LftS Current Events

Today we are going to continue to lean in on the treasonous insurrection and the logic trying to excuse it, the idiocy that made it possible and the sedition that pushed it. This was a serious occurrence and I’ve got more to say, but let's also get into the response democrats are pushing regarding new domestic terrorism laws, republicans like Mitch McConnell finally breaking ranks, and security during the Biden Inauguration.

First show back from the break and 2020 decided to continue into 2021. That was expected given that Donald Trump lost the election. No intros, outros, transitions, or fluff, let's talk about it.

While it can’t be overstated that local elections have a much more direct impact on the day to day life of the average American, it also can’t be dismissed that presidential elections capture the nation's attention in a way that isn’t quite seen anywhere else. With that being said and with COVID still being a thing, we decided to have a show answering questions. We decided to boil the questions down to a list of 7 questions that we feel cover the bulk of all the things we were asked about.

We just wanted to take the moment to let you know that new content is coming but we couldn't really predict how the elections were going to unfold so we decided to wait and see. Be safe out there, things are getting hectic and people are getting violent.

We are going to try something a bit different for this show although not different for the show in general. If you recall when we used to do the Tuesday shows, we had shows called “Trending Tuesday” where we covered the top 10 trending topics according to google. Well today we are going to talk about some of the more popular or interesting news stories over the past week. We are going to be covering the VP debate tonight, COVID situations in the White House and around the country, a concern about Facebook being broken up, health workers addicted to drugs, New York is closing, California has stipulations on opening, Drinking is on the rise, and Harvey Weinstein has not yet finished falling.

A lot happened this week, but in addition to continuing into HR 748, we are also going to be talking a little bit about the congressional battle to pass more COVID Relief measures, and COVID appearing in the first family with both Donald Trump and his wife Melania both testing positive.

We are back to trying our mid-week shows. With enough support we can make this permanent so definitely take the time to show your support by subscribing, sharing, and liking, and interacting with this content. Getting into it, Trump has given us a lot to talk about this week, from the debate last night, to his taxes, and to the meat and potatoes of what this show is going to be about, his platinum plan. So let’s get into it.

This episode of Lessons from the Screen we are into part 19 of HR 748 which covers the Office of the Special Inspector General of Pandemic Recovery and Congressional Oversight amongst other things.

This episode of Lessons from the Screen we are into part 18 of the series on the largest stimulus package in US history and this week we are talking about Title 4 which focuses on economic stabilization and assistance. We are also going to be getting into political parties and which one has been better for Black People. What do you think about that, leave a comment.

This episode of Lessons from the Screen we are continuing with HR 748. This is part 17 of the series on the largest stimulus package in US history and this week we are talking about Title 4 which focuses on economic stabilization and assistance. We will also be talking a bit about President Trump's recent recording with regards to knowingly false statements that he made to the public during official government events geared towards giving information to the public. What do you think about that, leave a comment.

This episode of Lessons from the Screen takes us back to our block as we finish up title 3 of HR 748. But we are also going to spend a bit of time at the end talking about the payroll tax deferment plan that many of you have been asking me about. Tune in! Let me know what you think about the tax deferment plan and what’s your take on the user fees in this episode? Remember to share these episodes, like these episodes, and subscribe to this podcast! If you want to reach out to us with comments or suggestions you can email us at [email protected]

During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to take another break from analyzing HR 748 to have a heartfelt conversation. I’ve been getting asked more and more by my listeners to have shows giving my take on what’s happening as a direct conversation/opinion piece, so I figure let's give it a try. Today I have boiled down the list of questions that I usually get during conversations and phone calls into 3 topics: mental health during corona, injustice and fighting for equality, and the political climate.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 15

I know I said I’d be dropping a video this week, but that didn’t happen for various reasons so we are going to aim for next week. I want the video to be quality and to enhance the way the information is consumed not to just be a video. That being said, we still have a lot to get into with this show as we take on part 1 of subtitle F covering Over-The-Counter Drugs and their review. The world however is continuing to move through the pandemic and the upcoming election returned to prevalence as Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 14

Continuing the journey we are moving into the part 3 and 4 of subtitle E of HR 748. But talks have collapsed surrounding a second round of stimulus payments from another large bailout bill that was making its way through congress. With the stop-dates for a lot of the benefits in HR 748 rapidly approaching that could spell disaster. That disaster is especially disturbing considering Covid cases are continuing to rise and children are now getting infected at a much higher clip than we saw in the earlier stages. Today we are going to continue our discussion on HR 748 while also talking about some of the other things going on in America in this episode of Lessons from the Screen.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 13

Talks of another stimulus check are gaining major steam, deaths and infections continue to surge as official began to reverse course and go back into lock down mode, and even President Trump has reversed course when it comes to COVID restarting the white house COVID briefings. China and the USA both closed embassies as tensions continue to rise. The global recession continues with signs of getting worse. Needless to say, there continues to be a lot to talk about, but we are going to continue to talk about HR 748 the Cares Act. On this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are getting into part 1 and Part 2 of Subtitle E covering Medicare Provisions as a part of a group of HHS extensions.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 12

Today we finish up with the section on the Finance Committee. There are several noteworthy things that have happened in the past week however. Harvard and MIT are suing the Trump administration for its guidelines regarding international students, something that will have a big impact on higher education. The CDC has come under fire for their recommendations regarding the opening of schools. Covid cases continue to rise and Trump is now flexible on his convention format. The Supreme Court has also issued several interesting decisions. One that opens the door for states to punish electoral voters that refuse to vote the direction of the popular election, another that rejects Trump’s claim of absolute immunity from criminal investigation, and another that essentially sent congresses request for enforcement of its financial subpoenas to a lower court. The news cycles have shifted away from the protest that seem to have lost focus and back onto other matters, despite a number of hangings of Black People (some of which have been deemed suicides). But we have not lost focus, that’s why in this episode of Lessons from the Screen we continue to ask, what the hell imma do with that!?!

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 11

This week we are continuing our trek, but we are past the halfway point. Hopefully, that is also true with regard to the presidency of Donald J. Trump. Not only has COVID caused an end to the ever-growing streak of economic growth, but it also has seemingly disrupted Donald Trump’s ability to be impervious to any measures of accountability. Iran has issued a warrant for his arrest regarding the drone attack months back that killed Iranian General Soleimani, something that we talked about in a show dedicated to that incident when it happened. Trump’s niece has published a book about Trump and her publishing company won the right to distribute it. John Bolton has also finally published his book after several attempts to have it blocked by the White House. His war on social media has also been taken up a notch as multiple platforms have taken down his post or issued corrections and fact-checking messages, meanwhile he has tried to repeal protections for social media and has threatened to take them down. He has also stated that he is using his power to slow the rate of testing in America amid a growing surge of new COVID cases following states reopening and protest continuing.

The single-day record for new cases was broken twice by America last week with estimates that it’s going to continue to rise. The protest themselves have turned a corner and have seemingly finished shedding their racial beginnings to now be the new version of the Occupy Movement, LGBT Rights, and Police Reform in general. Not that I have a problem with any of those things, but it does mean that Black People are once again placed on the back burner. All in all, it’s been a busy week, but let’s continue to get into our show in the 2 trillion dollar stimulus package.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 10

We are on and into Labor Provisions this week. But before we get into that, protests are continuing however the focus seems to be shifting from racial equality to something akin to the occupy movements of the early 2010s. New threats loom as the benefits from this very COVID Package begin to end and states start opening up. Not only has there been a spike in COVID cases but there is also concern that evictions are about to be on the rise for many in low-income areas as the freeze on evictions ends. Politics continues to get even more swampy as America continues to just overall not even be interested in pretending to care about some of the various serious issues that need to be taken care of. But on a positive note, this show is almost at 150,000 for the year so make sure you are sharing and talking about how awesome the show is. For those of you that want to get me something for Father’s Day, you can go to amazon and by my book, “The Chasm” as it's a non-fiction book looking at Black Men and Women and how they have experienced America. But let's get into it ...

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 9

As the protest continues, I’m hoping everyone does their best to be safe while making their voices heard. Regardless of how you feel about the movement, this particular movement is having a bigger impact than any of the other movements in the past few decades. That is because lots of reports are starting to show the second wave of COVID that might end up causing the swell that overwhelms the American Medical System. The numbers were already creeping back up with states opening up prematurely as we now know, but these protests have potentially taken transmission to another level in a situation where people have simply not been protecting themselves. To be clear I am not speaking against the protesters, I believe you can protest and be safe at the same time. As has already been mentioned, the numbers were starting to rise before the protest began. But that’s why it’s important that in this episode we get back to the Cares Act with it’s $2 Trillion price tag. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are getting into part 2 of the Education Provisions.

Hedge Your Bets

The death of one person is seldom noticed by the world, more than 150K people die each and every day. More than 7,000 of those deaths occur in America on any given day. 100s are killed each day due to gun violence. Even when it comes to the Black People losing their lives at the hands of cops we are looking at a number that some claim to be as high as 2 or 3 times per day. While the exact numbers can be disputed, what can’t be disputed is that Black People are far more likely to be killed at the hands of the police than White People in any circumstance and 99% of the time those police officers face no charges. As I said earlier, the death of one person is seldom noticed by the world, and that is still the case, but the trail of deaths in addition to the actions and rhetoric of high ranking American officials have caused the rest of the world to take notice of a glaring contradiction in America. A video of a Black Human being brutally and mercilessly murdered by a police officer that was ignoring his pleas has seemingly caught the attention of the entire world, and the protests have been ongoing and relentless. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen Patrick is going to share his thoughts and send his message of support to the protesters on the front lines.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 8

Things keep on going, the CDC declared that covid can’t survive as well on surfaces as they once thought. Trump continues giving bad advice and doing everything he can to downplay how bad things are in America and his role in making them that way. Vaccines are well into human trials. The cold war between China and the US continues to heat up (or get colder). Hong Kong has retaking a bit of time in the global news cycle. And Lessons from the screen continues its trek through HR 748 aka 2 Trillion Damn Dollars.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 7

This week we are going to continue our push. As the governments around the world are starting to see cases rise again after reopening, states here in America are also executing a phased reopening but thus far it’s too early to tell if it was a good idea or a bad idea. Reports continue to surface about the politics influencing (or attempting to anyway) the science as healthcare officials all over the nation are making statements about political pressure to report lower numbers. The political war between China and the US is still going as propaganda and rhetoric pick up. There is also talk of a second round of stimulus payments as the house passed a program that would give households $1500 per person up to $6000. With all that said, on this episode we are going to continue moving forward going into part 3 and 4 or title 3 finishing up Subtitle A.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 6

Part 6 in the series on the stimulus package, we are going to be going through Part 2 of Title 3 in HR 748 the CARES act. This section covers access to Health Care for COVID-19 Patients. As the list of symptoms continue to get longer, the virus continues to mutate, and previously safe places experience a resurgence in viral cases, this section is more important than ever. It is important to note that the virus is now having an increased effect on children causing immune overdrive conditions that can and have resulted in death.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt 5

As we start into the 3rd title and the 5th show in this series, we also take note of the many things that are currently going on. Kim Jong Un has returned to the public after being missing and many suspecting he may be sick or dead. China and America continue their cold war in another display of the cyclical battle between the emergent power and the old power. Covid-19 continues its rapid spread across the globe even as many countries and states begin to re-open or talk about reopening. Disadvantaged communities in America also continue to show an over-representation in the numbers of the infected and dead. People are attacking and killing each other over minor disputes as tensions continue to be high.

One thing that I will get into with all that’s going on right now is a recent conversation I had with a couple of people who I respect immensely regarding the natural occurrence of viruses. But with all that and more happening we will move into Title 3 covering changes and support for the Health Care System as we continue to see what you can buy with 2 trillion damn dollars!

2 Trillion Dollars !?! Pt.4

There continues to be a lot to talk about. Covid’s effects on the brain, a second wave, Trump’s continued crazy medical advice and the effects of his daily briefs are all on the list. Along with the renewed interest in Joe Biden’s assault allegation, the disappearance of North Korea’s Leader, the continuing spread of Covid-19, and the spreading protest of the government lock down. But we still have a job to do, and that job remains getting through the most expensive piece of legislation in American History, so we continue with part 4 of $2 Trillion damn dollars, what can you buy with that.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt. 3

Even with a second round of stimulus incoming and the effects of this stimulus starting to be shown through botched payments and failed systems, we have to continue to digest the most significant piece of legislation to come into law in recent memory and in terms of cost we could say one of the most significant ever. So we are going to be continuing the second title of HR 748, the CARES Act, covering the stimulus, retirements, charitable contributions and more.

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt. 2

TITLE II—ASSISTANCE FOR AMERICAN WORKERS, FAMILIES, AND BUSINESSES
Subtitle A—Unemployment Insurance Provisions

Continuing what we started last week, this week we are talking about the second title of HR 748 or the CARES Act aka 2 trillion damn dollars!

2 Trillion Dollars!?! Pt. 1

The Beast is here! Today we start our series looking into the largest stimulus package in American History. For once Trump can say he signed the biggest bill into law in American History and not have the fact checkers start twitching. As Covid-19 continues to spiral out of control here in the US, a 3rd bill has become law centered on getting the country through this intact. We talked about the money in the last 2 laws, both of those pale in comparison to the $2 trillion dollars at work here. But at more than 850 pages, there is a lot more going on than simply stimulating the economy. At that is what we are going to be digging into. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be looking at HR 748 aka the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

Families First Coronavirus Response

We are getting back into it this week. 2 weeks ago on March 18th, HR 6201 or The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was put in place. While I know the message we released Sunday said we were going to be talking about this law and the historic stimulus package. We decided that these bills are too important to try to cram together or rush through, and seeing as how the stimulus package is over 850 pages we decided to take our time with that. So this episode is going to be solely focused on the First Families Act and what it does. If we have enough time to put together a quality episode, we will see you Wednesday with the first episode of our series on the stimulus package, if not, then we will be at you on Saturday. But be sure, this law that we are covering today is filled with things that you are going to want to know.

COVID-19 Update

As Covid-19 continues to spread across the globe, things have ticked up here in America as well. As of Friday the number of cases stood at 1629 with 41 deaths. 46 states and the District of Columbia have reported cases and over 1300 of those cases are still under investigation as to how the person got infected. State governments have taken it upon themselves to start ramping up their own healthcare toolkits in order to treat a growing crisis while the federal government up until recently was employing the I have a dream approach to the issue. But after weeks of negative press, the federal government is finally beginning to wake up and move to support the efforts of local officials. The NBA has shut down, the NCAA has shut down, school districts and universities have closed, and caps on group sizes have been imposed across the country. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be looking at the 2 pieces of legislation pushed by the federal government, some myths that are popping up, and our thoughts in general as we give another update on Covid-19.

A Look at the Democratic Primary

During this show we take a look at the Democratic Primary now that the number of candidates is reasonable. The primary question of this show:

Can any of these people defeat Donald Trump?

Using the latest debate from Las Vegas, Nevada, we take a look at the overall party and how the candidates are conducting themselves during this stage of the election.

Updates & State of the Union

The Coronavirus continues to surge infecting more than 35,000 people worldwide and killing 805 including 1 American in Wuhan. President Trump is acquitted in the senate and goes on a retaliatory firing spree. Those are the updates, but the meat of the show is the 2020 State of the Union address given by Donald Trump this past week. Patrick Irvine leans in going over the first 50+ lies in the address.

Coronavirus & Impeachment Update

Today we have an update show for the Coronavirus that continues to spread at an alarming rate and the Impeachment of Donald Trump. Both of these events are continuing to develop and both of these events are history making. Tune in and share your thoughts!

Wuhan Coronavirus

2019 brought a lot back into focus. It was like the throwback Thursday of the 2010s. Beyond just bringing back ideologies, policies, and overt hostilities, it also brought back various diseases, one of which seems to make its rounds every year and roughly every 10 years in a really dangerous form. We are talking about the coronavirus that is spreading rapidly across the globe. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be taking a look at the most modern form of the disease better known as SARS.

FW: Iran, Ukraine, Impeachment

Iran and Ukraine are at the heart of 2 of the most significant political situations in America today regarding foreign Affairs, separate issues that have become intertwined. Impeachment however is the most significant political situation in America today period, and Ukraine is right at the heart of that as well. On this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be free wheeling on these topics. You guys said you liked the free wheeling shows, so we are going to do more of them. At our heart though, we like researching and bringing information, so we will try to blend the two together for future shows to see what kind of mix we get.

Iranian Assassination

On January 3, 2020, just as we were getting warmed up to the new year, Trump decided he would say hello to his good friends in the Middle East by sending a drone to assassinate the Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and several other Iraqi military officials. The strike happened as Soleimani was leaving his flight into Iraqi in order to deliver a message from Iran to Iraq regards request made. Since the strike, Iran has completely backed out of the nuclear deal, Iraq has said they want US troops to leave their country, and militia groups all over the region have sworn revenge on the US. Back in August of 2019 we did a show looking at the history of the United States relationship with Iran, in this show we are going to be looking at who Qasem Soleimani was, why he was assassinated, and what this means for the Middle East and the US.

Space Force

In early 2018 President Trump in a speech announced to the world his intentions on supporting the creation of a Space Force. While many of us shrugged it off as a joke or a lie (depending on your view of the president) he was dead serious on capitalizing on the work that had been done in the years prior. Discussions on the establishment of a space force have been going on for decades in small circles and behind closed doors, but by 2020 a space force will be the 6th operational branch of the US Military. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be looking at the United States Space Force.

Thoughts on Current Events

Trying something new this week, host Patrick Irvine shares some of his thoughts on current events. Tune in and tell us what you think.

Kurds, Turkey, and the US

Earlier this week, on the order of Donald Trump US troops were pulled from Syria and the embedded positions they held with Kurdish Forces (if you recall from the show we did in April of 2018, which will be linked below, the Kurds have been strong allies of the US helping to fight terrorism in the region). After US troops had been removed from their positions, US NATO ally Turkey rolled in and rolled over Kurdish forces going as far as 30 miles deep into syria in an operation that is being reported to have been green lit by the US. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we will be looking at the history between the Kurds and Turkey, why the US pulled out, what has happened since the pull out, and more. Today we will be talking about The US, Turkey, and the Kurds.

The Vaping Crisis

On October 1st the CDC, FDA, and numerous other health departments and organizations announced a nationwide investigation into an outbreak of lung injuries that have been associated with vaping. For years vaping has spread through the US as a substitute for smoking cigarettes, a way to stop smoking cigarettes, a way to take marijuana, and as a cool recreational tool. in the last few years, we have also seen vaping being utilized by teenagers in increasing fashion. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be taking a look at the Vaping Outbreak.

Impeachment

Scandal after scandal, through broken laws, rules, norms, and traditions Donald Trump’s presidency has seemed unassailable. The Republican party has been overtaken by an extreme wing of “alt-righters” that are dead set on defending Trump regardless of what he does. The Democratic party has been at war with itself as the far left fights with the moderate and conservative left on how to deal with Trump. This is creating a disunified front incapable of doing anything. With all of that going on, Trump has managed to reshape the Judicial and Executive Branches of government into extensions of his will by filling them with partisan persons and going around the official appointment channels where ever possible. Surviving campaign finance issues, lying to the media and the public, instructing others to lie under oath to congress, interfering in multiple investigations, potentially using pardons as a political tool, and encouraging other countries to interfere in US elections, his presidency faces a new challenge that has people seriously talking impeachment: pressuring Ukraine to investigate the son of a political opponent. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be talking about impeachment.

Hong Kong

Following the proposal of the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation in February of 2019, a series of protest swept through Hong Kong that continues to this day. The bill would have made it possible to detain and extradite people accused of criminal acts to countries that Hong Kong does not currently have extradition agreements with. The bill was proposed because the Hong Kong government wanted to close a loophole that was allowing a Hong Kong man that had killed his girlfriend in Taiwan (a place with no agreement) to go without trial. However the people of Hong Kong felt like the bill went too far and placed their autonomy at risk giving too much power to China. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we will be taking a look at the relationship between Hong Kong and China, the bill, and the protest raging on and spreading across the globe.

Kid, Truck, Society

Lessons from the Screen is back after a slew of situations preventing the release of new episodes. In this return show which also happens to be the last show of Mental Health Awareness Month on the Freedom Train Network, we are going to be talking a terrible tragedy and the communities response to it.

Iran

Despite having no formal diplomatic relations since the 1980s, Iran and the United States can’t seem to get enough of each other. That love to hate relationship was cranked up another level with the withdrawal of the US from a Nuclear Deal, the reimposing of sanctions, and the increased economic pressure the United States has been placing on other countries forcing them not to deal with Iran. As powder continues to be added to the keg, it seems like every day we inch closer to a military conflict with Iran. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be looking at the 65-year history and the growing issues between Iran and the United States.

ACA Under Fire!

Many of us thought that after the last challenge to the Affordable Care Act was defeated, it would finally just be accepted as the law of the land. President Trump said as much after his republican cohorts in congress failed to repeal it and failed to construct a suitable template for a replacement. But that should have been one of all of our strongest indicators that it was not going to be allowed to exist and that they would not simply seek to plug the holes and build on it, Donald Trump’s words usually only carry the impact of a future assurance that the opposite will eventually happen. Therefore, when he announced that the ACA was the law of the land, we should have been expecting it to be challenged more severely. Well, that challenge is here, and it looks to be the most significant challenge to date with a very high chance of having the entire law thrown out for being unconstitutional. In the episode of Lessons from the Screen, we will be looking at the current challenge to the Affordable Care Act.

July Fourth

The questions remain, what does July Fourth mean to Black People and what has been done to change that meaning? Just like last year, we want you to think about these questions and more as you listen to Douglass's Speech on the Fourth of July.

Brands vs Generics

We are at this moment in the middle of a crisis. Drug prices are simply out of control and super-bugs are on the rise making drugs less effective. However, out of control prices are the first issue of concern right now because millions of people have to make do without the drugs they need because they cannot afford them. Enter generics, the low-cost option for those that cannot afford expensive brand name drugs. However, before we get super excited about generics we have to ask the question, do they work. On this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to be looking primarily at that question, but we are also going to be digging into the process of how generics are made, approved, and brought to market.

Black Women Celebration Profiles Pt. 3 2019

During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be looking at the Women that have been profiled thus far highlighting the fact that everyone can make up their minds to do something beneficial for the community and have an impact. It doesn’t matter whether you get famous or not, it simply matters what you are doing.

Black Women Celebration Profiles Pt. 2 2019

Black Women Celebration Profiles 2019

Sudan

The turmoil happening in Venezuela while definitely extreme is not totally unique when the extremeness of the situation is removed. A less extreme but potentially more explosive situation is occurring right now in Sudan. Most of us are somewhat familiar with Sudan with the southern portion of it becoming a separate nation in July of 2011. This made South Sudan the first new country to come into existence in Africa since Eritrea split from Ethiopia in 1993. But as of this moment, the Sudanese Military is in the middle of a tense standoff with civilian protesters after deposing longtime leader Omar al-Bashir. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be talking about what’s going on in Sudan and how we got here.

Measles and Vaccines

In 2000 the US declared itself Measles free. Thanks to a measles vaccine that had proven to be very effective at preventing the spread of the disease, measles went from infecting 3 to 4 million people per year to infecting less than 100 in 2005. But the disease won’t fully go away and the numbers of the infected have begun to rise. We are currently experiencing outbreaks of various levels in more than 25 states some of which have declared a state of emergency. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to be getting into what the measles is, what it can do to you, and why it isn’t going away.

Venezuela

A country that has seen more than 3 million of its 30 million people fleeing as refugees. A country with an inflation level currently at 2.6 million percent (and expected to reach 10 million percent at some point this year if things continue). A country that has had to change its currency 3 times in the last 10 years to combat inflation. Which you’d have to do if a 99 cent pack of gum all of a sudden cost $25,000 which is roughly what 2.6 million percent inflation looks like (for further reference, imagine that same $1 pack of gum costing $100,000 and you are now thinking about 10 million percent inflation). A country that has 2 presidents fighting for power and has become another staging ground for the ongoing standoffs between China, the US, and Russia. In 2017 some sources say that the average Venezuelan lost 24 pounds of body weight and 90% of the people live in poverty. On this episode of lessons from the screen we are going to be talking Venezuela, how did we get here, and what can we learn from it.

The Mats Rule

On December 27, 2018, during the middle of the government shutdown that continues, the EPA issued a proposed rule change that would revise the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, aka the MATS rule. This rule put in place by the Clean Air Act of 2018 required air emissions from various places to be monitor and to have harmful substances removed from their exhaust. During this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to dive into what that all means and how it affects us as well as what we can do about it.

2018 Election Results

So the results are a mixed bag, and while the majority of the news coverage has been explaining that mixed bag. Today on lessons from the screen we are going to talk about what this mixed bag means for us as Black People. We are going to be talking about the 3 governors races, what the difference between the house and senate are on the federal level, and what it means to be a race of people that live predominantly in red states while identifying politically with liberals. We are also going to be talking about some of the common misconceptions surrounding voting and the American government. We have a full plate on our return show, so let's dig in.

The Long Game

With the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, Republicans have effectively consolidated power for the next few decades on the supreme court, effectively gaining control of the judicial branch far into the future. At this point, they have control of all three branches of government on the federal level. The 33 governors mansions that are lived in by republicans effectively give them executive power at the local level in roughly 70% of the nation. 31 State Governments are controlled by Republicans, with 26 states being totally controlled by Republicans compared to just 8 for Democrats and the rest have a combination of mismatching governors and legislators. By these measures, they have near total control of the American Political Establishment with Democrats being opposition virtually in name only.

While it is true that this could change next month and Democrats could take control of the legislative branch, Republican power has still been locked in and will take years to unseat. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to talk about how the Republicans managed to go from the party of Civil Rights to the party of States Rights (which has become code for having the personal freedom to mistreat and abuse others in a lot of circles). The party that while only making up 25% of the population, controls the nation.

Rape Culture

For the last 3 years, we have been engaged in an ongoing discussion about sexual violence. What started with the popularization of the term rape culture moved into street harassment and then transitioned into the #metoo movement. But it’s all still a part of rape culture. Throughout all of this change, we have seen women coming forward in record numbers to talk about their experiences. We have focused, rightfully so, on empowering women and removing the stigmas they face as they come forward. But as with all movements, there are dark places hidden in the light, and rape culture is as deeply embedded into American Society as Racism. Some of the very same tenets that potentially make someone a rapist also make them successful.

We also have to reconcile that even with all this focus on sexual assault, plenty of known perpetrators are still moving seamlessly through the halls of power. Donald Trump was elected president even after he admitted with his own mouth to being a sexual assaulter. Now Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s supreme court nominee is facing sexual allegations of his own. However, it looks like he will still ascend to the highest court in the land regardless of whether he did it or not. As with Trump, a slew of women support Kavanaugh and they too are making their voices heard.

Then, further in the back, we have men who have been assaulted, these men find themselves in the same space that women found themselves in decades ago. Afraid to come forward, ridiculed and teased when they do, and very often met with disbelief. These shades are all part of what we call rape culture, and in this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we are going to dive right in.

Weather Forecasting

Meteorologists are the scientist involved in weather forecasting and understanding, they are also tasked with delivering the bad news about a 400-mile wide force of nature carrying 150+ mph winds and tons of gallons of water directly towards you and your family. But they aren’t always accurate according to many and things are almost never as bad as they make them out to be, again, according to many. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we are going to take a look at weather forecasting, when did it start, how did it become a part of the news, what they are actually doing, and why they seem to be hyped for nothing.

Appointments & Confirmations

Congress has a duty to advice and consent. This duty of Congress to Advice and Consent has been and will probably continue to be under the limelight with every appointment made by a president following President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. A nomination that the Senate simply refused to Advice and Consent on leading to him not even getting a hearing. Today on lessons from the screen we are going to be looking at Advice and Consent and the history of confirmation hearings in the United States. Which is again creating interest with the fast-moving appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the supreme court by Donald Trump.

Mental Health Biology

Last show we talked about stress and its impact on us and throughout the month we have gone through various components of mental health. But one still remains, Biology. Sometimes your mental health fails or begins to deteriorate and there actually is a biological component causing it. During this show we are going to be talking about what that could be, and if there is anything that we can do about it.

Stress

Having talked about some of the more common mental disorders and what it means to be healthy, it becomes necessary to also talk about the most critical factor in health: stress. Stress management should be at the core of everyone's attempt to get healthy and remain healthy. Most of the mental health disorders we talked about are exacerbated by stress, many physical ailments are caused or made worse by stress, and in our modern world, it is nearly impossible to live a life that is stress-free. In this episode of lessons from the screen we are going to spend the entire time talking about stress, what is it, what does it do, how does it affect you, and how can you manage it.

Mental Health Disorders 2

Last show we started the mental health disorder show by looking at disorders in the anxiety, mood, psychotic, eating, impulse and addition control, personality, and post-traumatic stress categories. This week we are going to continue to define some of the more common disorders as we prepare the way for our solution based conversations later. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we continue our look at psychological disorders.

Mental Health Disorders

We’ve looked at what mental health is, we’ve looked at the disparities and issues with getting mental health services in the community, now it's time to look at what mental health disorders are and the symptoms they present. Because out of the top 7 barriers to treatment, only 1 has anything to do with issues not related to personal beliefs or societal fear.

40% of black people don’t get treatment because they are in denial, 38% are embarrassed or ashamed, 31% flat out refuse, 29% lack money or insurance, 17% are just plain scared, 17% don’t know what to do, and 12% are just hopeless. We are going to get to what can be done but right now we are still in the process of defining the problem. Because we believe that once the problem is thoroughly defined and identified, real steps can be taken towards solving it.

What is Mental Health

This week on Lessons from the Screen we will not be taking the traditional angle with regards to mental health, that angle being focusing on all the ailments and potential services. We will be focusing on what mental health actually means, what does it mean to be mentally healthy. we feel like the mental health conversation can’t be had until this simple narrative is understood. In this Episode we will be answering a simple question, what is mental health.

Trending Tuesday 7/24/2018

This week on Trending Tuesday We will take a look at the top 10 trending topics according to Google Searches. Addition to a bonus listing from the week prior. Today being the 24th of July we will be going over the top 10 and giving you some insight as to whether or not we think these stories are worth your time based on whether or not we feel that they have a potential impact on your life and of course our own bias and interest. This Trending Tuesday we will be looking at the following topics:

Trending Tuesday 7/17/2018

This week on Trending Tuesday We will take a look at the top 10 trending topics according to Google Searches. Addition to a bonus listing from the week prior. Today being the 17th of July we will be going over the top 10 and giving you some insight as to whether or not we think these stories are worth your time based on whether or not we feel that they have a potential impact on your life and of course our own bias and interest.

The Age of Synthetic Biology

Matters have come to such a point that the Department of Defense ordered a study to review the field of synthetic biology and the report has some alarming things in it. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be looking at the technology that allows you to modify your genetic code as well as looking at the report commissioned by the department of defense. We will be giving you some information in this episode, but we will leave the takeaways for you to gather for yourself and share with us on our website or through the Freedom Train Social Media Handles. In this episode of lessons from the screen, we will be talking about, The Age of Synthetic Biology.

Literacy, A Fundamental Right

2 years after the students in Detroit filed a class action lawsuit against the State of Michigan, a ruling finally came down. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen, we will be going over that ruling as well as some of the details of the case itself. As always we will be giving some of the takeaways from this case. Stick around as we dig into Literacy, a Fundamental Right.

The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro

It's the day before the 4th and every year its time to re-evaluate what this year's celebrations mean. Taking a look back at Frederick Douglass's 1852 speech "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," we simply ask the question: Have things changed? This is not a question we seek to answer during this show, we simply provide the lecture to be digested, and ask the question. Getting together for the holidays is significant and we should enjoy any opportunity to enjoy each other. But we should also take those opportunities to have real discussions about what is going on in our families and in our larger communities. Has America changed, or is it the same America Frederick Douglass blasted over 150 years ago? What do you think?

Trending Tuesdays 6/26/2018

This week on Trending Tuesday We will take a look at the top 10 trending topics according to Google Searches. Addition to a bonus listing from the week prior. Today being the 26th of June we will be going over the top 10+1 and giving you some insight as to whether or not we think these stories are worth your time based on whether or not we feel that they have a potential impact on your life and of course our own bias and interest. This Trending Tuesday we will be looking at the following topics:

Immigration and Human Rights

During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be taking a closer look at some of these Human Rights Violations with a special emphasis on immigration. As Black People we should always pay extra close attention to how others are being treated because we know that what they will do to another group of people they will do to us. And in this case, they have done it before.

K-Popping Cultural Exports

Photo of K-Pop Stars Psy and BTS. Photo from Digital Music News.

During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be looking at K-Pop as a music genre and as a Cultural Export as well as the cultural exports of the black community. We will also be talking about the power of cultural exports and why we should take them more seriously than we do. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be K-Popping Cultural Exports.

Profiles of the Celebration Pt. 4

This week we finished out the profiles of the Black Women we chose to highlight during Black Women Appreciation Month.

Profiles of the Celebration Pt. 3

This week on Lessons from the Screen we are continuing our celebration with the 7 women that have been spotlighted over the past week.

Profiles of the Celebration Pt. 2

During this episode of lessons from the screen we are continuing our look at the Women that have been profiled thus far highlighting the fact that everyone can make up their minds to do something beneficial for the community and have an impact. It doesn’t matter whether you get famous or not, it simply matters what you are doing.

Profiles of the Celebration

During this episode of lessons from the screen we are going to be looking at the Women that have been profiled thus far highlighting the fact that everyone can make up their minds to do something beneficial for the community and have an impact. It doesn’t matter whether you get famous or not, it simply matters what you are doing.

Black Women's Month

During this episode of lessons from the screen we are going to be looking at the development of the Modern Black Feminist. We will be talking about the often difficult position black women find themselves in, their invisibility, and their warrior spirit, and what we can do to support them better as men and as a community. On this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be talking about Black Women in America.

Russia, Syria, & the US

During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be looking at the Syrian Civil War, what started it, and how did the superpowers get involved. We will also be looking at what causes the missle strikes as well as the fallout from these missile strikes. Finally we will be talking about a few lessons Black People can take from these stories. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be looking at the Russia, Syria, and the US.

Propagating Spin

During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be looking particularly at the Deadspin Video showing several News Anchors reading a part of a script and talking about its reception and what it really means. We will also be going briefly over various other “news” stories flying around social media and the need for us to Fact Check Everything regardless of source. In this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be talking about, Propagating Spin.

The New War on Drugs

During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be jumping into Trump's Opioid address and what it could potentially mean for Black People as well as some interesting and easily noticed differences and similarities between the old war on drugs and the new war on drugs. We will give you some of the key points of the address and then we will give our opinion of those points and the speech overall. In this week’s episode of Lessons from the Screen we will address the New War on Drugs.

Schools Shootings & Black People

During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be jumping into School Shootings. The history of school shootings will be looked at as well as looking to see if there have been mass shootings in Black Schools in recent times. We will also be looking at the political debate and how both conservatives and liberals are using the Black Community to advance their goals.

Water in South Africa

During this episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be looking at the looming water crisis in South Africa. We will also be digging a little bit into the water shortages across the continent, and of course, things we can learn from these situations.

State of the Union

This week on Lessons from the Screen we will be talking about the 2018 State of the Union address given by Donald Trump after his first year in office. We will be breaking down what was said and what wasn’t said as it concern Black People. We will be addressing any takeaways and in general just covering relevant points to our community.

Government Shutdown

This weeks episode of Lessons from the Screen we will be talking about the 2018 government shutdown. We will dig into the history of shutdowns, the reasoning behind this shutdown, and as always things that we can learn from it as a community.

Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, & the Bubble

This week on Lessons from the screen we will be looking at cryptocurrencies. We will tell you what it is, go into a bit of the history, go into a lot of the present, and finally give some takeaways for this particular situation. With the vast amount of wealth flowing into and out of these new pieces of code, obviously there are a lot of people trying to jump on board the money train and ride it to the top of the mountain. But some are risking without understanding, and in our community, that is a mistake we can no longer afford to continue to make.

US, UN, and Jerusalem

On December 6th the United States found itself on the wrong end of International backlash regarding its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. This move sent the international community into a rage with the United Nations and some of the United States closest allies issuing statements of criticism and condemnation. Recently this saga continued with the United Nations Security Council seeking to pass a resolution asking countries not to establish diplomatic missions in Jerusalem only to have that resolution Vetoed by the US.

Catalonia Sovereignty

Catalonia is a story that has been in development for hundreds of years and at this moment we are in a hotspot of activity. Daily there is a new development teaching us more lessons about our position in America and what options we may have on the table as it concerns growing talks for independence and sovereignty.

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