Crime Rates & Midterms, PayPal Misinfo, SCOTUS Pork Dilemma

Ep. 86 w/ show notes

Ravi and Rikki first welcome their guest for the day, Kmele Foster. Then the hosts briefly note today’s discouraging inflation numbers before turning to how violent crime rates are impacting midterm races around the country, PayPal’s much-criticized and quickly retracted misinformation policy, and a fascinating case before the Supreme Court with potentially sweeping implications for the way states interact with one another. 

Ravi, Rikki and Kmele begin with today’s disappointing CPI report and the implications that persistent inflation could have on midterm elections. [1:29]

The hosts then move onto another key midterm issue: violent crime rates. They discuss the opaqueness of the data and how voters are responding to each party’s messaging on crime. [2:22]

Ravi, Rikki, and Kmele then tackle PayPal’s recently released and quickly retracted policy update, renewing the heated debate around who gets to define “misinformation.” [16:22]

Finally, the hosts unravel a fascinating dilemma before the Supreme Court pitting pork producers against the state of California in a case that could have far wider implications all around the country. [29:45]

Sources Mentioned:

Inflation Numbers:

Consumer Price Index Summary (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10/13)

Full recap of the Fed’s rate hike and Powell’s comments on the outlook for future increases (CNBC, 9/21)

PayPal:

[UPDATED] PayPal is no pal to free expression (FIRE, 9/30)

PayPal Says It Won't Fine Users $2,500 for Misinformation, but It Will Fine Them for 'Intolerance' (Reason, 10/10)

PayPal Still Threatens $2500 Fines for Promoting "Discriminatory" "Intolerance" (Even if Not "Misinformation") (Reason, 10/9)

FIRE Statement on Free Speech and Online Payment Processors (FIRE, 9/30)

Letter to PayPal and Venmo from EFF and others (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 6/15/2021)

'Misinformation police' are coming for your money: Ramaswamy (YouTube/Fox Business, 0:28, 10/10)

Violent Crime Trends:

FBI says U.S. violent crimes decreased in 2021, but data is missing (Axios, 10/5)

The FBI’s murder rate mystery. Good luck figuring out what happened with crime in 2021. (Vox, 10/6)

Myths and Realities: Understanding Recent Trends in Violent Crime (Brennan Center, 7/12)

Murders Are Rising. Blaming a Party Doesn’t Add Up. (New York Times, 9/22/2021)

The Red State Murder Problem (Third Way, 3/15)

In race for Minnesota attorney general, crime and abortion among top issues (TwinCities, 10/11)

The Liberals Who Won’t Acknowledge the Crime Problem (The Atlantic, 6/21)

Worries over crime haunt Democrats ahead of the midterm elections (Washington Post, 6/8)

Republicans Focus on Rising Crime to Counter Democratic Abortion Momentum (Bloomberg, 9/21)

Killings in NYC subway system skyrocket to highest level in 25 years — even as ridership plummeted (New York Post, 10/11)

MAC DONALD: GOP Candidates Can Make Democrats Sweat With These Four Questions On Crime (Daily Caller, 10/9)

SLF: "Only One" 30s - PA (YouTube/Senate Leadership Fund, 8/30)

Sheriff (YouTube/John Fetterman, 9/27)

New Orleans mayor doesn’t ‘embrace’ city’s title as ‘murder capital’ of U.S. (YouTube/WVUE FOX 8 New Orleans, 9/28)

National Pork Producers v. Ross:

California Court Rules Vegan Creamery Has First Amendment Right To Call Products 'Butter' and 'Cheese' (Reason, 8/30/2021)

Pigs: Intelligent Animals Suffering on Farms and in Slaughterhouses (PETA)

Supreme Court Pork Case Could Provide Roadmap for Moral Warfare (Bloomberg Law, 10/11)

Oral Arguments: National Pork Producers v. Ross (Supreme Court of the United States, 10/11)

California law on sale of pork raises concerns about interstate moral disputes in a “balkanized” nation (SCOTUSBlog, 10/11)

How a Challenge to California’s Animal Cruelty Law Became a Stealth Abortion Case (Slate, 10/11)

Sizing Up Prop 12 SCOTUS Case Arguments (DTN Progressive Farmer, 10/7)

The Supreme Court seems absolutely flummoxed by a high-stakes case about pigs (Vox, 10/11)

The surprisingly high stakes in a Supreme Court case about bacon (Vox, 10/9)

California Tries to Regulate 50 States (Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, 10/9)