175: The Dirty Thirties (The New Deal pt. 2): Dust, Doubts, and the “Second” New Deal

“I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet.” This is the story of FDR’s first term after facing down the initial emergency.  100 days down, about 1,300 more to go—for this term at least. After the whirlwind of new bills and “alphabet agencies” (AAA, CCC, etc.), the nation is adjusting to and examining FDR’s New Deal. As they do, the NIRA is upsetting both ends of the spectrum: company owners don’t love the Blue Eagle and regulations while workers are frustrated that their employers aren’t eager to see unionization in accordance with section 7(a).  Meanwhile, back at the farm, devastating dust storms like “Black Sunday” are hammering the Great Plains and forcing many to flee to other states. Some migrants end up in California, where unionized dock workers and police are duking it out in San Francisco's “Bloody Thursday.” The president tries to set an example as a “Good Neighbor” in the Caribbean even as people erect signs that read, “Okie, go back....