The Futurist Public Intellectual

Starting on April 1, 2024, fast food workers in California began earning a minimum wage of $20 an hour due to a new law. Brad Yates questions why the minimum wage was raised only for fast food workers, presents the fundamental question of whether a fast food job is meant to support a family, and chastises California for not addressing the housing and transportation costs that are at the root of th...

The Department of Transportation issued two new rules for airlines in April 2024 regarding cash refunds and fee disclosures. Brad Yates applauds the overdue definition of the term significant change, suggests that the DOT looks into mandatory compensation policies, and takes a market-based approach to family seating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Boy Scouts of America announced that it will be changing its name to Scouting America on February 8, 2025. Brad Yates questions valuing inclusivity in all contexts, characterizes the name change as a business move, and laments the loss of yet another space for male communion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New York State Court of Appeals overturned Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction last week. Brad Yates explains the court’s rationale regarding propensity evidence, chides Anita Hill for not understanding the impropriety of the trial court, and reaffirms the importance of due process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across the nation, pro-Palestine college students are protesting the Israel-Hamas conflict and getting arrested for it. Brad Yates questions the motivations of the protesters, clarifies the various political positions to prevent conflation, and reminds us of the only solution to this particular land dispute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On April 15, 2024, the Supreme Court granted postponement of Idaho’s transgender care ban law in the case Labrador v. Poe . Brad Yates laments the increasing frequency of universal injunctions issued by federal judges, questions the wisdom of the challengers’ case, and foresees gay marriage potentially becoming collateral damage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James and Jennifer Crumbley made history by becoming the first parents in America to be held criminally liable for a mass shooting committed by their child. Brad Yates explains the prosecutors’ novel legal theory, takes note of Ethan Crumbley’s exercise of the Fifth Amendment, and emphasizes the vigilance that necessarily comes with gun ownership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

The US Military Academy, better known as West Point, recently revised its mission statement and received backlash for removing the phrase “duty, honor, country.” Brad Yates explores the role of patriotism in the military, questions the wisdom of replacing the beloved motto with “Army values,” and distinguishes loyalty and patriotism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apple is facing its biggest antitrust lawsuit yet after the Department of Justice and multiple states alleged anticompetitive behavior. Brad Yates questions whether Apple is a real monopoly, compares Apple to Disney, and addresses which of the DOJ’s assertions have any merit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court declined to look at the case involving Texas’s illegal migrant deportation law, Senate Bill 4, this week. Brad Yates questions the federal government’s plenary power to regulate immigration in Arizona v. United States , pinpoints the weak constitutional foundation of that power, and identifies an opportunity for Texas to use general police powers to address its illegal migrant cr...

TikTok has been targeted for either divestiture or a ban by the House in the bill called Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Brad Yates clarifies the lack of First Amendment concerns with this bill, mentions another problem of constitutionality, and emphasizes the importance of national security. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden bulldozed through Super Tuesday, bringing us even closer to a Trump-Biden rematch in November. Brad Yates addresses the unanimous decision in the Colorado ballot removal case Trump v. Anderson , explains how the Democrats’ uncompromising stance on social issues has pushed Americans towards Trump, and encourages Democrats to reflect on the Biden years. Hosted on Acas...

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week for the social media moderation cases Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton . Brad Yates finds the newspaper analogy to be disingenuous, wonders what social media’s editorial voice is, and proposes classifying social media companies as common carriers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

California will be instituting an ethnic studies graduation requirement for its public high schools soon. Brad Yates deems ethnic studies to be regressive, cautions us about the tribalization of society, and suggests adding more color to the teaching of American history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everywhere you go these days, you’ll see workers with an earbud on while they’re allegedly working. Brad Yates excoriates this workplace trend, explains why we shouldn’t sympathize with these workers, and warns us that this behavior accelerates the elimination of these workers’ jobs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colleges have rapidly dropped their SAT and ACT requirements for admissions ever since the pandemic, but some prominent schools like MIT and Dartmouth have reinstated them. Brad Yates declares that higher education is not a social program, defends admission tests’ ability to predict college academic performance, and reminds us that poor students can outperform rich kids on these tests anyway. Host...

Resort fees and credit card service charges have been proliferating during the past two decades. Brad Yates examines how resort fees help hotels’ bottom lines, dispels the misconception that restaurants make so little money that they have to pad their bills with credit card fees, and advocates for all-inclusive pricing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In December 2023, Colorado and Maine decided to remove Trump from the ballots for the 2024 primaries, citing a violation of the 14th Amendment. Brad Yates questions whether Trump actually engaged in insurrection, explains how the insurrectionist ban doesn’t have to be at the election stage, and agrees with Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig’s warning about the next Civil War. Hosted on Acast. S...

Brad Yates looks back at the first year of The Futurist Public Intellectual podcast and discusses an important theme for the year ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TSA released its grim statistics about the number of firearms they found in people’s carry-on bags in 2023. Brad Yates questions the trustworthiness of gun-toting travelers, wonders if these travelers should be given more severe consequences, and proposes suspending people’s flying privileges. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice, passed away. Brad Yates reflects on how O’Connor was an example of a jurist, not a politician, reminds people to stop expecting the Justices to behave politically, and commends O’Connor for not overemphasizing her gender. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Black Santas were everywhere this Christmas. Brad Yates explains how wokeism warps the truth, chastises distorting the truth in the name of inclusivity, and proposes focusing on Kwanzaa as the path forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The presidents of Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania were recently grilled about antisemitism on their campuses. Brad Yates reminds us that free speech in the US has extremely strong protections, distinguishes between blaming Israel’s government and calling for violence against Jews, and criticizes Representative Elise Stefanik’s twisting of the word intifada . Hosted on Acast. See a...

The name “Karen” has become a meme to hilarious effect, but it’s starting to be used as a slur for the merely assertive. Brad Yates traces the evolution of the epithet, distinguishes when a woman is called a Karen from when a man is called one, and explains why people should reserve their judgment when someone seems like they’re being a Karen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

The proliferation of ancillary fees and shrinking seats have incited some critics to demand re-regulation of the airlines. Brad Yates reminds us of the incredible democratization of air travel since the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, responds to the critics’ two biggest issues with airlines today, and proposes a surprising solution to dropped routes to small cities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...