Topic: Recovery Funds

President Joe Biden pledged 100% federal disaster recovery relief for California for the next six months following a conversation with Governor Gavin Newsom. The hosts express skepticism regarding a viral clip of Newsom appearing to use a satellite phone during the crisis, suggesting the call may have been staged for optics. They debate the specifics of the federal funding match and Newsom's portrayal of the negotiations with the White House.

Protesters gathered in front of the Clinton Foundation in New York to mark the six-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake. Activists like Dahoud André criticized Bill Clinton's role as head of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, questioning the whereabouts of $6 billion in aid. Critics claim Haiti is in worse condition now than it was immediately following the 2010 disaster.

The transparency of Recovery.gov is questioned, with the hosts describing it as a news blog that redirects users to other agencies. A Mother Jones report is cited, revealing that various California counties are trading and selling their federal stimulus funds to one another at a discount to bypass earmark restrictions.

The official stimulus tracking website, Recovery.gov, has been updated with new charts regarding highway infrastructure funds, but the hosts criticize the lack of detailed reporting on where the money is going. Similar issues are noted in the UK, where promised aid for small and medium businesses has been delayed by bureaucratic paperwork.