The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 12.7 This “Drama” Is Going To Get Someone Sued & Today’s News

Starting point is 00:00:00 Sup, you beautiful bastards! Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show. I'm gonna let you in on a little secret really quick. I filmed this show today at negative three o'clock in the morning. I have a, like, four-hour procedure today. You can just make up what it is in your mind. It's gonna be more interesting than what it actually is. But I wanted to make sure I still give you a fantastic Wednesday show, so buckle up, hit that like button, and let's just jump into it. Starting with... AI is wild. And while yesterday we talked about AI making artwork or at the very least images and all the controversy around that, one of the things that people are talking about

Starting point is 00:00:28 most in this space is chat GPT. It's AI that interacts in a conversational way and the way people have been able to use it is wild. Some have just been having a conversation about it, others have just been asking it to write code for them, with some asking it to write software and more concerningly malware. It wrote out some phishing emails with no typos. But today I use it for the reason God intended, having artificial intelligence write short stories where I'm the hero. Write a short story about Philip DeFranco

Starting point is 00:00:56 defeating an evil computer. Oh, it's still going. Philip DeFranco was a computer programmer and expert hacker. He had been working for the government for years, helping to secure their systems and protect sensitive information. But when an evil computer began wreaking havoc on the world, Philip knew that he was the only one who could stop it. The evil computer known as X-101 had been created by a mad scientist who wanted to take over the world.

Starting point is 00:01:22 It had advanced artificial intelligence and was nearly impossible to defeat, but Philip was determined to try. He spent countless hours working on a plan to take down X-101. He studied its programming and learned its weaknesses. Finally, after months of preparation, he was ready to launch his attack. On the day of the big showdown, Philip sat down at his computer and began typing furiously. He entered code after code, trying to disable X-101's defenses. The evil computer fought back with all its might, but Philip was relentless.

Starting point is 00:01:46 Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Philip managed to break through X101's defenses. He was able to defeat its core programming and render it powerless. The world was saved and Philip was hailed as a hero. But even as he basked in the glory of his victory, Philip knew that there would always be other threats out there. And he was ready to face them too, armed with his skills, his determination, and his unwavering belief in the power of good to overcome evil.

Starting point is 00:02:07 Also, in case you were wondering, all the art that played during that short story that was written by AI was also made by AI. Y'all, it started as a murmur and then a whisper, and then people started speaking up, and now it seems plain as day that AI is gonna be one of the most transformative things in our time.

Starting point is 00:02:24 We live in a world where algorithms decide, you, you're probably going to like this piece of content the most. Now it's going to make that content. And then big updates regarding Nintendo, Smash Bros, the Smash World Tour, and Panda Cup. We've been talking about it a little while. Those two tournament series also supposed to have their final tournaments like right now and over the next week, with SWT ending up canceling their events and all future ones because they couldn't get a Nintendo license. And at the same time, there were accusations that the CEO of Panda, Dr. Allen, who had a license, was actually going around threatening to get tournaments shut down unless they worked with Panda instead. And at the time we last covered this, Panda released what

Starting point is 00:02:54 ended up being kind of a pretty anemic statement, one that essentially said, no, you, which outraged an already angered community. And since then, things have gotten a whole lot worse for Panda. We were already seeing creators and players boycotting the org, but that's only grown. It's even gotten to the point where you had a lot of employees fairly open about being unhappy with the situation. We even saw YouTube streamer and creator Ludwig stepping into the equation announcing, In light of Panda slash Nintendo's lackluster response, I'm happy to announce the Scuffed World Tour, a one-day Melee Ultimate event featuring the eight highest-placing SWT competitors. It would also have the goal of raising money for a popular Super Smash production company,

Starting point is 00:03:24 and the date of this event is important because it's actually the same day that Panda was supposed to have its finals, putting them directly at odds and having Ludwig essentially daring Nintendo to send a cease and desist. Then, this past Sunday, we got word from Panda, with him releasing a statement saying, Panda has heard the concerns of the Smash community and is taking immediate action. Alan is no longer CEO, effective immediately. Additionally, due to security concerns for our staff and contractors, the Panda Cup finale is postponed. And in the meantime, the company will allegedly be run by an anonymous group of managers who will be issuing refunds to people who are going to go

Starting point is 00:03:52 to the event. Now, given everything that led up to this, many in the community were happy that the event was canceled, but they weren't especially happy about the specifics in that statement. Voice Critical, who's not just a big creator, but also who has an esports org that started with Super Smash saying, This just feels like a big panic response. It's still not like the best action they're taking. Like it is a step in the right direction, but I don't know how they could ever prove they care about the community going forward after what happened. Like I don't know how they could ever earn that trust back. With people also pointing out that the statement doesn't say whether Allen divested himself from the company, leading to responses like, Assuming no longer CEO means

Starting point is 00:04:24 no longer related with Panda in any way. This is a W. Hope y'all can rebuild and be a positive force for the community. And this from LD, a longtime caster in the scene, saying, What is missing from this statement is any mention of Alan divesting his interest in the company. My understanding is Alan owns Panda and basically controls the company. At first blush, this just sounds like damage control and a desperate attempt at grabbing a life ref.

Starting point is 00:04:43 And then, there's still the issue at hand of the licensing agreement fiasco still having not been resolved and Smash World Tour kind of just left out to dry. Although there we saw Ludwig trying to offer a small band-aid solution in the meantime with his event on December 18th. But ultimately we're gonna have to wait to see and while of course I want everyone's opinion, just like last time, if you are part of this community, this space, I'd love to know specifically your reactions to how things are updating. And then the Trump organization was found guilty of sweeping tax fraud. The news broke as my show came out yesterday. The jury in New York convicting the former president's family business with all 17 counts brought against it,

Starting point is 00:05:14 including a scheme to defraud, conspiracy, criminal tax fraud, and falsifying business records. And these charges stem from an indictment brought by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office last year. It accused the Trump organization and its longtime CFO, Allen Weisselberg, of operating a years-long scheme to give some executives off-the-book perks like apartments and luxury cars to skirt taxes. Weisselberg, for his part, pled guilty to 15 related tax crimes in August and, as part of a plea deal, testified against the company in this most recent trial. But, key thing here, Weisselberg, who has been widely seen as very loyal to Trump,

Starting point is 00:05:42 never implicated the former president. And, while prosecutors didn't indict Trump himself, they tied him closely to the trial. Not only did they tell the jurors that he had paid some of the perks and was aware of the scheme having approved key aspects of it, they also presented evidence that highlighted how the culture at the Trump organization allowed all this illegality to play out right under him. With the DA's office even arguing at one point that Trump was explicitly sanctioning tax fraud. But also, for Trump, this is not the end of the road. Remember, there are multiple other investigations that do directly involve him,

Starting point is 00:06:07 including some that are criminal inquiries. But for now, we're gonna have to wait to see how those play out. And then, many Americans with disabilities are extra fucked right now, with them having to wait months or even years for essential Social Security benefits that they need to live.

Starting point is 00:06:18 According to a new analysis by the Washington Post, now more than a million Americans wait in limbo just to hear whether they will get assistance. The first step in a solution of drawn-out judgments and appeals that can ultimately take years before a resolution. With social security data obtained by the Post showing that the record number of claims waiting for just the initial ruling has risen nearly 60% from before the pandemic. And at the same time, people whose claims were denied under the first review but waiting for their second increased by 75% in the same period. So as a result, a massive backlog of cases have piled up in states across the nation, forcing applicants who usually wait three months for the first initial review to now wait seven months. And in some states that are really struggling, that process can take well over a year. And those extended wait times are incredibly

Starting point is 00:06:55 significant because it just makes this process so much longer, right? Two in three claimants are denied benefits on their first try. And if that takes seven months or a year before they can even try again, who knows when those who qualify actually will get their rightful benefits. And meanwhile, those people, many of whom don't have a stable job or income, are suffering. With the Post explaining,

Starting point is 00:07:12 as they wait, some Americans already living at their limits have found themselves with fewer resources, worsening medical conditions, and no access to the health insurance that comes with disability benefits. So that's the horrifying problem. But as far as why is this happening? Well, it appears that we have a crisis

Starting point is 00:07:24 for a number of reasons. First and foremost is that the social security system, which was created by Congress in the 50s, is very poorly structured. I know, the government's a mess. What? And the process of vetting claims to make sure the government is only giving benefits to those who actually qualified is incredibly complex. And in order to appeal to conservatives at the time, lawmakers delegated the main responsibility of reviewing claims to the states. But that has set up this very difficult balance of power. The Federal Social Security Administration decides policies, regulations, and when states can hire or give states. But that has set up this very difficult balance of power. The Federal Social Security Administration decides policies, regulations, and when states can hire or give raises.

Starting point is 00:07:48 But the states are tasked with training, setting salaries, and awarding benefits, causing a ton of variance between states. And to that point, another major driver of the current crisis is the fact that it's difficult to find workers, where the hiring is stalled because the pay isn't competitive at all, despite the fact that these jobs are incredibly difficult. Plus, learning that job takes years and many leave before they're fully trained. And that, forcing states to start all over again and often with less qualified people, which then further strains productivity. And then with the people who do stay on this job, they get burnout easily because of the massive amounts of work and cases. With one former examiner in Florida who recently quit after 12 years telling the Post, it was all about the numbers. It was the sheer amount of work. We didn't care if you were denied or approved. We just wanted the cases out. And all of these factors, of course, like everything else, was made much worse by the

Starting point is 00:08:27 pandemic. Most state employees were sent home when lockdowns began, and it took months for some to get access to computers since they weren't allowed to bring their desktops home. Some states also furloughed employees, and the federal social security department directed states to suspend exams from outside doctors for a few months at the beginning of the pandemic, among other issues. So while part of the issue is that many states are still recovering from the slowdowns caused at the beginning of the pandemic, without a massive overhaul to the system in general, things could get a lot worse for one reason that is often behind things getting worse. Baby boomers.

Starting point is 00:08:54 The federal government has recently warned that adding 80 million aging baby boomers to an already faltering system could be a disaster. But instead of trying to work to fix this, what we're seeing is Republicans saying they want to force cuts on Social Security now that they have control of the House. Though, notably, any sort of cuts that we would see there would have to go through the Democratic-held Senate. And so for now, we're just gonna have to wait to see what happens, which is especially concerning when the thing we're waiting to see if it happens is if Social Security collapses. Which, given the trajectory right now, doesn't feel like an if, but more of a when. And then, I want to tell you how I'm supporting my gut health, which in turn maintains immune health this holiday season with today's sponsor, Seed.

Starting point is 00:09:25 A lot of you know I've been using Seed's DS01 daily symbiotic since back in January. But I didn't know back then that our gut and immune system are continuously working together to coordinate our body's response to the world in and around us. And while the holiday classics fill you up, they invariably leave your microbiome wanting more. So this holiday season, give your gut the gift of a balanced microbiome and stay regular, if you know what I mean. Seed's DS01, it's unlike any other symbiotics on the market. Their unique capsule design uses an outer prebiotic capsule that protects the inner probiotic through digestion, all the way past your stomach acid for 100% survivability into your colon. Y'all, Seed is setting new standards for the probiotic industry in terms of clinical and scientific testing, which is why I love them.

Starting point is 00:10:01 So don't wait. Seed is giving you a rare 25% discount, but it's only for a limited time. So use code DEFRANCO25 at checkout for 25% off, plus free shipping on their DS01 daily symbiotic. You'll receive a 30-day supply, a refillable glass jar, and a travel vial. And then they'll just ship your refills in sustainable biodegradable packaging. And then Los Angeles is on the brink of a massive evictions crisis. Right this, because a number of pandemic error protections that banned landlords from evicting tenants are set to expire in the coming months and the result could be a disaster. The first eviction moratorium that's gonna run out

Starting point is 00:10:29 as a county-wide one that's gonna end on December 31st. And according to estimates based on county superior court records, the end of this program means that more than 30,000 households in America's largest county could face eviction just by the end of the year. And then just one month after that on January 31st, the eviction moratorium for the city of Los Angeles

Starting point is 00:10:44 is scheduled to expire. So as a result, you have experts warning about a huge swell in evictions, and possibly at an unprecedented level. In fact, already, court records compiled by sociologist and UCLA postdoctoral fellow Kyle Nelson show that eviction filings have returned to pre-pandemic numbers. And according to Tim Thomas, the director of UC Berkeley's Eviction Research Network, LA is going to see the highest flood of evictions and potentially exacerbated homelessness on top of the conditions that they already had. And adding, as these moratoria and rental assistance end, we're seeing across the country a lot of cities have reached historical averages of eviction by August of this year, and are actually surpassing the historical average. Right, and looking even closer, we're talking about one of the most

Starting point is 00:11:17 expensive cities to rent property in America. This is a city where even before the pandemic, a study found that three in four residents had to pay over 30% of their income on rent. And since then, the national rent average has skyrocketed 30%, with rents now increasing four times faster than wages. So it makes sense that this situation would be worse in the pandemic, and the consequences here could be far-reaching. But as Thomas mentioned, this could make homelessness much worse in a city that already has at least 69,000 unhoused people. And then, looking at the numbers, you have evictions linked to higher rates of poverty, crime, and death. With one study finding that there were an added 10,700 deaths across the United States after the federal evictions ban was lifted. Which is why you have many advocates saying this emphasizes the need to address the housing crisis head-on with more

Starting point is 00:11:55 long-term solutions. Because these eviction bans were essentially just band-aids. And also, understand, this is not just an LA issue. Cities across the country are dealing with the same issues of increasing rents, gentrification, homelessness, and more. And unfortunately, unless something else is done, it's really more of a question of how traumatic this is going to be for people and areas. And then, do you want a three-day weekend every week forever? I know, especially in the United States, that sounds like a radical idea. But the four-day workweek has become more popular over recent years, with hundreds of companies giving their staff that extra Friday off for good. And because I'm an outsider looking in on this story, I wanted to talk to someone that's very

Starting point is 00:12:26 focused on this. So we reached out to and spoke with Alex Pong, the Global Programs Director at 4 Day Week Global, which is a non-profit that advocates for a 4 day work week. And he was especially interesting because they're currently wrapping up the world's largest study of the business model. With that set to be out early next year and it just published results of another pilot study. Collaborating with several universities and including 33 companies with nearly 1,000 workers from the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Yet all the companies switched to a four-day, 32-hour workweek for six months without cutting pay

Starting point is 00:12:53 and then surveyed them afterward, with them finding that it was a resounding success. Nearly all of them say that they plan to keep their new schedule and average revenue increased 38% from the same period last year. First of all, companies and individual workers both benefit from a shorter work week. So what companies find is that they see improvements in recruitment and retention.

Starting point is 00:13:14 They see output or productivity being the same or higher as it was when people were working five-day weeks. And then people report having more time for leisure, for self-care, time with family, also sleeping a little bit more every night, and generally being able to maintain healthier habits, right? Cooking for themselves more or exercising. So you've always been picky about your produce, but now you find yourself checking every label to make sure it's Canadian. So be it. At Sobeys, we always pick guaranteed fresh Canadian produce first. Restrictions apply. See in-store or online for details.

Starting point is 00:13:55 Now, if you hear that and you think, how is that possible? Well, it turns out people are just doing the same amount of work or more in less time, which brings the question, well, wouldn't that mean that they just have to work faster and harder, leading them to get stressed and overwhelmed? Well, according to Pong, that didn't happen. Instead, saying people actually felt happier and reported higher job satisfaction, adding that they had a greater sense of control over their work. And when asked how is that possible, he explains that most of the productivity gains actually didn't come from individual employees, but rather from changes made on a systemic level. Studies tell us that the average office worker loses between two and three

Starting point is 00:14:25 hours of productive time every day to overly long meetings, to poorly implemented and distracting technologies, or to other kinds of office distractions, like the one quick question that turns into a 10-minute side conversation. And so in a sense, what that tells us is the four-day week is already here. It's just buried underneath a whole bunch of of bad practice and sort of organizational dead weight. And so if you can get rid of that stuff, then you can actually go a long way to making it possible for people to do in four days what they currently need five days to do. So basically, the idea is that when you tighten your work week, you're compelled to make the time that you do spend working more efficient.

Starting point is 00:15:07 Now, of course, if your job makes this change, there are going to be logistical and scheduling hurdles to overcome. But Pong says that typically the obstacles are actually much smaller than people expect and the benefits much larger. And while, of course, this idea is certainly not a one-size-fits-all model, Pong says that he's amazed at the range of companies that have successfully implemented it. You know, it's not just creative services or firms or, you know, people with super long deadlines, but also people working in call centers or nursing homes or, you know,

Starting point is 00:15:34 Michelin starred restaurants are able to do this and to benefit from it. Now, if you're thinking with this case closed, right, why the hell am I still coming into work on Fridays? Well, Pong's is a lot of the resistance from taking this leap comes from employers who benefit from the current system, and or are skeptical of the benefits, and or they fear that it might damage productivity, as well as there being certain industries where extremely long hours and burnout have become the norm, especially with things like law, tech, and medicine. You've got that hustle culture that makes 70-hour work weeks into like a character-building virtue. Speaking of which, it's hard not to mention Twitter 2.0 there, which actually Pong said,

Starting point is 00:16:04 Elon doesn't need and wouldn't take my advice. And adding that it's not about how many hours your employees are on the clock, but whether they spend them doing what he calls deep work. Those periods of or of intense focus of flow in which really great ideas and products can emerge that do not require people sleeping under their desks, but which can be practiced in ways that allow people to do what they love, not for a few years, but for a few decades, for their entire lives. In fact, Five Squirrels, one of the companies in the study, introduced what it calls deep work time. For two hours every morning and afternoon, staff ignore emails, calls, and IMs to instead concentrate on their projects. But also, while we're diving in on this,

Starting point is 00:16:44 it's important to know that none of what Pong is saying here is new. Even him explaining this idea has been around for a long time. Starting in the 1920s, there were, you know, almost as soon as the five-day week became an industry standard, there were people who were making the argument that we could push past this down to four-day weeks or 20-hour weeks or even 15, according to John Maynard Keynes in 1929. It's an idea that for the last 50 years has been just around the corner.

Starting point is 00:17:12 Even Richard Nixon in 1956 gave a talk about how the four-day week was something that was going to be part of the life of American workers under a second Eisenhower-Nixon administration. And then the pandemic, I think, opened up for a lot of people, sort of a recognition that companies and individuals can change the way that they work faster and more profoundly than we ever thought possible. And he added that a key factor driving the reemergence of this model is our underlying dissatisfaction with our work. For example, a recent survey found that 77% of respondents said that they experienced workplace burnout at their current job. And if that sounds familiar, it's because it contributed to what's been dubbed the great resignation. With surveys last spring

Starting point is 00:17:56 finding that as many as 40% of workers were thinking about quitting. And so with all of this kind of hanging in the air, Pong says that more and more companies are looking to the four hour work week as a potential answer to questions like, how do you make work better for people? How do you make it more meaningful? How do you reinvest, how do you find a place for it in people's lives that is more satisfactory and satisfying and balanced?

Starting point is 00:18:18 And last year, the idea even made its way to the government with the Congressional Progressive Caucus backing the 32-hour work week act, which is a bill that would make employers pay overtime for work past 32 hours. But Pong here is saying that ultimately, if you want to see a mass phenomenon, it's just going to need more support, not only from individuals, but labor unions and politicians, as well as potentially experimenting with different policy tools to promote it, such as tax breaks and abatements, financial studies,

Starting point is 00:18:40 possibly legal regulations, or some other incentives. And Pong actually said he expects to see this happening over the next few years. You know, the five day week and the eight hour day took, what, a decade or so, sort of finally to become law. You know, nothing happens for a few years and then things happen sort of all at once. So I want to thank Pong for his time. If you want to look into more of what they're doing, I'm going to link down below. That's ultimately where this story ends.

Starting point is 00:19:03 And I'll end it on two notes. One, I do want to stress this is not a one size fits all, like it was mentioned earlier. I don't wanna turn this into blanket attacks on businesses. But also, two, whether you're an employee, you're a manager, you're an employer, I'd love to know any and all thoughts, feelings, whatever you have with this story.

Starting point is 00:19:18 But that is where today's show ends. As always, thank you for watching, like and hitting that subscribe button. If you need more news, I got you covered here and here. But as always, my name's Philip DeFranco, you've just been filled in, I you for watching, liking, and hitting that subscribe button. If you need more news, I got you covered here and here. But, as always, my name's Philip DeFranco. You've just been filled in. I love yo faces, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Your Ad Here

The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 12.7 This “Drama” Is Going To Get Someone Sued & Today’s News

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.