#134 Welcome To America

Useless Assumptions Episode 134 is here and we are covering everything from blockbuster NBA trades to a federal judge shutting down Nebraska's food stamp restrictions to a real conversation about what is happening to young men in this country. We start in the NBA where the offseason is already on fire. Giannis Antetokounmpo is headed to Miami in one of the biggest trades in league history and we break down what the Heat actually got and what they gave up to get it. LeBron James is a free agent and the question of whether he follows Giannis to South Beach is on everybody's mind. Then we get into Julius Randle leaving Minnesota for Brooklyn, Ja Morant reportedly on his way out of Memphis, the Celtics looking to move Jaylen Brown and what all of this means for the direction of the league. Are we in an era of superteams again or are we watching teams like the Knicks and OKC prove you can win by building the right culture? We talk about where the NBA is headed and whether those polarizing stars that used to drive the league still exist. The World Cup is in full swing and the USA plays Turkey tonight at 9PM. We talk about why this has been the most entertaining World Cup since 1958 with scoring up 25 percent from the last tournament. The refs are letting the game breathe instead of rewarding flopping, the VAR system has been smooth as silk and Zach makes the case for other sports to pay attention, and the hydration breaks and stoppage time have actually been working. This tournament has been must watch television. Oklahoma won the College World Series right here in Omaha. They were 11th in the SEC heading into the postseason and went on a run that nobody saw coming. Then Caitlin Clark is back in the news again for all the wrong reasons after another attack on the court and we weigh in. On the local front Nebraska is directly in the middle of a national story. A federal judge in Washington D.C. on Monday struck down Nebraska's SNAP restrictions that banned soda and energy drinks from being purchased with food stamp benefits. Nebraska was the first state in the country to implement these rules back in January. The judge ruled that the USDA overstepped its authority. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and RFK Jr. both fired back calling it an activist court decision. We lay out every side of this one and let you decide. Then we get into two bigger conversations. The movement to ban social media for kids under 16 is spreading worldwide and we talk about where America stands. Australia did it first. The UK just announced it. Five countries now have it in place. We lay out the case for it and the case against it including the question of whether age verification requirements lead us down a road we are not comfortable with. And finally we have a real conversation about what is happening to young men in America. The workforce numbers are falling. Marriage rates are falling. Twenty percent of men ages 25 to 34 are still living at home. Suicide rates among young men remain alarming. Researchers have a name for the ones who are not working, not in school and not pursuing anything. We talk about why this is happening and what it means for communities like ours right here in Norfolk. Like and subscribe and as always leave your own Useless Assumptions in the comments. See you next week.