a military plane crash lands on a highway in eastern ukraine 25 people are dead 2 others. and the sense here time in the form of headquarters of the satirical magazine sally had is now being treated this as a terrorist incidents left to people and it comes off and i can see recently really controversial cartoons featuring the prospect that. ethical concerns are raised over of course the volunteers in the u.k. could soon be deliberately attacked with. trial. as all this hour's headlines stay with us now for the big picture.

wildfires have wasted millions of acres and killed dozens out west it's so bad that the air quality here in the east was compromised and this hurricane season is a brutal while the pandemic is killing a 1000 americans a day and thousands of others are lining up for food as free money from the fed is inflating wall street while telecommuting we're trying to be productive but supply chain issues continue and with the president already calling the looming election rigged how much more will it take before the straw that breaks the camel's back let's ask the author of the sickness is the system when capitalism fails to

save us from pandemics. or itself available let them ocracy at work the info of which economists richard deal wolf is founder and host of the nationally syndicated show economic update richard historically america mankind has survived as long as we have because we can surmount dilemmas like this one at a time how quickly in economic terms could things just degenerate into chaos if one more thing drops in our lap. well i'm afraid i can't give you the good news your question implies i think rather than the extremely difficult point you're right that the lisbon has been resilient in the past overcoming major obstacles of we've had too many that have the cumulated that haven't been solved or resolved whether it's the climate and the

disasters in the west or our racial divisions or the looming competition from china that is now really a profound problem and we could go on it's too many and what you're seeing is the disintegration at all that often happens with empires when they can't manage it anymore and they begin churning in the on themselves as each little group or not so little tries to protect itself from the fallout from the decline and pushes it on to somebody else who then pushes back you're beginning to hear talk about a civil war you're beginning to hear talk about in ever the boom divisions people not accepting the results of a collective like an election i mean this symptoms are all around us and i think americans are feeling at a gut level that things are now at a stage that all strike namely more serious with each passing day. it

is said that all politics are local and when you said they here at home a moment ago i had to think about states which are already in fiscal dilemma what if there is no money coming yet from washington our governor here in rhode island says the layoffs would be draconian could that be the straw that breaks the camel's back. absolutely here are several tenet aides for straws they haven't helped the cities in the states with the money you know when you have millions of people on the employed they're not paying taxes there's misses that are not running the restaurants that are all of those people are not only in the local and regional government which means that they've all their friends and stop providing services which disintegrates our society or you have people and or you have people in desperate need here's another one if it should they've only been

postponed until reenter and people in landlords are desperate now they're going to court with addictions or all kinds of other reasons that are still illegal if you are old millions of people out into the street that could easily be the straw that breaks the camel's back to the election if that is undecided or if mr trump does what he implies which is refuses to leave you will have a constitutional crisis at a moment i mean i could keep going on but yes that's what it means when you have these it's you me a lady a good member. new school year is underway for some many children or distance learning and we're learning more about the digital divide that disadvantages them and an analysis we've seen from the organization for economic cooperation and development and the intergovernmental group with 37 member countries forecasts that

get this students in grades one through 12 affected by the closures might expect some 3 percent lower income over their entire lifetimes and it can get worse if this drags on richard admittedly this is a worldwide pandemic but for all the reasons the usa has become the hotspot worse than other developed countries meeting the challenge will our kids be competitively disadvantage long term. absolutely we are seeing it everywhere i've been a professor all my adult life here's the honest statement most professors will agree to a week can do our job over the internet it's just not possible we can do some of it we can do bits of it but the kinds of sustained education that involves going back and forth between a student and

a teacher is not possible before we even get to the millions of people who don't have the time and the quiet the technical facility the computer supplies needed in order to make is even work on a partial basis we are paying a heavy price we could have over the summer had we a different government and a different economic system we could convert every restaurant into a classroom every empty auditorium in every movie theater into a classroom we could have found ways with social distancing to be able to continue as an emergency to do the education what we are doing by our short sighted behavior is actually compromising our own long term competitiveness as an economy and we cannot afford that in the world where other countries are solving those problems much better than we are that's another sign when you shoot yourself

in the flood that you're overwhelmed and you're not in a position to be resilient as you used to be. every restaurant a classroom wow and instead we were saying it will disappear like magic we're speaking with economist richard would social security has always been the political 3rd rail and it's about to jump the tracks look at the numbers 45000000 retirees and over 3000000 dependents count on social security it is 90 percent of income to a 3rd of those households and 10000000 disabled and 6000000 survivors count on it to various estimates reckon that the trust fund will be depleted by 2035 richard regardless of who wins the white house and congress in november.

is the only fix for social security to cut benefits for the as yet unborn and grandfather those of us who are already walking around or is the system just unfixable. i think to a system the way it is now is unfixable it would be unspeakable to tell the people who have been pouring money into social security all their lives that their retirement will now be and then poverty and then because we're reneging on the promise of giving them the retirement that they have a war and likewise what kind of people will give their children the gift of no retirement benefits no we have to fix it it is fixable but it's going to have to take basic change not a little bit here or there we're beyond that we can't do that and you more let me drive home when you have millions and tens of millions unemployed as we have had

since the last week of march of this year those people are not paying in the onion there's also security that's where the revenue for solutions that you're ready come from millions and billions of dollars are not flowing in to that system upon which a growing number of us depend that has to be attended to here's a couple of ways to do that we do not require people who earn over roughly $120000.00 a year to contribute to social security for the money they earn and all of that that was never justified it should be fixed the old very wealthy people can most afford to give to social security it's long overdue that they do so likewise we sure take social to from the incumbent people get from the property they own just from the raber they drained well why should we do that so there are ways ways but

if we don't there again is another one of ours straws that can break the economy i'm sure that you referred to or. richard what you're saying is utterly illogical and nobody and congress will go within a mile of it economists richard wolfe thank you again for stepping into the big picture it's christmas in washington and of course it is every september when government contractors are taking did on what federal agencies want to use or lose lest they not get those dollars in the coming fiscal budget it's a story we've been following all along with a big assist from american transparency a nonprofit nonpartisan watchdog group you can download their free e-book the federal government's use it or lose it spending spree how the federal government spent 91000000000 in september 29000 that's yours to download from open the books

dot com it quantifies how much the federal government doled out in contracts last september get this over 74000000000 dollars 81 percent of all contracts spending happened within just 5 departments and you might not be surprised to know that the winner was the pentagon the department of defense blew through $57.00 and a half $1000000010.00 times the last minute tax dollars that went to number 2 health and human services with the veterans affairs the g.s.a. and homeland security each spending $3000000000.00 and change and while joe biden and donald trump are vowing buy american we don't exclusively 6 and a half 1000000000 of last years use it or lose it doe raimi went to contractors and 192 other countries nearly 700000000 was spent in germany over a half a 1000000000 and afghanistan and we share the wealth in japan canada saudi arabia

among others drilled down into this report and some curious detail emerges. half a 1000000 was spent on booze a 1000000 and a half went to buy guns and ammo for non military non law enforcement agencies like health and human services and the veterans administration nearly 4000000 for games toys and musical instruments and over 4 and a half 1000000 lobster tail and snow crab lobster tail and snow crab last september now as americans are lining up for food you may be moved to phone your united states representative or your u.s. senators and if you do tell them it's the grinch calling coming up the big presidential debate tuesday night expect the unexpected a couple of messaging experts join us when we come back this is the big picture on

our team america. wall street financial engineers the kleptocrats divert their money printing into their pockets at a rate that according to the rand corporation equals more than $50.00 trillion dollars so that is your small game god that's why we have social unrest that's why we have incredible wealth and income gap that's why we have such a distorted economy that's why wages are not keeping up that's why we've got inflation raging that's your smoking gun and the story.

16 years ago the 1st televised presidential debate good evening the television and radio stations of the united states and they were affiliated stations are proud to provide facilities for

a discussion of issues in the current political campaign by the 2 made you candidates for the presidency the candidates need to introduction the republican candidate vice president richard nixon and the democratic candidate senator john f. kennedy many t.v. viewers gave handsome senator kennedy the wind but many who listened on radio thought nixon had won back to the future tuesday night the 1st of 3 televised presidential debates between donald trump and joe biden how might each approach the other let's ask 2 experts messaging pro fashionables of shall we say divergent political perspectives on the left washington based messaging consultant claire meyerhoff and from new york kristen ruby ruby media group clear if you could tell vice president biden one thing as he prepares for tuesday night what would it

be. well i would say goodbye and i would lose a great match this is not just want to raise my magic wand i would say just invite me. when well when you fall bryan to the woodchip he really does receive a new one with a smile receive the whole time and so if he could do that for ryan who was your experience person what can you do to donald trump we experience the government and really doesn't have a clue about how government works now because it's a man who knows exactly how government works is the son of experience the great mind i just want to say for bring back when it's well joe biden this debate is all i. that's the least he's going to have to do because he's really got the inverse situation now paul ryan knew the substance but didn't have the overconfidence

donald trump does while many lacks the substance cristen the converse question for you if trump would listen to anybody and you were that anybody what advice would you give him for tuesday night. i would tend to focus on 2 things the 1st being social media censorship and legislation around that and the 2nd being law and order legislation and really has to do is bring to picture exactly what happened this week for 2 elderly citizens dining in st petersburg florida who were again attacked by the mob who basically did nothing to deserve that and that situation and that's an area is happening all over this country and is basically everyone's worst nightmare and i believe that if trump can bring up what happened in st petersburg and what's happening all over the country when the mob doing that to elderly citizens and diners that taps into their biggest fear and that is that

could potentially sway undecided voters at sea really vote for safety at the end of the day everyone that says define the police or do all these things if they were actually in the situation sitting at that table or if it was their parents if they go to call 911 or call the police and no one answers then suddenly donald trump looks a little bit more interesting to. see i am so glad to have you to hear discussing it because i think you just put your finger on what will be for messaging nerds like us the story to watch clear donald trump has used for his age of what's happening in his watch to warn us about joe biden's america what about what kristen just said do you think it could backfire on trump. well the thing about that yes it's here are with these things are happening the phone do see these . terrible things but that is not the number one problem in this country

so donald trump likes to say it hardly effects anybody well i think like getting screened at a restaurant. sitting on the street in new york city or washington it's not happening to you or people that have been affected by hope so i don't think i'm awesome or violence and all that that really is all. that's the one thing as to talk about and that's he doesn't have the economy to talk about he's failed when it comes to one of virus in the issues of today like education health care all those top issues he has nothing. to run on so the only thing it's interesting that christine brought it up really because that is the only selling point that donald trump hats is the aircraft and even saying what it will. remember him on some street it's going to be worse than this crime crime crime one whether it was an order. or. well yeah i think you put your finger on it we just

say fear factor because of the numbers are on the side of covert in the economy and everything else but we have an attention span a lot of people would like to think that the pandemic is in the past tense and these pictures are fearful question you were about to. so let me say that that's not the only thing that donald trump has and in terms of the fear factor that is a very powerful fear for many people in this country and especially people who may be on the fence or who are undecided if trump wants to talk about that that is something that really does play in there they're into their you know biggest concerns and so i wouldn't you're also say that he's done nothing for the economy i mean i think that's that's just false i think we have a perfect storm right now of the situation because of the pandemic and the economy . with learning so you know that's what we did here and we could blame all of that on one candidate or or we could just take responsibility for it and say yeah you're

right that you have this fear factor footage would be his fastball but let me ask you the inverse question of where we started out play defense clearer than kristen what is your candidate's a killie's heel. the same thing that. went on that. joe biden is actually in truly yours about and thinks about and i think that he gets a little too emotional sometimes that that again that's also what makes him a good person and a great presidential candidate and president is that it was a contractor chris what about what is trump's achilles heel. well i mean so i think trump's achilles heel is certainly you know this inability to sometimes see beyond himself and so i think he needs to take himself out of the equation and tap

into what other people want or what other people need and i i think that's what has to happen here and he's looking at the reaction in the press and more focusing on again and sort of going back to mass those hierarchy of needs what are what are those means that is from a messaging perspective in that should be what he focuses on in this debate and one of the highest needs in that hierarchy of massless hierarchy of needs is safety and security if americans do not have the feeling of safety and security that is what trump needs some hokus on. yeah that is going to be his fastball where doing your presidential debate she cheat with kristen ruby and claire meyerhoff after several decades on talk radio i'm accustomed to no minds being changed still there will be a big audience on tuesday night and as we've learned in past debates anything can happen. this to reagan after the election is going to have to propose

a tax increase. you know i wasn't going to say this at all that i can't help but there you go again. i don't have a plan to tax or increase taxes i'm not going to be increased taxes i can understand why you want mr mondale because as a senator you voted 16 times to increase taxes those credit you said there you go again. right remember the last time he said that. you said it when president carter said that you're going to cut medicare and you said oh no there you go again mr president and what did you do right after the election you went out and tried to cut 20000000000 dollars out of medicare thank you thank you and so when i when you say there you go again people remember this obviously president reagan did recover in my voting lifetime only 2 presidents have been voted out of the white house a jimmy carter and bush sr a clear how big

a deal how big an advantage is trumps and compensate this time well i think it's probably a good. he has the ownership are what's happened in iraq for years and more and are in this case i think it's really at a disadvantage with. work so i think he doesn't have it rally it's the new white house in the background we can why that is why i'm actually right they bring them here in this robert sure and that's a bit in that way but when it comes out you're right this dance card thing is work for us or for every single thing that's happened in the last 4 years and especially where you answer or now you know and in our current and. in the debate in 1988 under a statement may have doomed michael dukakis if dukakis for rape and murder.

would you favor. an irrevocable just penalty for the killer. no i don't your narrative i think you know that i've opposed to just generally during all of my life i don't see any evidence that it's just a term. i think there are better in the effective ways to deal with violent crime we just only one state chris and now we're down to under a minute so i'll have to give you the last word should mr trump on tuesday night try to look more presidential aside vice president trump or do you say let trump be trump. trump should be trump you know i think his strategy of being exactly who he is has got me and him to where he is today and trying to change that strategy at the 11th hour i don't think is really going to have personal approval outcome for him so he may as well just keep doing what he's doing and the one thing i would say that he should not do is do not do not talk about you know joe biden's inability to

sometimes remember facts do not make anything that is perceived as ages and mochas on the facts let's not focus on any sort of character attacks i think as americans in general we are all suffering. from this pandemic in different ways and so the last thing we need is more emotional stress from this debate and so i think trump has a responsibility to try and keep things about the board if that's possible that's what he should do. that would be refreshing kristen ruby and claire meyerhoff thank you for stepping into the big picture will be watching to gather on tuesday night and thank you for watching the big picture tonight or today you or wherever and whenever you watch it on any device we're pretty easy to find we're on direct t.v. channel 321 we are on dish 2803 pluto t.v. we're channel 279 you can stream our t america live at youtube dot com slash r

t america you can look at 3 years of the big picture that i've been doing at youtube dot com slash the big picture our t. and we can put a little t.v. right in your pocket when you download our portable t.v. app free in google play or the app store holland cook sticking close to home here in rhode island hope your stay and safe to back next week mean time question more. guys or more of my guide to financial survival this is. a device used by professional scallywags to earn money. that's right these has flaws are simply

not accountable and we're just getting more and more to the. totally destabilize the global economy you need to protect yourself and get informed. as a culture or consume. as american politics during this election cycle the economy remains in a big area state millions of people live on the margins the only constant for them is the insecurity economists debate individual recovery basically gov the you and you know but is the reality that changing the climate is not a. cash cow and is darn alfonzo any longer darned has changed and paid change dard served our.

whose 1st words were at a lot of us here a challenging post you've got 2 years to live. i have no doubt that what happened was criminal. offense concentrated market is a $1000000000.00 industry these companies have a huge financial motivation to solve these problems there are numerous talking showing that doctors who are keen to chest x. ray concentrates treat infectivity on that patient won't give them doctors the wrong wants to play golf. why they would keep me in circuitry those who stay. on people still die and i'm always question michel all right being on our way to live so many have.