February 27, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode of The Civil Union, hosts Alex and Ryan navigate their lives and debates in a conservative state, sharing sharp insights and opinions on political issues, including a detailed discussion on same-sex marriage in Missouri and a personal account of their encounter with State Senator Karla May. Asking her to resign and the idea of holding values over party. They also do their weekly ‘Who Said It?’ game featuring quotes from Doechii and Pelosi. Next, they delve into the controversies surrounding abortion statistics in red states post-Roe v. Wade, and the broader impacts of misinformation in politics and health. Ending on a fun note, they explore innovative energy solutions like airline turbine wind pods and fog harvesting technology.
00:00 Introduction to the Civil Union Podcast
00:38 Weather Talk and Personal Updates
02:30 Missouri's Outdated Same-Sex Marriage Ban
04:40 Disappointment with Senator Karla May
12:07 Trump's Air Force One Delays and Boeing's Struggles
19:36 Who Said It: Doechii or Pelosi?
24:33 Alarming Abortion Statistics in Red States
30:28 The Spread of Misinformation
33:38 Innovative Environmental Technologies
37:00 Conclusion and Contact Information
Misinformation Resource Links:
Music: What's The Angle? by Shane Ivers -
https://www.silvermansound.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:07):
Welcome to the Civil Union, thepodcast where politics meets
partnership.
We're Alex and Ryan, a marriedcouple, navigating life and
debates in a conservative state.
We bring you sharp insights,bold opinions, and honest
conversations about thepolitical issues shaping our
lives, especially those livingon society's margins.
(00:27):
Tune in for a real talk, a touchof humor, and plenty of passion
because when it comes topolitics, every voice matters.
And we are here to make surethey're heard.
Oh, well, the weather's finallynicer.
We have the windows open.
Yeah.
And it's funny, we've gotten soused to like below 20 degrees.
It's still like 40 50, but it'slike nice.
(00:49):
Even in the mornings when it's30 degrees, you're like, oh wow,
this isn't bad.
'cause we've just conditionedourselves to be freezing.
Yeah, it's been a cold winter.
It's been a snowy winter too.
We always start soccer in thecold season, but it was pretty
cold on Saturday.
It was our first home game forthe season, and we were packed
head to toe with heat pads.
What, where they had the handwarmers.
(01:10):
But it was a lot of fun.
I mean, it wasn't that bad.
We, I feel like we've had coldergames.
I feel like we have had coldergames and it was like, 40
degrees that day?
But it was like the game startedlike at night, so it was a
little bit colder, but it wastolerable.
I was an icicle by halftime forsure.
Yeah.
I forget how cold our feet get,but I mean, when you're at a
(01:32):
soccer game like that,especially in a supporter
section where we're at, weliterally just jump up and down
the entire game.
So it keeps you warm anyway.
how else was, uh, the rest ofyour, uh week?
We had a busy week.
I mean, not only did we have thesoccer game, but we had like
life things and jobs and, FridayI actually had day off, so I
went and saw a movie captainAmerica, the new Captain America
(01:52):
movie, and it was okay.
Marvel's trying to reboot, soit's gonna take some time to
grow that, that back up.
But it was good.
It was fine.
I was, you know, it was a decentweek.
How was your week?
same.
We're here, we're, we're alive,we're breathing, we're healthy
new, I guess we're not sickanymore, so That's true.
So it's good.
So, uh, should we jump into, uh,this week's topics, I guess?
(02:14):
Yeah, let's get into it.
So it, it's pretty wild to thinknearly 10 years after the
Supreme Court made same sexmarriage legal nationwide, the
Republican controlled MissouriState Senate is still holding
onto an outdated prohibitionagainst it.
Yep.
You heard that right?
Even though same sex marriage isstill legal in Missouri, most of
(02:36):
your state senators decided tokeep a symbolic ban on the books
in a recent vote.
The Senate unsurprisinglyrejected an amendment to get rid
of this relic voting six to 19against it, this was a golden
opportunity for our electedofficials to publicly support
the massive shift in publicopinion since the nineties, but
(03:00):
instead they dropped the ballonce again.
What's even more frustrating,every Republican senator voted
against the amendment and onlyone Democrat state Senator Karla
May from St.
Louis joined in on that no vote.
Public support for same-sexmarriage nationwide is at a near
(03:22):
record high.
69% in 2024, even with a slightdip from 71%, it was the past
couple of years.
Can we get a vote on oppositesex marriages, please?
I, I want to see the approvalrating for that, please.
Absolutely.
I'd be really curious about thattoo.
Yeah, no one worries about thatand like, let's be honest.
(03:44):
But, if Senator May trulyrepresents one of Missouri's
most progressive districts,which is a district that we
reside in.
Even though she's turning out in2026, she needs to keep voting
like it.
You know, there was actually astudy done by Rand and published
RAND and published in May oflast year, but they showed that
(04:05):
marriage rates increased by 10%overall with the legalization of
same-sex marriage.
They also found that adoptionrates increased.
And there's a positive shifttowards marriage attitudes with
same sex marriage beinglegalized.
There has been no evidence thatsame sex marriage has led to an
increase of divorce.
(04:26):
It's actually stayed prettyconsistent.
Actually.
Divorce rates have declined inthe past, like five years or so.
So, I mean, I don't reallyunderstand the whole anti.
Same sex marriage stanceanymore.
I mean it's very, I, to me it'soutdated.
I don't know.
It's definitely outdated.
But you know, speaking of KarlaMay and her No Vote, I had a
(04:49):
memorable run in with her at theChicago DNC that's been on my
mind like it was a long day andas thousands of us were
shuffling back onto buses to getback to our hotels.
found myself next to Senator Mayand her crew in line.
I was super excited to say, Hey,I voted for you.
I've seen you speak at localevents.
(05:10):
Thank you for always showing up.
But instead of engaging, and youknow, I get, it was a very long
second day.
She seemed to have just like.
Brushed me off and kept cuttingin line to get in front of the,
the first group of buses Infact, people.
Behind me were complainingbecause I heard there was a
group of people pushing theirway through, cutting in line.
(05:33):
And I was ready for it.
You know?
I was like, standing firm.
I was like, no one's getting,getting in front of me.
You know?
And when I looked over to my, myright, it was Senator May and
her crew, you know, and that'swhen I interacted with her.
I thought maybe she would haveremembered me or something.
And clearly she didn't.
And she just.
Yeah, just like I said, brushedme off and kept moving in front
(05:55):
of the line.
And I was like, kind of takenaback by that.
I was kind of disappointed bythat because, have supported
her.
I voted for her.
I asked people to vote for herand, just this whole no vote she
did for same-sex marriage,really.
Hits our household, it directlyimpacts us.
(06:15):
So, uh, it, it just, the wholesituation let a really
disappointing impression on me.
You know, and that's really, Iremember you telling me this
story and it's disappointing.
I mean, the thing withpoliticians is they forget their
job is their constituents.
A doctor's job is to take careof their patient's health.
A waiter's job is to take careof a customer's meal and
(06:37):
experience at a restaurant, buta politician's job.
It's to take care of the peoplethat voted for them in office.
I think, I think sometimespoliticians, there's an ego
there and there isn't room forthat.
I mean, they are civil servantsand they should actually
practice some civility Sometimesthe people, us are the reason
they hold these positions.
They're in.
It is their job to represent usand give us the time of day.
(06:59):
Yeah.
No, I agree.
And as someone who has cheeredher on in our community, it's
very frustrating to see herdisregard the very people she
represents, especially after herrecent vote against marriage
equality.
That's why, if no one hasalready, I'll be the first I'm
calling on her to.
Resign.
She was elected to represent oneof Missouri's most progressive
(07:21):
districts, and if she can'tstand up for the values and
rights we believe in, she shouldstep aside.
politics has.
Always been my passion.
Kind of like how some people arediehard fans of sports teams,
but right now it's disappointingfor me and this podcast to have
to shift our focus and energy onan elected official who seems to
(07:47):
be turning her back on us.
I get that she's superreligious, but there is this
thing in the United StatesConstitution that separates
church and state.
We've seen so many Republicansdisregard this bullet point in
the First Amendment.
Now we have a Democrat that'sdoing it.
In politics.
Like I said, it's just likesports.
(08:08):
You won't win every game, butwhen I support someone, I expect
them to champion basic humanrights, like same sex marriage.
A hundred percent.
And I think there's this ideaamongst some people that when
you're a Democrat or Republican,you blindly support that party
and whatever.
But if this situation wasflipped, and let's say you were
(08:29):
a Republican and this was aRepublican politician and you
voted for this politician in theoffice and they started doing
things like, like Josh Hawley,you would ask them, I.
To resign.
Just because they are aRepublican or part of your party
doesn't mean that you blindlyshould support them with Karla
May.
Just because she's a democratdoesn't mean we should support
(08:49):
her if she doesn't hold yourvalues.
I mean, if she starts to strayfor her constituents values,
then she needs to.
To resign.
And that's not a big ask.
And having that expectationdoesn't make you a bad Democrat.
It makes you someone that holdsyour values over a candidate.
we're seeing this on the righttoo.
You know, there are politiciansthat are doing bad things right
(09:09):
now.
We are asking.
For those people who voted forTrump or voted for other
Republican candidates to holdthem accountable, they are doing
things so far in thisadministration that are not very
popular with voters.
And just because you are aRepublican doesn't mean you
shouldn't call out yourRepublican candidates.
And just because you're aDemocrat doesn't mean you
shouldn't call out yourdemocratic candidates.
We, in a democracy, have controlin pushing for our values.
(09:33):
And Karla May voted against usand voted against what we hold
important value to us.
So I don't feel bad in sayingKarla May should resign,
especially if she doesn't evenhave the guts to come out and
make a statement defending whyshe voted the way she did.
Yeah.
We need to separate personalbeliefs from the rights of.
Others, especially now as we seethose in power targeting
(09:56):
marginalized communities likethe transgender community, which
compromises less than 1% of the340 million people that live
here in the United States.
Senator May's vote againstsame-sex marriage feels like a
betrayal of the progressivevalues she was elected to uphold
in her region representing sucha forward thinking district.
(10:17):
She has a responsibility toserve everyone, not just those
who share her beliefs Byopposing marriage equality, she
undermines a fundamental rightthat countless couples and
families, including ourhousehold, count on for legal
and emotional security marriage.
Isn't a bargaining chip.
(10:38):
It's a basic human right.
Senator May's vote directlyaffects real lives in her
district and her constituents.
Our neighbors deserve a leaderwho actively fights for equality
for all.
I agree and I'd be interested tosee what she does with this.
'cause it's obvious and we'renot the only ones angry.
There's a lot of people angrywith her.
(10:59):
There are a lot of peoplequestioning her, and I'm just,
I'm waiting to see how shehandles this situation.
Yeah.
There's been like, no, noresponse from her team at all.
I even like emailed.
I've never emailed.
A, uh, candidate or a senator,state senator before Any
politician, by the way.
And I, I still haven't gotten aresponse, so I'm sure she's
(11:19):
flooded with emails, but I mean,don't you have like a staff or
something or Right.
You would think, send out, thinkthis priority generic response
anyways.
Hey, Trump wants his airplaneand he wants it now.
Oh my God.
Was that good?
It was pretty good.
I mean, he's like a little baby.
Do you think I could bring thatstatement to like a.
Boeing executive meeting andthey'll work faster probably,
(11:42):
actually.
Oh wow.
Well thanks for that confidencein me.
What if I was like the richestman on earth?
Oh, then definitely.
So Trump is like having thislike meltdown and is sending his
minion Buddy Musk to.
Demand Boeing executives tofinish two Air Force One Jets.
Now I, you know, I wonder ifonly efficient white men will be
(12:05):
the only ones working on thisnew Air Force one production.
Yeah.
Well, Trump is fuming overcontinued delays and delivering
two new Air Force one jets, andit's got Elon Musk diving into
the mix with some ambitiousideas to push Boeing into
action.
Word is the administration iseven considering a.
Acquiring a temporary luxury jetthat could be retrofitted while
(12:29):
they're waiting for these newplanes.
Talk about taking shortcuts.
I get the current one is old,but can it just wait?
Well, and you would think ifthey're getting a luxury jet, I
mean, that sounds really easy,but it's not because they need
to put, you know, bulletproofwindows in, they need to put,
you know, communications in.
There's a lot that would have togo into this plane regardless of
whether it's newly built.
(12:49):
Or a luxury jet beingretrofitted, it's still gonna be
a lot of money and a lot ofwork.
right now the new presidentialplanes are now scheduled to be
delivered in late 2028 or early2029, which basically would mean
if the timeline goes the way itis, Trump may not even get to
ride in these new Air Force onesat all, which is.
(13:13):
I would kind of gladly find thatentertaining.
Well, Musk has been playing akey role in the conversations
with the military, the WhiteHouse and Boeing, to speed up
the process.
Meanwhile, the current Air Forceone Jets, which are Boeing 74 7
4 sevens, is at seven foursevens, seven 40 sevens, um, are
over 30 years old and are indesperate need of repairs.
(13:36):
Trump sees.
Air Force One as a symbol ofpower and prestige, and he's not
thrilled at the idea of takingto the skies in planes that once
carried George HW Bush.
Yeah.
And you know, something I wasreading about Trump that was
interesting.
I, I bet other presidencies havedone it.
I just didn't look further.
But like, Trump actually fliesthem over places to show'em off
(13:59):
to show his presidency and hisleadership off.
It's kind of, it's, it's, it'ssmall dick energy, I would say,
but you know.
You had said that the Boeingseven 40 sevens are 30 years
old.
To put the age and perspectiveof that, I did find that the
average age of an AmericanAirlines jet, so we're talking
passenger jets is 12.9 years oldat Delta there are passenger
(14:22):
jets.
17.2 years old and at SouthwestPassenger jets typically range
about 11.5 years old.
So this data was gathered in2023, but so for Air Force one
to be 30 years old, I mean, itis.
That is old.
Well, here's the financialscoop.
The Air Force has alreadycommitted to paying Boeing$3.5
(14:43):
billion of the total 4.3billion.
That was a lot allocated for theproject.
Yet Boeing is.
Allocated.
Allocated.
Allocated.
Should we keep recording goingwith this?
Yeah, I mean, should I restart?
No, I love this for you.
(15:03):
Keep going.
Allocated.
Is that what it is allocated?
I couldn't, I kinda like keepgoing.
Yeah.
Boeing is like three yearsbehind schedule and has racked
up a staggering 2.3.
$4 billion in losses related tothe contract.
Yikes.
That's a lot of money.
That is a lot, obviously.
But let, let's rewind a bit.
(15:24):
Boeing's contract to build thesenew jets was signed back in 2018
during the first Trump turn withan initial delivery window set
for 2024.
Building these planes just isn'ta simple task.
They need to be equipped toliterally dodge missile attacks
and endure the fallout from anuclear explosion.
(15:46):
No pressure, right?
No pressure at all.
And what's also interesting isthat workers working on the
seven 40 sevens require highlevel security clearance, not
just anyone can work on thesedis constructions.
It's called Yankee White, whichrequires an extensive.
Background investigation.
I could only imagine what theygo through to help speed up the
timeline.
Boeing has considered loweringthis clearance requirement for
(16:10):
some workers who are not workingon the more sensitive systems of
the plane.
But my question is.
What would this mean in regardto the potential national
security risk?
I mean, we have countriesgunning for us right now.
I mean, we have China andRussia.
Could this need to speed up theconstruction actually cause
security concerns years down theroad?
How did Air Force One get soaged out anyway?
(16:32):
I mean, 30 years when theaverage passenger jet is around
12 to 17 years old.
I just.
It's just really interesting.
I don't know.
Wait, so you're saying the highlevel security clearance is
called Yankee White?
It's called Yankee White.
Why is it called Yankee White?
I don't know why Is anythingcalled That's something in the
government?
Yeah.
Anyways, so, uh, while formerPresident Biden, ugh, I miss him
(16:53):
so much already, Biden wasn'texactly sweating the details of
Boeing's timeline, especiallygiven the production snafus that
were caused by the pandemic.
Now, Boeing has to deal with aninpatient president who's all
about instant gratification.
So the delays were seen withTrump's new Air Force.
One boils down to a cocktail ofmanufacturing issues.
(17:17):
The design changes and.
Budget constraints.
The upcoming Air Force one beingbuilt as a Boeing 7 7 4 7 dash
eight was initially planned forrollout in the early 2020s, but
has faced significant setbacksalong the way.
The pandemic not only disruptedschedules, but also led to
(17:37):
ongoing talks about contractupdates and the need for newer
technology and securityfeatures.
As it stands, Boeing is stillgrinding away at the project
with the US Air Force,maintaining that they're on it.
But let's be real.
This new Air Force one is meantto be in service for decades, so
it really needs to be up to parwhen it's released and finished.
(18:01):
I actually completely didn'teven think about the pandemic as
the reason why this is probablydelayed, and that makes a lot of
sense actually because of allthe supplies needed probably for
this plane.
Just an interesting note, Boeingshould have to deal with
President Trump being a littlebaby.
Let him whine.
I mean, they kind of deserve theharassment.
Honestly, something whileresearching for this story that
(18:23):
I found is, did you know I.
Boeing actually was one of thefirst companies to get on the
support, the right conservativetrain by dismantling their DEI
programs last November.
They jumped on that train waybefore anyone else did because
they saw the direction politicswas going in this country, and
(18:44):
they were quick to act on it togain support from the Republican
side.
They knew that these contractswere handed in.
The government, it just findsit, I find it very dirty.
They were one of the first tobend after Elon Musk.
Yes.
Elon Musk back in November hadargued that diversity goals
contribute to operationalinefficiencies.
So that says to me, they havebeen open to bending to
(19:05):
conservative viewpoints themoment they felt Republicans
were taking power.
So if Trump wants to putpressure on Boeing, I.
Let'em, yeah, well stay tunedbecause this is a rollercoaster
of jet delays.
and we'll, we'll definitelywanna keep following this'cause
I wanna know when they'reactually finished.
Absolutely.
So that leads us to our weekly.
(19:26):
Who said it game this week?
I'll be hosting who said it.
And Ryan is playing the role ofthe contestant, I'm guessing
today.
You are guessing.
Um, so I do have a question.
Have you heard of an singer or,well, she's not a rapper named
Doci.
I've heard of her.
Yes.
She's this up and coming rapperthat's really on a success wave
(19:48):
right now with, she's beennominated for numerous awards
with her album Alligator Bites,never Heal.
Great album.
I highly, highly recommend her.
She's really, really cool.
She just won best rap album atthe Grammys this year and caught
my attention because herGrammy's performance was.
Really good.
And then on top of that, she waskind of trending there for a
(20:10):
minute because she also had anamazing tiny desk concert and to
see a rapper on there and to seeher live performing.
Flawlessly was really cool andshe had a performance on the
Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Anyways, she's really makingwaves, making statements,
bringing the old style ofnineties rap back.
I felt it would be fun tocompare some of the things she
(20:30):
has said to another outspoken,powerfully influential
politician and of who is that?
Of course, I'm talking about the52nd speaker of the House of
Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
Oh, okay.
So with this who said it, you'llhave to decide whether the quote
is from Doci or Pelosi.
(20:52):
All right.
All right, ready?
Let's do it.
Start.
Alright.
First quote, I'm not afraid ofbeing controversial.
I'm afraid of being irrelevant.
Doci, that was Nancy Pelosi.
Oh, nice.
2013 New York Times interview.
Alright, next one.
(21:13):
I redefine what they expect.
I'm more than their labels.
I'm bigger than their views.
Watch me turn this whole thingupside down.
Doci correct?
It's actually from a song.
What it What it is.
Nice.
Alright, next quote.
The world's not ready for a lotof things, but that's why we
(21:33):
need to keep pushing boundaries.
Don't let anyone make you feellike you don't belong or that
your dreams are too big.
Pelosi I.
Doci from a Vibe interview.
She did.
Well, I feel like Pelosi saidthat once before.
Okay.
Probably it's a tie.
Yeah.
Alright, next quote.
When you're in the room, you'repart of the conversation and
(21:55):
that makes a difference.
Pelosi?
Yes.
Pelosi from an M-S-N-B-Cinterview in 2019.
Next quote.
He does what I say and I do whatI say.
Pelosi?
Correct.
All right.
I wonder who she was talkingabout.
Alright.
Oh, Trump for sure.
(22:18):
Alright.
I'm always going to speak mytruth, even if it means shaking
things up.
You can't expect change ifyou're not willing to make
noise.
Joe Chi correct.
You're doing really good.
All right.
I've been underestimated mywhole life and that's been my
greatest strength.
Pelosi, correct.
(22:40):
Ooh, Pelosi from 2019, huh?
All right, two more left.
We've been told for too longthat we can't change things,
that the system is too broken tofix.
But I'm here to tell you thesystem is broken because we let
it be.
It's time to stand up, speakout, and build a world where
every voice is heard, no matterwho you are.
Pelosi Doci.
(23:02):
Oh man.
Rolling Stone.
Interview from 2023.
All right, last one.
People used to tell me I neededto tone it down, be more
reserved, more ladylike.
I said, well, honey, if you wantme to be quiet, I'll wait until
you stop interrupting me.
Doci, Nancy Pelosi, 2021interview.
(23:23):
She had her moments.
I think she, oh, of course shehas.
I love her.
Well, that was fun.
Yeah, that was good.
That was good.
I found it interesting that theyboth being powerful women, I
could find quotes that theyactually did sound very similar.
It's, you know, it speaksvolumes about Pelosi, but also
speaks volumes about doci andhow these, you know, new women
in the industry are making wavesand are making these broad
(23:46):
state, like very, not broad, butvery big statements and it's
great.
Oh, of course.
Absolutely.
Okay, so, alright let's talkabout something that's like
pretty alarming coming out ofseveral red states.
State health officials inArkansas made a jaw dropping
announcement for 2023.
They claim that the total numberof, number of abortions in the
(24:09):
entire state of Arkansas, whichis home to around 1.5 million
women, was zero nte.
Is that, what is that?
Zero nte.
Nte.
And it's not just Arkansas.
It, South Dakota also reportedzero abortions for the year.
Idaho.
A battleground for abortionrights lately logs just five
(24:30):
across nearly.
A dozen states with total ornear total abortion bans,
officials are throwing outclaims of zero or very few
abortions occurring since theSupreme Court overturned the
federal abortion rights just inwhat?
2022 naturally anti-abortionactivists are celebrating these
(24:51):
numbers like they've achievedsome sort of victory.
But here's the kicker.
Medical professionals are sayingthese claims are not just
misleading, but completelydishonest.
One, OB GYN in South Dakotacalled it absurd, pointing out
that She's seen patients comeinto her hospital after taking
abortion pills or needingmedical interventions due to
(25:12):
complications with non-viablepregnancies.
You know, my main question withthis is why would a state that,
why is, would we expect a statethat it is illegal to have an
abortion?
And states where doctors can becharged and go to prison for
doing the procedure.
Why would they even want toreport it?
you even have doctors now beingcharged in other states with
(25:33):
assisting with abortions viamailing abortion pills to other
states.
I mean, there's just a, it's abig mess.
Why would anyone report it?
This really is a bigger story ifyou ask me how many non.
Ported abortions are going onper state since the overturn of
Roe versus Wade.
I don't blame these doctors orfacilities that aren't reporting
these numbers whatsoever, butthat data is skewed zero.
(25:56):
Are you kidding me?
And anyone who thinks otherwiseis an idiot for data scientists.
These so-called zero abortionrates adjust a troubling trend,
the potential for politicizing,these health numbers.
Since the Supreme Court'sdecision in June of 22, there's
been a significant drop inreported abortions.
(26:17):
For example, Arkansas claimedzero in 23 compared to the.
1600 in 2022 and Texas, theyreported just 60 abortions this
year after seeing around 50,002years ago, Idaho's figures
dropped from 1,521 to five in2023, while South Dakota was
(26:40):
very, very small population.
Lives up there, fell from 192 tojust zero.
Anti-abortion.
Politicians and activists areseizing these numbers to claim
their decades long fight againstabortion is yielding results.
They argue that many pregnantmothers in Arkansas are spared
(27:01):
from the supposed lifelongregrets and health risks
associated with abortion.
But here's the reality.
While these numbers might soundimpressive to the anti-abortion
crowd.
They don't reflect the fullstory.
The truth is many women arestill seeking abortions, but
(27:22):
they're now faced to travel tostates where it remains legal or
may turn to unsafe methods.
Yeah, I mean, that's.
Exactly true.
You know, something I found wasthe average driving time across
con congressional districts fora woman who was at least six
weeks pregnant to reach anabortion clinic increased by
300% from 33 minutes to twohours and 12 minutes in one
(27:46):
direction.
Since Florida's six weekabortion bandwidth, in effect,
the average driving time thoughclinic went from 22 minutes to
nine.
Hours and eight minutes in justone direction.
Actually, one in four women ofreproductive age, living in
Florida, Louisiana, Texas,Alabama, and Georgia, all
basically southern states Sincethe fall of Roe versus Wade, it
(28:07):
would take a majority of themmore than eight hours round trip
to access any abortion care.
Yeah, so data collection itselfis often flawed.
Some states don't requirecomprehensive reporting on
abortion statistics.
Which makes it tough to get anaccurate picture of what's
really happening.
The overturning of Roe v.
Wade, has created a tangled webof state laws complicating
(28:31):
efforts to understand the actualstate of abortion access across
the country as barriers toreproductive healthcare continue
to rise.
It's essential for us to seebeyond the zero abortion claims
and recognize the livedexperiences of those affected.
The conversation around abortionaccess is very much alive and
(28:53):
contentious.
And calling it a a zero abortionrate.
Oversimplifies what many arefacing on the ground.
We really need to highlight thebroader context, legal
restrictions, access tohealthcare, how socioeconomic
factors shape reproductivehealth choices as this situation
develops, let's remember to liftup the voices and stories of
(29:15):
those navigating thesechallenging waters.
It's also important to note too,according to ProPublica data,
I'd found these same states thataren't reporting accurate data
on abortions.
They also have done little touncover whether the laws are
contributing to maternal deaths,which would include tracking
delays in care.
For pregnancy complications andmaking these problems known.
(29:38):
They have dismissed committeeswhich drastically slows down
their work.
Texas has gone as far as tolegally prohibit its committee
from reviewing deaths that areconsidered abortion related.
This could include somemiscarriage care.
So not only are actual abortiondata being lied about, but
states are also not accuratelyshowing the effects.
(29:58):
These bans have also costed.
So let's talk about the elephantin the room.
Misinformation.
It's everywhere, especially intoday's digital world, where
social media spreads info fasterthan you can say viral.
Yeah.
Studies reveal that false newsstories often zoom around the
internet quicker than the truth.
(30:20):
Reaching massive audiencesbefore anyone can actually fact
check or set the recordstraight.
The impacts of thismisinformation is significant
and it varies across differentareas.
For example, one is politicalmisinformation.
Yeah.
We see it peak during electioncycles and it's a game changer.
(30:40):
It can shape how people perceivecandidates and issues messing
with our democracy in real time.
We, we've seen it definitelyduring these last few campaign
cycles for sure.
Absolutely.
The other is in health andmisinformation.
Yeah, this healthmisinformation, this has been a
huge issue, especially duringthe COVID-19 pandemic.
We saw a flood of false claimsthat led to confusion and even
(31:03):
dangerous decisions.
A reminder of how crucial,accurate information is in times
of crisis.
I mean, even look at the measlesoutbreak in Texas, the
misinformation of vaccines,that's just a pro prime example
of that.
and lastly, there's social mediainfluence.
Yeah.
Research points that folks withextreme political views are more
(31:23):
likely to stumble upon andbelieve misinformation.
This creates echo chambers thatdrown out balanced discussions.
Absolutely.
I mean, so with all that said.
What's the best way to fightback against this tidal wave of
misinformation?
Well, it starts with smartstrategies like media literacy,
education, basically teachingourselves and each other how to
(31:46):
spot fake stuff.
Fact checking initiatives arealso key, as in pressuring
social media platforms to stepup and take responsibility by
improving how they handle falseinformation, staying informed
and being critical about ourresources.
Isn't just helpful.
It's essential in mitigating theharmful effects of
(32:06):
misinformation.
Let's make sure we're not justpassive consumers of content,
but active participants inamplifying the truth.
I.
Some great sites to use ifyou're ever in question, and I
use these a lot, almost dailyeven just to use to get some
news, there's factcheck.org,politifact.com, and snopes.com.
(32:30):
There's also a website that Iuse often shortly after starting
this podcast.
It's called Ground News, www dotground news.
There's also an app for this.
It shows you all types of newsstories, just like a normal news
site, but when you click on astory, it shows you various
websites with.
That story and shows you whatsites are right-leaning,
left-leaning, and center.
If you get a subscription, whichisn't a lot, it shows you the
(32:52):
factuality of each news article.
It's very convenient and nice tokind of weed out the noise.
It also shows you, they call itblind spots, which is articles
that are disproportionatelybeing covered by one side of the
political spectrum.
It's a great way to see what youmay be missing and what others
are being shown that youralgorithms may not be showing
you.
we'll be sure to add all these.
(33:13):
Sites into this episodedescription.
So make sure either whilelistening right now or after,
check that out.
Go to the links and make sure tobookmark them because they're
great resources.
Yeah, definitely.
So let's move on to some funnews.
You ready?
Yeah.
Fun news.
Yeah, I'm ready.
Yeah, let's do it.
All right.
So.
A company called Jet Wind hascreated these really cool pods.
(33:37):
They are currently being used inDallas.
So what they do when you fly andyou just boarded the plane, your
plane sits there feels likeforever for these pre-flight
checks.
Well, during that time, theturbine engines are idling.
This company, jet Wind, realizedall that idling force wind is
like strong winds needed topower wind turbine.
(33:59):
These.
Pods capture that wind for fiveto 10 minutes.
The aircraft is sitting at thegate.
They've been testing these podsfor the past three years at
Dallas Love Field.
13 sets of pods have beensitting beneath the gate, hooked
up to external batteries thatconnect to the grid, to the
airport uses with these pods,along with solar panels already
(34:19):
in use.
It's.
Creates 30 kilowatts an hour ofrenewable energy, which is
enough to power a family homefor a few days.
Right now that isn't enough topower an entire airport,
obviously, but once combinedwith other systems like it, it
will make a serious differencein reducing the carbon
footprint.
At airports, this system isalready attracting attention
(34:41):
from other parts of the world.
So we'll see how this isimplemented going forward.
It's a pretty cool idea.
It's a really cool idea I had.
I did not know about this.
It's smart.
'cause it makes sense.
I mean, how many times are youjust sitting there and you hear
those engines whirling andyou're just like, it's just
sitting there.
So the United States is.
Leading something that's like atechnological advancement right
now.
Yeah, in energy.
(35:02):
Wow.
That's impressive.
I like that.
That crazy.
And Trump found out, he probablyshut it down, but Yeah, exactly.
So, you know, they would, theydefinitely would.
They would, they would.
Yeah.
That's, that's real.
So the next story is giving meheavy dune vibes.
Scientists have just created atechnology called fog
harvesting.
So the technology uses fine meshnets to collect moisture from
(35:24):
fog and then convert.
Mist into drinkable water.
The researchers trusted thistechnology in a Chilean
municipality named Alto cio.
I'm probably pronouncing thatcompletely wrong, but only one
per 1.6% of its 10,000 ishresidents are connected to the
local water system.
(35:46):
The mesh nets are held up by twopoles.
Moisture in the air that comesin contact with the nets,
converts it in the droplets thateventually drain down the nets
and into a water tank.
The researchers demonstratedthat 38.61 square miles of fog
collectors could bring insomewhere between 0.05 and 1.32
gallons of water per squaremeter every day, with a higher
(36:09):
range of those estimates hittingin August and September.
This may not sound like a lot.
But communities that didn't haveso much access to H2O could
suddenly find themselves able toirrigate crops or even just
provide enough water to meet theneeds of a small town.
They note that fog collectioncurrently requires obviously,
specific geographic conditions,like elevated land forms, su
(36:32):
sustain sustainable windpatterns, and of course plenty
of fog, but.
Even still this technology couldbe a game changer for a lot of
these towns or cities are inthese little, you know, remote
areas.
It's pretty cool.
Yeah.
Or like California where likeSan Francisco's so foggy.
Absolutely.
San Francisco would probably getlot need water in California.
Yeah, it's pretty we'll see.
(36:53):
Where this goes.
But it's, I mean, and you, whenwe're talking about when I was
like looking it up, I'm like,that makes so much sense.
Like, how has anyone not donethis before?
But we'll see.
We'll see what comes of it.
Yeah.
Well good stories.
I like that.
Thanks.
Alright, well, um, that's it forus.
So thanks for joining us andlistening.
We'll be back, um, as soon as wecan.
Until then, be sure to give us afollow on Instagram at the Civil
(37:15):
U.
That's just with the letter U.
And feel free to send us anemail letting us know your
thoughts, questions, what we gotwrong, or anything you think we
should discuss.
That email is, and Karla May,that email is the Civil Union
twenty5@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening, guys.
Thanks for listening.
Bye.
I.
Welcome to the Civil Union, thepodcast where politics meets
partnership.
We're Alex and Ryan, a marriedcouple, navigating life and
debates in a conservative state.
We bring you sharp insights,bold opinions, and honest
conversations about thepolitical issues shaping our
lives, especially those livingon society's margins.
(00:27):
Tune in for a real talk, a touchof humor, and plenty of passion
because when it comes topolitics, every voice matters.
And we are here to make surethey're heard.
Oh, well, the weather's finallynicer.
We have the windows open.
Yeah.
And it's funny, we've gotten soused to like below 20 degrees.
It's still like 40 50, but it'slike nice.
(00:49):
Even in the mornings when it's30 degrees, you're like, oh wow,
this isn't bad.
'cause we've just conditionedourselves to be freezing.
Yeah, it's been a cold winter.
It's been a snowy winter too.
We always start soccer in thecold season, but it was pretty
cold on Saturday.
It was our first home game forthe season, and we were packed
head to toe with heat pads.
What, where they had the handwarmers.
(01:10):
But it was a lot of fun.
I mean, it wasn't that bad.
We, I feel like we've had coldergames.
I feel like we have had coldergames and it was like, 40
degrees that day?
But it was like the game startedlike at night, so it was a
little bit colder, but it wastolerable.
I was an icicle by halftime forsure.
Yeah.
I forget how cold our feet get,but I mean, when you're at a
(01:32):
soccer game like that,especially in a supporter
section where we're at, weliterally just jump up and down
the entire game.
So it keeps you warm anyway.
how else was, uh, the rest ofyour, uh week?
We had a busy week.
I mean, not only did we have thesoccer game, but we had like
life things and jobs and, FridayI actually had day off, so I
went and saw a movie captainAmerica, the new Captain America
(01:52):
movie, and it was okay.
Marvel's trying to reboot, soit's gonna take some time to
grow that, that back up.
But it was good.
It was fine.
I was, you know, it was a decentweek.
How was your week?
same.
We're here, we're, we're alive,we're breathing, we're healthy
new, I guess we're not sickanymore, so That's true.
So it's good.
So, uh, should we jump into, uh,this week's topics, I guess?
(02:14):
Yeah, let's get into it.
So it, it's pretty wild to thinknearly 10 years after the
Supreme Court made same sexmarriage legal nationwide, the
Republican controlled MissouriState Senate is still holding
onto an outdated prohibitionagainst it.
Yep.
You heard that right?
Even though same sex marriage isstill legal in Missouri, most of
(02:36):
your state senators decided tokeep a symbolic ban on the books
in a recent vote.
The Senate unsurprisinglyrejected an amendment to get rid
of this relic voting six to 19against it, this was a golden
opportunity for our electedofficials to publicly support
the massive shift in publicopinion since the nineties, but
(03:00):
instead they dropped the ballonce again.
What's even more frustrating,every Republican senator voted
against the amendment and onlyone Democrat state Senator Karla
May from St.
Louis joined in on that no vote.
Public support for same-sexmarriage nationwide is at a near
(03:22):
record high.
69% in 2024, even with a slightdip from 71%, it was the past
couple of years.
Can we get a vote on oppositesex marriages, please?
I, I want to see the approvalrating for that, please.
Absolutely.
I'd be really curious about thattoo.
Yeah, no one worries about thatand like, let's be honest.
(03:44):
But, if Senator May trulyrepresents one of Missouri's
most progressive districts,which is a district that we
reside in.
Even though she's turning out in2026, she needs to keep voting
like it.
You know, there was actually astudy done by Rand and published
RAND and published in May oflast year, but they showed that
(04:05):
marriage rates increased by 10%overall with the legalization of
same-sex marriage.
They also found that adoptionrates increased.
And there's a positive shifttowards marriage attitudes with
same sex marriage beinglegalized.
There has been no evidence thatsame sex marriage has led to an
increase of divorce.
(04:26):
It's actually stayed prettyconsistent.
Actually.
Divorce rates have declined inthe past, like five years or so.
So, I mean, I don't reallyunderstand the whole anti.
Same sex marriage stanceanymore.
I mean it's very, I, to me it'soutdated.
I don't know.
It's definitely outdated.
But you know, speaking of KarlaMay and her No Vote, I had a
(04:49):
memorable run in with her at theChicago DNC that's been on my
mind like it was a long day andas thousands of us were
shuffling back onto buses to getback to our hotels.
found myself next to Senator Mayand her crew in line.
I was super excited to say, Hey,I voted for you.
I've seen you speak at localevents.
(05:10):
Thank you for always showing up.
But instead of engaging, and youknow, I get, it was a very long
second day.
She seemed to have just like.
Brushed me off and kept cuttingin line to get in front of the,
the first group of buses Infact, people.
Behind me were complainingbecause I heard there was a
group of people pushing theirway through, cutting in line.
(05:33):
And I was ready for it.
You know?
I was like, standing firm.
I was like, no one's getting,getting in front of me.
You know?
And when I looked over to my, myright, it was Senator May and
her crew, you know, and that'swhen I interacted with her.
I thought maybe she would haveremembered me or something.
And clearly she didn't.
And she just.
Yeah, just like I said, brushedme off and kept moving in front
(05:55):
of the line.
And I was like, kind of takenaback by that.
I was kind of disappointed bythat because, have supported
her.
I voted for her.
I asked people to vote for herand, just this whole no vote she
did for same-sex marriage,really.
Hits our household, it directlyimpacts us.
(06:15):
So, uh, it, it just, the wholesituation let a really
disappointing impression on me.
You know, and that's really, Iremember you telling me this
story and it's disappointing.
I mean, the thing withpoliticians is they forget their
job is their constituents.
A doctor's job is to take careof their patient's health.
A waiter's job is to take careof a customer's meal and
(06:37):
experience at a restaurant, buta politician's job.
It's to take care of the peoplethat voted for them in office.
I think, I think sometimespoliticians, there's an ego
there and there isn't room forthat.
I mean, they are civil servantsand they should actually
practice some civility Sometimesthe people, us are the reason
they hold these positions.
They're in.
It is their job to represent usand give us the time of day.
(06:59):
Yeah.
No, I agree.
And as someone who has cheeredher on in our community, it's
very frustrating to see herdisregard the very people she
represents, especially after herrecent vote against marriage
equality.
That's why, if no one hasalready, I'll be the first I'm
calling on her to.
Resign.
She was elected to represent oneof Missouri's most progressive
(07:21):
districts, and if she can'tstand up for the values and
rights we believe in, she shouldstep aside.
politics has.
Always been my passion.
Kind of like how some people arediehard fans of sports teams,
but right now it's disappointingfor me and this podcast to have
to shift our focus and energy onan elected official who seems to
(07:47):
be turning her back on us.
I get that she's superreligious, but there is this
thing in the United StatesConstitution that separates
church and state.
We've seen so many Republicansdisregard this bullet point in
the First Amendment.
Now we have a Democrat that'sdoing it.
In politics.
Like I said, it's just likesports.
(08:08):
You won't win every game, butwhen I support someone, I expect
them to champion basic humanrights, like same sex marriage.
A hundred percent.
And I think there's this ideaamongst some people that when
you're a Democrat or Republican,you blindly support that party
and whatever.
But if this situation wasflipped, and let's say you were
(08:29):
a Republican and this was aRepublican politician and you
voted for this politician in theoffice and they started doing
things like, like Josh Hawley,you would ask them, I.
To resign.
Just because they are aRepublican or part of your party
doesn't mean that you blindlyshould support them with Karla
May.
Just because she's a democratdoesn't mean we should support
(08:49):
her if she doesn't hold yourvalues.
I mean, if she starts to strayfor her constituents values,
then she needs to.
To resign.
And that's not a big ask.
And having that expectationdoesn't make you a bad Democrat.
It makes you someone that holdsyour values over a candidate.
we're seeing this on the righttoo.
You know, there are politiciansthat are doing bad things right
(09:09):
now.
We are asking.
For those people who voted forTrump or voted for other
Republican candidates to holdthem accountable, they are doing
things so far in thisadministration that are not very
popular with voters.
And just because you are aRepublican doesn't mean you
shouldn't call out yourRepublican candidates.
And just because you're aDemocrat doesn't mean you
shouldn't call out yourdemocratic candidates.
We, in a democracy, have controlin pushing for our values.
(09:33):
And Karla May voted against usand voted against what we hold
important value to us.
So I don't feel bad in sayingKarla May should resign,
especially if she doesn't evenhave the guts to come out and
make a statement defending whyshe voted the way she did.
Yeah.
We need to separate personalbeliefs from the rights of.
Others, especially now as we seethose in power targeting
(09:56):
marginalized communities likethe transgender community, which
compromises less than 1% of the340 million people that live
here in the United States.
Senator May's vote againstsame-sex marriage feels like a
betrayal of the progressivevalues she was elected to uphold
in her region representing sucha forward thinking district.
(10:17):
She has a responsibility toserve everyone, not just those
who share her beliefs Byopposing marriage equality, she
undermines a fundamental rightthat countless couples and
families, including ourhousehold, count on for legal
and emotional security marriage.
Isn't a bargaining chip.
(10:38):
It's a basic human right.
Senator May's vote directlyaffects real lives in her
district and her constituents.
Our neighbors deserve a leaderwho actively fights for equality
for all.
I agree and I'd be interested tosee what she does with this.
'cause it's obvious and we'renot the only ones angry.
There's a lot of people angrywith her.
(10:59):
There are a lot of peoplequestioning her, and I'm just,
I'm waiting to see how shehandles this situation.
Yeah.
There's been like, no, noresponse from her team at all.
I even like emailed.
I've never emailed.
A, uh, candidate or a senator,state senator before Any
politician, by the way.
And I, I still haven't gotten aresponse, so I'm sure she's
(11:19):
flooded with emails, but I mean,don't you have like a staff or
something or Right.
You would think, send out, thinkthis priority generic response
anyways.
Hey, Trump wants his airplaneand he wants it now.
Oh my God.
Was that good?
It was pretty good.
I mean, he's like a little baby.
Do you think I could bring thatstatement to like a.
Boeing executive meeting andthey'll work faster probably,
(11:42):
actually.
Oh wow.
Well thanks for that confidencein me.
What if I was like the richestman on earth?
Oh, then definitely.
So Trump is like having thislike meltdown and is sending his
minion Buddy Musk to.
Demand Boeing executives tofinish two Air Force One Jets.
Now I, you know, I wonder ifonly efficient white men will be
(12:05):
the only ones working on thisnew Air Force one production.
Yeah.
Well, Trump is fuming overcontinued delays and delivering
two new Air Force one jets, andit's got Elon Musk diving into
the mix with some ambitiousideas to push Boeing into
action.
Word is the administration iseven considering a.
Acquiring a temporary luxury jetthat could be retrofitted while
(12:29):
they're waiting for these newplanes.
Talk about taking shortcuts.
I get the current one is old,but can it just wait?
Well, and you would think ifthey're getting a luxury jet, I
mean, that sounds really easy,but it's not because they need
to put, you know, bulletproofwindows in, they need to put,
you know, communications in.
There's a lot that would have togo into this plane regardless of
whether it's newly built.
(12:49):
Or a luxury jet beingretrofitted, it's still gonna be
a lot of money and a lot ofwork.
right now the new presidentialplanes are now scheduled to be
delivered in late 2028 or early2029, which basically would mean
if the timeline goes the way itis, Trump may not even get to
ride in these new Air Force onesat all, which is.
(13:13):
I would kind of gladly find thatentertaining.
Well, Musk has been playing akey role in the conversations
with the military, the WhiteHouse and Boeing, to speed up
the process.
Meanwhile, the current Air Forceone Jets, which are Boeing 74 7
4 sevens, is at seven foursevens, seven 40 sevens, um, are
over 30 years old and are indesperate need of repairs.
(13:36):
Trump sees.
Air Force One as a symbol ofpower and prestige, and he's not
thrilled at the idea of takingto the skies in planes that once
carried George HW Bush.
Yeah.
And you know, something I wasreading about Trump that was
interesting.
I, I bet other presidencies havedone it.
I just didn't look further.
But like, Trump actually fliesthem over places to show'em off
(13:59):
to show his presidency and hisleadership off.
It's kind of, it's, it's, it'ssmall dick energy, I would say,
but you know.
You had said that the Boeingseven 40 sevens are 30 years
old.
To put the age and perspectiveof that, I did find that the
average age of an AmericanAirlines jet, so we're talking
passenger jets is 12.9 years oldat Delta there are passenger
(14:22):
jets.
17.2 years old and at SouthwestPassenger jets typically range
about 11.5 years old.
So this data was gathered in2023, but so for Air Force one
to be 30 years old, I mean, itis.
That is old.
Well, here's the financialscoop.
The Air Force has alreadycommitted to paying Boeing$3.5
(14:43):
billion of the total 4.3billion.
That was a lot allocated for theproject.
Yet Boeing is.
Allocated.
Allocated.
Allocated.
Should we keep recording goingwith this?
Yeah, I mean, should I restart?
No, I love this for you.
(15:03):
Keep going.
Allocated.
Is that what it is allocated?
I couldn't, I kinda like keepgoing.
Yeah.
Boeing is like three yearsbehind schedule and has racked
up a staggering 2.3.
$4 billion in losses related tothe contract.
Yikes.
That's a lot of money.
That is a lot, obviously.
But let, let's rewind a bit.
(15:24):
Boeing's contract to build thesenew jets was signed back in 2018
during the first Trump turn withan initial delivery window set
for 2024.
Building these planes just isn'ta simple task.
They need to be equipped toliterally dodge missile attacks
and endure the fallout from anuclear explosion.
(15:46):
No pressure, right?
No pressure at all.
And what's also interesting isthat workers working on the
seven 40 sevens require highlevel security clearance, not
just anyone can work on thesedis constructions.
It's called Yankee White, whichrequires an extensive.
Background investigation.
I could only imagine what theygo through to help speed up the
timeline.
Boeing has considered loweringthis clearance requirement for
(16:10):
some workers who are not workingon the more sensitive systems of
the plane.
But my question is.
What would this mean in regardto the potential national
security risk?
I mean, we have countriesgunning for us right now.
I mean, we have China andRussia.
Could this need to speed up theconstruction actually cause
security concerns years down theroad?
How did Air Force One get soaged out anyway?
(16:32):
I mean, 30 years when theaverage passenger jet is around
12 to 17 years old.
I just.
It's just really interesting.
I don't know.
Wait, so you're saying the highlevel security clearance is
called Yankee White?
It's called Yankee White.
Why is it called Yankee White?
I don't know why Is anythingcalled That's something in the
government?
Yeah.
Anyways, so, uh, while formerPresident Biden, ugh, I miss him
(16:53):
so much already, Biden wasn'texactly sweating the details of
Boeing's timeline, especiallygiven the production snafus that
were caused by the pandemic.
Now, Boeing has to deal with aninpatient president who's all
about instant gratification.
So the delays were seen withTrump's new Air Force.
One boils down to a cocktail ofmanufacturing issues.
(17:17):
The design changes and.
Budget constraints.
The upcoming Air Force one beingbuilt as a Boeing 7 7 4 7 dash
eight was initially planned forrollout in the early 2020s, but
has faced significant setbacksalong the way.
The pandemic not only disruptedschedules, but also led to
(17:37):
ongoing talks about contractupdates and the need for newer
technology and securityfeatures.
As it stands, Boeing is stillgrinding away at the project
with the US Air Force,maintaining that they're on it.
But let's be real.
This new Air Force one is meantto be in service for decades, so
it really needs to be up to parwhen it's released and finished.
(18:01):
I actually completely didn'teven think about the pandemic as
the reason why this is probablydelayed, and that makes a lot of
sense actually because of allthe supplies needed probably for
this plane.
Just an interesting note, Boeingshould have to deal with
President Trump being a littlebaby.
Let him whine.
I mean, they kind of deserve theharassment.
Honestly, something whileresearching for this story that
(18:23):
I found is, did you know I.
Boeing actually was one of thefirst companies to get on the
support, the right conservativetrain by dismantling their DEI
programs last November.
They jumped on that train waybefore anyone else did because
they saw the direction politicswas going in this country, and
(18:44):
they were quick to act on it togain support from the Republican
side.
They knew that these contractswere handed in.
The government, it just findsit, I find it very dirty.
They were one of the first tobend after Elon Musk.
Yes.
Elon Musk back in November hadargued that diversity goals
contribute to operationalinefficiencies.
So that says to me, they havebeen open to bending to
(19:05):
conservative viewpoints themoment they felt Republicans
were taking power.
So if Trump wants to putpressure on Boeing, I.
Let'em, yeah, well stay tunedbecause this is a rollercoaster
of jet delays.
and we'll, we'll definitelywanna keep following this'cause
I wanna know when they'reactually finished.
Absolutely.
So that leads us to our weekly.
(19:26):
Who said it game this week?
I'll be hosting who said it.
And Ryan is playing the role ofthe contestant, I'm guessing
today.
You are guessing.
Um, so I do have a question.
Have you heard of an singer or,well, she's not a rapper named
Doci.
I've heard of her.
Yes.
She's this up and coming rapperthat's really on a success wave
(19:48):
right now with, she's beennominated for numerous awards
with her album Alligator Bites,never Heal.
Great album.
I highly, highly recommend her.
She's really, really cool.
She just won best rap album atthe Grammys this year and caught
my attention because herGrammy's performance was.
Really good.
And then on top of that, she waskind of trending there for a
(20:10):
minute because she also had anamazing tiny desk concert and to
see a rapper on there and to seeher live performing.
Flawlessly was really cool andshe had a performance on the
Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Anyways, she's really makingwaves, making statements,
bringing the old style ofnineties rap back.
I felt it would be fun tocompare some of the things she
(20:30):
has said to another outspoken,powerfully influential
politician and of who is that?
Of course, I'm talking about the52nd speaker of the House of
Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
Oh, okay.
So with this who said it, you'llhave to decide whether the quote
is from Doci or Pelosi.
(20:52):
All right.
All right, ready?
Let's do it.
Start.
Alright.
First quote, I'm not afraid ofbeing controversial.
I'm afraid of being irrelevant.
Doci, that was Nancy Pelosi.
Oh, nice.
2013 New York Times interview.
Alright, next one.
(21:13):
I redefine what they expect.
I'm more than their labels.
I'm bigger than their views.
Watch me turn this whole thingupside down.
Doci correct?
It's actually from a song.
What it What it is.
Nice.
Alright, next quote.
The world's not ready for a lotof things, but that's why we
(21:33):
need to keep pushing boundaries.
Don't let anyone make you feellike you don't belong or that
your dreams are too big.
Pelosi I.
Doci from a Vibe interview.
She did.
Well, I feel like Pelosi saidthat once before.
Okay.
Probably it's a tie.
Yeah.
Alright, next quote.
When you're in the room, you'repart of the conversation and
(21:55):
that makes a difference.
Pelosi?
Yes.
Pelosi from an M-S-N-B-Cinterview in 2019.
Next quote.
He does what I say and I do whatI say.
Pelosi?
Correct.
All right.
I wonder who she was talkingabout.
Alright.
Oh, Trump for sure.
(22:18):
Alright.
I'm always going to speak mytruth, even if it means shaking
things up.
You can't expect change ifyou're not willing to make
noise.
Joe Chi correct.
You're doing really good.
All right.
I've been underestimated mywhole life and that's been my
greatest strength.
Pelosi, correct.
(22:40):
Ooh, Pelosi from 2019, huh?
All right, two more left.
We've been told for too longthat we can't change things,
that the system is too broken tofix.
But I'm here to tell you thesystem is broken because we let
it be.
It's time to stand up, speakout, and build a world where
every voice is heard, no matterwho you are.
Pelosi Doci.
(23:02):
Oh man.
Rolling Stone.
Interview from 2023.
All right, last one.
People used to tell me I neededto tone it down, be more
reserved, more ladylike.
I said, well, honey, if you wantme to be quiet, I'll wait until
you stop interrupting me.
Doci, Nancy Pelosi, 2021interview.
(23:23):
She had her moments.
I think she, oh, of course shehas.
I love her.
Well, that was fun.
Yeah, that was good.
That was good.
I found it interesting that theyboth being powerful women, I
could find quotes that theyactually did sound very similar.
It's, you know, it speaksvolumes about Pelosi, but also
speaks volumes about doci andhow these, you know, new women
in the industry are making wavesand are making these broad
(23:46):
state, like very, not broad, butvery big statements and it's
great.
Oh, of course.
Absolutely.
Okay, so, alright let's talkabout something that's like
pretty alarming coming out ofseveral red states.
State health officials inArkansas made a jaw dropping
announcement for 2023.
They claim that the total numberof, number of abortions in the
(24:09):
entire state of Arkansas, whichis home to around 1.5 million
women, was zero nte.
Is that, what is that?
Zero nte.
Nte.
And it's not just Arkansas.
It, South Dakota also reportedzero abortions for the year.
Idaho.
A battleground for abortionrights lately logs just five
(24:30):
across nearly.
A dozen states with total ornear total abortion bans,
officials are throwing outclaims of zero or very few
abortions occurring since theSupreme Court overturned the
federal abortion rights just inwhat?
2022 naturally anti-abortionactivists are celebrating these
(24:51):
numbers like they've achievedsome sort of victory.
But here's the kicker.
Medical professionals are sayingthese claims are not just
misleading, but completelydishonest.
One, OB GYN in South Dakotacalled it absurd, pointing out
that She's seen patients comeinto her hospital after taking
abortion pills or needingmedical interventions due to
(25:12):
complications with non-viablepregnancies.
You know, my main question withthis is why would a state that,
why is, would we expect a statethat it is illegal to have an
abortion?
And states where doctors can becharged and go to prison for
doing the procedure.
Why would they even want toreport it?
you even have doctors now beingcharged in other states with
(25:33):
assisting with abortions viamailing abortion pills to other
states.
I mean, there's just a, it's abig mess.
Why would anyone report it?
This really is a bigger story ifyou ask me how many non.
Ported abortions are going onper state since the overturn of
Roe versus Wade.
I don't blame these doctors orfacilities that aren't reporting
these numbers whatsoever, butthat data is skewed zero.
(25:56):
Are you kidding me?
And anyone who thinks otherwiseis an idiot for data scientists.
These so-called zero abortionrates adjust a troubling trend,
the potential for politicizing,these health numbers.
Since the Supreme Court'sdecision in June of 22, there's
been a significant drop inreported abortions.
(26:17):
For example, Arkansas claimedzero in 23 compared to the.
1600 in 2022 and Texas, theyreported just 60 abortions this
year after seeing around 50,002years ago, Idaho's figures
dropped from 1,521 to five in2023, while South Dakota was
(26:40):
very, very small population.
Lives up there, fell from 192 tojust zero.
Anti-abortion.
Politicians and activists areseizing these numbers to claim
their decades long fight againstabortion is yielding results.
They argue that many pregnantmothers in Arkansas are spared
(27:01):
from the supposed lifelongregrets and health risks
associated with abortion.
But here's the reality.
While these numbers might soundimpressive to the anti-abortion
crowd.
They don't reflect the fullstory.
The truth is many women arestill seeking abortions, but
(27:22):
they're now faced to travel tostates where it remains legal or
may turn to unsafe methods.
Yeah, I mean, that's.
Exactly true.
You know, something I found wasthe average driving time across
con congressional districts fora woman who was at least six
weeks pregnant to reach anabortion clinic increased by
300% from 33 minutes to twohours and 12 minutes in one
(27:46):
direction.
Since Florida's six weekabortion bandwidth, in effect,
the average driving time thoughclinic went from 22 minutes to
nine.
Hours and eight minutes in justone direction.
Actually, one in four women ofreproductive age, living in
Florida, Louisiana, Texas,Alabama, and Georgia, all
basically southern states Sincethe fall of Roe versus Wade, it
(28:07):
would take a majority of themmore than eight hours round trip
to access any abortion care.
Yeah, so data collection itselfis often flawed.
Some states don't requirecomprehensive reporting on
abortion statistics.
Which makes it tough to get anaccurate picture of what's
really happening.
The overturning of Roe v.
Wade, has created a tangled webof state laws complicating
(28:31):
efforts to understand the actualstate of abortion access across
the country as barriers toreproductive healthcare continue
to rise.
It's essential for us to seebeyond the zero abortion claims
and recognize the livedexperiences of those affected.
The conversation around abortionaccess is very much alive and
(28:53):
contentious.
And calling it a a zero abortionrate.
Oversimplifies what many arefacing on the ground.
We really need to highlight thebroader context, legal
restrictions, access tohealthcare, how socioeconomic
factors shape reproductivehealth choices as this situation
develops, let's remember to liftup the voices and stories of
(29:15):
those navigating thesechallenging waters.
It's also important to note too,according to ProPublica data,
I'd found these same states thataren't reporting accurate data
on abortions.
They also have done little touncover whether the laws are
contributing to maternal deaths,which would include tracking
delays in care.
For pregnancy complications andmaking these problems known.
(29:38):
They have dismissed committeeswhich drastically slows down
their work.
Texas has gone as far as tolegally prohibit its committee
from reviewing deaths that areconsidered abortion related.
This could include somemiscarriage care.
So not only are actual abortiondata being lied about, but
states are also not accuratelyshowing the effects.
(29:58):
These bans have also costed.
So let's talk about the elephantin the room.
Misinformation.
It's everywhere, especially intoday's digital world, where
social media spreads info fasterthan you can say viral.
Yeah.
Studies reveal that false newsstories often zoom around the
internet quicker than the truth.
(30:20):
Reaching massive audiencesbefore anyone can actually fact
check or set the recordstraight.
The impacts of thismisinformation is significant
and it varies across differentareas.
For example, one is politicalmisinformation.
Yeah.
We see it peak during electioncycles and it's a game changer.
(30:40):
It can shape how people perceivecandidates and issues messing
with our democracy in real time.
We, we've seen it definitelyduring these last few campaign
cycles for sure.
Absolutely.
The other is in health andmisinformation.
Yeah, this healthmisinformation, this has been a
huge issue, especially duringthe COVID-19 pandemic.
We saw a flood of false claimsthat led to confusion and even
(31:03):
dangerous decisions.
A reminder of how crucial,accurate information is in times
of crisis.
I mean, even look at the measlesoutbreak in Texas, the
misinformation of vaccines,that's just a pro prime example
of that.
and lastly, there's social mediainfluence.
Yeah.
Research points that folks withextreme political views are more
(31:23):
likely to stumble upon andbelieve misinformation.
This creates echo chambers thatdrown out balanced discussions.
Absolutely.
I mean, so with all that said.
What's the best way to fightback against this tidal wave of
misinformation?
Well, it starts with smartstrategies like media literacy,
education, basically teachingourselves and each other how to
(31:46):
spot fake stuff.
Fact checking initiatives arealso key, as in pressuring
social media platforms to stepup and take responsibility by
improving how they handle falseinformation, staying informed
and being critical about ourresources.
Isn't just helpful.
It's essential in mitigating theharmful effects of
(32:06):
misinformation.
Let's make sure we're not justpassive consumers of content,
but active participants inamplifying the truth.
I.
Some great sites to use ifyou're ever in question, and I
use these a lot, almost dailyeven just to use to get some
news, there's factcheck.org,politifact.com, and snopes.com.
(32:30):
There's also a website that Iuse often shortly after starting
this podcast.
It's called Ground News, www dotground news.
There's also an app for this.
It shows you all types of newsstories, just like a normal news
site, but when you click on astory, it shows you various
websites with.
That story and shows you whatsites are right-leaning,
left-leaning, and center.
If you get a subscription, whichisn't a lot, it shows you the
(32:52):
factuality of each news article.
It's very convenient and nice tokind of weed out the noise.
It also shows you, they call itblind spots, which is articles
that are disproportionatelybeing covered by one side of the
political spectrum.
It's a great way to see what youmay be missing and what others
are being shown that youralgorithms may not be showing
you.
we'll be sure to add all these.
(33:13):
Sites into this episodedescription.
So make sure either whilelistening right now or after,
check that out.
Go to the links and make sure tobookmark them because they're
great resources.
Yeah, definitely.
So let's move on to some funnews.
You ready?
Yeah.
Fun news.
Yeah, I'm ready.
Yeah, let's do it.
All right.
So.
A company called Jet Wind hascreated these really cool pods.
(33:37):
They are currently being used inDallas.
So what they do when you fly andyou just boarded the plane, your
plane sits there feels likeforever for these pre-flight
checks.
Well, during that time, theturbine engines are idling.
This company, jet Wind, realizedall that idling force wind is
like strong winds needed topower wind turbine.
(33:59):
These.
Pods capture that wind for fiveto 10 minutes.
The aircraft is sitting at thegate.
They've been testing these podsfor the past three years at
Dallas Love Field.
13 sets of pods have beensitting beneath the gate, hooked
up to external batteries thatconnect to the grid, to the
airport uses with these pods,along with solar panels already
(34:19):
in use.
It's.
Creates 30 kilowatts an hour ofrenewable energy, which is
enough to power a family homefor a few days.
Right now that isn't enough topower an entire airport,
obviously, but once combinedwith other systems like it, it
will make a serious differencein reducing the carbon
footprint.
At airports, this system isalready attracting attention
(34:41):
from other parts of the world.
So we'll see how this isimplemented going forward.
It's a pretty cool idea.
It's a really cool idea I had.
I did not know about this.
It's smart.
'cause it makes sense.
I mean, how many times are youjust sitting there and you hear
those engines whirling andyou're just like, it's just
sitting there.
So the United States is.
Leading something that's like atechnological advancement right
now.
Yeah, in energy.
(35:02):
Wow.
That's impressive.
I like that.
That crazy.
And Trump found out, he probablyshut it down, but Yeah, exactly.
So, you know, they would, theydefinitely would.
They would, they would.
Yeah.
That's, that's real.
So the next story is giving meheavy dune vibes.
Scientists have just created atechnology called fog
harvesting.
So the technology uses fine meshnets to collect moisture from
(35:24):
fog and then convert.
Mist into drinkable water.
The researchers trusted thistechnology in a Chilean
municipality named Alto cio.
I'm probably pronouncing thatcompletely wrong, but only one
per 1.6% of its 10,000 ishresidents are connected to the
local water system.
(35:46):
The mesh nets are held up by twopoles.
Moisture in the air that comesin contact with the nets,
converts it in the droplets thateventually drain down the nets
and into a water tank.
The researchers demonstratedthat 38.61 square miles of fog
collectors could bring insomewhere between 0.05 and 1.32
gallons of water per squaremeter every day, with a higher
(36:09):
range of those estimates hittingin August and September.
This may not sound like a lot.
But communities that didn't haveso much access to H2O could
suddenly find themselves able toirrigate crops or even just
provide enough water to meet theneeds of a small town.
They note that fog collectioncurrently requires obviously,
specific geographic conditions,like elevated land forms, su
(36:32):
sustain sustainable windpatterns, and of course plenty
of fog, but.
Even still this technology couldbe a game changer for a lot of
these towns or cities are inthese little, you know, remote
areas.
It's pretty cool.
Yeah.
Or like California where likeSan Francisco's so foggy.
Absolutely.
San Francisco would probably getlot need water in California.
Yeah, it's pretty we'll see.
(36:53):
Where this goes.
But it's, I mean, and you, whenwe're talking about when I was
like looking it up, I'm like,that makes so much sense.
Like, how has anyone not donethis before?
But we'll see.
We'll see what comes of it.
Yeah.
Well good stories.
I like that.
Thanks.
Alright, well, um, that's it forus.
So thanks for joining us andlistening.
We'll be back, um, as soon as wecan.
Until then, be sure to give us afollow on Instagram at the Civil
(37:15):
U.
That's just with the letter U.
And feel free to send us anemail letting us know your
thoughts, questions, what we gotwrong, or anything you think we
should discuss.
That email is, and Karla May,that email is the Civil Union
twenty5@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening, guys.
Thanks for listening.
Bye.
I.
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