually had COVID and that probably contributed to their deaths. So I mean, it's, it's already spreading right by January 20th, running and States. And then I'm not a big basketball fan at all, Speaker 1 00:19:52 But this shook the world. Speaker 0 00:19:55 Well, it's the way too. And so Kobe Bryant dies in a helicopter crash along with eight other people, including his 13 year old daughter Shyanna um, and a lot of people don't understand this about Los Angeles. So Los Angeles is huge population and geography wise. And for people I, Kobe Bryant, one of the ways you can get around it's by taking these helicopters. Um, and a lot of celebrities do this. And um, Speaker 3 00:20:33 Okay, Speaker 0 00:20:35 Interesting. Because he is, he was the face of the Lakers. Speaker 1 00:20:41 I don't, I'm not a basketball fan either, but to me he was the face of basketball. Yeah. I mean, like I thought basketball, I always thought of Kobe Bryant. And I remember, you know, people when they would be in class, like crumpling up paper, throwing it and shouting Kobe, like he was just the face of the NBA. Speaker 0 00:20:59 So I did have a student over at SDSU who, um, the day, our first classmate, after this happened, he came and he was wearing his Lakers Jersey and I knew I was doing it. And he was from LA and Stephanie's a lot of people were very emotional about it. I mean, this was a big celebrity that suddenly was no longer their lives. And, and basically by the end of January, I felt, we all felt we'd had enough. Speaker 1 00:21:28 And that's what I said at the beginning. Are we even going to be able to get through January, but it was one of those moments where, um, you just remember where you were when you heard. Um, and I think back on it now, and I can't even imagine myself in this context anymore, now that the pandemic has taken over our lives, but I was actually out bowling with the girls and two of their friends. And it came on over the big screen TVs at the bowling alley. And I can't even imagine touching a communal bowling ball at this point in my life, but when I heard it and I knew, Oh my gosh, Speaker 0 00:22:04 So that's January 26th. And then the 30th is when the, who declares the COVID outbreak, a public health emergency. Speaker 1 00:22:13 At that point when they declared it a public health emergency, the semester was underway. But I could feel that there was something cataclysmic about to happen because I had never witnessed this before really Speaker 0 00:22:30 Well. I had a conversation with one of the people who's in charge of the program that I teach in. And I told them, I said, I don't think we're going to be in person very much longer. And they were just, they were perplexed. They were like, are you really, you think so? And I was like, yes, I think this is going to change everything. Um, and my Speaker 1 00:22:53 First panic shopping at that day, I think Speaker 0 00:22:55 I did too. I think January 30th, after that announcement, I think I went out and got some stuff. Cause I was like, I, this is not good. Um, Speaker 1 00:23:06 The following day traveled to China and his band Speaker 0 00:23:09 Traveled to China is banned in the United Kingdom withdraws for the U it's. Like what? Speaker 1 00:23:16 Yeah. Withdrawal from the EU and travel from China is banned to the United States. All I don't understand. Speaker 0 00:23:24 And this is the end of January, 2020. I mean it's, but I mean, this is the thing by January 31st, I think we're all like I've had enough of 20, 28, Speaker 1 00:23:33 We're 23 minutes into this episode, Jeff and we, how are we going to get through it? Speaker 0 00:23:41 We're going to get through it. Um, we're going to get through it because there's some stuff I'm going to skip because some stuff seems so irrelevant now. And unimportant, I'm glad the Kansas city chiefs beat the 49ers, the super bowl in February 2nd, honestly, at this point, who cares. Speaker 1 00:23:57 And I didn't even know that I didn't care, Speaker 0 00:24:00 But then February 3rd interesting stuff starts to happen. So Pete Buddha judge wins the democratic primary a Cox's in Ireland. And it was an odd moment, right? Cause it's like, wait, what's, who's the candidate going to be? Um, because this was not supposed to play out this way. Um, Speaker 1 00:24:26 I was very surprised, but it was also kind of a pleasant surprise because it didn't seem like there was a presumptive nominee. It seemed like there was actually going to be, um, an open debate and an election within a party of, of a particular candidate. Right. Like, and I was very excited over the possibilities at that point. Speaker 0 00:24:46 Right. So February 4th is the state of union address. And then that's the, that's the famous one where Nancy Pelosi tears up Trump's speech. Speaker 1 00:24:57 One of the best memes of 2020 though. And I still have it as like a reaction Jif when somebody sends me something, I don't like just rip it up. Speaker 0 00:25:06 Um, the next day, the Senate quits Trump of abusing us office, the power of his office. Um, and Kirk Douglas dies on the same day a hundred. This is the thing 2020 is always like multiple things happening every day. Um, but I mean, this, this is looking back at his story. And I honestly think that Pete Buddha judge stuff might end up in kind of broader histories because he is the first openly LGBTQ candidate to get this far in the process of a major political party, openly, openly. We all named James Buchanan was an avowed bachelor confirmed, confirmed, confirmed bachelor. And we know what that means in a 19th century context. Um, so February 5th, Trump is like acquitted by the Senate, February 7th, he fires Gordon Sunland and, uh, Alexander Vendramin to government, uh, officials who testified against him during the impeachment hearing. So, I mean, this is the thing, February 7th, the retribution starts and it's still going and it's still going. Um, parasite wins best picture along with three other Academy awards in February 9th. Interesting. I don't think we'll talk about this in the future. I think this is one of those, it's an interesting movie. Um, but it's so not what the year ends up being about, uh, it's about class conflict. Speaker 1 00:26:50 It's about race conflict. Oh, about I'm sorry. Parasite. The movie is about color Speaker 0 00:26:58 2020 is that 2020 is about a different kind of conflict. Right? Then it has an overlap with class conflict, but that's not the whole story. Right, right. Um, Bernie Sanders wins the New Hampshire primary by the 11th. Um, and then something I think we might speak about in the future. I don't know, February 17th. I mean, this is something we've forgotten about the boy Scouts of America declared bankruptcy, Speaker 1 00:27:29 Right. Them in the Catholic church. Um, the same situation, right? I mean the Catholic church can declare bankruptcy, but it's child abuse claims, right. That are within a large institution. Yeah. I don't think we will talk about that, but now they started, um, allow them. Right. Speaker 0 00:27:50 Right. I think we might talk about it when we talk about kind of the rest of the story about organizations that form in the early 20th century, Speaker 1 00:27:59 She writes a dissertation about scouting, which is like definitely a great topic in the United States. They will definitely discuss this, but Oh yeah. Speaker 0 00:28:08 Yeah. But I think outside the broader public history, I don't think, I think this is a footnote at best. Um, and then Bernie Sanders wins another primary or caucus Ivana in February 2nd. So now by the end of February, Bernie Sanders starts looking like he might actually be the presumptive nominee, Speaker 1 00:28:27 But then that quickly dissipates at the end of February, people start conceding, right. But our endorsing, sorry, Speaker 0 00:28:36 But 2020 has things in store for us and Twan, February 23rd, Ahmed Arbery is shot and killed in Georgia Speaker 1 00:28:46 Watershed moment. When you say in 2020, and in the scope of what happens over the coming months, there is just this major buildup of frustration and despair and just rage at the police for shooting unarmed black people, just in cold blood and broad daylight, you know, on camera. People are just seeing right now. And this to me is like the big spark for this year is Speaker 0 00:29:17 Right. This is, this is an incident where it's just a father and son who shoot him because Ahmed Arbery's crime was jogging while black in Georgia. Speaker 1 00:29:31 Right. I apologize. This was just a random white random one, Speaker 0 00:29:36 Right? It was, Speaker 1 00:29:37 They're not, they weren't, um, they weren't deputized is what I'm saying that. Right. Speaker 0 00:29:42 But, but it took two and a half months for them to be arrested. Even though everybody knew who did it, it was on camera. It was on camera. It was all across social media. It took two and a half months. Has Speaker 1 00:30:00 There been a conviction in that case yet? Um, Speaker 0 00:30:02 They are charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. I do not think there is a conviction, but I mean, this guy, Travis, with Michael and his son do this and it's caught on camera. And this is, this is the interesting, I mean, this is, I think there are multiple strains to the black lives matter movement. But I think the strain here is not even, uh, an issue of police brutality, which is this whole other bigger institutional issue. This is simply a situation of civilians amongst other civilians. The system does not come to protect you or at least that your family members, even if you're, if you're like shot and killed, if you're black, Speaker 1 00:30:50 Well, it's white supremacy in action. It's a modern day lynching without even, you know, an, an accusation of a crime, just like, you know, Oh, you were in this neighborhood and I don't want you here. So I'm going to kill you. I mean, it is the 21st century equivalent to me of just a lynching. Speaker 0 00:31:10 Oh yeah. I mean, it's, this is so, I mean, by February 23rd, this starts to emerge and this is not to say, you know, the issues black lives matter raises suddenly crop up in 2020, they are much longer history to those things. But by February 23rd, we have the first big event that kind of pushes us forward. Right? Speaker 1 00:31:38 Deep roots that go back decades, centuries to people pointing out that, you know, the violence towards black Americans, you know, is at a higher rate and is uncalled for, and it's all as a result of white supremacy and all this, like there have been outcries for this, about this for a long time, but in the black lives matter movement in 2020, I think it reaches a bit of a fever pitch. And I think that it's related very much related to, um, quarantine and COVID-19 right. I mean, I think that it's kind of aggravated, um, in this really tense moment for all Americans. And there just seems to be like a list of grievances that are piling up also as a result of the presidential administration, right? I mean, you just have it like piling, piling, piling, and then you have people out of work and, you know, one incident after another happening where you're watching, you know, plaque Americans brutalized and murdered at the hands of, you know, random white citizens at the hands of police, et cetera. And I mean, it just reaches a point where, Speaker 0 00:32:47 And there's no punishment, that's the thing is like, there's no punishment. And the systems is very reticent to punish white people and or people in power for taking the lives of black Americans. Speaker 1 00:33:04 Right. Speaker 0 00:33:06 So, so February 29th, Joe Biden wins big in South Carolina. Speaker 1 00:33:13 I think it's at that point that you see the race turn in Biden's favor because then shortly after people, Speaker 0 00:33:21 Right, right. I remember this is 2020, so it's a leap year. So we get an extra day in February because 20, 20 needs more days to pile on the misery. The first COVID death in the U S was reported also on the 29th. Right? So Biden wins South Carolina COVID death report. And then the very next day, March 1st people to judge drops out anti endorses, Joe Biden. Um, and by March 3rd, which is super Tuesday, um, Joe Biden wins 10 States on super Tuesday at this point, Joe Biden is the nominee. There it is. This is a train now that is not going to stop. And you see it rapidly. So March, I mean, this is, I think this will be talked about when you look at kind of presidential history or politics or history of political campaigns and things it'll be talked about, because it's an interesting thing, because if you go back to January, Joe Biden just seems like he's up there for no reason. Is that fair? Speaker 1 00:34:27 Yeah. I mean, I always thought like he had the best chance just because he's this middle of the road well-known guy, but yeah. I mean, I thought it was a lot more competitive in January and I think, yeah, Speaker 0 00:34:41 That's for sure. So March 3rd, Joe Biden wins super Tuesday, March 4th, Bloomberg drops out endorses Biden, March 5th, Warren drops out, but she does not endorse either the two remaining viable candidates by nor Sandra says, we still have a couple of other candidates who are in it for some reason. I, I, you know, uh, yeah. Um, but switching from political kind of stories back to the coronavirus, um, March 9th is when Italy institutes a nationwide cold quarantine Speaker 1 00:35:19 And the world health organization declares COVID as a pandemic officially on March. Speaker 0 00:35:26 And the doubt, the Dow plunges 2000 points, the Dow. Yeah. Um, but so March who declares had a pandemic, but on the same day, there's some good news here. Some people do get punished. Harvey Weinstein's sentenced to 23 years ago. Speaker 1 00:35:46 It's hard to remember that that was, that happened this year. It seems like such a long time ago. I mean, the story about him broke Speaker 0 00:35:56 Well, what do you think of him Walker to a center? Speaker 1 00:36:00 Oh, him showing up like that with the Walker. It didn't make me feel any, anything toward him. I know he was trying to get like a sympathy, something, but I don't know. It didn't have an impact on me. Speaker 0 00:36:15 Right. But it was definitely meant to make us feel sorry for her. Speaker 1 00:36:19 Yeah. I think it failed pretty miserably because it was so transparent. Speaker 0 00:36:23 Oh yeah. It was like, dude, come on, Speaker 1 00:36:26 Come on. Speaker 0 00:36:28 Um, so March 11th, Tom Hanks and his wife announced they have COVID um, they're in Australia. So the quarantine in Australia, um, neither of them develop serious complications from COVID though. Speaker 1 00:36:49 No, but that was a huge story. It was like the first celebrities who said that they have, Speaker 0 00:36:54 But this is, I think one of the problems is they're so prominent. It gets out and people look at it. You're like, okay, well he had a couple of weeks of inconvenience, but then they got better. And I think this has been the story for COVID for 2020 period is, is people look at the numbers and they say, Oh, that's not that bad. I mean, we're going to get to the numbers right. Of where we are today. Speaker 1 00:37:17 We did it when we did our pandemic episode. And since that day, Oh my gosh. There's so many more people since we've done them Speaker 0 00:37:25 One in 1000 Americans. Yeah. Speaker 1 00:37:28 And the D the death rate now, um, they're calculating it about 2%. And I saw something today that said, if somebody handed you a hundred Skittles and said, two of them will kill you, would you eat the Skittles? You wouldn't. So it's dangerous. Right? Speaker 0 00:37:46 Right. So March 11th, MBA suspends his season, March 12th, baseball adjusted schedule and does kind of an indefinite delay. And then by March 12th, 12th, the NFL suspends its season, um, and the other major sports leagues follow suit. So by March, people are starting to take the pandemic at least a little more seriously. Speaker 1 00:38:17 Yes. And after all of that happens and the sports being canceled, I think that that's what woke up a lot of boomers to this was that they're like, Oh, the NBA, Oh my God. Oh, we can't watch basketball. You know? I mean, I think that that's it sadly wasn't, you know, science or news or anything. It was like, Oh, sports are being interrupted. Now I'm going to pay attention. Um, then the day after that, uh, the LA unified school district, which is the largest in the nation, right. Speaker 4 00:38:51 Close all of our schools, Speaker 1 00:38:55 It's declared a national emergency. Speaker 4 00:38:57 So I look at pictures though, from when that's all happening. And one, I mean, I'm also looking at things like when the NCAA announces its suspending of seasons and all these things, and I see it, and there are no mask insider anywhere in it. And it kind of horrifies me a little bit. Um, yeah. Speaker 1 00:39:21 Back at that time though. And it just horrifying because it, you know, it's spreading really rapidly, but the numbers at that time are really low. And like, I think people are being more cavalier about it. Now today, when there are hundreds of thousands of Americans dead, and we just had a million cases, new cases, and like what, 10 days, I think people are being more cavalier about it now than they were back in March. Speaker 4 00:39:47 Yeah. Well, I think people have this fatigue, right? They're tired of it. So 2020, just to Slingshot us back around March 13th, Brianna Taylor shot and killed in her home, in her home doing nothing but sleeping. I police who were serving in our conics warrant and they went into the wrong house and they went to the wrong house. She's she is assassinated her bed. Yes. Speaker 1 00:40:23 This is just one of the most egregious things I've ever read about or known about. And what crushes me about it in so many ways. Like it happened on the very same day that the country was thrown into an emergency and a full blown lockdown. And everybody's panicked, everyone's running to the grocery store. People are, you know, taking off of work. Kids are home from school suddenly. It's like the world has melted down around us. And on that very same day, this woman is murdered in her bed while she is asleep, minding her own business by police. It's like 2020. Speaker 4 00:41:06 And she's a healthcare worker. Yes. Speaker 1 00:41:08 Oh my gosh. It's so crushing. But her death sparks even more of an outcry and a campaign for the black lives matter movement. And I think propelled it into new to new Heights. And it's so sad, right. That the movement is fueled by, by these assassinations, these murders. And, um, it wasn't ignored. And, and that was that's something to be said because so much was happening right at that moment. But this was just so bad that it wasn't ignored Speaker 0 00:41:36 Well, and it's what she she's guilty of being black in America, sleeping in her bed. Right. So by March 16th, the Dow drops on those 3000 points, largest single day point drop ever. Um, and for us in California, by March 19th, Gavin Newsome, uh, directs the stay at home order in the state of California. And that's honestly, I can say after March 19th, I did not go out. Uh, we finished the spring or the winter quarter. We did a final exams. We did remotely. And then what I started teaching for the spring quarter, which started at the end of March, it was all online. Speaker 1 00:42:29 Yeah, same here. I mean, it happened for us too in the middle of spring break. And so the little kids were home just on spring break. So they left school on March six to start break, and then they never went back again. So, I mean, it happened this time where they thought, well, everyone's on break, but we'll just come back. And then we just, we never ended up coming back after that. I sent emails to all my students and we finished out the semester online. Speaker 0 00:42:56 Well, this is, I mean, this is the thing it's I remember as we kind of, it's interesting because by the, by the end of the winter quarter, which was the middle of March, a couple of people in the program I teach and were like, Oh, you were right. I mean, things are going online. It's like, yeah. And they said, well, spring quarter, we'll be back halfway through the quarter. Probably that's like, yeah, we're not, I don't know what fantasy land you're living in, but no, Speaker 1 00:43:24 I definitely live in this fantasy land. It's like, I hear all saying, we're going to have the vaccine. I heard I had somebody, I won't mention names and we'll have the vaccine by June 1st. Speaker 0 00:43:34 Well, when March, March 24th, Trump tweets that a cure cannot be worse than the problem itself and says the country should reopen by Easter Sunday. Speaker 1 00:43:46 And then everyone went to church on Easter Sunday, Speaker 0 00:43:52 Meanwhile, March 25th, 1 million Californians file for unemployment, the service sector collapses, um, as restaurants and all these things close. They collapse, although by March 25th, and this is interesting the same day, those 1 million unemployment filings happen in California, the Senate and the white house degrader $2 trillion stimulus package, largest stimulus package in us history. Although most of that money does not go to the average America. Speaker 1 00:44:24 Well, it goes to all these corporations that get these bailouts. And we've learned now that people like Joel Osteen got millions of dollars as a result of this Kanye West got millions of dollars as a result of this. I mean, it's like to me speaking in a broad sense, like I know it's, we've been going through almost day to day. This happened, this happened, this happened. But when we're thinking back about what's going to be talked about, about 20, 20, it's not just going to be the pandemic, but it's going to be, it's the response to it. The outright corruption of our government on both sides of the table to completely abandon us normal working people. We got, we got totally hosed and all these corporate people and already incredibly wealthy people just got more wealthy. Speaker 0 00:45:16 Well, there's an emerging scandal going on or now with hospital vaccinations, do you see, who's getting bumped to the front of the line at many of these hospitals, Speaker 1 00:45:24 It's not hospitals, but I see people in Congress who were saying it was fake lining up for their vaccine. Speaker 0 00:45:30 Well, there's that? So hospitals, hospital administrators are getting them before frontline workers, before ER, workers and other frontline workers. I mean, this is something, this is the thing I, this is why I said earlier. I think that that race is the dominant story besides COVID 19 and 2020, but at the same time desk, underneath that, there is a class issue that's scarred. Um, why does Donald Trump who will get to him eventually when he gets COVID? Why do people like Donald Trump or even like Tom Hanks or Rita Wilson? This is the thing. If Tom Hanks or Rita Wilson had gotten seriously sick, would they ever received health care that would have been equivalent to the healthcare you or I would receive? Speaker 1 00:46:14 No, no period. Right. That's been the whole issue is you see people that have wealth. It's right. You're right. There's a huge class situation here. People who are wealthy have access to different treatment, different facilities, different medicines, private doctors, the list goes on and on and on. And they, most of them have ended up kind of fine. Like there haven't been huge high profile deaths. I think Herman Cain, Speaker 0 00:46:42 Carmen came maybe one of the profile. Right? But this is, I mean, it's so Hillary and I are both fans of South park. Um, years ago, South park did an episode about AIDS. And one of the things they did in it, it was magic Johnson. And they were asking him how he survived so long with HIV and it, and it ends up the cure is you blend up a million dollars and make an, a vaccination out of a million dollars. So all it takes is a million dollars. Everybody, you can cure yourself, you just spend a million dollars. That's more true than we would like to think. Speaker 1 00:47:18 The treatment that, that Donald Trump received when he had COVID cost over a half, a million dollars for one person to be treated. We're not going to get that Speaker 4 00:47:32 Right. Exactly. So March 31st New York passes 75,000 cases. The U S has 163,000 in total. Um, we get to 3000 deaths, um, Speaker 1 00:47:47 Which we've passed daily. Now more than 3000 people a day are dying now every day. Speaker 4 00:47:55 So April the story continues, continued economic collapse. And finally, April 3rd, the CDC recommends that everyone consider wearing a face mask in public. Speaker 1 00:48:11 And we're deep at this point, it comes and then figure out around this time that it's airborne. Right. Which was terrifying. Cause everyone was thinking, it's like, Oh, it's on surfaces. And it's cause you're touching your nose or your mouth or, you know, whatever. It's not, it's traveling from people's mouths. It's coming out of their mouth in their breath and their sneeze in their cough, singing in church, whatever. And that's how it's entering our lungs. Jason, we are sharing air. Speaker 4 00:48:42 Yeah. I mean the interesting thing is I actually was a little relieved to find out. It was generally just airborne because for a while, some people were saying it's probably airborne and surface contaminants. And I was like, well, what does that mean? Speaker 1 00:48:57 Well, I think it is both, but I think it's more prevalent, Eric. Speaker 4 00:49:02 Yeah. It's very, very difficult to get it from a surface. Very, very hard. And, and I, and but I mean, early on in March you had people posting YouTube videos recommending you kind of wiped down all groceries and everything. And that's pretty much the CDC has basically said, that's not really necessary now, but I mean, it's April 3rd. The CDC recommends everyone consider. I love that to consider wearing a cough mask in public Speaker 1 00:49:30 Because we've talked about this so many times you can't tell Americans what to do. Speaker 4 00:49:37 So the CDC does that on the third. And then the fourth president Trump says, hydroxy, chloroquine might be useful. What do you have to lose a, will it turns out an Arizona couple, use it to try to treat it. And Speaker 1 00:49:55 When did is not the day, he also told us to drink bleach or inject bleach indoors. Speaker 4 00:50:00 Is that the same day or two days later, Speaker 1 00:50:03 I have to check on that around the same time and what, what this says, it's not about, Oh, this on this day and this, on this date, it's product part of a broader narrative of misinformation and misinformation being touted by the highest ranking member of government to 70 plus million Americans who hang on his, every word saying to inject, maybe we should inject ourselves with some bleach or something like that. Headline seemed like such a joke to me. Like it seemed like something that would be on the onion, but that's what he said. Speaker 0 00:50:38 Yeah. Well, and it would seem too ridiculous for it. Also, like if the onion said that you were like, come on guys, Speaker 1 00:50:44 That's good guys. They're taking it too far. Yeah. But it's part of that larger narrative that we've just, we're fed so much bad information, dangerous information by somebody who had no idea what they were talking about from very early on. I mean, you, you mentioned the tweet of like, well, we're all getting it back on Easter. And everyone goes to church on Easter and the spread is so out of control this point that we can just see what's going to happen by the time actual flu season rolls around. And here we are in the thick of it. And it's, I'm sure that's exactly what's been going on, you know, it's spread and it's completely uncontrolled and people are dying by the thousands daily. Speaker 0 00:51:28 So April 8th, Bernie Sanders drops out of the presidential race. And this is where Joe Biden can basically when the knock the democratic nomination. But two days later, the United States, um, you know, Donald Trump said he wanted to make America great. Again, we do become number one at something April 10th. We're the first country to report 2000 COVID deaths in a single day. Speaker 1 00:51:53 And this is when we start seeing the aerial photographs of trenches being dug to, to have mass graves. What was the last time that happened in the United States? We're just digging trenches in the middle of, you know, the Bronx to just bury people in mass. It's so heartbreaking and horrifying. Speaker 0 00:52:16 And just a couple of days later, April 14th, this is when Trump announces he'll, he'll no longer fund. He'll no longer make us payments to the world health organization. Speaker 1 00:52:27 Perfect timing, right in the middle of the global pandemic, Speaker 0 00:52:30 The pandemic. And what's interesting is that press conference where he announces that nobody's wearing masks Speaker 1 00:52:39 And then it starts spreading in the administration. Speaker 0 00:52:44 Um, so by mid April, the Trump administration, along with state governments started to try to ease restrictions. Meanwhile, by April 24th, 50,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. Um, us cases pass a million the next couple of days, whereas global cases, top 3 million. Now I think later on, I think here's where historians, I think are going to come in. I think there's going to be an interesting kind of history of COVID created at some point in the future. And I think they're going to say that 3 million number and that 1 million number are both too low. I think what's notable Speaker 1 00:53:26 Here though. And again, for a conversation that will take place in the future about this moment is to me why there wasn't more alarm is because even though there's thousands dying a day and there's a lot of cases, it was fairly concentrated at this point in April. And it was fairly concentrated in these blue States, um, and predominantly New York city. And because most of the country hadn't really been an epicenter, right? Like there weren't cases all over, like after Sturgis in South Dakota in the summer, which was just so stupid to even do that's when it starts getting really bad in the Heartland, so to speak. And I think that the lack of alarm was just like, Oh, it's just New York because they're just idiots. They're, you know, and they were talking about like population density and things like that. And like how it's an epicenter and people are traveling all over. Um, but to me it was like the Trump administration was almost punishing these blue States. And he said something to that effect at a certain point, like we're going to cut off funding to these blue States or something. Right. Speaker 0 00:54:37 Well, what's interesting is this is, I think this kind of urban rural divide, which exists throughout us history, this kind of conflict between urban centers and rural spaces, April 30th, that's when those armed protesters stormed the capital in Michigan, Speaker 1 00:54:54 Wasn't that wild to see, and the images that came from that, that I have that image in my man, that man screaming in somebodies face with no mask on. Um, and there's nothing, you know, that's an interesting point to, to the over arching theme of 2020 about race is like it was white people who did it. They were armed going armed into a state Capitol and not a single one of them was shot. I'm not saying they should have been shot, but can you imagine if like black armed black Americans stormed into an, uh, somewhat, uh, capital, they would have been shot immediately. And that became a part of the conversation as well as like, look at how differently white people who are actually armed and posing a threat are handled as opposed to black people who are asleep in their beds. That becomes a rallying cry. I think Speaker 0 00:55:46 Definitely. So I want to pause real quick and just let our viewers, obviously today's episode is going to go along. Um, we appreciate you, uh, joining us this year as we've done this, but we are, we're going to finish the year out. We're not going to break this into two episodes. Speaker 1 00:56:02 No, I'm not even prepared. Okay. Speaker 0 00:56:05 Oh, it's fine. It's fine. It's fine. It's fine. Um, we've got a little light, a little light story. May 3rd, 20, 20. It's not a bad enough year. What do we need murderer? Speaker 1 00:56:17 No murder. Hornets. Yeah. It was really apocalyptic. Wasn't it? Like at that point, when that across my newsfeed, I almost laughed. Like you've caught a beat. It's like a plague. It's like biblical. Speaker 4 00:56:29 Well, it's like, how many of those, when are we going to get, um, I guess we've got the plague. Um, you know, fortunately the murder hermits Hornets thing has not been as catastrophic as it initially seemed like it might be. Um, but shenanigans in government continue in may as well. Uh, and I think this is pretty in line with recent events. May 7th, the justice department drops his charges against Michael flan. Speaker 1 00:57:00 This is all very connected to current shenanigans. Yeah. And this is connected to, to that. Okay. Here's where we start the vengeance, the retribution after the impeachment hearings. Right. Um, and in a way I always think about how these stories, these headlines would dominate any other year where it would be like 24 seven coverage of this scandal. But because something happens every day and some like big things happen every day. And sometimes more than one thing a day, it kind of gets shoved to the side. Speaker 4 00:57:37 No. And the same day Gregory and Travis with Markel are charged in the death of Ahmed. Arbery almost five months after it happens. Speaker 1 00:57:49 Yeah. Yeah. Let's think right. Two massive stories break in one day in one year and we've joked about this, but there can be entire classes, upper division, special topics. Class is devoted to studying this year and, and w and the justice being dispensed in such different ways for different people. And again, you have the class and the race issues just stacked on one, another staffed on STEM, right. Speaker 4 00:58:20 Well, and you get this kind of by may, by May 8th, uh, us unemployment 14.7%. That's bad, that's Speaker 1 00:58:30 Bad, Speaker 4 00:58:31 But it does not tell the whole story because certain communities, the unemployment rate is much higher than that. Whereas other people it's much lower. I mean, I think you and I, Hillary and her kind of a lucky position, right. As far as our jobs go, yeah. Speaker 1 00:58:46 I've said that a bunch of, and that's why I do feel really bad when I'm so critical of other people's reactions to COVID because I really am so, so aware that we come from a privileged place where we are allowed to do our jobs on the internet. And like, I feel so empathetic to people who don't have that ability and who are struggling so hard. And I really try to like reign myself in, cause we're really lucky we've kept our jobs and we're able to do them online. And that's not where everybody else is in this country. Speaker 4 00:59:16 Right. Well, what's interesting is this, this is a little personal thing in here by, by the beginning of Speaker 0 00:59:22 May. So I was scheduled and I did actually do it. I was scheduled to teach a class at San Diego state that summer that's geared to entering freshmen who come from at-risk groups. And at-risk groups are groups that are identified as having a lower success rate in college than others. So this might be first-generation students. It might be students from, um, lower socioeconomic levels. Uh, many things can like land a student on this list of at-risk students. And it's a, and it's a series of courses where in a normal year, um, all these students would live together in one dorm on campus. And, um, the professors teaching the kind of a couple of classes, they would all be taking would be doing social activities with them, like dinners and film nights and things like this. And then to kind of build a sense of community amongst them, obviously by the beginning of may, the universities decided that's not going to happen that way. So there, they're talking about how to take it online and all this stuff. And I remember broaching the very first week of may out an issue. And I said, these are at risk students. They're like, yeah. And I was like, and we're going to take all this online. And they're like, yeah. And I was like, what if they don't have reliable internet access or a computer to allow them to do this? Speaker 1 01:00:48 I also broached the same subject with our administrators because in Mississippi, I mean, you know, I am in a place of privilege and I still have poor internet connection. Sometimes It interrupts us at times. Um, but yeah, that was a huge issue in you're talking class race. Again, I'm stacked on top of one another where it's like, you move everything online. Not everybody has stable, reliable internet connection. Not everybody has devices that they can use at their home. And if they do, it's often a shared device. And if mom and dad are home, you know, on the internet or little brother and sister having to do homeschool from, you know, online, how many devices is one household expected to have, it's a huge issue. Speaker 0 01:01:41 So the administration at SDSU, their response was, huh, we haven't thought of that. How, and this is, I got so angry. I was like, I was like, there are some people in the administration whose sole job is to think of like, things like this. Um, and they said, well, we have resources students can use. And I was like, okay, are you telling the students about these? Well, I mean, the link is there. Uh, I, you know, zoom university cannot end fast enough for me because I think it is exposed technological inequalities. Speaker 1 01:02:25 Yeah. It definitely has done that. And I think that's something that will be considered more in the future of thinking about how earth shattering this moment was where it exposed, you know, the inequity, because I saw so many news stories or photos of people having their kids in a car, sitting outside of a Starbucks, trying to get wifi from a Starbucks, um, kids sitting outside of, you know, McDonald's trying to get wifi on their little, their laptops or whatever. And it really did expose this, um, Gulf between people, um, and, and access and access to technology, access to information, um, an ability to continue to participate in society in an education sense. And also in a professional sense where it was just so limited. And it was so clear because the people who were in charge obviously don't struggle with these issues. So it didn't even cross their minds. Speaker 0 01:03:22 It's not even their issue. Their minds is as an issue. And what's interesting is a couple of weeks ago I was watching something, um, it was a show about remodeling or something. And one of the things they did was a family that was remodeling in the midst of COVID to make their home or work from home and, and learn from home friendly. Now, this family was a fairly wealthy white, upper middle-class family, and they devoted a whole room as an education hub for their four children. And they put in, um, they upgraded their internet. Um, they put it in kind of these whole home routers and all this stuff. And then they put in this kind of workstation with four brand new IMAX and all this stuff for their students and stuff. And I was watching it and I was like, it must be nice. Speaker 1 01:04:11 Yeah. It must be. I mean, I've seen a lot of people set ups and it is, it's really a privileged thing to have this really nice setup because I've also seen people who were circulating computers from one family member to the next. And well, you have a zoom meeting at this time and I have with this at that time and having to just completely rearrange your whole life and everybody's working from the kitchen table because not everybody has that space. Yeah. And it's just not considered. Speaker 0 01:04:38 So May 8th does huge unemployment numbers hit and we know things are bad, right. But it's, I think there are far worse in certain sectors of the country and certain socioeconomic levels, places, certain communities than they are in others. But then, um, we do get a little bit of bright news by the middle of may, which is operation warp speed that the government is going in a partnership with these pharmaceutical companies to, to fast track the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Now what's interesting is this by May 15th, they're already, all these companies Speaker 4 01:05:18 Are already well on their way to creating viral vaccines. This is not some people think, well, they just started in may. It's like, no, like they have, the virus is genetically sequenced very early in the year and they are already working on a vaccine. Um, but I mean, there is bright news there, right? This idea of there is kind of a will to create a vaccine for this thing. Speaker 1 01:05:45 Yeah. It was already underway. And I mean, I guess what it is is there's funding and support finally from, you know, the government there's like the partnership announced, which I think is a really important facet. Speaker 4 01:05:57 Yeah. So kind of fast forwarding, a little bit to May 22nd, uh, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli plead guilty to the college admission scandal Speaker 1 01:06:14 There's story that would have been so earth shattering, aunt Becky, going to jail just kind of gets swept under the rug. And you kind of forget about it in the midst of this nonsense. Right? Speaker 4 01:06:28 I mean, another instance of class, I didn't realize, Oh, this is going to be so snarky. I didn't realize you needed to cheat your way into USC. I thought your family could just give money. Well, I did too. I mean, I was kind of like, like how bad were her grades? Like how, like how poor were your grades, like Speaker 1 01:06:56 Lower your sat scores? I'm very curious. Speaker 4 01:07:00 Um, uh, yeah, and the whole thing is in California, there is a way for students who may be struggling high school to get into college, they go to community college for a couple of years, do well there. And actually, if they complete a series of required courses with a certain grade, they actually are guaranteed admission into one of the universities in the state university system. Speaker 1 01:07:22 Last thing too, because that's what I did. I went to community Speaker 4 01:07:25 Cheers, but they don't, they, but Lori Loughlin and Massimo, Jean Ollie's children didn't want to do that. Speaker 1 01:07:33 Keep it really character development and pet now missed out. Speaker 4 01:07:37 So May 25th, I would argue one of the most pivotal days in 2020. Speaker 1 01:07:44 It definitely it again, another just stomach churning incident. Um, in many ways, Speaker 4 01:07:51 The fact that it's film Speaker 1 01:07:56 Eight minutes of a police officer murdering a man in the streets Speaker 4 01:08:03 Over a bounced, was it a bounced check or a forged check? Speaker 1 01:08:06 It was a forged check. Um, and, and the man is pleading, of course, is George Floyd, um, pleading for his life on video saying he can't breathe. Um, he needs water. He doesn't feel well. He needs to be let up. And this man just has his knee on his neck for over eight minutes. Um, and the man's murdered in plain daylight on the street by this police officer who then full Speaker 4 01:08:33 While he's doing this, there are three other police officers is standing there doing nothing. Yes. Speaker 1 01:08:39 There are lots of people standing around doing nothing because no, Speaker 4 01:08:42 Let me this three police officers who could have intervened. Yes. Speaker 1 01:08:46 They all deserve to be charged with Speaker 4 01:08:49 Did nothing. Yeah. Now the city of Minneapolis, they fire these officers the next day. And I think they think that's, it's going to end, right. They think that's done. They've done their, this is, you know, going to like solve this situation. It's not going to escalate now. What's interesting is this, so that happens on the 25th, on the 26th for the first time in four years, Twitter labels a treat tweet from president Trump has misleading finally. Speaker 1 01:09:27 And then they do it with almost every single one of his tweets now. Speaker 4 01:09:31 Oh yeah. But it's, I mean, may is this really pivotal moment because protests start in Minneapolis and they escalate. And by the 28th, there's a state of emergency declared, um, as kind of protests spread, not only in Minneapolis and St. Paul, but across the United States, Speaker 1 01:09:53 This has to do the civil unrest has to do with a lot of people are unemployed. A lot of people are hurting and unhappy, right. And all of this is being broadcast straight onto all of our phones and on Twitter and everything like that. And it really lights a fire under a lot of people to say, we're really fed up with all of this happening and there's alliances created. Um, and we've discussed this a few different times about, you know, the role that race and the creation of race as a divider for, um, Speaker 4 01:10:30 You know, Speaker 1 01:10:32 Working class. People has been such an effective tool and upholding white supremacy. And I think this year we started to really chip away at that a bit. Speaker 4 01:10:42 I hope I hope. And we will see, so May 29th, Derek Shovan, who's the, the monster who has this neon George Floyd's neck for eight minutes is charged with third degree murder and manslaughter. And that wasn't enough. Well, the Minnesota ag steps in and increases it to second degree murder. Speaker 1 01:11:06 If you look at the degrees of murder, that is what is described because first degree murder is a premeditated. And this wasn't a premeditated act. Although you could say that if you put your knee on somebody's neck and don't let it come up, you must be thinking that you're, you could be doing something to kill this person. But second degree I think, was the best that they could get from a legal standpoint. Speaker 4 01:11:31 Right. Um, they also filed charges against the other three officers, um, but in Florida, right? Right. Well, and this is, but even the protests continued, they continued to escalate to the point where there's a state of emergency May 30th state of emergency is declared in many cities across the United States, as well as curfews, including Los Angeles. Um, Speaker 1 01:11:57 And let's not forget, this is in the midst of what should be a lockdown. People should be staying flied. Cause there's just deadly virus spreading all over the place. Right. Speaker 4 01:12:07 Um, June 1st I think this is something that will be talked about in the future. Um, one of the most transparent abuses of the Bible happens in American history. Speaker 1 01:12:25 This is insane. He walks across to stage a photo op in the midst of like burning protests to take a picture in front of St. John's with an upside down Bible. It's, it's one of those pictures that to me is so iconic. Like it will be in social studies textbooks if those exist. Right? Yeah, Speaker 4 01:12:49 I think so. I think they will. And this is the same day that he threatens to deploy us troops across the country to quell protest. And this is where I have to kind of walk back some of my colleagues and friends who were like, can he do that? And I was like, it's iffy. And I said, here's the thing. If a governor doesn't invite the federal government and to do that, it's very hard for them to do that. Speaker 1 01:13:11 Do that in Oregon. Speaker 4 01:13:14 Well, this is yes. I mean, Portland, Portland becomes this other thing that's going on. Right. But so January, so June 1st, this happens, you know, they use federal officers and kind of co-opted law enforcement to clear out these protesters from Lafayette squares to Trump can go across to St. John's church and staged this photo up. Um, it is not brave. It is the president's supposed to be somebody who unites the country and that's not what this is meant to do. Speaker 1 01:13:53 It was meant purposely to insight when you say, Speaker 4 01:13:57 Yeah, right now, Muriel, Bowzer will forever have a, a special place in my heart because her response to this on June 5th is to designate a section 16th street and Washington DC as black lives matter Plaza and volunteers actually spray paint black or paint black lives matter in huge block letters on the street near the white house. I love it Speaker 1 01:14:28 In the middle of the night, right? Yeah. Yep. And you know, this is when everybody has a lot of attention, um, in black lives matter and a lot of people are posting about it and it's, it's like very performative allyship on social media. And it's been very disappointing to me to see people just kind of falling off of that because it's not cool or something anymore, or it's not invoked, but I'd just like to say that. I mean, I think that we had a lot of momentum for this movement and I think that we can keep it going and should. Um, and it shouldn't be just something that, you know, we post just, uh, you know, one thing that says black lives matter and then go about our lives. Um, and in this moment in June, I just saw so much potential for change. And to me it seemed like it got kind of squashed up because people got so fatigued with everything else with just we're being crushed. We're being crushed financially. Our economy is just so crushed. Um, and people were downtrodden and trying to homeschool kids and like we're in such a weak moment. But to me it was like, Oh, we really lost this great momentum that we had going. So I'm wondering if that pick up again in order to create actual change, um, to, to our laws and to our justice system, I think it can keep going Speaker 4 01:15:46 Well. So June 10th, the U S exceeds 2 million cases of COVID confirmed cases, but June 12th, because kind of the two stories of June two of 2020 are kind of black lives matter. And COVID June 12th, um, Rashard Brooks is shot and killed by a police officer at a Wendy's. Speaker 1 01:16:10 Right, right. So adding more fuel to the fire and it's happening again, it's not broad daylight, but somebody shot a black man is shot by police on camera. Um, for no reason, right. In the midst of all the civil and Russ. And it almost seems like there, there are these definite sides developing because you have, like, half of the country is like, this is wrong and bad. And the other half of the country's like, Oh, law and order, right. And it's, it's really disgusting to see that, um, that these sides are happening. And, um, you have the president who's being completely dismissive and not trying to step in and do anything. Speaker 4 01:16:58 Here's, here's my perspective on COVID and black lives matter. And what's going on at this point. So June 12th, you have this killing that happens, and you have protests that immediately spring up, what should the president be focused on at this point? The way people are suffering. Speaker 1 01:17:19 It's, it's all about people suffering and Speaker 4 01:17:24 Administration due on June 16th, what is their priority to halt the publication of John Bolton's memoir. Speaker 1 01:17:32 Right, right. Which is just it's PR and that's what he's done. His entire career is try to mitigate bad press. And so that's what he turns to immediately. Um, and so they actually go to court for this, right. They ask a federal judge to block the publication. Um, and then they fail of course, and he publishes it anyways. Um, and then a few days afterward, he goes and holds a massive rally in Oklahoma. And we know that this is a super spreader event, one of many to come at his campaign rallies, where it becomes the virus has become so politicized at this point that people violate mass band-aids and gathering restrictions and all of that as a show of support for the president. And we start to see this in the summer, really amp up and into the fall coming toward the election. And the first, I think, instance of it is this massive rally in Oklahoma that happens in June 20th. And it was supposed to be on Juneteenth, wasn't it? June 19th. Speaker 4 01:18:34 Right. And the mayor of Tulsa said, please don't have it that day. Speaker 1 01:18:41 Well, and because we know, I mean, we were going to have an episode. We did have an episode on the Tulsa race riots. I mean, you just don't go to Tulsa on Juneteenth and have a Trump rally. I mean, it's, it's just so throwing it in the face of, um, and in the midst of the black lives matter movement, right. It was just so tone deaf, but, but not tone deaf because he did, it was so intense. Speaker 4 01:19:02 All right, this is not an accident. This was intentional. So by June 30th, kind of skipping forward a little bit, something kind of local to you happens with Tate Reeves. Speaker 1 01:19:16 This is very exciting. Um, and we've talked a lot about how we live in different States when really pivotal things happen. We've lived in multiple States now. Um, and this was a really pivotal thing happening in Mississippi when we happen to live here. And, um, the governor signs, a bill that retired the official state flag, um, which was the, uh, the flag that had Confederate stars and bars on it. And it was the official state flag of Mississippi. And that we would see every day just flying, you know, in the courthouse square and above buildings and all that and everywhere. And if it finally just gets retired and we had a vote in November to replace it and it passed. And, um, so the flag now is a Magnolia instead of a Confederate symbols. So that was a pretty, that was a really good piece of news coming the midst of just such a horrible year, but hugely, uh, just a huge turning point for the state of Mississippi, I think, to finally retire that symbol. Speaker 0 01:20:20 So, I mean, it's, it is right. I mean, granted, it's a very symbolic victory, but I mean, this is interesting that this state that has long been kind of the center of the epicenter of resistance to allowing African-Americans, to fully participate in American democracy, kind of this chipping away, right. At things that have long been allowed to just kind of sit there. Um, so it's hard to believe we're only halfway through 2020, but you know, we're going to kind of speed up a little bit here. We don't want this to go over two hours. Speaker 1 01:21:03 We need to speed it up here. Cause I'm, this is like the final torture of 2020 to me. Speaker 0 01:21:08 Yes. Well, I mean, but it's maybe it's maybe it's like cathartic though. I don't know. We'll see, uh, our July 1st Gavin Newsome kind of institutes, even, uh, stricter restrictions on indoor activities because we have a post Memorial day search that happens Speaker 1 01:21:26 And outdoor there's been a lot of Speaker 0 01:21:30 Right. All of us and there's this kind of surge and that happens, um, uh, just laying Maxwell. Did you remember this happened in 2020 as well? Speaker 1 01:21:44 Well, and I, yes, of course. I mean, she did. Speaker 0 01:21:48 Um, um, this is a class thing too, I think. Speaker 1 01:21:54 Yeah. I mean, it took a really long time for him to be brought to justice. Speaker 0 01:21:59 So you just go wealthy because of the powerful people. Speaker 1 01:22:02 Year after Jeffrey Epstein, um, died, it took a year because he died in 2019, it took a year for her to be arrested. So, and I was kind of wondering if she's on the list of important people. Speaker 0 01:22:16 I would not be surprised because she's kept her mouth shut. We know that Donald Trump was friends with Jeffrey Epstein Speaker 1 01:22:23 And friends with her very close friends Speaker 0 01:22:28 Is a documented fact that there are more than just acquaintances. Um, she seems to be doing what everybody else that Trump has pardoned has done, which is keep her mouth shut about him. Speaker 1 01:22:41 Yeah. So that could be on the horizon for the end of this year. Speaker 0 01:22:45 What's interesting is this though what she has done is there's federal ramifications, but there are so many local governments, including New York city, Palm beach, Florida, Santa Fe, New Mexico, as well, as well as foreign governments, England, the UK that can charge her as well as a presidential, pardon will not protect her from hall of that. Speaker 1 01:23:10 And it's the same thing with Trump and his, all of his legal troubles on the state levels. So he can't be pardoned protect you so much, so much. Speaker 0 01:23:21 Um, you know, then we kind of have some, some issues with the Supreme court telling, um, you cannot claim presidential immunity for state prosecutors. So Trump has to release his financial records, but kind of moving forward, July 10th, Trump commutes, the 40 months sentence of Roger Stone. Can he pardoned him recently? And he recently pardoned him, right? Um, July 14th, something very interesting happens with COVID though, which I still think we're working out exactly what it is Speaker 1 01:23:59 Really creepy development to me. Right. Speaker 0 01:24:02 So right previously hospitals had been reporting to the CDC, but now the Trump administration orders, hospitals to stop doing this and send all COVID-19 patient information to a database, they manage isn't that so suspicious, it's controlling the narrative Speaker 1 01:24:26 And it kind of went under the radar. I felt because news always has a lull, particularly in an election year. There's always a lull in July and mid July. You get this order to stop sending information to the CDC and then Oak send it to the Trump administration instead that it just seems very third Reich ish to me. Speaker 0 01:24:51 Yeah. It is a very troubling display at the same time though, July 17th, Mark Esper, secretary of defense basically bans the Confederate flag from being used by the military or military personnel and Trump disagrees with this. Yes. Speaker 1 01:25:12 So getting back to the federal government intervention in state, um, state, um, business touched on earlier is that the federal government and, um, enforcers and agents undercover and not went into Oregon into Portland. And in July you have the attorney general Sue file suit against the federal government for unlawfully detaining protesters in Portland. And I saw so many firsthand accounts from people who had been, um, seized by people and unmarked vehicles that had like a lot of gear on and they were on buses and they were getting like dropped off in the middle of nowhere and detained for no reason. And it turns out that these were federal entities sent in by the Trump administration to Portland with not by invitation. And there are detaining citizens for no reason not reading them the right. Speaker 0 01:26:09 Their rationale is that a federal building in Portland was under threat. Speaker 1 01:26:14 Yeah. But I mean, this is, this is so wild to me, Speaker 0 01:26:19 Unmarked, I mean, uniforms that do not clearly identify who they are Speaker 1 01:26:24 Gear on and they're not associated with a particular branch. So it's like, does he have like secret police? Speaker 0 01:26:33 It's disturbing, right. I mean, this is, and this, this is in the middle of summer, this starts to happen. Um, and in fact, July 22nd, Trump brags that there's going to be a surge of these federal officers in democratic run cities. So basically he's telegraphing other cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, be aware that I'm going to do the same thing to you. Speaker 1 01:27:01 That's to me, so threatening and so indicative of like issues that were happening in the 1850s and sixties, right. Predating the civil war. Speaker 0 01:27:15 So July 30th then kind of moving on here, skipping over some sports days. Well, interesting. Isn't it? I don't think it's going to be talked about in the future. July 30th is when Donald Trump suggests the 20, 20 presidential election be delayed keeping in mind, the 1864 presidential election, which occurs during the civil war is not delayed. The presidential elections during world war II were not delayed, but Trump says this Speaker 1 01:27:47 Number shifting dramatically away from a favorable, you know, of his favor. I mean, it's so clear even in July that Joe Biden just has this huge commanding lead on him. And so he starts getting scared. Speaker 0 01:28:01 Oh, and he also, his, his rationale, he says voting by mail will be fraudulent inherently. So many observers, may long-time observers say he is laying the foundation to contest the results of the election, which he's still doing right now, which caps the postal service. Well, he tries to, Speaker 1 01:28:24 Right. I mean, did all your packages get delivered? Speaker 0 01:28:27 Well, that's, that's true. But as far as the election goes to the postal service, you know, we're going to, at the end, we're going to talk about who we think the heroes and villains in 2020 are. Um, but, uh, you know, I think they, they rise to the occasion to make sure election ballots kind of move the way they need to, but kind of moving back to more local news in August. Um, our fire season in California, it starts early and it starts pretty fierce. Speaker 1 01:28:55 It's fierce. Yeah. It's very similar to what's happening in Australia where you just have this completely out of control fires that break out all over the state, millions of people, evacuated people are losing homes. People are dying. And again, on any other year, this would have been commanding news because it cripples the state in our already crippled situation, right? Where so many people are out of work. And it's just adding so much on top of an already very difficult year. Speaker 4 01:29:27 But the second week of August 400,000 people gathered in Sturgis, South Dakota from Argus motorcycle rally. Speaker 1 01:29:36 This is what to me really gets the pandemic going in a just dramatic, Speaker 4 01:29:42 I think the Midwest, this is, yeah. I think this is, I think historians who kind of examine this are going to say, this is one of the super spreader events that really creates the fall wave that starts. Yeah. Speaker 1 01:29:58 Yes, yes. And that is still, I mean, underway. I mean, because it's interesting when we talk about like, Oh, there's a first wave, there's a second wave of like, there's just been to me like this continuous wave and now it's peaking. I've never like, I guess you can say it died down a little bit in June and July, but I mean, what does that mean? One still thousands of people were dying. Um, to me it's just been like this LOL and now it's at a fever pitch, but, um, in August, what also happens is that the plans are announced by the U S to by the U S postal service that are going to be removing all these postal facilities across the country. They're going to be removing mail processing machines, excuse me. So things mail processing machines start getting removed. And I remember seeing footage of this where people are driving around. There were moving no processing machines, but also just the blue boxes that are around, like the postboxes are just getting like taken off the street. And this is a couple of months before the election is supposed to take place, which is mostly going to be done by mail because people are quarantined still. It was horrifying to see that, Speaker 4 01:31:09 But in the midst of this, uh, Kamala Harris becomes the first one of color to appear on a major party's presidential ticket. Um, Speaker 1 01:31:19 I love how you pepper in good news. I appreciate that about you. Speaker 4 01:31:22 Well, I think you've got to do that, but at the same time, uh, the August complex fire in Northern California by August six, by September 9th, it starts on August 16th. By September 9th. It becomes the largest fire in California history. 1 million Speaker 1 01:31:40 Is every year. It, the, it just does itself every year, right? Because last year was like, this is the largest fire in California history. Okay. Speaker 4 01:31:47 The very same day death Valley. Yeah. And the very same day death Valley records 130 degrees. Speaker 1 01:31:54 Very hot. Speaker 4 01:31:56 It is the hottest temperature recorded on, in over Speaker 0 01:32:00 A hundred years, but global warming. Isn't a thing. Yeah. Um, so I mean, August is not a good month, right? Uh, however, there is some interesting stuff that continues to happen. Um, you get the parties, conventions happen and, and it's, both of them are very pro former, right? We know Joe Biden is going to be the nominee for the democratic party. Obviously Donald Trump is going to be the nominee for the Republican party, but they play out very differently. So the democratic national convention is a virtual convention. Um, you know, you have this kind of drive in screen, that's put up and people can watch it from their TVs in Delaware. Whereas the Republican convention, Donald Trump famously uses the white house as a backdrop for an appearance on the final night. This is a violation of law. Not allowed to do that, but if you don't have a DOJ or a Congress that's willing to prosecute, it doesn't get right. Speaker 1 01:33:16 Right. Just kind of slides into the radar. And again, any other year, this would have been jaw dropping earth, shattering news. But you know, on the other hand, something that keeps happening in cropping up and will be discussed, I think in the future is after he's impeached, but not removed there's the rules are just out the window. There's no punishment unless they invoke the 25th amendment, which isn't going to be done. He's just allowed to do whatever he wants. And he's still doing just whatever he feels like doing, because there's no punishment. Now he's already, he's already impeached. What are they going to do? Nothing. Right. Speaker 0 01:33:58 So August 20. Right? Right. So getting back to kind of, even more depressing news, um, August 23rd, Jacob Blake, um, is shot by a policeman. And by the 25th, you get these protests and Kenosha, Wisconsin, and two people are shot and killed during these protests. Right? Um, Speaker 1 01:34:24 Yes. By an arm, child vigilante, Speaker 0 01:34:28 I let's, he's not a child. Speaker 1 01:34:31 Okay. He's a victim. I'm not saying that that absolves him, what he did. I'm shocked that a 17 year old has access to these crazy weapons and goes out and murders people in the streets. Right. And he's held as like a savior or something. And he gets bailed out of jail. Like this just like rages me. Speaker 0 01:34:53 And it's some celebrities come to his defense of the MyPillow guy amongst, amongst others. Right. So again, um, there's an unequal application of justice here, right? I mean, if this had been a young black man, a 17 year old black man walking around the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin with these weapons shooting people, he would have been killed immediately, Speaker 1 01:35:22 But killed on the spot. Yeah. This guy gets taken into custody and then bailed out for Millie. I mean, his bail was like, well, it was $2 million bail. Speaker 0 01:35:35 Uh huh. And it is raised relatively quickly. Um, and then 2020, because 20 2020 is just 2020 is awful. Uh, August 28th, it takes Chadwick Boseman from us that was promising promising African-American actor, um, famously starred in the black Panther, uh, movie as well as playing the black Panther. But that's not all he does. He does a lot of other things. And, and you know, he's not young, he's 43 years old, but he had a promising career ahead of him and he dies. Speaker 1 01:36:11 That's really young to die of Speaker 0 01:36:13 It is, but it's, it's not like he, it's not like, Oh, he was really, really young and died. It's like, no, he's, he's a middle-aged, but it is completely unexpected. Um, and it just seems like another incident instance of like 20, 20, you suck. Um, but we get, and this is the thing it's every month there's stuff, chipping away. It kind of our confidence in anything, uh, September 1st D John Keizai, uh, is killed, um, in Westmont, which is an, a neighborhood in Los Angeles on August 31st. And by September 1st, um, people are demanding, uh, LA County Sheriff's department released the name of those involved in the shooting and killing. Um, I'm actually surprised LA did not explode in protest or than it did. Speaker 1 01:37:13 I think the reason for that is because of the fires that we're continuing to raise. I mean, people were under first of all, quarantine, then all this red flag warning, then all of the evacuations, it was a hundred and something degrees every day there was smoke in the air. The sky is red. I mean, I think that that kind of mitigated people coming out and protesting more ardently because these fires continue to rage through the month of September setting record after record, after record throughout the month. Um, and so I think that that kind of stopped people coming out and really protesting because the, the air quality do you remember the air, of course, you really live in the air breathe and after the pandemic, you know, I mean, I think that it was just Speaker 0 01:38:00 Right. And then you have this idiot family on the fifth who decided to go have a gender reveal party with fireworks. Speaker 1 01:38:07 I just, that should honestly, you should profit Speaker 0 01:38:10 Red flag warning. The Eldorado fire is caused by this. Um, yeah. So by September 6th, California, 2.1 million acres are burned. Speaker 1 01:38:24 Then fires start in Oregon shortly after a million anchors. Speaker 0 01:38:29 This is the worst Pacific fire season, um, in history, um, we get the highest temperature ever recorded in LA County, 121 degrees in early September. Um, 10% of Oregon state by the second week of September have had to flee because of wildfires Speaker 1 01:38:50 It's all record breaking. Yeah. So it was a really hard time on top of the pandemic for people in on the West coast, during fire season. And then as if things couldn't get worse, Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies September 18th, 87 years old, Speaker 0 01:39:10 87. Um, and what's interesting is when a Supreme court position became available at the end of Barack Obama's term, Mitch McConnell's position was we have to wait till the presidential election and Lindsey Graham. This is yeah. And Lindsey Graham, this is too close to a presidential election to let a president appoint somebody. Um, many of us said at the time that's a mistake. Uh, but, um, so they kind of push through a nominee very quickly to replace her, Speaker 1 01:39:53 Attempting to stock the court, which luckily so far has not proved. Well, Speaker 0 01:39:59 I think John well, and I think John Roberts credit to him, I think that he is doing his best to try to keep the court from being too overtly political. I think he sees that, that as this, that is a bad position to put the court on. Um, but by the end of September, September 22nd, 200,000 people are dead in the United States of COVID-19. Speaker 1 01:40:26 Yes. And shortly after that, the president refuses to commit to the peaceful transfer of power. Should he lose the election? So the stage had been set for months for what's happening right now. And I knew it. You knew it. We've talked about it a lot. It's like first he starts saying that it's going to be fraudulent because too many people are voting, uh, through the mail. Then he kneecaps the postal service. Then he's saying, he's not going to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. I mean, he told us what he was going to do this, none of what's happening right now should be surprising. Cause he told us for a long time when he was going to do. And, um, it just continued to stack insult on top of insult on top of insult. And I mean, in a way it was kind of good because it caused the most people in history ever to come out and vote. Speaker 4 01:41:12 Yeah. So the 26, he chooses Amy Coney Barrett to Phil Ginsburg seat. Um, there is this kind of nomination ceremony, um, which in itself becomes a super spreader event, the administration. Um, but what's interesting is this, so that happens on the 26th of September. The very next day, the New York times drops a bombshell story that it had been sitting on for some time Speaker 1 01:41:43 There wasn't, that was a big story. That again, got a little overtaken by everything else. And that's that Speaker 4 01:41:50 Donald Trump? Yeah, go ahead. Speaker 1 01:41:52 His tax returns that he'd only paid $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017, which just blew my mind because this guy more taxes than that. And I don't equal money. Speaker 4 01:42:10 Well, I mean, and he is, here's a guy who regularly touts that he's a billionaire and he pays less than a thousand dollars in federal taxes those two years. Speaker 1 01:42:21 Isn't that just mind-boggling criminal Speaker 4 01:42:26 Midst of this, by the way, Armenia and Azerbaijan are basically at war. Speaker 1 01:42:34 Yes. And we don't even talk about that. Speaker 4 01:42:37 It's not even a blip on our radar. Speaker 1 01:42:41 Yeah. It, my gosh, you know, you said, if anybody's still listening, you said yesterday, let's do just the end of your episode. Cause it'll be kind of light. I am so depressed right now. Really sad. Speaker 4 01:43:04 Well, here's the thing. So October 1st, Trump it's announced that he has COVID, although it seems clear. He probably had already been told he had COVID before he met with some people. Um, he goes to Walter Reed medical center the very next day to receive treatment. And this is where he gets that half million dollar treatment you talked about. So surprise, surprise. He actually doesn't develop the worst symptoms of COVID because he receives state-of-the-art treatment that is not available to the average American Speaker 1 01:43:41 Something that will be discussed at length in the years to come. Speaker 4 01:43:45 Oh, I think I definitely thought the class Speaker 1 01:43:47 Issue happening here again, um, we have just complete negligence of this administration to take the pandemic seriously, but then offer themselves the best possible treatment once they become ill. I mean, it's just to me, this incident just encapsulates all that's wrong right now in this country and the government and et cetera, is that there's just such a disparity in the way that people are treated and suffering is just completely ignored and it's not even imagined. And it actually trickles down in so many ways to kind of what we were discussing before about when we went online. I mean, even administrators in schools are just incapable of imagining people suffering or people not having access people, not having tools available to them to survive, to do their jobs, to get by on a day-to-day basis. It's just complete lack of understanding of anybody else's situation. And you can see it from the very top, all the way down to our day to day. And that's the story for me in 2020, Speaker 4 01:44:47 Right? Right. So October 8th, remember we talked about Michigan earlier. Well, October 8th, this is when the FBI announces that it warranted and attempting kidnapping plot of Michigan, governor Gretchen Whitmer, um, 13 men are arrested and charged. Speaker 1 01:45:05 You just think that things can get worse. And then now a governor's going to be kidnapped by white supremacists and extremists mindblowing. Speaker 4 01:45:17 So lighter news Lakers when the NBA title, which is nice, considering Kobe Bryant died at the beginning of the year, it was kind of a nice kind of remembrance of him. Um, Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed in one of the fastest confirmations of a Supreme court appointee in history because it was important. She get confirmed before the November election, um, October 30th. And I find this interesting. And again, I think this is going to end up in histories of both Trump's presidency and the COVID 19 outbreak, Stanford university publishes a study. They connect 700 deaths and 30,000 COVID cases to Trump's campaign rallies directly. Speaker 1 01:46:07 That's staggering, isn't it? Because all of Joe Biden's campaigns have been happening virtually we're very, very limited capacity, um, all from a distance and just the stark difference in the way that these events were handled. And you can link all these stuff. I mean, I'm sure if you did it now, you could link it even more. I mean, you could do such an interesting plotting of, you know, contact and contact tracing and all that, like a digital mapping sort of thing, just to see how detrimental it was to his own supporters. But sadly enough, I mean the supporters are there. They're making that choice. I don't think that they should be granted medical treatment. Um, I think that they should all have to sign waivers, but then they go out to the grocery store and in fact, people who had nothing to do with that, or they go to the post office and infect people. And to me that was so reckless and irresponsible and just cruel. Um, and, and you could trace that. And I think that that will be discussed in the, in the years to come. Speaker 4 01:47:04 So November 3rd, the election presidential election happens. Um, everybody had warned. It is going to be days before we have a clear result of the election because of mail-in ballots do not expect a presidential winner to be declared by the end of the night on November 3rd. In fact, that's what happens. Although it's fairly clear that night who was not president elect of the United States. Speaker 1 01:47:33 Well, most of them I would have liked to see, to be honest, Speaker 4 01:47:37 It was closer than many people predicted, but it's still fairly clear. And by the seventh, I think is when we finally get a major news organizations come out and declare Joe Biden has won enough electoral votes to be, to be declared president elect. Uh, but I mean, this is the thing on the November on November the third, just after midnight Trump tweets, that he ones, the way that he wanted the election, that all voting should stop because there's voter fraud. Speaker 1 01:48:07 And he's done that every single day since he's tweeted that Speaker 4 01:48:11 Basically been his, his con his all consuming thing to tweet about for the last two months then has been about this voter fraud. Meanwhile, the fourth, the day after the election, the United States becomes the first country in the world to exceed a hundred thousand daily cases. New cases of COVID-19 and deaths are catching up rapidly as well. So by the end of November, we have upwards almost 3000 people a day die of COVID-19 in the United States. At the same time, November is also November 9th, Pfizer publishes his initial sta uh, information on its COVID vaccine shows a 90%, uh, efficacy, right. And preventing the disease. Um, and Moderna follows the following week with a 94.5% rate for its vaccine. So, I mean, we do have moments of bright. We have bright spots in the news, right? Speaker 1 01:49:17 Yeah. It was definitely good. Welcome to news, but the sad part about all that, it's like, this is like the fastest vaccine rollout in history, and it's very exciting and they like, you're talking about heroes are not like they scientists who are working day in and day, night, day in and day out on this vaccine, the ability to distribute it. And who's standing in line first, like to me, I guess I'm always looking at the dark side, but it's like, when are we going to get it? Speaker 4 01:49:43 Right? Well, so November 12th, California passes a million cases and health officials say the state has to Institute stricter guidelines to kind of get a handle on this November 13th, Gavin Newsome who's governor of California goes to this dinner party at the French laundry and Yountville, I guess the party was on November 6th. He comes clean about it on the 13th, right? He says, well, we went to this dinner party, you know, in the middle of this surge, again, it's this class distinction, you know, it's, he doesn't need to do what the average person is being asked to do. Is that a fair, a fair assessment? Speaker 1 01:50:41 I talked about this a bit on the pandemic episode. Um, it was just another slap in the face to so many people who are suffering. And I think thematically as we've been discussing that, it's just, you know, this trickle-down people in power don't care about the suffering of those beneath them. And that was another really good example of that. And not to mention all these restaurants and people who run restaurants, suffering, the French laundry is not suffering. I mean, they might be a little bit, but I mean, it's just this very high end restaurant with very high end clientele. And like the rules don't seem to apply to those individuals and not, I mean, if that's not a situation of like a bust out the guillotine, like they're just, they're causing their own problems. The civil unrest is being fueled by their own actions. And I don't see how they don't recognize that. And I'm saying that on both ends, you know, it's conservative, it's liberal power. What, Speaker 4 01:51:35 He's a Democrat. I am November 19th. I mean, so, uh, a couple of weeks after this dinner party, he announces mandatory overnight, stay at home orders in California to help combat the new surge of cases. Even though he had admitted a few days previously, he had said it was a bad idea for him to go there. It's like, Oh, you think it was Speaker 1 01:51:59 It's, it's really disgusting. Speaker 4 01:52:03 So by the end of November, kind of multiple cases have been brought to kind of overturn the election. None of them amount to anything. In fact, judges get pretty snarky with some of Trump's legal team, throwing these cases out, Speaker 1 01:52:19 It gets dismissed and none of it goes forward. And then you start seeing the, you know, pardons coming left and right, right. Speaker 4 01:52:27 November 25th. Yeah. Right. Um, uh, November 26th, Trump does say, he'll leave the white house once Biden is officially declared the winner by the electoral college. Although he's since backtracked on that a little bit, Speaker 1 01:52:40 He just online Christmas day or the day after, I guess he was tweeting about how it's a, and he's not going anywhere. So here we are, Speaker 4 01:52:48 Um, November 27th, because 2020 always wants to remind us nothing that happens early in the year is ever too far out of the news, uh, around stop nuclear scientist is assassinated Speaker 1 01:53:03 Again, very related to early events and still not over. So not, you know, there's going to be fallout from this still to come. Speaker 4 01:53:14 Yeah. Now what's interesting is this, by the end of November, though, there's a lawsuit that's happening right now, a public council it's a pro bono lawsuit, um, says that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state has failed to provide fee free and equal education to all students. I agree. Speaker 1 01:53:36 And that will be something discussed in the years to come because this is not, it's not going to be fixed quickly. And there's just so much mounting evidence about this. That there'll be something that has to be addressed for many years, but it will be discussed in a broader context for, I think, a while about education and opportunities and class and race all related. Yeah. Speaker 4 01:54:00 So December 1st I think is an interesting day. Um, we're going to kind of buzz through December here, cause it's basically just keep in mind. Trump is going to challenge the election for all of December, but William Barr, December 1st, he says, there's no evidence of widespread voter fraud Speaker 1 01:54:16 And he's a Trump loyalist. So Speaker 4 01:54:18 This is wireless. So for me, that was a moment where I was like, okay, some of the institutions are actually holding solid through this. Um, but kind of the news through the end of December is kind of this back and forth about Trump's kind of, uh, legal team contesting, all this stuff. While people Trump has appointed into these positions like attorney general or Supreme court justice are pushing back against it. And I think you see a real break between Trump supporters and these appointees who they thought would be loyal and blind to the law and their support of the presidency. Speaker 1 01:55:06 That's proven not to be the case, which I guess is a relief, but it's still not. It's still not causing him to back down. And many of his supporters. I mean, there's a huge number of people when you're talking, you know, you're asking me about me being a loyalist and at the beginning, I mean, it was only about a quarter of the population who were fighting against the British, the British. It doesn't take every single person to have a revolution. Speaker 4 01:55:37 So December 14th electoral college meets confirms Joe Biden's victory still not expired. The become Trump president elect Biden is now president elect Joe Biden. Um, two days later, um, ICU beds officially run out in Southern California Speaker 1 01:56:00 In Mississippi. We've been out of ICU beds for weeks. Speaker 4 01:56:05 That's frightening, but not surprising for Southern California to lose them that cause we have a lot of hospitals in Southern California. Our number of hospital beds per person is higher than almost anywhere in the country and for us to run out, that is very frightening news indeed. Um, and by the end of December, um, we've got authorizations to use. Both vaccines vaccinations have started, meanwhile by December 20th, 317,000 people are dead of COVID-19 in the United States. Speaker 1 01:56:44 Now we're 10 or a week after that, we're December 27th. Right now we have 330, 3000 people dead. So in one week we have 16,000 people done in one week. Speaker 4 01:56:58 One in 1000 Americans has died as a result of COVID-19. That is a sobering sobering number. And I, again, I wish we could end on happier is that Speaker 1 01:57:12 News does. It's also very unhappy, but that to me is the biggest story of 2020 that will have the longest lasting implications. I think besides COVID is technology and the Russian hack that went for nine months and we have no idea how deep it is and they're backdoored themselves into all these government agencies, all these corporations. We have no idea what that hack looks like right now. And it has flown completely under the radar for nine solid months. That is going to be, that will be the story to me because I think that we're going down a very scary path right now. And when Mitt Romney said in 2012, that Russia was the greatest geopolitical threat to the United States, everybody laughed at him, but he has been so right. Speaker 4 01:58:04 Well let's so let's do this first. Uh, if you had to declare one person a hero of 2020, who would it be Speaker 1 01:58:10 One person of one person or thing Hiro of 2020? Gosh, I wasn't prepared for this. I mean, I think that tech talk was the hero. I mean, you know, getting through this every day. I mean, I know it sounds silly and funny, but like the people on the internet who make me laugh, they get me through the day sometimes, you know, I mean, there are some fun people out there and, um, we've all had such a hard time and like in a way it's connected us all in a really fun way where we're able to just, I don't know, laugh and try to get through the day. I mean, it sounds trite or something, but to me, the internet just helped in a lot of ways. What do you think? Speaker 4 01:59:04 You know, this sounds trite as well, but I'm going to pick a picks. I think they are. I think, I hope we can remember these people when all this has done a grocery store workers, average grocery store workers, they have to put up with Speaker 1 01:59:21 Yes, yes. And keeping us all fed and you know, ravaging the toilet paper. But I mean that yes. Speaker 4 01:59:28 And being painter. Yes. Speaker 1 01:59:30 Yes. They've been the backbone of the country, the postal workers, truck drivers, um, grocery store workers, restaurant workers, healthcare workers, obviously, uh, up there huge. I mean the people who don't get paid, anything are the ones holding this country together while we're just getting continually shit on by people above us. And that, that's the story that we've, we've circled back to that. So many times it's like people who are in charge and way up above us, can't even imagine are suffering. Think that $600 is going to get us through the pandemic. Um, and, and can't even empathize or act in the best interest of the people. But then on a day-to-day basis, you have these normal people helping us just get through the day grocery store workers, people making funny videos on Tech-Talk postal workers, um, the ups drivers, right? I mean, it's, it's been so revealing who runs this country and it's been depressing too, because we're just not taking care of in the way that we should be. It's, it's sickening for, we're such a, you know, over the best country or whatever. I mean, I think that that has kind of, Speaker 4 02:00:38 We are number one at one thing, we are number one at one thing right now COVID deaths, date daily COVID deaths. Yeah. Uh, so who do you pick for a villain of 2020 Speaker 1 02:00:50 Donald Trump, obviously Speaker 4 02:00:52 On Trump. I mean, it's, I dunno, is this the moment and incomplete history becomes more political? Speaker 1 02:00:57 Well, I mean, I would never assign my students listen to this episode. I mean, I have students listen to episodes a lot. I've never assigned them to listen to this episode, but Speaker 4 02:01:07 I think it is a watershed moment. And this is the thing, as I agree, I think he is the worst person of the year. Um, if we were to extend our presidential ranking list to the present, he would be at the very bottom, Oh my gosh, hands down. This is the thing is I think this is a person who has entertained fascist, adjacent at the very least ideology. I mean the proud boys now with their new shirts, with the Italian fascist Eagle on it from Mussolini's time with the sticks, mwe Speaker 0 02:01:42 At 66 million bucks and enough, Speaker 1 02:01:46 Well, to me, it's it's Speaker 0 02:01:51 Right. This is stopping and bringing awareness to something that is horrible. Um, and I'm sorry, even if Trump doesn't really believe a lot of the fascist bullshit he's paddling on it doesn't matter because he's, he's playing that game. Stoking Speaker 1 02:02:10 The fires, right? Yeah. Speaker 0 02:02:12 Yeah. I mean, when he told the proud boys to stand back and stand by, he knew exactly what he was doing. Speaker 1 02:02:18 That was very terrifying. It's terrifying people who were trying to kidnap the governor of Michigan, it's terrifying. Right. And you have these malicious that are forming. Um, these people are emboldened. And, and to me, the real danger here is the, you know, Donald Trump may be, have to be dragged out of the white house in January, you know, that may happen. But his support, Speaker 0 02:02:40 I think it would be F Speaker 1 02:02:42 Saying like these people aren't going away who he's emboldened and supported and included, Speaker 0 02:02:46 But at the same time. Right. But at the same time, I think that's why it's important. We bring awareness to them and like, say, look, this is a far right. White supremacist organization. Speaker 1 02:02:57 Well not, so I will say, I wonder what historians would say, I guess we're telling you. Right. Speaker 0 02:03:02 Right. Well, I think they would say depending on how the next few years play out, they would either say, good, you actually got this guy out of power and you shone a spotlight on this really awful organization or wow. Could you guys not get your act together and fix it when, when you had clear evidence, Speaker 1 02:03:22 Right? Yeah. It's, it's a really dark moment in our history, I think, Speaker 0 02:03:28 You know, um, Speaker 1 02:03:31 Or may live in interesting times. Speaker 0 02:03:33 Yes. Well, it's, here's to 2021 being boring. Speaker 1 02:03:40 That's not going to be, but Speaker 0 02:03:42 I know, but I wouldn't, it be wonderful if it just kind of was Speaker 1 02:03:45 Yeah. If it was just very like 2014 or something. Speaker 0 02:03:49 Yeah. It's like, yeah, this happened and this happened, but besides that, it was kind of not much news. Speaker 1 02:03:54 Yeah. I hope next year at this time we're making a year interview. That's just kind of like maybe 45 minutes instead of two hours. Speaker 0 02:04:01 Oh yes, definitely. Well, thank you for joining us today. Um, I know this is a longer than normal episode, but I, I think it was important to get through the year kind of talk about it. And I know there are definitely events that we did not cover sufficiently. There are things we kind of glossed over. Um, but you know, it's, it's been a year that I think historians will in the future teach entire classes about. Speaker 1 02:04:28 I agree. So thank you for joining us Speaker 0 02:04:32 And here's to a better 20, 21 bye-bye <inaudible>.