Topic: National Bird

President Biden signed legislation officially designating the bald eagle as the national bird of the United States. While the eagle has been on the Great Seal since 1782, it was never legislatively designated until now. The hosts recall the historical anecdote that Benjamin Franklin preferred the turkey for the role.

The hosts acknowledge March 14th as Pi Day and note the passing of National Nap Day. A brief discussion ensues regarding the lack of donation enthusiasm compared to the COVID-19 era. A news item about penguins contracting bird flu is mentioned as a potential precursor to a new pandemic narrative.

The Israeli National Security Council has taken control of a massive H5N1 bird flu outbreak in the Galilee region. Scientists warn that the outbreak, which has killed thousands of cranes, could potentially jump to humans and create a new mass health disaster.

The popular belief that Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird is debunked as folklore popularized by a 1962 New Yorker magazine cover. While Franklin criticized the bald eagle in a letter to his daughter, he never formally proposed the turkey as a replacement. Additionally, the myth that the eagle on the presidential seal changes direction during wartime is corrected, noting Harry Truman permanently changed the eagle to face the olive branch in 1945.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed the "Red" character from the Angry Birds movie as an Honorary Ambassador for Green to promote climate change awareness. The campaign, a joint promotion with Sony, featured actors Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, and Maya Rudolph at the UN General Assembly. Critics describe the event as a demeaning waste of resources that uses mobile game characters to lecture the public on recycling and water conservation.

European scientists have developed genetically modified chickens that cannot transmit bird flu. Meanwhile, the United Nations warns of a global food crisis and potential riots as food prices reach dangerous levels, similar to the conditions that led to the ousting of Tunisia's leader.