The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 11.2 She Faked Her Own Kidnapping, But Now She Claims She is a Victim, & Today's News

Episode Date: November 2, 2023

Visit  https://www.cozyearth.com/defranco and use my code DEFRANCO to get up to 40% off your purchase! Get 50% off your first order of CookUnity meals - go to https://cookunity.com/defranco and use m...y code DEFRANCO50 at checkout to try them out for yourself! Thanks to CookUnity for sponsoring this video! https://wakeandmakecoffee.com We Just RESTOCKED! Up to 50% OFF Your First Bag! Catch up on our latest PDS: https://youtu.be/Kc73y03-oaY?si=bgomYt5pz0Lsb8w6 –✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 0:00 - Sherri Papini Cries in Court While Demanding Divorce Money 02:14 - Trial Over Grisly Death of Pro Cyclist Starts  04:33 - Scarlett Johansson Takes Legal Action Against AI App 06:06 - Jenna Ortega Speaks On Pressures of Latino Representation 08:36 - Sponsored by Cozy Earth 09:43 - A Record 119,300 Students Were Homeless in NYC Last Year 11:49 - Second Vote to Expel Santos Fails, Along With Effort To Censure Tlaib 13:40 - Largest Christian University in U.S. Fined a Record $37.7 Million  15:38 - Sponsored by Cook Unity 16:53 - Misinformation Is One of the Greatest Threats to Abortion Access 22:10 - Your Thoughts on Yesterday’s Show ——————————   Produced by: Cory Ray Edited by: James Girardier, Maxx Enright, Julie Goldberg, Christian Meeks Art Department: William Crespo Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Brian Espinoza, Lili Stenn, Maddie Crichton, Star Pralle, Chris Tolve  ———————————— #DeFranco #JennaOrtega  #MrBeast ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript
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Starting point is 00:00:00 Today, we're talking about this woman who faked her own kidnapping, defrauded the country, and now she's trying to squeeze money out of her estranged husband. We also break down why a record number of kids in New York City's public schools are homeless. Huge creators like Mr. Beast have called out this problem with AI, but now Scarlett Johansson's actually suing. And Texas is suing Yelp for warning women about the deceptive nature of pregnancy crisis centers. We're talking about all that and so much more on today's brand new, extra-large Philip DeFranco show.
Starting point is 00:00:23 You daily dive into the news. So just make sure you're subscribed and let's jump into it. Starting with, I'd like you to meet Sherry Papini. Or as my grandma might call her, Sherry Papini. By the end of this story, she might say, Vafangul, Sherry. That's because Sherry defrauded the entire country for years. And now she's trying to squeeze even more money out of her estranged husband. Some of you might actually remember Sherry. She's the married mother of two who suddenly vanished while supposedly jogging in California back in 2016, with her cell phone
Starting point is 00:00:47 found on the side of the road, prompting a massive search by police and nationwide media spectacle and desperate pleas for her return from her husband, Keith. And then just three weeks later, she reappeared on the side of the road with a chain around her waist, her hair cut short, and a brand on her shoulder. They're telling police that two Hispanic women abducted her at gunpoint, and then the nicer of the two eventually let her go. And then for the next several years, she repeated that story to the cops, the public, and her husband, who believed her and supported her through all of it. But ultimately, evidence led investigators to believe that Sherry actually made up the whole thing. It was horseshit. With her ex-boyfriend actually picking her up the day that she disappeared, driving her to his apartment, and then giving her the injuries at her request.
Starting point is 00:01:19 And in April of 2022, Sherry pleaded guilty to the whole scheme and said that her motives were financial. And in total, she admitted to defrauding the California Victim Compensation Board over $30,000 and collecting $127,000 from Social Security. And two days later, Keith filed for divorce. He temporarily took custody of the kids, in the meantime, fighting her for permanent custody. Then Sherry's 18-month prison sentence was cut short back in August of this year when she got released into community confinement. And that actually ended last month. And now she's demanding what she claims is her share of an insurance payout that Keith received following a wildfire in 2021. There are times visibly crying next to her lawyer during the divorce proceeding and claiming that Keith controlled all the finances and left her with nothing, even though she paid her share of the
Starting point is 00:01:54 family expenses before faking her own abduction. But then notably, when asked about her own finances in court, Sherry repeatedly pled the fifth. But on that topic, Keith argues that she racked up credit card debt that she had no means of paying off. With him also adding that all of the contested funds have already been used on living expenses in a $500 monthly allowance for his mother when he and their two children were living with her. So we're gonna have to see how this plays out. But in the meantime, what are your thoughts here? And then, so there's this upcoming trial that's likely gonna give us some insight into how a human being's jealousy can then reach the point of a grisly murder.
Starting point is 00:02:21 Because last year, a friend found 25-year-old Anna Wilson dead and slumped over in a puddle of blood in her friend's apartment bathroom. She was a professional cyclist, reportedly one of the best in the world at gravel racing, and she was staying at her friend's place in Texas for a race at the time. Now, immediately, one obvious suspect was Colin Strickland, a fellow pro cyclist whom Wilson had been with just before she died. But the evidence quickly turned investigators away from him and toward his girlfriend, Caitlin Armstrong. The police interrogated her, then let her go, and then she booked it out of the country, with her reportedly selling her Jeep, flying to New York, grabbing her passport, going to New Jersey, and then flying to Costa Rica, where she then eluded authorities for weeks, and allegedly she spent over $6,000
Starting point is 00:02:55 on plastic surgery to try to change her appearance. But ultimately, after a 43-day manhunt, Costa Rican police arrested her on an immigration violation and sent her back to the U.S. Marshals to face a first-degree murder charge. But then last month, with a trial date looming, she allegedly faked an injury and ran away from Texas jail guards. With her allegedly picking her cuffs, ditching her striped jail pants, and making it about a mile before they recaptured her. And all of that now getting us to this point, with her murder trial now finally beginning. And the prosecution's opening statement laid out a bevy of damning evidence, saying that on the night of the murder, Wilson went swimming and got dinner with Strickland, who lied to Armstrong about his whereabouts. Reportedly, Wilson and Strickland had
Starting point is 00:03:27 a brief fling in the past. It was unclear whether their recent relationship was purely platonic, but according to investigators, Armstrong had access to Strickland's iPhone text messages through his iPad and Mac laptop. They're also allegedly stalking Wilson's whereabouts through a GPS-linked fitness app for cyclists and runners. Days before the murder, she even allegedly logged into his Gmail and Instagram accounts on her own phone. And on the night of the murder, a nearby security camera allegedly spotted Armstrong's vehicle stopping outside the friend's apartment. The footage also allegedly picking up the sound of Wilson's terrified cries, followed by two gunshots. But then after 45 seconds of pure silence, a prosecutor claiming Armstrong put a third and
Starting point is 00:03:59 final bullet through Wilson's heart. With the prosecutor adding, the last thing Wilson did on this earth was scream in terror. But on the other side, you have Armstrong's defense attorney arguing in his opening statement that the prosecution's evidence is circumstantial. Also arguing that the DNA and ballistic supposedly tying her to the crime scene are inaccurate and unscientific. And claiming that Armstrong went to Costa Rica not because she was fleeing, but because she was passionate about traveling and that in the days following the shooting, weird things were happening at her home that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety. But like I said, that is now just underway. The trial is going to unfold over the next couple of weeks, but so far not looking good for Armstrong,
Starting point is 00:04:31 but we'll keep our eyes out for more details as they come. And then we've got interesting entertainment and tech news because right now we're seeing Scarlett Johansson lawyering up against AI, but they're specifically taking legal action against an AI generator for using her likeness in an advertisement without permission. And that app in question being Lisa AI, 90s yearbook and avatar, which allows you to create avatars, turn text into art, and more. And with that, a 22-second ad was posted to Twitter, which started with a clip of Scarlet, which notably is real, and it was posted to Marvel Studios' Facebook page back in 2020. But then, according to Variety, the ad cuts away from that clip and shows a bunch of graphics and AI-generated photos resembling her.
Starting point is 00:05:05 All while an AI version of her voice explains all the features of the app. Now, reportedly, that ad has since been removed. Variety reviewed the clip and noted that it had a disclaimer reading, Images produced by Lisa AI. It has nothing to do with this person. But Scarlett is going bullshit here, with her reps confirming to Variety that she is not a spokesman for Lisa AI, and her lawyer adding, We do not take these things lightly. Per our usual course of action in these circumstances, we will deal with it with all legal remedies that we will have. Which really is like vague lawyer speak for, you better get ready to bend over and take it. But also notably,
Starting point is 00:05:32 she's not the only one here. This is the continuing of a trend. We've seen Tom Hanks previously call out a dental ad using an AI version of him. Also Mr. B slamming an AI ad of him that showed up on TikTok offering cheap iPhones. Him even asking on Twitter, are social media platforms ready to handle the rise of AI deepfakes? Saying this is a serious problem. With this, I'm noting this is one of the reasons why SAG's on strike right now. With Variety's chief correspondent also explaining on Twitter, not the first time ScarJo has set a precedent in Hollywood through legal action. And no mistake, while SAG is fighting for AI protections, when you're paid millions by brands for your name and likeness, AI is a major threat to celebs. This will be one of many
Starting point is 00:06:05 lawsuits. Just wait. And then, welcome to your brand new favorite segment, 37-year-old white guy talks about equity and on-screen representation. Found the tune right there at the end. But this is in the news right now because Jenna Ortega opened up about on-screen representation in a new profile with Harper's Bazaar. She is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. She actually began acting as a child. But they're saying that all the way back since then, it's been much harder for her to land roles. And with that, explaining that she was usually either auditioning to be someone's daughter
Starting point is 00:06:29 or the younger version of someone. But quote, there were just not many leading Hispanic actors who I could be that for. So a lot of the jobs I was going for growing up would never work out because I didn't look a certain way. It was really hard to hear that something you couldn't change was what was preventing you from succeeding. And with that saying, there were times
Starting point is 00:06:42 she just wanted to dye her hair blonde. But now, going through that made her realize just how important it is to not change herself. Saying, I don't want other young girls to look up at the screen and feel like they have to change their appearance to be deemed beautiful or worthy. But then also saying like, even amid her desire to be that role model, to be that representation, she also sometimes questions herself. Pointing to the fact that there is a lot of discourse about what it means to truly be Latina. Saying, I wasn't born in a Spanish speaking country. I haven't spent a lot of time in Mexico and I've never been to Puerto Rico. So there's a
Starting point is 00:07:07 feeling of not being worthy enough to be a proper representative. But then with that saying, she still feels she has the power to move things. Commenting, I want all people of Latin descent to be able to see themselves on screen. I want to feel that I could open doors for other people. You know, the timing of her comments here are actually incredibly relevant, because as you might have seen, diversity has become a hot button issue in Hollywood for years. But also recently regarding Latino representation, a report from the Latino Donor Collaborative showed that growth is actually lagging right now. Getting back in 2021, 2.9% of TV leads were Latino, but in 2022, that dropped to 2.6%. But notably, so far this year, it's up to 3.3%, but TV, of course, is only one medium where representation is fluctuating.
Starting point is 00:07:41 When it comes to film, they reported Latinos made up 7.4% of leading roles in 2021, but in 2022, that went down to 5.1%. And then even though this year that's been bumped up to 5.7%, you have people noting that still lags way behind the general population in the States. With census data actually showing that Hispanic and Latino people make up 19% of the US population. So with that, the report also found that a lot of Latino youth are turning to social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok where they feel more represented. And you know, with this one, I understand this is just kind of like one aspect of the much larger conversation, but I did find it incredibly interesting because as part of like the hot button issues, of course, one of the narratives out there is that Hollywood just does
Starting point is 00:08:14 so fucking much, sometimes too much to try to force diversity. Then when you actually look at the numbers as a whole, it appears to show otherwise. It's just that maybe, I guess, the incredibly blatant things skew people's views. I don't know. It's an interesting topic, but I want to pass the question off to you. What are your thoughts here? And with that, let me know your background. Do not worry. I'm not making lists. I just know with this story, it's going to hit different people's ears differently. And then, y'all know, because I used to complain about it a lot, how important sleep is to me. And comfort has a lot to do with a good night's sleep. But also, is there such a thing as going over and beyond in comfort? Because if it is, Cozy Earth has done just that. I mean,
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Starting point is 00:09:41 cozyearth.com slash DeFranco. And then, this is incredibly troubling. A record number of students in New York City public schools were homeless last year. That was just revealed in newly released data that includes kids who live at shelters, hotels, the homes of their relatives, and other impermanent places. And specifically, according to the statistics, a whopping 119,320 kids in the school system were unhoused. Which, to frame that for you, that means that around one in every nine New York City students are considered homeless. And understand, those numbers are even higher in certain parts of the city. Like in one section of the Bronx, like this is where I was
Starting point is 00:10:11 born and raised, more than one in five, 22% of students are experiencing homelessness. That's horrifying. I mean, to frame this another way, the population of homeless students in New York City is now bigger than Philadelphia's entire traditional public school system. And horrifyingly, it seems like those numbers are only growing. Just since last summer, city schools enrolled over 30,000 new students who are living in temporary housing, including around 12,000 more in the last five months who weren't listed in the new data. So, of course, one of the questions here is what's driving these historic numbers? And there we see experts saying the increase is largely due to the influx of migrant children who have been seeking asylum in the city.
Starting point is 00:10:44 And as we've talked about before, New York is currently sheltering record numbers of people each week as it continues to receive a massive influx of migrants from all over the world. Notably, most are families with school-aged kids. And so this new data on homeless students just adds another flashpoint in that crisis, especially because the city either doesn't have or isn't providing adequate resources. And with this, we've seen several school leaders speaking to the New York Times on the condition of anonymity, telling the outlet that the system isn't doing enough to support them. Also beyond that, the city has only hired around 100 staff members to help migrant families that live in shelters with school issues, which definitely is not enough people to help nearly 120,000 students.
Starting point is 00:11:15 And according to the Times, dozens of emergency shelters have since opened without new hires from the education department. Meanwhile, it's being reported that the city only has one bilingual social worker for every 560 students learning English. And all of that is especially concerning because homeless students are much more likely to drop out or miss school. While it's being reported that the city only has one bilingual social worker for every 560 students learning English, and all of that is especially concerning because homeless students are much more likely to drop out or miss school. And what's more, some educators are worried that the city is on the verge of seeing a major mental health crisis for migrant kids, many of whom have already experienced insane traumas just getting to the U.S. and continue to face isolation and lack of resources. But ultimately, that is where we are, and we'll have to wait to see what happens. But, of course, I'd love to know everyone's thoughts here, but also, especially if you are a teacher or a student, or you have kids that are students in New York, what have you seen? And then let's talk about the House
Starting point is 00:11:51 of Representatives. So of course, there is a new House Speaker. We gave you some insight there yesterday. And sure, we're just weeks away from another full-blown government shutdown threat, but also other things are happening. Like yesterday, we saw the second attempt to expel Representative George Santos from the House. And again, it failed. Now, notably, this effort was actually brought by Santos' fellow Republican colleagues representing New York, with them seeking to oust Santos because, you know, all the insane lies and the federal charges against him. But even though it was introduced by some Republicans, that motion ultimately failed, and by a pretty big bipartisan margin, with just 24 Republicans voting to expel Santos while 182 voted against. And while 155 Democrats voted in favor, 31 members actually
Starting point is 00:12:29 broke with their party and opposed the measure. Right, and the opposition we saw to the ousting was largely due to the fact that many members were concerned that expelling Santos before he was actually convicted of a crime would set a bad precedent for the chamber. But also, notably, that wasn't the only potential disciplinary action the House voted on yesterday, with the chamber also taking up the motion to formally reprimand Representative Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member, for her comments and actions regarding the Israel-Gaza war. Notably, the motion, which was brought by
Starting point is 00:12:52 Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, aimed to censure Tlaib, which is a formal condemnation usually saved only for major violations of House behavioral codes. And Greene bringing the resolution against Tlaib for what she said was anti-Semitic activities, sympathizing with terrorist organizations,
Starting point is 00:13:04 and leading an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol complex. Which, I mean, all in all, is really fucking rich coming from Greene, of all people. Whether it be about anti-Semitism or downplaying January 6th, I mean, dealer's choice for you. But ultimately there, Greene's censure motion failed, 222 to 186. And what was notable here is while all Democrats voted to kill the resolution, we also saw 23 Republicans joining them, including some far-right members. But yeah, ultimately, I guess the point of the story is a lot of nothing happened in the House of Representatives. And it remains to be seen if over the next two weeks, a lot of nothing will continue to happen or if, you know, they're going to keep the government from shutting down. With a new speaker in place, it's going to be very
Starting point is 00:13:39 interesting to see how all that plays out. And then the largest Christian university in America just received a record federal fine for allegedly lying to students. Which, I mean, that's a sin. I don't know how many Hail Marys are gonna get you out of this one. Or that's just a Catholic thing, right? The confess your sins,
Starting point is 00:13:53 they go like, save four prayers on your knees. Anyway, I don't remember exactly. It's been forever since I became a Godless even. But the school in question here is Grand Canyon University, which is based in Arizona and actually has around 100,000 students mostly enrolled in online programs. But despite its self-proclaimed Christian values, the education department actually found that the school had misled students about the price of
Starting point is 00:14:11 graduate programs and slapped it with a historic $37.7 million fine. More specifically, an investigation by the agency revealed that GCU had lied to over 7,500 current and former students about the cost of its doctoral programs over the course of several years, with the inquiry finding that the school falsely advertised the cost of its programs, and 98% of students ended up paying more than initially promised. Because according to the department, as far back as 2017, GCU promoted its doctoral programs as costing between $40,000 and $49,000. But in reality, less than 2% of graduates actually ended up paying in that range, and more than 78% paid an additional $10,000 to $12,000. With the agency saying that those
Starting point is 00:14:44 costs came from what were described as continuation courses that the school required students to take to finish their dissertation requirements. And so in a statement announcing this fine, a top official at the education department absolutely tore into the school, saying, GCU lied about the cost of its doctoral programs to attract students to enroll. And adding, GCU's lies harmed students, broke their trust, and led to unexpectedly high levels of student debt. But GCU, for its part, has responded by issuing a statement denying the allegations, saying they were false accusations, and the school arguing that it had provided disclaimers that the cost of tuition could go up due to continuation courses, even going as far as to claim those disclosures are, quote,
Starting point is 00:15:17 more extensive than other universities. And with that, accusing the education department here of unfairly targeting the school because of an unrelated lawsuit that it filed against the agency. But very notably here, the department specifically said in its findings that GCU's disclosures didn't cut it. Also denying it had anything to do with a totally separate lawsuit. And so as far as what happens next, the school will have 20 days to appeal the fine. And then if that appeal is rejected, GCU will also be subject to take other actions to remedy the situation. And then are you looking for a great meal delivery service that is restaurant quality,
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Starting point is 00:17:00 only to have a bunch of pro-birth bullshit about how you should keep the baby shoved down your throat, because that is a reality that many, many women have endured. And it really highlights how censorship and misinformation are making reproductive healthcare even more difficult than it already was. And while this impacts people all across the country,
Starting point is 00:17:13 let's start in Texas, because that has been one of the biggest battlegrounds when it comes to abortion rights in the nation. And there, currently, the state's attorney general, Ken Paxton, is fighting with Yelp over these very issues. And all of this stemming around crisis pregnancy centers, which aim to encourage women not to have an abortion.
Starting point is 00:17:25 But also a key thing is that not all make it clear that is what those centers do. They don't have big billboards saying, hey, are you facing one of the most difficult choices in your life? With being shamed in an office by a hyper-religious zealot help? No, in fact, some actually advertise in ways
Starting point is 00:17:37 that make them look like an abortion clinic. With that, for example, you had Rolling Stone pointing to White Rose Women's Center in Dallas, which advertises itself as an abortion counseling clinic with free pregnancy confirmation and information on abortion. And its website even saying, if you are considering abortion, find free help at White Rose Women's Center. All worded in a way where a vulnerable person seeking help might read that and go, hey, this is a viable option for me. The Yelp reviews show that their advertising clearly works. With many women who have gone to
Starting point is 00:17:59 the center in need of an abortion only leaving an utter disbelief. For example, one woman who went while five weeks pregnant said that people working there, quote, put me in a small room to watch a movie one hour long about how terrible abortion is. Then saying they proceeded to try to talk me out of an abortion, saying, oh, well, you must have some kind of support. No, I don't. And I'm making the best decision for myself at this point in my life.
Starting point is 00:18:17 Then saying they tried to convince me that there was a heartbeat when there definitely wasn't. I was literally bawling my eyes out. Then you had another person saying that after they were forced to watch a video, they tried leaving. But saying the woman working there then lied and said the pregnancy tests were actually negative and the patient was not even pregnant. Potentially trying to dissuade them from going anywhere else. And that person writing, I can't believe she would lie to someone for them to not seek more help.
Starting point is 00:18:36 This could have endangered the health of both me and the baby. And then others saying, you know, just don't go here. They lie. They trick people. And understand, this center is just one of many, right? This is not a standalone problem. And so with that, once Yelp realized this troubling trend, it put up a disclaimer on the pages for these centers. But that is where A.G. Paxton steps in. For at least six months, between late 2022 and early 2023, if you went to the Yelp pages for many crisis
Starting point is 00:18:55 pregnancy centers, you saw a note that clarified these venues, saying they typically provide limited medical services and may not have licensed medical professionals on site. Though there, it is very much worth noting that the language has since changed. Now, you see a disclaimer reading, this is a crisis pregnancy center. Crisis pregnancy centers do not offer abortions or referrals to abortion providers. But Paxton still filed a lawsuit against Yelp, accusing the company of violating the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act by adding, quote, inaccurate and misleading language to listings on pregnancy resource centers. And arguing in a news release, Yelp's CEO is entitled to his views on abortion, but he was not entitled to use the Yelp platform
Starting point is 00:19:26 to deceptively disparage facilities that counsel pregnant women instead of providing abortion. But then with that, you have Yelp filing a lawsuit of its own, claiming that its notice is protected by free speech and adding, it is a truthful statement intended to enable Yelp users to make informed choices. Which actually brings us to the fact
Starting point is 00:19:39 that one of the most important parts of abortion access is not just access to the procedure, but to the quality information surrounding. And if quality information is getting buried, or if some clinics and other places are blatantly misleading people, then abortion access just becomes that much harder. Remember, this battle with Yelp in Texas is just one niche way we're seeing abortion information being threatened. I mean, also in Texas, a bill was introduced earlier this year
Starting point is 00:19:58 that aims to block websites that provide information about obtaining abortions online. It would require all internet service providers in the state to, quote, make every reasonable and technologically feasible effort to block internet access to information and material intended to assist or facilitate efforts to obtain an elective abortion or an abortion-inducing drug. And that including a whole list of websites to provide access to things like abortion pills. And then on top of putting restrictions on the internet service providers, the bill would also prevent anyone in the state from creating, editing, publishing,
Starting point is 00:20:22 hosting, or registering a domain name for an internet website, platform, or other interactive computer service that assists or facilitates a person's effort in obtaining an abortion-inducing drug. It would also limit access to information about getting an abortion in other states, and it would allow citizens to sue organizations that violate the law. With this, the clinic heyed Jane, telling the Houston Chronicle that this bill is a blatant attack on freedom of speech and commerce. Notably, we've also seen similar legislation in states like Iowa. With that, the ACLU releasing a statement condemning these kinds of proposals, saying they're continuing their attacks on our reproductive freedom by going after our right to free speech and our access to life-saving information. Saying this isn't just about taking away people's decisions during pregnancy. Politicians are trying to erase our healthcare needs, our stories, and experiences, and our existence. Anti-abortion extremists are clearly aiming to ensure people
Starting point is 00:21:02 who need abortions in their state can't even learn about their options. And there are also concerns that this could become a national issue because of the Kids Online Safety Act. Which, for some background there, that's a proposal backed by both groups of Republicans and Democrats. And it's been criticized as a potential threat to free speech that could silence information on a variety of topics. And while its potential threat to abortion is not the only problem that we're going to have because of the topic today, that's what we're going to stick to. Because the act says that it would require websites to prevent and mitigate harm to children by not recommending content that could hurt their mental health, lead to sexual exploitation, and more. State attorneys general have the power to sue apps, so many believe that it could be easily weaponized to suit an AG's
Starting point is 00:21:33 political agenda. Which has also led to concerns that this could result in severe censorship of abortion information, with Democratic Senator Ron Wyden telling Jezebel, under the guise of protecting children from harm, the Kids Online Safety Act hands Republican state attorneys general the power to scrub abortion information from the internet. Democrats who care about protecting women's access to reproductive health care shouldn't help Republicans censor essential information. And Sarah Phillips, a campaigner at Fight for the Future, telling Jezebel that she views it as a blank check for attorneys general to intimidate in any way they can. And adding that she worries that social media platforms will censor abortion posts if threatened by the Ken Paxtons of the world or fears that they would be held liable for recommending that content to children. But as we wait to see how this situation develops, I got to pass the question off to you. What are
Starting point is 00:22:10 your thoughts here and why? And then let's talk about yesterday today, where we take a look back at yesterday's show. We dive into those comments and see what real people have to say about the stories that we covered. And there we saw a lot of people sounding off on the just fucking anger inducing situation with Flint, Michigan. People saying absolutely disgusting that Flint citizens will never get justice. People saying the story is infuriating, not only heartbreaking, but gut-wrenching. This could happen anywhere to anyone. Why is no one being held responsible? How is this even allowed to slide? Neurological and emotional damage with clear evidence. This is so unbelievable. But I also disagree with that last line because I think a lot of the anger is the expected lack of accountability.
Starting point is 00:22:47 And with the news that we saw yesterday, that just being further confirmation of just how fucked the system is and then we'll just continue to be that way. Which is why I also saw people saying it just goes to show that people in positions of power will never be held accountable. Then regarding the news and allegations that HBO execs actually had employees go on Twitter, posing as other people to harass critics. Now we're saying things like, good to know executives getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars are no less petty than the average high schooler. Which y'all, I just gotta say, high school never ends, especially thanks to social media.
Starting point is 00:23:15 Though also some describe this as one of the most entertaining pieces of HBO content this year, which I think is a really big blanket statement. But also, yeah, this was better than The Idol. There were also interesting pockets of conversation around the problem around doctors, that more people are leaving the field than ever, fewer are getting into it. People saying, weird how we have seen an unprecedented level of vitriol and even death threats against doctors and people in the medical profession over the last three years, and now a dramatic number of people just don't want to put up with that anymore. Who could have predicted this outcome? So weird. Others sharing, working
Starting point is 00:23:43 on my med school application has felt like bashing my head against a wall to get every inch of progress towards my goal of helping people as a practicing physician. And hearing that so many people want to drop out of med school and medicine is infuriating. A feeling that is not directed at the people leaving because their reasons are 100% valid and deserve to be mentally well. But because we're trying to fight so hard to be the change that so many people need in the face of the doctor shortage, the absurd healthcare costs, and the rampant hustle culture in the industry. And yet the systems in place have made it clear that only those who have the will to be the top 1% of the best grades, scores, and ECs, not to mention the capital needed to fund these activities, can even have the chance to help
Starting point is 00:24:16 people. They preach about burnout and how not to exacerbate it. Yet they're surprised that we have a medical student, resident, and physician shortage crisis. But that is where your daily dive into the news is going to end for now. But for more news, you need to know that maybe you've missed. I got you covered right here. You can click or tap to watch, or I got links in the description. But as always, my name's Philip DeFranco. You've just been filled in.
Starting point is 00:24:34 I love your faces, and I'll see you right back here next time for more news.

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