Summary: The State of the Union, The UK housing crisis and Migrant workers worked to death in Qatar are discussed by Mic Wright and Rob Monaco with host Roifield Brown. The UK Housing Crisis A third of the mansions on the most expensive stretch of London’s Bishops Avenue in Highgate, which last year was ranked as the second most expensive street in Britain, are standing empty. Including many houses that have fallen into ruin after standing empty for a quarter of a century. At the same time this is just the tip of the housing crisis in the UK with 710,000 empty homes are currently empty in England, the number of homeless in England has risen for 3 years in a row, with 185,000 a year affected, say Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree trust. Mic what is going on and how did we get here? State of the Union Address President Obama delivered his 5th State of the union address last week. He embraced themes and that Democrats are trumpeting on the campaign trail for the mid terms, such as equal pay for women, immigration reform and raising the minimum wage. While extending an hand to Republicans, declaring that he’s ready to work with them if they gain control of the Senate in the autumn, he did also say that if needs be, he will use executive orders to get his measures actioned. However gone were truly big ideas, is Obama settling for a more realistic vision of progress, is it less of “yes we can” and now” yes we might”? Worker deaths in Qatar When the small Arab state of Qatar was awarded the 2022 world cup, the largest sporting tournament in the world, football fans across the globe were stunned as the small state doesn’t have the history or the infrastructure to the host the global cash printing machine that is FIFA’s world cup.“ Although Qatar has yet to start building stadiums for the 2022 World Cup, it has already embarked on an extensive infrastructure program. In its frantic attempt to get ready for the competition, hundreds of lives are being lost in the brutal and some say feudal working conditions of the kafala system. In which workers give up there passports, are not allowed freedom of movement and in some cases are not paid. How can we put pressure on the FIFA and the Qatari government to treat its migrant workers better? Their Take aways are: The reporting of Facebook turning 10 Whale sharks endangered Duolingo
