S9 Ep1: New Year New Laws, Airline Mayhem, What To Do About Football?

New year same us! Welcome to #Millennial the home of pretend adulting and real talk.
Get ready for some new laws y'all: decriminalization of jaywalking and cannabis cafés potentially coming near you soon!
During the holiday break House Republicans proved the 15th time is a charm, Brasil had its own January 6th, and Biden had his own classified documents snafu. 2023 is just *glowing*

NEW ON PATREON! Executive Producer tier, which includes all other Patreon benefits in addition to joining us for episode planning meetings, a personalized thank-you video, and a dedicated space to pitch your ideas to the show.
Southwest Airlines capped off a year rife with airline drama with the crowning jewel of clusterfucks: mass cancellations that left tens of thousands of Americans stranded at the height of winter holidays.
US airlines received around $50 billion in taxpayer funded bailouts during the pandemic to avoid layoffs and furloughs. If the bailout was meant to keep airline workers employed, why did the airlines offer buyouts and early retirement packages to so many of their employees? 🤔
Can Southwest bounce back from this? More than likely with the right response and PR. But will the government enact repercussions?
Are consumers expecting unreasonably low airfares? And what can be done about the general lack of comfortable seating?
What is the future of football following the tragic accident that nearly claimed Damar Hamlin's life?
How can American society reconcile the inherent dangers of football with the cultural significance it holds?
Why do sports in general carry so much significance socially, culturally, and politically?
This week's recommendations all relate to our episode! Ticket to Ride (Andrew),  The Department of Transportation's Airline Customer Service Dashboard (Laura), and 'Colin in Black and White' on Netflix (Pam).

And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon:

The Stanley Quencher water bottle may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, but it'll keep you hydrated.
In a conversation about brand influencing, Andrew and Pam give Laura fomo about products she doesn't have and will now be buying.
We share the products we are sluts for, and surprise surprise, we were most likely influenced into our loyalty.
Why is hydration so trendy now? No one walked around with a water bottle in the 90s.