Julia Rock, a journalist who specializes in reporting on train derailment disasters, joins Krystal and Saagar to discuss the Ohio train derailment disaster and the lack of mainstream media coverage. They also discuss Ilhan Omar's removal, Joe Rogan's comments, the Republican party's stance on social security and Medicare, the politics of economics and culture wars, Kirsten Cinnema and Marjorie Taylor Greene's clothing choices, President Biden's speech, concerns about Biden's age, resistance to safer train brakes, and the lack of regulation on trains carrying dangerous substances.
Biden's economic agenda may resonate with working-class Americans despite lower approval ratings.
Industry lobbyists opposed safety regulations that would have upgraded braking systems on trains carrying hazardous materials.
Deep dives
Biden's Speech: An Economic Focus and Call for Unity
In his speech, President Biden highlighted his plans to boost the economy, support organized labor, invest in infrastructure, address climate change, and tackle high drug prices. He emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation and unity. He defended his administration's accomplishments so far and outlined his future goals, including antitrust reform, manufacturing expansion, and supporting the middle class. Biden's speech was seen as an attempt to position himself as a normal and competent leader, while contrasting with Republican opposition and their culture war strategies.
Republican Opposition and Culture War Strategy
Republicans, including Sarah Huckabee Sanders in her rebuttal, focused heavily on culture wars and attacked Biden's policies. They criticized his handling of the economy, alleged high gas prices, empty grocery store shelves, and accused Democrats of teaching hate based on race. However, their strategy of challenging Biden as a radical and engaging in culture wars may not be effective, as Biden's centrist and normal image remains strong, even if his approval ratings are not high.
Biden's Strengths and Challenges
Despite Biden's approval ratings and the perception that he has not accomplished much, his focus on the economy, industrial policy, antitrust reform, supporting labor, and addressing issues such as climate change and drug prices may resonate with working-class Americans. His speech aimed to consolidate the Democratic Party, bring together different factions, and project a unified front. Republicans face difficulties in effectively countering Biden's policies, and their focus on culture wars may not resonate as strongly in the face of Biden's economic agenda.
Rail companies blocked safety rules
Rail companies, including Norfolk Southern, lobbied against safety regulations that aimed to upgrade braking systems on trains carrying hazardous materials. The rules, proposed during the Obama administration, were later repealed by the Trump administration and congressional Republicans. The rail companies argued that the cost of implementing the upgrades outweighed the safety benefits.
Push to limit hazardous materials classification
Alongside their opposition to the braking system upgrades, industry lobbyists, including representatives from Norfolk Southern, pushed to narrow the definition of high hazard flammable trains and limit the types of chemical compounds that would be subject to new regulations. This resulted in a situation where a train carrying industrial chemicals, which ultimately derailed and posed a significant risk, was not classified as a high hazard flammable train.
In this Weekly Roundup, Krystal and Saagar respond to Rep Josh Gottheimer and other critics of a segment on Ilhan Omar and Antisemitism during the Joe Rogan podcast, Post reactions to the State of the Union with guests Kyle, Marshall, Ryan, and Emily, and an interview from The Lever's Julia Rock (@jul1arock) joins us to talk about the Ohio train derailment disaster that's causing devastating damage and currently swept under the rug by most of mainstream media.