6/22/23: Submarine Out Of Oxygen, Potential China Base In Cuba, SCOTUS Caught On Billionaire Vacation, Teen Test Scores Plummet, Elon Says Cisgender Is Slur, Billionaire Backed Populism, Remote Worker Revolution, Amazon Prime Lawsuit
Topics discussed include a missing submarine at the Titanic wreckage, China's potential military base in Cuba, Supreme Court Justice Alito's luxury vacation, Elon Musk's views on 'cisgender' slur, remote worker revolution, and Amazon's Prime subscription lawsuit.
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Quick takeaways
Justice Alito's undisclosed luxury vacation with a billionaire raises concerns about impartiality in the Supreme Court.
China's potential military base in Cuba adds to tensions in U.S.-China relations and raises questions about regional stability.
The pandemic has caused a significant decline in national test scores, disproportionately affecting low-income students and widening the achievement gap.
The FTC's lawsuit against Amazon aims to address anti-competitive practices and promote fair competition in the marketplace.
Deep dives
Justice Alito's Controversial Fishing Trip
Justice Samuel Alito went on a luxury fishing vacation organized by conservative leader Leonard Leo, where he was accompanied by hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer. Singer had multiple business cases before the Supreme Court, and Alito did not disclose the all-expenses-paid trip or recuse himself from the cases. The lack of disclosure and potential ethics violations raise concerns about the appearance of corruption and impartiality on the court.
China's Potential Military Training Facility in Cuba
China is negotiating with Cuba to establish a joint military training facility, raising concerns about potential Chinese troops near the U.S. border. The move highlights geopolitical tensions and the complexity of diplomatic relations, as China seeks to deepen ties and leverage with Cuba. The U.S. is reportedly contacting Cuba to discourage the deal, aiming to tap into any concerns about Cuban sovereignty. The situation adds to the growing challenges in U.S.-China relations and raises questions about ratcheting up tensions in the region.
The Pandemic's Impact on National Test Scores
National test scores show a significant decline in math and reading skills, with a steep drop in 2020 after the pandemic hit. The fall in test scores disproportionately affected low-income students and widened the achievement gap between different racial groups. The closure of schools and remote learning had a severe impact on education, highlighting the need for urgent attention and solutions to address the national learning loss caused by the pandemic.
The Catastrophic Impact of School Closures
The impact of school closures due to the pandemic has been disastrous, particularly for low-income students. Remote learning and lack of support resulted in a significant drop in national test scores, widening the achievement gap between different racial and income groups. The closure of schools left many students without adequate resources, supervision, and access to high-quality education. The fallout from school closures calls for urgent attention and effective solutions to address the learning loss and educational inequalities caused by the pandemic.
Amazon sued by FTC for deceptive practices related to Prime subscriptions
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, alleging that the company engages in deceptive practices when it comes to subscribing to Prime. The lawsuit claims that Amazon makes it difficult for users to cancel their Prime subscriptions through various tricks and traps. Additionally, the suit highlights how Prime serves as a market allocation mechanism, giving Amazon power over sellers and raising prices throughout the economy. The lawsuit aims to address these anti-competitive practices and promote fair competition in the marketplace.
The impact of Prime on pricing and market control
Prime, with over 150-200 million members, enables Amazon to exert control over pricing and market access. When businesses want to sell products to Prime members, they are required to pay fees, use Amazon's logistics, and advertise on Amazon's platform. This results in increased prices on Amazon's platform. Additionally, sellers are forced to enter into price parity agreements, preventing them from selling their products at lower prices elsewhere. These practices lead to higher prices throughout the economy. By addressing these issues, a more competitive and fair marketplace can be achieved.
The push for a fair and neutral e-commerce ecosystem
The goal is to create an e-commerce ecosystem where Amazon acts as a neutral infrastructure rather than manipulating prices and choosing winners. This would allow for fair competition based on better service and pricing. Removing the ability for Amazon to keep prices artificially high would promote a level playing field and allow other marketplaces to challenge Amazon's dominance. The focus is on ensuring free and fair commerce among businesses and consumers, without allowing monopolistic control or anti-competitive practices.
Krystal and Saagar discuss the Coast Guard reporting that the OceanGate Submarine has run out of oxygen, China potentially opening a military base in Cuba, China freaking out after Biden calls Xi a Dictator, SCOTUS Justice Alito caught on billionaire vacation, Teenage Test Scores plummet after pandemic, Elon says "Cisgender" is a Slur, Krystal looks into outsider faux populist candidates with billionaire backing, Saagar looks into the remote worker revolution as workers flee big cities, and we're joined by Matt Stoller to discuss Amazon being sued over Prime subscription renewal tricks on its customers.
