Brian Gongol Show on WHO Radio - November 2, 2019

Brian Gongol

Podcast: Updated weekly in the wee hours of Sunday night/Monday morning. Subscribe on Stitcher, Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or iHeartRadio

Please note: These show notes may be in various stages of completion -- ranging from brainstormed notes through to well-polished monologues. Please excuse anything that may seem rough around the edges, as it may only be a first draft of a thought and not be fully representative of what was said on the air.

Breaking news to watch

California fires

Segment 1: (11 min)

BUT FIRST: The opening essay

The moral of the story:

Segment 2: (8 min)

Totally Unnecessary Debate of the Day

Totally Unnecessary Debate of the Day™:

Daylight Saving Time should be...
— Brian Gongol Show (@briangongolshow) November 1, 2019

Daylight Saving Time is an idea that should be launched straight into the Sun
It's "savings" without "interest"
A perfectly fine example of people using government intervention to get something they want, regardless of the needs or wants of others -- what's so hard about just changing the hours at your workplace?
A nightmare for anyone on a routine, particularly children -- and this is the "good" change, when you gain an hour
But try to make some good come of it: Replace the batteries in your smoke detectors

Totally Unnecessary Debate of the Day™:

Are you...
— Brian Gongol Show (@briangongolshow) October 11, 2019

Segment 3: (14 min)

Technology Three | The week in technology

#1:

Twitter pulls the plug on political advertising

The small cadre of politicians who are known to tweet for themselves (e.g. @CoryBooker, @BenSasse, @ChuckGrassley) are about to become gurus to their colleagues. https://t.co/7yPF2YI6CD
— Brian Gongol (@briangongol) October 30, 2019

Computers and the Internet Twitter announces end to political advertising

The small cadre of politicians who are known to tweet for themselves (e.g. Senators Cory Booker, Ben Sasse, and Chuck Grassley) are about to become gurus to their colleagues. The word "authenticity" is vastly overused, but first-person content becomes much more important if your reach is limited to those who find and follow you organically alone.

#2:

Science and Technology An affordable change

A UN group says it would cost $300 billion to pause global warming for 20 years by implementing a soil-restoration program to capture carbon in biomass. If true, that would be $39.47 per person alive on the planet right now. If you could get assurance that the plan (a) would work as advertised, and (b) would be implemented by people who were accountable for getting results, it would be well worth the price.

#3:

Google buys Fitbit
Remember that Fitbit bought Pebble's leftover assets
As a fan of the legacy Pebble products, I'm watching this acquisition closely
I use Google constantly, but I don't know that I trust it
Is it weird that I have more faith in little bootstrapped startups than I do in giant tech companies?
Maybe it's justified, though: If your company already uses Google Apps, this could be just another -- they'll weasel their way into avery corner of your life, now under cover of "fitness"
It's a $2.1 billion deal, which only goes to show how much Google is a reincarnation of the classic conglomerates
[Fitbit press release]
[Google press release]

Segment 4: (5 min)

Website reminder

WHORadio.com

By the numbers

A $23 trillion Federal debt: It's all yours!

That's rounding error away from $70,000 per person. Try hard to make that number make sense.

Iowa news

You really must vote in your local municipal and school-board elections on Tuesday
The giant problems are out of reach -- none of us have very much we can say
The local problems are within reach
We need reminders that problems can be solved, and that it's within us to do it

The moral of the story:

Segment 5: (11 min)

Hot (social) topics

Warren Unveils Long-Awaited 'Medicare For All' Plan

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has finally unveiled her 'Medicare For All' plan, including how she plans to pay for the $52 trillion program.

Warren's campaign says her plan does not include a middle class tax hike, something fellow 2020 hopeful Bernie Sanders admits will be part of his proposal. Instead, costs will be absorbed by private sector employers and state and federal government.

Warren says better efficiency will make Medicare for All cheaper over time for employers and the government, while individual payments will drop to "practically zero".

Authorities Seize Enough Fentanyl 'to Kill the Entire Population of Ohio'

Ohio authorities on Wednesday announced a major drug bust that included the seizure of more than 40 pounds of fentanyl -- which prosecutors say is "more than enough to kill the entire population of Ohio."

Also found in the multi-agency raid were 1500 grams of methamphetamine, 500 grams of heroin, three illegal firearms and more than $30,000 in cash, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Three suspects -- Shamar Davis, 31, Anthony Franklin, 30, and Grady Jackson, 37 -- were taken into custody and each charged with a number of crimes, including intent to distribute 400 or more grams of fentanyl, officials say.

"The quantity of fentanyl in this case amounts to chemical warfare and a weapon of mass destruction," says Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot to Create World's Fourth-Largest Carmaker

In a massive deal that could equal 8.7 million vehicle sales alone, Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot announced Thursday morning that they intend to merge, making the merged company the fourth-largest carmaker in the world.

The deal would be split 50/50 with experts sharing that the merger could be worth $50 billion. In a statement, both carmakers said by joining together they can "foster innovation and meet the challenges of the auto industry with speed and capital efficiency."

City Won't Pay Up After Blowing Up House During Standoff With Shoplifter

A Colorado man is out of luck after police destroyed his house during a confrontation with an armed shoplifter.

In 2015, police fired rockets into the home of Leo Lech during a 19-hour standoff with an armed man who hid in the house after he was caught shoplifting from a nearby Walmart. Even though Lech's family had nothing to do with the crime or the shoplifter, the city refused to pay more than $5,000 for the damage caused.

Now a federal appeals court has ruled that the city doesn't owe Lech anything more, arguing that police were enforcing the law and that the incident does not constitute a government seizure of property.

Lech told the Washington Post, "It just goes to show that they can blow up your house, throw you out on the streets and say 'See you later. deal with it."

The moral of the story:

Segment 6: (8 min)

Iowa news: "Liberty and Justice" Celebration

First things first: Good for the Iowa Democrats in changing the name away from "Jefferson-Jackson" Dinner
It's not erasing history to change course when a name no longer fits, and "Andrew Jackson" is a deeply problematic name

Invitations went out to 11 of the candidates to sit down for an interview on this show
Four responded; one was confirmed, but plans were changed last-minute
The invitation will remain open through the end of the caucus cycle here, at which point they won't be very interested in Iowa anymore
Steve Bullock has come to the show; Tom Steyer and Tulsi Gabbard have been on with Justin Brady, and he has Andrew Yang coming up
The terms of the deal: Come on the show and we'll talk, but it has to be in-studio. I prefer not to have anyone (literally) phoning it in.
People whom I've known as life-long Republicans are changing registrations so they can vote in the Democratic caucuses next year. The candidates shouldn't shy away from any audiences in Iowa.

Segment 7: (14 min)

Jon Haggerty | R Street Institute | The Conservative Case Against Trump's Immigration Policies

Segment 8: (5 min)

Kickers

That's it. I'm not reading another news story for the rest of the year. I can't allow anything to ruin this moment. https://t.co/y5KXoolsnB
— Brian Gongol (@briangongol) November 2, 2019

Unsorted and leftovers:

This week

BBC | VOA | Times | CNN | CSM

Make money

Economist | Fast Co | WSJ | CB

Have fun

Clean up after yourself

Mind your business

Quote of the Week

Your role in cyberwar

Tw/mil-natsec

Iowa news

DSM | RadI | CID | DVN | ALO | SUX | DBQ | BUR | FOD | MCW | IC | DI | ISU | UNI

Contrary to popular opinion

Hyperbole is going to kill us all

What's the big idea?

21st Century conservatism

Cities and the people

Tw/cities | CityLab | StrongTowns

Curiosity, competence, and humility

Have a little empathy

How are you feeling?

NIH | CDC | BBC | CNN | WebMD | Harvard

Inbox zero

Stop the deliberate ignorance

Tin Foil Hat Award

Yay Capitalism Prize

Capitalist solution of the week

Kickers

This day in history

One year ago

Five years ago

Ten years ago

Programming notes

Iowa Women's Basketball season begins on Sunday (SUNDAY: 2pm-5pm -- Iowa WBB vs. Winona State -- no pregame show)
Iowa MBB begins on Monday, 11/4

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Live read: Contests

It's week #5 of A GRAND IN YOUR HAND
WHO and IOWA winners:
1. Karla Carnahan of Altoona
2. Beth Zimmerman of Indianola
3. Michelle Sullivan of Des Moines
4. Brooke Bissell of Messina
5. David Wagner of CR
6. John Roberts of CR