State of the States

Although it seems as if US oil prices are back up again after the first negative prices in history, should we be relieved? US President Donald Trump is talking about it as if it is a technical and isolated blip. But economists say otherwise.

How can a price be negative? What is an "oil future"? How sustainable really is the oil industry, if it exists precariously from "bust to boom"? How integral is the continuous supply of oil to American society?

Rachel Simpson reports on the negative price of oil futures on this week's instalment of State of the States.

Should we all be heading to Cushing, Oklahoma with any container we can find to collect some oil and get paid for it? Unfortunately, that's not exactly how it works. 

And daddy won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County
Down by the Green River where Paradise lay
Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in asking
Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away

- John Prine (RIP)

And now for State of the States...

In breaking news, Bernie Sanders has dropped out of the US presidential race. Lillian Hanly recaps his campaign.

But, with the democratic primary being muted compared to the pandemic, a movement beyond Bernie Sanders appears to be happening.

With the number of strikes rapidly growing across the United States, COVID-19 is turning out to be an unprecedented labour crisis.

Rachel Simpson speaks to Dr Paul Taillon, a senior history lecturer at the University of Auckland. He specialises in working people and the labour movement in the United States and has written on gender, race and unionism in the States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They speak about the increase in worker solidarity despite push back from corporates and the government, how grassroots strikes are organised despite social distancing regulations, and whether a general strike may be imminent.

This week Harry and Nick talk Trump's comments on the NBC, and the escalating narrative with the NFL.

State of the States is back with Nick Sawhney from WNYU - we are talking Healthcare dead in the water, North Korea tensions and Trump's debacle dragging out his NFL comments