Pete Buttigieg is in the news a lot for a Transportation Secretary. Either he’s a media darling the democratic establishment is keen to keep in the public eye, or he’s really bad at his job. Methinks it’s both. Today’s Topical Cream examines Mayor Pete’s borderline catastrophic run as head of the agency and the fallout from the multiple airline crises that have plagued his tenure. There’s no doubt this guy wants to be POTUS, but what exactly is he qualified to do other than burn progressives?

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:16

Section One: 00:00:49

Section Two: 00:09:53

Outro: 00:15:30

Resources

CNN: Massive Southwest Airlines disruption leaves customers stranded and call centers swamped

Macrotrends: Southwest Airlines Gross Profit 2010-2022

Simply Flying: NTSB Predecessor: A Brief History Of The Civil Aeronautics Board

CNBC: A severe pilot shortage in the U.S. leaves airlines scrambling for solutions

Accountable.US: The Airline Industry's Self-Inflicted Labor Shortage Is Behind

Bureau of Transportation Statistics: Air Travel Consumer Report: Consumer Complaints Against Airlines Rise More Than 300 Percent Above Pre-Pandemic Levels

Economic Policy Institute: Flying Blind: The Failure of Airline Deregulation

The American Prospect: The Airline Bailout Is the CARES Act’s Biggest Debacle

AttorneyGeneral.gov: Airline Accountability and Increased Consumer Protection

BIG by Matt Stoller: What Will Come of the Nightmare Travel Summer of 2022?

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