1 00:00:27,765 --> 00:00:28,562 Hi there! 2 00:00:28,562 --> 00:00:29,429 Welcome to the show, 3 00:00:29,430 --> 00:00:31,406 still taking place in this blank void, 4 00:00:31,431 --> 00:00:33,638 now, sadly, approaching its first birthday. 5 00:00:33,663 --> 00:00:35,234 And, like most one-year-olds, 6 00:00:35,235 --> 00:00:36,269 it doesn't really do much other 7 00:00:36,270 --> 00:00:37,946 than terrify you when it's quiet 8 00:00:37,971 --> 00:00:39,856 and vaguely smell like old milk. 9 00:00:39,903 --> 00:00:41,407 It's been a wild week, 10 00:00:41,408 --> 00:00:42,675 from Andrew Cuomo's scandals 11 00:00:42,676 --> 00:00:43,683 continuing to grow, 12 00:00:43,683 --> 00:00:45,544 to eight moderate Democrats killing a 13 00:00:45,569 --> 00:00:46,955 $15 minimum wage... 14 00:00:46,980 --> 00:00:48,414 with Kyrsten Sinema doing it 15 00:00:48,415 --> 00:00:50,483 in a particularly dickish way... 16 00:00:50,484 --> 00:00:52,386 Oh, thumbs down! 17 00:00:52,586 --> 00:00:53,520 Fun! 18 00:00:53,587 --> 00:00:55,488 To the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks recently 19 00:00:55,489 --> 00:00:57,332 started welcoming limited numbers of fans 20 00:00:57,357 --> 00:00:58,457 back into their arena, 21 00:00:58,458 --> 00:01:00,093 and did it like this. 22 00:01:00,243 --> 00:01:01,894 The hand sanitizer cam! 23 00:01:01,895 --> 00:01:02,969 Let's get those hands clean! 24 00:01:02,970 --> 00:01:03,630 Here we go! 25 00:01:03,655 --> 00:01:04,531 Oh, it's all over you. 26 00:01:04,532 --> 00:01:05,607 You might have to wash your hair out, 27 00:01:05,632 --> 00:01:07,301 got hand sanitizer all over it. 28 00:01:07,386 --> 00:01:08,525 Right on the hoodie. 29 00:01:08,816 --> 00:01:09,936 Great job, bango, 30 00:01:09,937 --> 00:01:11,671 he's, like, give me all the hand sanitizer, 31 00:01:11,672 --> 00:01:12,773 keep me clean! 32 00:01:13,058 --> 00:01:15,217 I don't know if we want to recommend that 33 00:01:15,242 --> 00:01:16,009 Let's not do that. 34 00:01:16,009 --> 00:01:16,517 Yeah! 35 00:01:16,518 --> 00:01:18,544 Let's not do any of that! 36 00:01:18,545 --> 00:01:20,079 Because getting bukkaked 37 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:21,614 by a cartoon squirt bottle has to 38 00:01:21,615 --> 00:01:23,116 be the most awkward way to wind 39 00:01:23,117 --> 00:01:24,927 up on a jumbotron, right after 40 00:01:24,952 --> 00:01:26,218 being featured on the kiss cam 41 00:01:26,219 --> 00:01:27,519 with your sibling, and being 42 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:28,964 proposed to on a first date. 43 00:01:28,989 --> 00:01:29,855 No, Eric! 44 00:01:29,856 --> 00:01:31,857 For various reasons, no! 45 00:01:31,858 --> 00:01:33,492 And why is everyone booing me? 46 00:01:33,493 --> 00:01:35,060 We just met! 47 00:01:35,132 --> 00:01:37,240 And it's not just arenas opening up. 48 00:01:37,265 --> 00:01:38,865 Both Texas and Mississippi 49 00:01:38,866 --> 00:01:39,966 this week announced plans to 50 00:01:39,967 --> 00:01:41,467 pretty much do away with 51 00:01:41,468 --> 00:01:42,836 government covid restrictions. 52 00:01:42,837 --> 00:01:44,437 Texas governor Greg Abbott 53 00:01:44,438 --> 00:01:46,072 says falling hospitalizations 54 00:01:46,073 --> 00:01:47,975 and increased vaccinations mean 55 00:01:48,175 --> 00:01:49,709 state mandates are no longer 56 00:01:49,710 --> 00:01:51,177 needed, and it's up to 57 00:01:51,178 --> 00:01:52,312 individuals and businesses 58 00:01:52,313 --> 00:01:54,113 to behave responsibly. 59 00:01:54,114 --> 00:01:57,470 All businesses of any type 60 00:01:57,812 --> 00:02:00,920 are allowed to open 100% 61 00:02:00,921 --> 00:02:05,067 also, I am ending the statewide 62 00:02:05,092 --> 00:02:06,293 mask mandate. 63 00:02:08,795 --> 00:02:10,974 Well, that's fucking stupid. 64 00:02:10,999 --> 00:02:12,932 Lifting all restrictions is 65 00:02:12,933 --> 00:02:14,367 ridiculous when we're still 66 00:02:14,368 --> 00:02:15,802 in the middle of a pandemic... 67 00:02:15,803 --> 00:02:17,170 As evidenced by the fact that 68 00:02:17,171 --> 00:02:18,731 instead of forcing people to kiss, 69 00:02:18,764 --> 00:02:21,383 we're squirting them with cartoon ejaculate. 70 00:02:21,609 --> 00:02:23,310 And the thing is, leaving it up 71 00:02:23,350 --> 00:02:25,795 to individuals to "behave responsibly" 72 00:02:25,846 --> 00:02:27,789 is likely to cause immediate problems. 73 00:02:27,814 --> 00:02:29,548 Because while businesses 74 00:02:29,573 --> 00:02:31,650 can still require people to wear masks, 75 00:02:31,651 --> 00:02:33,152 the lack of a goverment mandate 76 00:02:33,153 --> 00:02:34,596 could make things difficult for them, 77 00:02:34,621 --> 00:02:36,424 as this bar owner will tell you. 78 00:02:36,510 --> 00:02:38,367 You know, we're very used to making people 79 00:02:38,392 --> 00:02:39,425 do what they don't want to do. 80 00:02:39,426 --> 00:02:40,460 You have to have an I.D., 81 00:02:40,485 --> 00:02:41,642 you can't drive drunk. 82 00:02:41,667 --> 00:02:43,329 This particular issue, without 83 00:02:43,330 --> 00:02:44,698 a mandate from the government, 84 00:02:44,723 --> 00:02:46,232 makes it seem to people 85 00:02:46,233 --> 00:02:47,475 as an optional thing, 86 00:02:47,476 --> 00:02:48,910 and something they want to argue about. 87 00:02:48,935 --> 00:02:51,255 The state itself could give us the cover to say, 88 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,338 "Look, it's not me, it's them." 89 00:02:53,339 --> 00:02:54,973 Yeah, that makes sense! 90 00:02:54,974 --> 00:02:57,185 Although I will say, CBS didn't really 91 00:02:57,210 --> 00:03:00,412 have to tell us he was the owner of a bar called "The Cottonmouth Club." 92 00:03:00,413 --> 00:03:01,348 Given that hat, 93 00:03:01,349 --> 00:03:02,991 there were really only three options there: 94 00:03:03,016 --> 00:03:05,083 Bar owner, ska band hype man, 95 00:03:05,084 --> 00:03:06,084 and space mechanic. 96 00:03:06,085 --> 00:03:06,819 That's it. 97 00:03:06,820 --> 00:03:08,530 And while I do take his larger point, 98 00:03:08,555 --> 00:03:10,990 that it's shitty to make bar and restaurant 99 00:03:11,015 --> 00:03:13,159 employees responsible for enforcing public safety, 100 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,171 I'm guessing he personally has the confidence to do that, 101 00:03:16,196 --> 00:03:18,064 given that he chose to went on CBS this morning 102 00:03:18,065 --> 00:03:19,832 in "the full Pharrell". 103 00:03:19,833 --> 00:03:22,744 Meanwhile, this week the federal government has been busy. 104 00:03:22,745 --> 00:03:25,462 In addition to the senate finally passing the covid relief bill, 105 00:03:25,463 --> 00:03:28,674 the FBI director gave some significant testimony. 106 00:03:28,675 --> 00:03:33,279 In his first appearance before congress since the January 6th insurrection, 107 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,216 FBI director Christopher Wray was specific 108 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,885 and blunt about who was responsible. 109 00:03:39,014 --> 00:03:42,755 Quite a number of what we would call sort of "militia violent extremists"... 110 00:03:42,756 --> 00:03:44,890 Proud Boys or the Oath Keepers. 111 00:03:44,891 --> 00:03:48,160 We've already identified individuals who advocate for 112 00:03:48,161 --> 00:03:49,995 what you would call white supremacy. 113 00:03:49,996 --> 00:03:53,899 And what of the conspiracies claiming that it was really left wing radicals 114 00:03:53,900 --> 00:03:56,769 posing as Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol? 115 00:03:56,770 --> 00:03:59,339 Do you have any evidence that the Capitol attack 116 00:03:59,363 --> 00:04:02,442 was organized by "fake Trump protesters?" 117 00:04:02,909 --> 00:04:04,710 We have not seen evidence of that. 118 00:04:04,711 --> 00:04:06,378 Yeah, of course you haven't 119 00:04:06,379 --> 00:04:08,180 because it's not fucking true. 120 00:04:08,181 --> 00:04:09,348 And despite everything, 121 00:04:09,349 --> 00:04:11,951 it's still amazing that he has to debunk a conspiracy theory 122 00:04:11,952 --> 00:04:13,485 that's so clearly false. 123 00:04:13,486 --> 00:04:15,297 It'd be like having to swear under oath that 124 00:04:15,322 --> 00:04:17,523 three lemurs in a trench coat didn't commit 125 00:04:17,524 --> 00:04:18,857 the Oklahoma City bombing. 126 00:04:18,858 --> 00:04:19,992 Of course they didn't, 127 00:04:19,993 --> 00:04:21,927 and anyone who suggested that they did 128 00:04:21,928 --> 00:04:24,763 clearly has some significantly bigger problems. 129 00:04:24,764 --> 00:04:26,832 Now that testimony was pretty newsworthy. 130 00:04:26,833 --> 00:04:29,035 But while some networks took the hearings live, 131 00:04:29,060 --> 00:04:31,505 FOX, unsurprisingly, barely covered it. 132 00:04:31,571 --> 00:04:33,874 In fact, across conservative media, 133 00:04:33,898 --> 00:04:35,719 you'd hardly know the hearing had happened. 134 00:04:35,743 --> 00:04:38,410 Because they were too busy with this. 135 00:04:38,411 --> 00:04:40,646 Dr. Seuss getting canceled. 136 00:04:40,647 --> 00:04:45,784 The children's book publisher says it will stop releasing six of his books. 137 00:04:45,785 --> 00:04:49,054 The cancel culture going after Dr. Seuss tonight. 138 00:04:49,055 --> 00:04:54,961 Dr. Seuss books are now too insensitive and even racist for this mob. 139 00:04:54,986 --> 00:04:56,863 They are banning... 140 00:04:57,598 --> 00:04:59,497 Dr. Seuss books. 141 00:05:00,834 --> 00:05:03,203 How much more... 142 00:05:03,528 --> 00:05:05,863 do you need to see before 143 00:05:05,896 --> 00:05:10,109 all of America wakes up and goes, "this is fascism"? 144 00:05:10,110 --> 00:05:12,678 Oh, I don't know, uh, a lot more? 145 00:05:12,679 --> 00:05:14,481 Because the books weren't "banned." 146 00:05:14,506 --> 00:05:17,702 Dr. Seuss Enterprises decided to stop printing six of them. 147 00:05:17,703 --> 00:05:21,253 And a company deciding which of its own books it will or won't print 148 00:05:21,254 --> 00:05:24,056 is an example of free enterprise, not fascism. 149 00:05:24,057 --> 00:05:27,092 It'd make as much sense to argue, "they're banning unicycles. 150 00:05:27,093 --> 00:05:29,295 How much more do you need to see 151 00:05:29,296 --> 00:05:32,231 before America wakes up and says, this is transcendentalism?" 152 00:05:32,232 --> 00:05:33,866 The first thing isn't even true, 153 00:05:33,867 --> 00:05:36,802 and I've got no idea how you got from there to the second part. 154 00:05:36,803 --> 00:05:39,805 And given how strongly all those commentators were defending those books, 155 00:05:39,806 --> 00:05:43,242 it's worth knowing what, exactly, they're defending. 156 00:05:43,243 --> 00:05:46,588 Because the images in question include this old-timey caricature of 157 00:05:46,613 --> 00:05:49,416 "A Chinese man who eats with sticks," 158 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:51,337 actually toned down from the original version, 159 00:05:51,361 --> 00:05:52,952 where he was literally yellow, 160 00:05:52,953 --> 00:05:54,321 and called this: 161 00:05:54,346 --> 00:05:57,057 And there's also drawings that resemble monkeys, 162 00:05:57,081 --> 00:05:58,724 representing people from Africa. 163 00:05:58,725 --> 00:06:00,736 And are these really things we 164 00:06:00,737 --> 00:06:03,028 want to fight for kids to see? 165 00:06:03,029 --> 00:06:04,763 To be honest, I'm squeamish 166 00:06:04,764 --> 00:06:06,308 about showing them to you right now, 167 00:06:06,333 --> 00:06:07,342 and just three minutes ago, 168 00:06:07,367 --> 00:06:09,001 I was more than happy to subject you to 169 00:06:09,002 --> 00:06:10,903 a basketball arena jizz storm. 170 00:06:10,904 --> 00:06:13,854 The point is, these images are rough, 171 00:06:13,879 --> 00:06:17,643 which is probably why, for the most part, FOX didn't actually show them. 172 00:06:17,644 --> 00:06:19,178 Instead, often focusing on books 173 00:06:19,179 --> 00:06:20,980 that aren't even being questioned. 174 00:06:20,981 --> 00:06:22,748 Tucker Carlson focused a whole 175 00:06:22,749 --> 00:06:24,082 segment on "The Sneetches"... 176 00:06:24,083 --> 00:06:25,585 Which isn't being pulled... 177 00:06:25,610 --> 00:06:26,985 so he could play his favorite game: 178 00:06:26,986 --> 00:06:29,054 Liberals are the real racists. 179 00:06:29,055 --> 00:06:33,425 For 60 years, American children have read "the sneetches" and books like it, 180 00:06:33,426 --> 00:06:37,062 and that's one of the reasons we have the country we have today. 181 00:06:37,063 --> 00:06:39,674 The story is a plea for colorblindness, 182 00:06:39,699 --> 00:06:44,070 and that's why the forces of wokeness hate it and Dr. Seuss. 183 00:06:44,547 --> 00:06:47,282 When the people in charge cancel Dr. Seuss, 184 00:06:47,307 --> 00:06:49,074 what they're really trying to eliminate 185 00:06:49,075 --> 00:06:52,439 is a very specific kind of mid-century American culture, 186 00:06:52,579 --> 00:06:56,315 a culture that championed meritocracy and colorblindness. 187 00:06:56,316 --> 00:06:58,760 First, shut the fuck up, Tucker, 188 00:06:58,785 --> 00:07:00,653 you fear-mongering lacrosse injury. 189 00:07:00,654 --> 00:07:02,454 Second, it's a little weird 190 00:07:02,455 --> 00:07:05,524 to claim that mid-century American culture championed colorblindness 191 00:07:05,525 --> 00:07:09,561 when signs from the time explicitly demanded the opposite. 192 00:07:09,562 --> 00:07:12,540 In fact, to the extent anyone is trying to eliminate 193 00:07:12,565 --> 00:07:15,468 some parts of American culture, it's the parts 194 00:07:15,492 --> 00:07:18,971 that perpetuate racism, xenophobia, and bigotry. 195 00:07:18,972 --> 00:07:20,639 But it's not hard to see 196 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,557 why Tucker would be so anxious to talk about Dr. Seuss this week. 197 00:07:23,582 --> 00:07:25,144 Because if he'd talked about 198 00:07:25,145 --> 00:07:26,445 Christopher wray's testimony 199 00:07:26,446 --> 00:07:27,980 about white supremacists 200 00:07:27,981 --> 00:07:29,848 participating in the attack on the Capitol, 201 00:07:29,849 --> 00:07:33,028 it would've contradicted what he's been telling his viewers for weeks now 202 00:07:33,053 --> 00:07:34,854 like, "there's no evidence 203 00:07:34,879 --> 00:07:38,490 that white supremacists were responsible for what happened on January 6th. 204 00:07:38,491 --> 00:07:39,591 That's a lie." 205 00:07:39,592 --> 00:07:42,328 So instead, Tucker and conservative media fell back 206 00:07:42,329 --> 00:07:43,796 on their classic playbook 207 00:07:43,797 --> 00:07:47,666 of distracting from important issues with bullshit culture wars. 208 00:07:47,667 --> 00:07:49,101 It's incredibly lazy 209 00:07:49,102 --> 00:07:50,703 and depressingly effective. 210 00:07:50,704 --> 00:07:53,281 And the thing is, no matter how many times 211 00:07:53,306 --> 00:07:56,108 I see them do this, it never fails to leave me 212 00:07:56,109 --> 00:07:57,876 feeling completely disgusted, 213 00:07:57,877 --> 00:08:00,680 and like there's no way for me to get clean. 214 00:08:01,881 --> 00:08:02,822 Oh, no! 215 00:08:02,823 --> 00:08:03,888 No, please, no! 216 00:08:03,889 --> 00:08:05,423 No, not like this! 217 00:08:05,424 --> 00:08:07,659 No, I don't want this! 218 00:08:07,660 --> 00:08:09,894 How is this fun for anyone? 219 00:08:09,895 --> 00:08:11,464 Please stop it! 220 00:08:12,219 --> 00:08:14,926 Somehow I feel dirtier now. 221 00:08:15,249 --> 00:08:16,382 And now this. 222 00:08:16,407 --> 00:08:17,773 Stop it! 223 00:08:17,864 --> 00:08:19,037 And now, 224 00:08:19,038 --> 00:08:22,250 Neil Cavuto really loves Adele. 225 00:08:22,275 --> 00:08:24,479 Do you find it a tad bit curious, 226 00:08:24,504 --> 00:08:26,138 that on Monday, when the dow 227 00:08:26,139 --> 00:08:27,941 was up 143 points, 228 00:08:27,966 --> 00:08:30,379 it was the first day of trading after the singer 229 00:08:30,446 --> 00:08:32,244 Adele had swept the Grammys. 230 00:08:32,245 --> 00:08:35,047 Scientist in Brazil have found that listening to her 231 00:08:35,048 --> 00:08:38,517 music could reduce stress and help to keep people's heart healthy. 232 00:08:38,518 --> 00:08:39,952 I've been telling you this for years. 233 00:08:39,953 --> 00:08:43,123 I am waiting on Adele to call me and update me. 234 00:08:43,356 --> 00:08:45,024 Michael, are you a Adele fan? 235 00:08:45,892 --> 00:08:47,727 Let me ask you about this. 236 00:08:47,767 --> 00:08:48,301 Adele. 237 00:08:48,410 --> 00:08:49,963 ...we didn't even get to talk about Adele. 238 00:08:50,528 --> 00:08:52,974 Do we know, are there any Adele updates? 239 00:08:52,999 --> 00:08:56,014 I will point out, Christina, that Adele never had any issues. 240 00:08:56,150 --> 00:08:58,671 Sorry, Taylor, you have not topped Adele. 241 00:08:59,690 --> 00:09:01,207 I can't picture Adele doing this. 242 00:09:03,076 --> 00:09:05,411 It makes a lot of people uncomfortable that I have this 243 00:09:05,412 --> 00:09:07,546 fixation because she's young enough to be my daughter. 244 00:09:07,613 --> 00:09:08,714 I think that is the market's 245 00:09:08,715 --> 00:09:11,784 way of saying hello, hello, 246 00:09:11,785 --> 00:09:12,886 hello, hello. 247 00:09:17,397 --> 00:09:18,457 Moving on. 248 00:09:18,458 --> 00:09:20,001 Our main story tonight concerns 249 00:09:20,026 --> 00:09:20,927 unemployment. 250 00:09:20,928 --> 00:09:22,837 The thing that would absolutely happen to me 251 00:09:22,862 --> 00:09:25,597 if AT&T executives ever find out what I've been saying about them. 252 00:09:25,598 --> 00:09:27,499 But on the other hand, what are they going to do? 253 00:09:27,500 --> 00:09:28,667 Look it up online? 254 00:09:28,668 --> 00:09:29,169 How? 255 00:09:29,170 --> 00:09:30,436 With their Internet plan? 256 00:09:30,437 --> 00:09:32,313 And then what? Call someone? 257 00:09:32,338 --> 00:09:33,704 Using AT&T? 258 00:09:33,771 --> 00:09:35,403 I think I'm fine. 259 00:09:35,735 --> 00:09:39,654 Unemployment can be a traumatic event for anyone, even puppets. 260 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:41,313 Why isn't mommy at work today? 261 00:09:41,314 --> 00:09:44,049 Yesterday, I lost my job. 262 00:09:44,050 --> 00:09:45,960 And I'm not going to be working, 263 00:09:45,985 --> 00:09:47,954 at least for a little while. 264 00:09:49,189 --> 00:09:52,724 Is it because Elmo has too many toys? 265 00:09:52,725 --> 00:09:56,185 Oh, no, no, baby, none of this is your fault. 266 00:09:56,293 --> 00:09:58,297 It's nobody's fault. 267 00:09:58,298 --> 00:10:00,332 Well, well, hold on there 268 00:10:00,333 --> 00:10:03,603 Are we absolutely sure it's not Elmo's fault? 269 00:10:03,628 --> 00:10:05,237 I don't know how much that plane costs 270 00:10:05,238 --> 00:10:06,318 but I do know maintaining 271 00:10:06,416 --> 00:10:08,107 a crayon-colored, liminal apartment 272 00:10:08,132 --> 00:10:10,176 where you live part-time with Dorothy, your pet fish, 273 00:10:10,284 --> 00:10:13,245 might be a problem for your now one-income family. 274 00:10:13,246 --> 00:10:15,915 So it's not not your fault, Elmo. 275 00:10:15,940 --> 00:10:18,584 But also, quick shout-out to Elmo's mom there. 276 00:10:18,585 --> 00:10:19,819 She's going through some shit, 277 00:10:19,844 --> 00:10:22,187 but still managed to get her hair up in two strand twists 278 00:10:22,188 --> 00:10:23,809 before she went to bed the night before. 279 00:10:23,810 --> 00:10:24,990 She's taking care of herself 280 00:10:24,991 --> 00:10:26,425 and protecting those edges. 281 00:10:26,426 --> 00:10:27,960 Drop the routine, Mae! 282 00:10:27,961 --> 00:10:29,443 Post the shelfie on the gram. 283 00:10:29,509 --> 00:10:30,988 What are your holy grail products? 284 00:10:31,013 --> 00:10:32,498 Pattern beauty? Shea moisture? 285 00:10:32,499 --> 00:10:35,601 Or are you still rockin' it old school with a bottle of pink oil and a jar of jam? 286 00:10:35,602 --> 00:10:37,971 I see you, Elmo's mom! 287 00:10:38,471 --> 00:10:40,782 But even for the non-puppet population, 288 00:10:40,807 --> 00:10:43,876 unemployment is an especially pertinent topic right now. 289 00:10:43,877 --> 00:10:45,978 It's been almost exactly a year 290 00:10:45,979 --> 00:10:47,513 since the pandemic hit, 291 00:10:47,514 --> 00:10:50,249 and tens of millions of people lost their jobs... 292 00:10:50,250 --> 00:10:54,306 ...many of whom filed for unemployment insurance, or "unemployment." 293 00:10:54,373 --> 00:10:57,289 Our current system was created in the 1930s. 294 00:10:57,290 --> 00:10:58,658 And the basic idea was, 295 00:10:58,683 --> 00:11:01,035 like most insurance, to gather funds, 296 00:11:01,060 --> 00:11:02,728 particularly in good times, so 297 00:11:02,729 --> 00:11:05,098 so there'd be money available to disburse 298 00:11:05,122 --> 00:11:06,065 in bad times. 299 00:11:06,066 --> 00:11:07,199 And to pay for all of this, 300 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:09,401 states would tax employers. 301 00:11:09,402 --> 00:11:12,204 The concept was enthusiastically promoted at the time, 302 00:11:12,205 --> 00:11:14,172 with educational films like this. 303 00:11:14,173 --> 00:11:18,143 To show how job insurance works, let's introduce Steve, 304 00:11:18,144 --> 00:11:20,913 a Louisiana worker who has just lost his job. 305 00:11:20,914 --> 00:11:23,348 Now each week, the letter carrier brings Steve a check 306 00:11:23,349 --> 00:11:26,184 for half the normal weekly wage he used to earn. 307 00:11:26,185 --> 00:11:27,986 The maximum is $15, 308 00:11:27,987 --> 00:11:31,023 the minimum is $5, or three-fourths of his earnings. 309 00:11:31,024 --> 00:11:32,458 Job insurance, 310 00:11:33,059 --> 00:11:36,406 this is the way the state of Louisiana is doing its part 311 00:11:36,496 --> 00:11:42,229 in the nationwide crusade against unemployment, fear, and insecurity. 312 00:11:42,296 --> 00:11:42,902 Yes! 313 00:11:42,903 --> 00:11:44,479 Atta boy, Steve! 314 00:11:44,504 --> 00:11:47,105 That newsreel, of course, from the makers of such classics as 315 00:11:47,106 --> 00:11:50,042 "Amelia Earheart: The woman who will never die, 316 00:11:50,043 --> 00:11:52,311 "and" How to fight the Nazis even though, 317 00:11:52,312 --> 00:11:54,746 given this era's prevalent anti-semitism, you mostly likely 318 00:11:54,747 --> 00:11:56,883 agree with a lot of what they're saying." 319 00:11:57,150 --> 00:11:58,584 But unemployment wasn't just 320 00:11:58,585 --> 00:12:02,321 created to save our nation's Steves from fear and insecurity. 321 00:12:02,322 --> 00:12:04,040 Economists generally agree 322 00:12:04,065 --> 00:12:08,061 that unemployment insurance is actually one of the most effective policies 323 00:12:08,210 --> 00:12:09,996 for recovering from a recession. 324 00:12:10,026 --> 00:12:13,332 Which does makes sense. Because when you give the unemployed money, 325 00:12:13,333 --> 00:12:16,635 they tend not to hoard it offshore in the Caymans. 326 00:12:16,636 --> 00:12:18,837 They spend it on shit they need. 327 00:12:18,838 --> 00:12:22,074 In fact, analysis from past recessions shows, every dollar 328 00:12:22,075 --> 00:12:23,875 spent on unemployment benefits 329 00:12:23,876 --> 00:12:25,796 boosted economywide spending by 330 00:12:25,862 --> 00:12:27,312 as much as $2. 331 00:12:27,313 --> 00:12:29,849 So it's a vital social safety net 332 00:12:29,874 --> 00:12:33,241 and has massive macroeconomic benefits. 333 00:12:33,283 --> 00:12:34,796 But despite that, over the years, 334 00:12:34,821 --> 00:12:37,098 our system has badly broken down. 335 00:12:37,123 --> 00:12:39,601 Something that became painfully clear this time last year when 336 00:12:39,626 --> 00:12:42,103 it was overwhelmed by new claims. 337 00:12:42,128 --> 00:12:43,671 We featured stories on this show 338 00:12:43,696 --> 00:12:45,871 of people having to call 50 times a day 339 00:12:45,896 --> 00:12:47,520 just to make an unemployment claim. 340 00:12:47,545 --> 00:12:50,356 But that was the tip of the iceberg. 341 00:12:50,536 --> 00:12:53,648 Kentucky residents poured into the capital for their first 342 00:12:53,673 --> 00:12:55,450 chance to get an in-person meeting 343 00:12:55,475 --> 00:12:59,253 at a pop-up unemployment office since the pandemic began. 344 00:12:59,278 --> 00:13:01,723 Breanna Glass applied three months ago 345 00:13:01,748 --> 00:13:03,815 and is still having trouble getting payments. 346 00:13:03,816 --> 00:13:05,317 She stood in line yesterday 347 00:13:05,318 --> 00:13:07,284 just days after giving birth. 348 00:13:07,351 --> 00:13:11,825 I mean, I've called, I've emailed. I did everything I possibly could. 349 00:13:11,850 --> 00:13:13,258 And still, nothing. 350 00:13:13,324 --> 00:13:14,960 Holy shit. 351 00:13:14,961 --> 00:13:16,795 Waiting in line for unemployment 352 00:13:16,796 --> 00:13:18,363 just after giving birth 353 00:13:18,364 --> 00:13:19,765 is already appalling. 354 00:13:19,766 --> 00:13:20,932 But the very phrase 355 00:13:20,933 --> 00:13:22,901 "Pop-up Unemployment Office" 356 00:13:22,902 --> 00:13:24,336 is truly alarming. 357 00:13:24,337 --> 00:13:26,505 Much like "Emergency Crematorium" 358 00:13:26,506 --> 00:13:28,273 or "Elephant Forceps." 359 00:13:28,274 --> 00:13:30,084 It suggests things have gone terribly wrong 360 00:13:30,109 --> 00:13:32,609 and are about to get significantly worse. 361 00:13:32,675 --> 00:13:34,489 Now, some of last year's chaos 362 00:13:34,514 --> 00:13:36,290 was because states' antiquated systems 363 00:13:36,315 --> 00:13:37,617 were simply overwhelmed. 364 00:13:37,642 --> 00:13:39,017 But it's a mistake 365 00:13:39,018 --> 00:13:41,787 to think of this merely as a technological problem. 366 00:13:41,788 --> 00:13:45,023 Because the system underneath that shitty technology 367 00:13:45,024 --> 00:13:48,493 has been broken for years now, and sometimes deliberately. 368 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:49,726 A quick way to measure the 369 00:13:49,793 --> 00:13:51,296 health of a state's system is through its 370 00:13:51,297 --> 00:13:53,365 "Recipiency Rate"... That is basically, 371 00:13:53,366 --> 00:13:55,100 the percentage of unemployed people 372 00:13:55,101 --> 00:13:56,868 that actually receive benefits. 373 00:13:56,869 --> 00:13:59,371 Now, it will never be 100% 374 00:13:59,372 --> 00:14:00,572 in this country, because... 375 00:14:00,573 --> 00:14:01,907 Rightly or wrongly... 376 00:14:01,908 --> 00:14:04,104 not everyone out of work is eligible. 377 00:14:04,129 --> 00:14:06,721 Generally, only those who are laid off are. 378 00:14:06,746 --> 00:14:07,879 And that is just over 379 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:09,247 half the unemployed. 380 00:14:09,248 --> 00:14:11,383 The rest... like those fresh out of school, 381 00:14:11,384 --> 00:14:12,727 or who quit voluntarily, 382 00:14:12,752 --> 00:14:15,120 or who were fired are generally not covered. 383 00:14:15,121 --> 00:14:18,056 That is why, experts say that under our current system, 384 00:14:18,057 --> 00:14:20,459 a good rule of thumb is that a state's recipiency rate 385 00:14:20,460 --> 00:14:22,627 should be around 50%. 386 00:14:22,628 --> 00:14:24,262 The problem is, nationally, 387 00:14:24,263 --> 00:14:25,797 even before this pandemic, 388 00:14:25,798 --> 00:14:27,952 we were at just 28%. 389 00:14:28,234 --> 00:14:30,502 And in some states, like North Carolina and Florida, 390 00:14:30,503 --> 00:14:32,304 it was around 10%! 391 00:14:32,305 --> 00:14:34,473 Just think about what that means: 392 00:14:34,474 --> 00:14:37,743 Out of every ten unemployed people in those states 393 00:14:37,744 --> 00:14:41,146 only one is actually receiving benefits. 394 00:14:41,147 --> 00:14:42,915 If you boarded an airplane 395 00:14:42,939 --> 00:14:45,784 and learned that only one in ten seats had an oxygen mask, 396 00:14:45,785 --> 00:14:48,320 you'd wonder "Who designed this system?", 397 00:14:48,321 --> 00:14:49,855 "Why did they make it this way?" 398 00:14:49,856 --> 00:14:53,126 And "How do I get the fuck out of here right now?" 399 00:14:53,519 --> 00:14:54,960 So given that, tonight, 400 00:14:54,961 --> 00:14:57,302 let's look at our current unemployment system. 401 00:14:57,303 --> 00:14:58,430 And the first thing to know is, 402 00:14:58,431 --> 00:15:00,208 it is not one system. 403 00:15:00,233 --> 00:15:02,110 From the very start, states were given 404 00:15:02,135 --> 00:15:04,436 huge latitude in running their unemployment programs. 405 00:15:04,461 --> 00:15:06,104 Meaning we essentially have 406 00:15:06,105 --> 00:15:08,850 53 completely different systems, 407 00:15:08,887 --> 00:15:11,152 one for each state, plus D.C., 408 00:15:11,177 --> 00:15:12,788 Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 409 00:15:12,789 --> 00:15:15,039 And not only is that very inefficient, 410 00:15:15,114 --> 00:15:17,983 it means the level of benefits vary wildly. 411 00:15:17,984 --> 00:15:19,818 Massachusetts pays the most, 412 00:15:19,819 --> 00:15:22,287 up to $1234 a week. 413 00:15:22,288 --> 00:15:23,555 Florida's maximum? 414 00:15:23,556 --> 00:15:25,824 $275 a week. 415 00:15:25,825 --> 00:15:28,211 That is a hell of a difference. 416 00:15:28,236 --> 00:15:30,629 And it's something that people might want to factor in 417 00:15:30,630 --> 00:15:32,598 if they're considering moving somewhere. 418 00:15:32,623 --> 00:15:34,032 "Well, the climate seems nicer, 419 00:15:34,033 --> 00:15:35,534 and the schools seem decent... 420 00:15:35,535 --> 00:15:37,503 Before I go, let me just Google, 421 00:15:37,528 --> 00:15:41,073 if I lose my job, will this state let me starve?" 422 00:15:41,340 --> 00:15:43,074 And it's not just where you live 423 00:15:43,075 --> 00:15:44,142 that determines your benefits. 424 00:15:44,143 --> 00:15:46,178 It also matters what you do. 425 00:15:46,179 --> 00:15:47,679 Because many part-time workers, 426 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,083 plus independent contractors and gig workers typically 427 00:15:51,108 --> 00:15:52,919 don't qualify for unemployment. 428 00:15:52,985 --> 00:15:54,653 Which is absurd, 429 00:15:54,654 --> 00:15:57,589 given that those jobs make up a significant portion 430 00:15:57,590 --> 00:15:58,901 of our modern workforce. 431 00:15:58,925 --> 00:16:00,725 And incidentally, black workers 432 00:16:00,791 --> 00:16:03,595 are overrepresented in those types of jobs, just as 433 00:16:03,596 --> 00:16:05,072 they're overrepresented in the States 434 00:16:05,097 --> 00:16:06,707 with the least-generous benefits 435 00:16:06,732 --> 00:16:09,334 which might explain why black workers are more 436 00:16:09,335 --> 00:16:11,069 likely to be unemployed, but 437 00:16:11,070 --> 00:16:14,039 less likely to get unemployment benefits. 438 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:18,043 And inequity was baked into the system from the very beginning. 439 00:16:18,044 --> 00:16:20,822 In the 1930s, agricultural and domestic workers 440 00:16:20,847 --> 00:16:22,814 were initially purposely excluded, 441 00:16:22,815 --> 00:16:27,452 meaning that 65% of black workers weren't covered by the program. 442 00:16:27,453 --> 00:16:30,813 It seems in the U.S., you can basically point to anything, ask 443 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:33,992 "How is that racist," and get a specific, historical answer. 444 00:16:34,193 --> 00:16:35,161 Freeways? 445 00:16:35,162 --> 00:16:36,726 Demolished black communities. 446 00:16:36,793 --> 00:16:37,663 Mickey Mouse? 447 00:16:37,690 --> 00:16:39,030 Based on minstrel shows. 448 00:16:39,031 --> 00:16:39,966 This toddler? 449 00:16:39,967 --> 00:16:41,901 Well, his name is Kendall, so 450 00:16:41,926 --> 00:16:43,861 it's only a matter of time. 451 00:16:44,036 --> 00:16:46,339 The point is, for myriad reasons, 452 00:16:46,363 --> 00:16:48,473 you may not be able to get unemployment, 453 00:16:48,474 --> 00:16:50,675 and even if you do get it, in many states 454 00:16:50,676 --> 00:16:52,644 it may not be enough to live on. 455 00:16:52,645 --> 00:16:53,707 That is something 456 00:16:53,708 --> 00:16:56,157 the federal government seemed to acknowledge 457 00:16:56,182 --> 00:16:57,925 was a problem last year, when it suddenly 458 00:16:57,950 --> 00:17:01,620 temporarily expanded unemployment to cover more workers, and 459 00:17:01,621 --> 00:17:04,932 boosted benefits by $600 across the board. 460 00:17:04,957 --> 00:17:08,493 So how did our system get this shitty? 461 00:17:08,494 --> 00:17:10,004 And whose fault is it? 462 00:17:10,029 --> 00:17:10,863 Is it Elmo's? 463 00:17:10,864 --> 00:17:13,832 The answer's not definitely "no" yet. 464 00:17:13,833 --> 00:17:15,133 But the truth is, 465 00:17:15,134 --> 00:17:17,100 a lot of the system's shortcomings 466 00:17:17,166 --> 00:17:19,386 were the result of deliberate choices. 467 00:17:19,438 --> 00:17:20,472 For one, remember, 468 00:17:20,473 --> 00:17:22,807 businesses fund unemployment insurance, 469 00:17:22,874 --> 00:17:24,976 through taxes that go into state trust funds. 470 00:17:24,977 --> 00:17:26,711 And after the last financial 471 00:17:26,712 --> 00:17:28,222 crisis drained those funds, 472 00:17:28,247 --> 00:17:29,981 states needed to restore them. 473 00:17:30,047 --> 00:17:31,847 But rather than do the sensible thing 474 00:17:31,914 --> 00:17:34,829 raise taxes to get more money coming in... 475 00:17:34,854 --> 00:17:37,222 many opted to instead just cut benefits 476 00:17:37,223 --> 00:17:38,490 and make them harder to get. 477 00:17:38,491 --> 00:17:39,658 And as they did this, 478 00:17:39,659 --> 00:17:41,192 some in the national media 479 00:17:41,193 --> 00:17:45,023 cheered them on, like sentient plantation wedding, Laura Ingraham. 480 00:17:45,089 --> 00:17:46,665 It's simple human nature that 481 00:17:46,666 --> 00:17:48,809 people are a little less motivated 482 00:17:48,834 --> 00:17:50,802 as long as there's a check coming in. 483 00:17:50,803 --> 00:17:52,037 You know what my mom used to say 484 00:17:52,038 --> 00:17:53,838 ...god rest her soul... 485 00:17:53,839 --> 00:17:57,310 When you're hungry, you'll figure out a way to eat. 486 00:17:58,290 --> 00:17:58,878 Right? 487 00:17:58,879 --> 00:18:01,722 Hunger... aah, brings drive, 488 00:18:02,148 --> 00:18:03,791 hunger for opportunity, 489 00:18:03,816 --> 00:18:05,550 hunger for a paycheck, 490 00:18:05,551 --> 00:18:07,695 hunger for actual food, 491 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,988 hunger for a lifestyle, a way of life. 492 00:18:11,691 --> 00:18:14,702 Boy, you find it when there's no helping hand. 493 00:18:14,727 --> 00:18:15,561 Wow. 494 00:18:15,562 --> 00:18:16,961 "When you're hungry, 495 00:18:17,027 --> 00:18:18,964 you'll figure out a way to eat." 496 00:18:18,965 --> 00:18:20,808 Well, sometimes, Laura. 497 00:18:20,833 --> 00:18:22,934 The problem is, sometimes not! 498 00:18:22,935 --> 00:18:24,512 And then it's a tragedy. 499 00:18:24,537 --> 00:18:27,540 There's a reason that famines aren't generally referred to as 500 00:18:27,564 --> 00:18:29,564 "a lack of can-do attitude." 501 00:18:29,575 --> 00:18:30,875 And that kind of rhetoric 502 00:18:30,876 --> 00:18:32,642 has become pretty popular. 503 00:18:32,701 --> 00:18:34,356 Your most racist uncle has 504 00:18:34,381 --> 00:18:36,123 undoubtedly said something similar, 505 00:18:36,148 --> 00:18:37,949 probably to a waitress at Red Lobster, 506 00:18:37,950 --> 00:18:39,617 completely ruining mother's day. 507 00:18:39,676 --> 00:18:42,566 And that speaks to the kind of attitudes toward the unemployed... 508 00:18:42,591 --> 00:18:46,224 ranging from simmering contempt to a callous disregard... 509 00:18:46,225 --> 00:18:48,900 that lie beneath many states' aggressive policy 510 00:18:48,967 --> 00:18:50,729 changes over the past decade. 511 00:18:50,730 --> 00:18:52,873 Starting in 2012, Tennessee 512 00:18:52,898 --> 00:18:54,809 passed laws making the process to apply 513 00:18:54,834 --> 00:18:56,201 far more difficult. 514 00:18:56,202 --> 00:18:58,134 One justification being that somehow, 515 00:18:58,176 --> 00:19:01,458 loads of people ineligible for benefits were still getting them. 516 00:19:01,483 --> 00:19:03,409 Which is complete nonsense, but 517 00:19:03,434 --> 00:19:05,276 something the lieutenant governor back then 518 00:19:05,277 --> 00:19:07,612 Ron Ramsey, certainly believed. 519 00:19:07,613 --> 00:19:10,181 If you were fired from your job for just cause, 520 00:19:10,182 --> 00:19:12,517 maybe even for stealing from your employer 521 00:19:12,518 --> 00:19:15,387 or chronic absenteeism, you shouldn't be able to draw unemployment. 522 00:19:15,388 --> 00:19:18,390 You don't get unemployment insurance if you're fired with cause now. 523 00:19:18,391 --> 00:19:20,558 The law says they're not supposed to, 524 00:19:20,559 --> 00:19:23,529 but, buddy, let me assure you, nine times out of ten 525 00:19:23,554 --> 00:19:25,953 they get their workers comp, or their unemployment. 526 00:19:25,995 --> 00:19:27,833 - I can assure you that's the case. - Nine times out of ten? 527 00:19:27,858 --> 00:19:29,167 I don't know about that, okay. 528 00:19:29,168 --> 00:19:30,021 That was... that was a 529 00:19:30,022 --> 00:19:31,903 Ron Ramsey blanket statement 530 00:19:31,904 --> 00:19:34,039 there, but there are plenty of 531 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,007 examples that they get it. 532 00:19:36,008 --> 00:19:37,375 Oh, yeah! Don't worry... 533 00:19:37,376 --> 00:19:40,478 that's just a classic Ron Ramsey blanket statement. 534 00:19:40,479 --> 00:19:43,281 And you know you're in good hands when a government official 535 00:19:43,282 --> 00:19:45,950 lies enough to warrant a fucking trademark. 536 00:19:45,951 --> 00:19:47,653 Now Ramsey also argued for 537 00:19:47,678 --> 00:19:49,167 drug-testing the unemployed, 538 00:19:49,192 --> 00:19:50,488 saying, I don't think we need 539 00:19:50,489 --> 00:19:52,090 to be supporting that lifestyle 540 00:19:52,091 --> 00:19:53,324 with government money. 541 00:19:53,391 --> 00:19:55,493 Which is not just an obvious 542 00:19:55,494 --> 00:19:56,795 attempt to stigmatize, 543 00:19:56,796 --> 00:19:59,191 it also ignores that drugs are actually 544 00:19:59,257 --> 00:20:00,337 helpful in some jobs. 545 00:20:00,338 --> 00:20:01,954 Like, for instance, this one. 546 00:20:02,025 --> 00:20:03,944 How do you think I talk this fast 547 00:20:03,969 --> 00:20:05,346 about things this depressing? 548 00:20:05,371 --> 00:20:07,902 What do you even think this white void is made out of? 549 00:20:07,973 --> 00:20:11,010 I'm surrounded by weapons-grade cocaine. 550 00:20:11,343 --> 00:20:13,209 And it wasn't just Tennessee... 551 00:20:13,276 --> 00:20:14,409 Lots of states put in new, 552 00:20:14,476 --> 00:20:15,756 onerous requirements, 553 00:20:15,781 --> 00:20:16,948 to make sure that people getting 554 00:20:16,949 --> 00:20:18,883 benefits "deserved" them. 555 00:20:18,884 --> 00:20:22,754 For instance, Nebraska started requiring five "work search" 556 00:20:22,755 --> 00:20:24,322 activities per week, which could 557 00:20:24,323 --> 00:20:27,329 include attending a resume writing class or taking 558 00:20:27,354 --> 00:20:29,554 a civil service exam, but at least two of which 559 00:20:29,620 --> 00:20:31,963 had to be applications for suitable work. 560 00:20:31,964 --> 00:20:35,443 But if there aren't two suitable work opportunities for you to 561 00:20:35,468 --> 00:20:38,535 apply for that week, you're shit out of luck. 562 00:20:38,601 --> 00:20:40,101 And the problem is, each 563 00:20:40,168 --> 00:20:41,406 additional requirement like that 564 00:20:41,407 --> 00:20:42,674 increases the chances 565 00:20:42,675 --> 00:20:44,143 that someone's going to make a mistake, 566 00:20:44,243 --> 00:20:47,946 or fail to check a box, and get denied benefits they need. 567 00:20:47,947 --> 00:20:49,215 And as they were doing this, 568 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,516 states were also aggressively targeting fraud. 569 00:20:51,517 --> 00:20:52,960 Which isn't, in itself, 570 00:20:52,985 --> 00:20:53,919 a bad idea. 571 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:55,688 States do lose money to fraud. 572 00:20:55,830 --> 00:20:59,665 Before the pandemic hit, it wasn't a lot... an average of 3%. 573 00:20:59,690 --> 00:21:02,191 But that actually surged last year, 574 00:21:02,428 --> 00:21:03,962 when organized criminals 575 00:21:03,963 --> 00:21:05,706 targeted unemployment programs, 576 00:21:05,731 --> 00:21:08,700 and California alone said it lost $11 billion. 577 00:21:08,701 --> 00:21:09,840 But the thing is, 578 00:21:09,869 --> 00:21:11,946 you have to be very precise 579 00:21:11,971 --> 00:21:13,581 in how you go after fraud. 580 00:21:13,606 --> 00:21:15,816 Because if a claim is wrongly flagged, 581 00:21:15,841 --> 00:21:17,908 it can be significantly delayed, 582 00:21:17,974 --> 00:21:20,641 and innocent people then get hurt. 583 00:21:20,708 --> 00:21:23,049 That is something Kentucky's governor recently found when he 584 00:21:23,074 --> 00:21:24,525 shared what he clearly thought 585 00:21:24,550 --> 00:21:26,227 was a pretty flagrant example. 586 00:21:26,485 --> 00:21:28,229 We had someone apply for 587 00:21:28,254 --> 00:21:29,830 unemployment for Tupac Shakur 588 00:21:29,855 --> 00:21:31,222 here in Kentucky. 589 00:21:31,289 --> 00:21:32,355 And that person probably thought 590 00:21:32,422 --> 00:21:33,731 they were being funny. 591 00:21:33,859 --> 00:21:35,160 They probably did. 592 00:21:35,161 --> 00:21:36,327 Except for the fact that, 593 00:21:36,328 --> 00:21:38,263 because of them, we've gotta go 594 00:21:38,264 --> 00:21:39,797 through so many other claims. 595 00:21:39,798 --> 00:21:40,599 Okay. 596 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:42,467 He made a very confident, 597 00:21:42,468 --> 00:21:44,469 public example of that, because he knew: 598 00:21:44,470 --> 00:21:46,638 No one could be called Tupac Shakur, right? 599 00:21:46,639 --> 00:21:48,949 That is just not a name the people have. 600 00:21:48,974 --> 00:21:51,110 Except, of course, famously, this guy but we all know, 601 00:21:51,143 --> 00:21:52,987 he's living in the Falkland Islands right now. 602 00:21:53,012 --> 00:21:55,280 No one else could have that name. 603 00:21:55,281 --> 00:21:57,463 It's absolutely impossible. 604 00:21:58,717 --> 00:22:00,705 I think you know what's coming next. 605 00:22:00,799 --> 00:22:03,289 I owe somebody an apology tonight. 606 00:22:04,523 --> 00:22:07,659 Last night, I spent a little bit of time 607 00:22:07,660 --> 00:22:10,328 talking about fraudulent claims holding us up. 608 00:22:10,329 --> 00:22:12,218 I mentioned an individual who 609 00:22:12,285 --> 00:22:14,633 filed in the name of Tupac Shakur. 610 00:22:15,498 --> 00:22:18,970 I didn't know, and it's my fault, 611 00:22:18,971 --> 00:22:22,083 that we have a Kentuckian who goes by Malik, 612 00:22:22,174 --> 00:22:24,442 whose name is Tupac Shakur. 613 00:22:24,443 --> 00:22:27,812 I talked to him on the phone today, I apologized. 614 00:22:27,813 --> 00:22:30,114 Yeah, I bet you did. 615 00:22:30,115 --> 00:22:32,113 And I will say, that's just futher proof 616 00:22:32,138 --> 00:22:33,994 that nothing good can ever come from 617 00:22:34,019 --> 00:22:35,196 a middle-aged white man 618 00:22:35,221 --> 00:22:36,597 knowing anything about rap. 619 00:22:36,622 --> 00:22:37,256 Period. 620 00:22:37,257 --> 00:22:38,832 We just can't handle it. 621 00:22:38,857 --> 00:22:40,291 That's how you get Macklemore. 622 00:22:40,292 --> 00:22:41,693 And if you're thinking, "Hey, 623 00:22:41,694 --> 00:22:43,571 what's so bad about Macklemore?," 624 00:22:43,596 --> 00:22:46,221 you're very much part of the problem here. 625 00:22:46,549 --> 00:22:47,942 And some mistakes happened 626 00:22:47,967 --> 00:22:49,310 on a much bigger scale. 627 00:22:49,335 --> 00:22:52,021 Michigan rolled out a new system in 2013, 628 00:22:52,046 --> 00:22:54,702 which flagged tens of thousands of cases for fraud. 629 00:22:54,740 --> 00:22:59,749 Unfortunately, a review four years later found it had a 70% error rate. 630 00:23:00,112 --> 00:23:01,479 Meaning they'd falsely accused 631 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:03,624 more than 40,000 people 632 00:23:03,649 --> 00:23:05,226 of fraudulently claiming benefits, 633 00:23:05,251 --> 00:23:07,418 and had been wrongfully recouping 634 00:23:07,419 --> 00:23:09,878 massive amounts of money from many of them. 635 00:23:09,903 --> 00:23:11,136 And the problem with the word 636 00:23:11,161 --> 00:23:12,357 "recoup" there is, it sounds 637 00:23:12,358 --> 00:23:13,958 kind of bloodless, until you 638 00:23:14,025 --> 00:23:15,658 realize that those people were 639 00:23:15,725 --> 00:23:17,304 required to repay their benefits 640 00:23:17,329 --> 00:23:20,074 at a 400% penalty. 641 00:23:20,099 --> 00:23:21,809 Which is just brutal. 642 00:23:21,834 --> 00:23:22,934 It's like a hospital 643 00:23:22,935 --> 00:23:24,981 mistakenly thinking a patient wrote a bad check 644 00:23:25,006 --> 00:23:28,349 and deciding to "recoup" their fucking hip replacement. 645 00:23:28,374 --> 00:23:29,074 Hey! 646 00:23:29,075 --> 00:23:30,718 I didn't do anything wrong 647 00:23:30,743 --> 00:23:32,943 and I really needed that! 648 00:23:33,009 --> 00:23:34,178 And if you want to see 649 00:23:34,179 --> 00:23:36,557 how all of this... poor technology, 650 00:23:36,582 --> 00:23:37,715 deep benefit cuts, 651 00:23:37,716 --> 00:23:39,760 and absurd eligibility requirements... 652 00:23:39,785 --> 00:23:43,197 can come together to break a vital social program, 653 00:23:43,222 --> 00:23:45,523 look no further than Florida. 654 00:23:45,524 --> 00:23:47,825 America's vestigial tail. 655 00:23:47,826 --> 00:23:49,260 Florida's previous governor, 656 00:23:49,261 --> 00:23:51,205 and slenderman understudy Rick Scott, 657 00:23:51,230 --> 00:23:54,132 took a hatchet to the state's program while in power. 658 00:23:54,133 --> 00:23:55,433 When he was sworn in, 659 00:23:55,434 --> 00:23:57,278 employers that year paid an average of 660 00:23:57,303 --> 00:24:00,906 $319 per employee in unemployment taxes. 661 00:24:01,140 --> 00:24:02,607 By the time he left office, 662 00:24:02,608 --> 00:24:05,619 they were paying just $50 per employee... 663 00:24:05,644 --> 00:24:07,345 the lowest in the country, 664 00:24:07,346 --> 00:24:10,080 and less than one-fifth the national average. 665 00:24:10,146 --> 00:24:11,549 And to balance those cuts out... 666 00:24:11,550 --> 00:24:15,629 As Scott proudly told a conference of young Republicans in 2019... 667 00:24:15,654 --> 00:24:19,791 he found ways to keep a lot of Floridians off unemployment. 668 00:24:19,792 --> 00:24:22,894 About 22 million people live in Florida. 669 00:24:22,895 --> 00:24:25,286 How many people today, 670 00:24:25,310 --> 00:24:26,898 throw out a guess, 671 00:24:26,899 --> 00:24:30,536 how many people when I left office were on unemployment benefits? 672 00:24:31,488 --> 00:24:32,971 Ten million is one. 673 00:24:34,088 --> 00:24:35,140 Anybody else? 674 00:24:35,741 --> 00:24:37,543 61,000. 675 00:24:42,681 --> 00:24:45,718 Wow, that is some nervous applause. 676 00:24:45,851 --> 00:24:48,018 Even in that room, you can feel 677 00:24:48,084 --> 00:24:50,892 people thinking, "wait, 61,000? 678 00:24:51,056 --> 00:24:52,590 Out of 22 million? 679 00:24:52,591 --> 00:24:54,823 Oh, that feels way too low. 680 00:24:54,889 --> 00:24:56,294 Is what he did terrible? 681 00:24:56,295 --> 00:24:57,595 Are we all terrible? 682 00:24:57,596 --> 00:24:59,430 Aw, never mind, we're clapping now. 683 00:24:59,431 --> 00:25:01,967 Okay, I do feel better when we clap." 684 00:25:02,044 --> 00:25:03,577 Now, to achieve those numbers, 685 00:25:03,609 --> 00:25:06,069 Scott employed all the tactics you've seen. 686 00:25:06,347 --> 00:25:08,716 He started requiring people document contacts 687 00:25:08,741 --> 00:25:10,651 with five employers per week, 688 00:25:10,676 --> 00:25:12,276 reduced total benefits by 689 00:25:12,277 --> 00:25:14,822 slashing the number of weeks you could receive them, and 690 00:25:14,870 --> 00:25:16,147 threw in some extra obstacles, 691 00:25:16,148 --> 00:25:18,092 like requiring applicants to complete a 692 00:25:18,117 --> 00:25:20,383 45-question "skills assessment," 693 00:25:20,450 --> 00:25:22,819 testing their reading, math, and research skills... 694 00:25:22,844 --> 00:25:25,556 a policy so clearly meant to impede access, 695 00:25:25,557 --> 00:25:27,444 the department of labor's civil rights division 696 00:25:27,511 --> 00:25:30,228 determined it violated federal nondiscrimination law. 697 00:25:30,229 --> 00:25:32,206 The state also forced everyone 698 00:25:32,231 --> 00:25:34,341 to file online, and rolled out 699 00:25:34,366 --> 00:25:35,909 an expensive new claims system, 700 00:25:35,942 --> 00:25:37,809 which was immediately plagued with glitches. 701 00:25:37,868 --> 00:25:40,774 And despite all of his reassurances at the time 702 00:25:40,799 --> 00:25:43,842 that they'd be fixed, they clearly weren't, 703 00:25:44,001 --> 00:25:46,744 because the system crashed so badly last year, 704 00:25:46,745 --> 00:25:49,680 they had to suddenly shift to paper applications, which, 705 00:25:49,681 --> 00:25:51,291 in the middle of a pandemic, 706 00:25:51,316 --> 00:25:53,427 brought a whole different set of problems. 707 00:25:53,452 --> 00:25:57,297 It was near Bedlam at the John F. Kennedy library in Hialeah. 708 00:25:57,322 --> 00:25:59,056 A crowd in uncomfortably close 709 00:25:59,122 --> 00:26:00,868 quarters shoved its way forward 710 00:26:00,908 --> 00:26:03,971 with people desperate to get their hands on one of these, 711 00:26:03,996 --> 00:26:06,640 an application for unemployment benefits. 712 00:26:06,665 --> 00:26:08,333 I am so scared. 713 00:26:08,677 --> 00:26:10,803 I'm scared for my life. 714 00:26:10,901 --> 00:26:12,613 Just for an application. 715 00:26:12,638 --> 00:26:16,140 Yeah, I'm scared for your life, too, just watching that. 716 00:26:16,141 --> 00:26:17,642 And it's a testament to both 717 00:26:17,643 --> 00:26:20,154 this pandemic and Florida's ridiculous system 718 00:26:20,179 --> 00:26:22,990 that I feel the same white-knuckle terror 719 00:26:23,015 --> 00:26:25,483 watching people line up for unemployment applications 720 00:26:25,484 --> 00:26:27,318 as I do when watching a daredevil 721 00:26:27,319 --> 00:26:29,454 jump a motorcycle over a row of buses. 722 00:26:29,455 --> 00:26:30,521 Although, to be honest, 723 00:26:30,522 --> 00:26:32,055 it's probably only a matter of time 724 00:26:32,122 --> 00:26:33,801 before Florida makes bus-jumping 725 00:26:33,841 --> 00:26:36,941 a requirement for applying for unemployment there, too. 726 00:26:36,993 --> 00:26:38,296 And while you could argue 727 00:26:38,297 --> 00:26:39,664 that this was just incompetence, 728 00:26:39,665 --> 00:26:40,865 you could also argue 729 00:26:40,866 --> 00:26:42,876 it was completely deliberate. 730 00:26:42,901 --> 00:26:45,768 Many Floridians actually suggested that last year, 731 00:26:45,834 --> 00:26:48,206 one of whom was Rick Scott's successor. 732 00:26:48,207 --> 00:26:49,974 I think the goal was for 733 00:26:49,975 --> 00:26:51,310 whoever designed it was, 734 00:26:51,508 --> 00:26:54,021 let's put as many kind of pointless roadblocks 735 00:26:54,046 --> 00:26:55,746 along the way so people just say, 736 00:26:55,813 --> 00:26:58,016 "oh, the hell with it. I'm not gonna do that." 737 00:26:58,041 --> 00:26:59,417 But I think definitely 738 00:26:59,418 --> 00:27:01,762 in terms of how it was internally constructed, 739 00:27:01,787 --> 00:27:04,198 you know, it was definitely done in a way to 740 00:27:04,223 --> 00:27:07,558 lead to the least number of... of claims being paid out. 741 00:27:07,559 --> 00:27:08,260 Wow. 742 00:27:08,261 --> 00:27:10,826 I gotta say, it's kind of weird to hear this asshole 743 00:27:10,893 --> 00:27:13,040 accurately critique this asshole. 744 00:27:13,065 --> 00:27:14,065 It'd be like hearing 745 00:27:14,066 --> 00:27:15,742 "Twitter really needs to take 746 00:27:15,767 --> 00:27:17,044 care of its Nazi problem" 747 00:27:17,069 --> 00:27:18,203 from Mark Zuckerberg. 748 00:27:18,269 --> 00:27:20,280 Sure, in isolation, 749 00:27:20,305 --> 00:27:21,538 you're making a good point. 750 00:27:21,605 --> 00:27:22,938 You just happen to be a 751 00:27:23,005 --> 00:27:25,143 fundamentally flawed messenger. 752 00:27:25,452 --> 00:27:28,489 Because before you give Desantis too much credit there 753 00:27:28,514 --> 00:27:32,131 it's worth knowing a state investigation found that auditors had flagged problems 754 00:27:32,156 --> 00:27:34,552 with Florida's system in 2015, 755 00:27:34,553 --> 00:27:37,588 2016, and 2019... and 756 00:27:37,589 --> 00:27:41,534 neither the Scott nor Desantis administrations fixed the problems. 757 00:27:41,727 --> 00:27:42,994 And Florida's deep 758 00:27:42,995 --> 00:27:45,906 and deliberate neglect of its unemployment system 759 00:27:45,931 --> 00:27:48,391 caused people there real pain. 760 00:27:48,467 --> 00:27:51,318 If the unemployment claim finally went through, 761 00:27:51,603 --> 00:27:54,705 we'd be able to pay our bills no problem. 762 00:27:54,706 --> 00:27:56,583 But we tried to file for 763 00:27:56,608 --> 00:27:59,419 unemployment online and it was 764 00:27:59,444 --> 00:28:00,711 an absolute nightmare. 765 00:28:00,712 --> 00:28:02,956 I constantly have a nauseous 766 00:28:02,981 --> 00:28:04,616 feeling in my stomach. 767 00:28:05,017 --> 00:28:07,118 I try to distract myself from it 768 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:08,921 but especially at night... 769 00:28:10,228 --> 00:28:12,491 I'm sorry, I can't even put it into words. 770 00:28:14,688 --> 00:28:17,329 I just... I don't want Emmett to see me upset. 771 00:28:17,663 --> 00:28:20,278 I've been fighting really hard to hold it together. 772 00:28:20,303 --> 00:28:21,800 That's terrible. 773 00:28:22,067 --> 00:28:24,035 And the infuriating thing is how 774 00:28:24,036 --> 00:28:25,871 completely preventable it is. 775 00:28:26,038 --> 00:28:27,538 We could help her. 776 00:28:27,539 --> 00:28:28,773 It'd be better for her. 777 00:28:28,774 --> 00:28:31,075 It'd actually be better for the broader economy. 778 00:28:31,076 --> 00:28:32,886 And yet we're actively choosing 779 00:28:32,911 --> 00:28:34,145 not to do it. 780 00:28:34,146 --> 00:28:36,180 Which is a fucking disgrace. 781 00:28:36,267 --> 00:28:39,219 So how can we fix this shit going forward? 782 00:28:39,268 --> 00:28:40,235 Well, first, 783 00:28:40,278 --> 00:28:42,386 there can no longer be any argument 784 00:28:42,387 --> 00:28:44,298 that our current system is broken. 785 00:28:44,323 --> 00:28:46,867 Again, the government's actions last year... 786 00:28:46,892 --> 00:28:48,025 raising payments, 787 00:28:48,026 --> 00:28:49,970 and scrambling to make sure the system 788 00:28:49,995 --> 00:28:51,227 covered more workers... 789 00:28:51,252 --> 00:28:53,197 Is a pretty public admission 790 00:28:53,198 --> 00:28:54,365 that it was fucked. 791 00:28:54,366 --> 00:28:56,200 So now you've got to fix it. 792 00:28:56,201 --> 00:28:57,668 In the very short term, 793 00:28:57,669 --> 00:28:59,536 states need funding to upgrade their 794 00:28:59,603 --> 00:29:00,736 broken technology. 795 00:29:00,803 --> 00:29:02,816 They also need to remove a lot 796 00:29:02,841 --> 00:29:04,075 of the stupid obstacles 797 00:29:04,076 --> 00:29:05,886 that prevent applicants who need help 798 00:29:05,911 --> 00:29:06,678 from getting it. 799 00:29:06,679 --> 00:29:08,112 But in the long term, 800 00:29:08,113 --> 00:29:10,257 we need some big changes. 801 00:29:10,282 --> 00:29:13,384 Many experts agree, if the U.S. got a do-over, 802 00:29:13,385 --> 00:29:16,430 it'd be much better to go with one federal system 803 00:29:16,455 --> 00:29:17,891 than 53 separate ones. 804 00:29:17,916 --> 00:29:20,459 So we should probably do that. 805 00:29:20,588 --> 00:29:23,136 Among other things, that would stop states from being able 806 00:29:23,161 --> 00:29:26,230 to slash their programs in the name of being "pro-business," 807 00:29:26,231 --> 00:29:28,369 and engaging in a race to the bottom on taxes. 808 00:29:28,394 --> 00:29:30,844 But if we're not going to federalize... 809 00:29:30,869 --> 00:29:33,037 and, at the moment, it seems like we're not 810 00:29:33,038 --> 00:29:35,306 congress should at the very least 811 00:29:35,307 --> 00:29:38,752 be setting a basic standard for unemployment benefits 812 00:29:38,777 --> 00:29:40,778 that states cannot drop below. 813 00:29:40,779 --> 00:29:42,881 All of which is a long way of saying 814 00:29:42,914 --> 00:29:44,558 that we need to take all the energy 815 00:29:44,583 --> 00:29:46,250 we've been pouring in 816 00:29:46,251 --> 00:29:49,653 to making sure that people who don't deserve payments, don't get them, 817 00:29:49,654 --> 00:29:51,856 and put at least as much energy 818 00:29:51,857 --> 00:29:55,226 into making sure that people who really need them do. 819 00:29:55,227 --> 00:29:57,561 And to not make big changes 820 00:29:57,562 --> 00:29:59,229 after the flaws of this system 821 00:29:59,296 --> 00:30:01,074 have been so brutally exposed 822 00:30:01,099 --> 00:30:02,500 over the last year would be 823 00:30:02,501 --> 00:30:03,801 unforgivable. 824 00:30:03,802 --> 00:30:05,269 And if we don't fix it, 825 00:30:05,270 --> 00:30:07,848 we've absolutely nobody to blame 826 00:30:07,873 --> 00:30:09,207 but ourselves. 827 00:30:09,341 --> 00:30:11,509 And, possibly, Elmo. 828 00:30:11,510 --> 00:30:12,877 I'm not sure exactly how, 829 00:30:12,878 --> 00:30:16,041 but the whole thing does somehow still seem like his fault. 830 00:30:16,281 --> 00:30:17,657 And now, this. 831 00:30:18,316 --> 00:30:19,251 And now... 832 00:30:19,252 --> 00:30:22,251 Rachael Ray's complicated history with baking. 833 00:30:22,540 --> 00:30:24,387 I find most challenging about 834 00:30:24,454 --> 00:30:26,390 cooking is the discipline of baking. 835 00:30:26,391 --> 00:30:28,235 My older sister is very talented 836 00:30:28,260 --> 00:30:30,359 at it it has been since she was a small girl. 837 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,163 It was really traumatic and 838 00:30:32,164 --> 00:30:34,197 therefore I decided I hate baking. 839 00:30:34,264 --> 00:30:36,597 My sister is a fabulous baker. 840 00:30:36,663 --> 00:30:38,469 When I was a little girl, for my 841 00:30:38,470 --> 00:30:39,770 mom's birthday, I tried to make 842 00:30:39,771 --> 00:30:41,748 her favorite cake, a lemon cottage cake, 843 00:30:41,773 --> 00:30:43,408 a recipe for me '50s. 844 00:30:44,810 --> 00:30:47,111 I tiptoed around my house in my sox 845 00:30:47,112 --> 00:30:48,146 the case never rose, 846 00:30:49,548 --> 00:30:50,791 I cried for hours. 847 00:30:51,516 --> 00:30:53,184 I had nothing to give her for my birthday. 848 00:30:53,185 --> 00:30:54,552 My sister is the baker in the family. 849 00:30:54,553 --> 00:30:56,153 One Christmas, I made all these 850 00:30:56,220 --> 00:30:58,120 cookies, they each had different 851 00:30:58,187 --> 00:31:00,500 personality, and the two dogs 852 00:31:00,525 --> 00:31:01,759 came in and ate the whole tray. 853 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:04,528 The dog came in, ate all of them. 854 00:31:04,529 --> 00:31:06,640 I am a terrible baker. 855 00:31:06,665 --> 00:31:08,065 My sister is the baker in the family 856 00:31:08,066 --> 00:31:09,142 I hate to baker. 857 00:31:09,167 --> 00:31:11,236 My sister is the designated baker. 858 00:31:13,211 --> 00:31:14,344 Baking makes me grumpy. 859 00:31:14,411 --> 00:31:16,550 I tried to bake cookies one year, 860 00:31:17,688 --> 00:31:19,419 I was the most miserable person, 861 00:31:19,444 --> 00:31:21,880 nobody wanted to be there on Christmas because I was there. 862 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,025 I made so many Christmas cookies a couple years ago. 863 00:31:25,050 --> 00:31:27,583 My husband tried to leave me if I ever did it again. 864 00:31:27,650 --> 00:31:28,783 I suck at baking. 865 00:31:28,850 --> 00:31:30,983 My sister is the baker. 866 00:31:31,050 --> 00:31:32,583 I'm not a very good baker. 867 00:31:32,650 --> 00:31:34,950 My sister is a better baker. 868 00:31:35,017 --> 00:31:38,238 Me here that you not love to bake. 869 00:31:38,263 --> 00:31:39,417 Do you ever cook? 870 00:31:39,483 --> 00:31:40,350 I baked. 871 00:31:40,417 --> 00:31:42,517 My sister is a fabulous baker 872 00:31:42,583 --> 00:31:43,683 I am so envious. 873 00:31:43,750 --> 00:31:45,136 I'm a terrible baker. 874 00:31:45,137 --> 00:31:47,338 My sister is a fabulous baker. 875 00:31:47,339 --> 00:31:48,773 My sister is a baker. 876 00:31:49,508 --> 00:31:50,642 My sister is a baker. 877 00:31:51,710 --> 00:31:52,677 I don't bake. 878 00:31:52,678 --> 00:31:54,441 I hate baking! 879 00:31:54,721 --> 00:31:56,881 This is my sister, this is 880 00:31:56,882 --> 00:31:58,083 Maria. 881 00:31:58,925 --> 00:31:59,979 Hello. 882 00:32:08,793 --> 00:32:10,628 That's our show. Thanks so much for watching. 883 00:32:10,629 --> 00:32:12,005 We'll see you next week. Good night. 884 00:32:12,630 --> 00:32:15,041 Oh, no, no, not again. 885 00:32:16,301 --> 00:32:17,434 Come on. 886 00:32:17,501 --> 00:32:18,545 Stop it. 887 00:32:18,570 --> 00:32:20,138 Please, stop it. 888 00:32:21,673 --> 00:32:23,239 I really don't want the Internet 889 00:32:23,306 --> 00:32:24,909 to have access to this image. 890 00:32:24,910 --> 00:32:26,453 Please stop it. 891 00:32:27,146 --> 00:32:28,989 I will say the song's slaps. 892 00:32:29,014 --> 00:32:30,282 The song is fine.