The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 1.29 RFK Jr Confirmation Hearing Was Crazier Than You Think & Confusing Trump Spending Freeze Updates

Episode Date: January 30, 2025

Subscribe for New shows every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday @ 6pm ET/3pm PST & watch more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-uByoQvVQY&list=PLHcsGizlfLMWpSg7i0b9wnUyEZWI-25N3&index=1&t=120s Head to https://www.lumen.me/DEFRANCO for 20% off your purchase. Get an exclusive NordVPN deal here https://nordvpn.com/phil It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee!   Use code “PHIL” for $20 OFF your first SeatGeek order & returning buyers use code “PDS” for $10 off AND your chance at weekly $500 prizes! https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/PHIL – ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 00:00 - RFK Jr. Grilled During Confirmation Hearing 15:29 - Sponsored by Lumen 16:33 - Confusion Grows Over White House Funding Freeze  21:19 - Florida Principal and Teacher Charged After Throwing Rager for Students 23:40 - GOP Congressman Says Kids Should Work Instead of Getting Free School Lunches  27:20 - Trump Offers to Buy Out Federal Workers  32:38 - Sponsored by NordVPN 33:42 - Childhood Vaccine Rates Falling at an Alarming Rate  42:39 - Sponsored by SeatGeek 43:09 - Comment Commentary  RFK Jr. Hearing Link: https://www.youtube.com/live/xHenpS4Vh-E?si=-NuYkvun3WXZZ2vY&list=PLHcsGizlfLMWpSg7i0b9wnUyEZWI-25N3&index=1&t=1212s  ——————————   Produced by: Cory Ray Edited by: James Girardier, Maxwell Enright, Julie Goldberg, Christian Meeks, Matthew Henry Art Department: William Crespo Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Brian Espinoza, Lili Stenn, Maddie Crichton, Chris Tolve, Star Pralle, Jared Paolino  ———————————— For more Philip DeFranco: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-philip-defranco-show/id1278424954 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ESemquRbz6f8XLVywdZ2V Twitter:   https://x.com/PhillyD Instagram:   https://instagram.com/PhillyDeFranco Newsletter: https://www.dailydip.co TikTok:   https://www.tiktok.com/@philipdefranco?lang=en ———————————— #DeFranco #RFKJr #DonaldTrump ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing today was a crazy and important one, but there's also more to the story we need to talk about, including videos that they weren't able to show you. Trump's spending freeze just got more messy and confusing, though that may be the point. And one politician was finally brave enough to rail against slacker children who get free lunch at school rather than work the fields. We're talking about that and much more on today's extra large Philip DeFranco show. You daily dive into the news, how it's being covered, and how people are reacting to it. And first up today, we have RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing.

There were some very important moments, big fireworks, and we should talk about it. Or because Trump's nominee for health secretary has easily become one of the most controversial because of his long history of pushing vaccine skepticism and other debunked unscientific claims, which is also why we've seen countless medical professionals, groups,

and other experts vocally opposing his confirmation. And unsurprisingly, this first hearing before the Senate Finance Committee has been highly anticipated, and it's the number one trending thing on X right now. Though I will say there were two separate tones being set before the hearing. One, as you had right-wing commentators

and billionaires alike saying that any Republican that votes against RFK Jr. is going to get primary, or they're gonna throw money and attention to primary, anyone that doesn't get in line. And then separately, on the other side, you had this absolutely scathing letter from his cousin, former ambassador, Caroline Kennedy. And there, she described RFK Jr. as a predator

who is addicted to attention and power. But they're then accusing him of leading his other family members down the path of drug addiction while going on to misrepresent, lie, and cheat his way through life, and adding, Bobby preys on the desperation of parents of sick children vaccinating his own kids while building a following,

hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs. Where they're then going on to say, His constant denigration of our healthcare system and the conspiratorial half-truths he's told about vaccines, including in connection with Samoa's deadly 2019 outbreak of measles have cost lives. Right, and if you're unfamiliar with that last bit,

it's in reference to the fact that reportedly Kennedy traveled to Samoa to spread vaccine skepticism and misinformation, a campaign that many experts, top health officials and Democrats have blamed for the deadly measles outbreak that eventually struck the country infecting more than 5,700 and killing 83, many of whom were young children. Caroline Kennedy then also going on to allege

that her cousin's quote, crusade against vaccination has benefited him financially. And there, specifically pointing to a New York Times report that RFK Jr. has refused to drop his financial stake in a lawsuit that's against the manufacturer of a vaccine that protects against HPV and can prevent cervical cancer, saying, Bobby is willing to profit and enrich himself by denying access to a vaccine

that can prevent almost all forms of cervical cancer and has already been safely administered to millions of boys and girls. And I also mention that because many of the points made in Caroline Kennedy's letter were brought up by Democrats during the hearing today. A hearing where we saw the committee's ranking member, Senator Ron Wyden, kicking things off in his opening statement by absolutely ripping into RFK Jr. The receipts show that Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks, charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines. This is the profile

of someone who chases money and influence wherever they lead, even if that may mean the tragic deaths of children and other vulnerable people. Now Kennedy, for his part, spent much of the hearing hitting back against the various allegations he's faced, with him arguing repeatedly that he isn't anti-vaccine, that he just wants people to know what he says are the facts about immunization,

with him first asserting that claim in his opening statements, which then prompted a protest to just start yelling before getting dragged out of the room. News reports have claimed that I'm anti-vaccine or anti-industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety. With him then continuing.

I believe that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated. I've written many books on vaccines. My first book in 2014, the first line of it is I am not anti-vaccine and the last line is I am not anti-vaccine. But with that, we saw Wyden pushing back against that assertion with a very important caveat. In your testimony today under oath, you denied that you were anti-vaccine.

But during a podcast interview in July of 2023, you said, quote, no vaccine is safe and effective. In your testimony today, in order to prove you're not anti-vax, you note that all your kids are vaccinated. But in a podcast in 2020, you said, and I quote, you would do anything, pay anything to go back in time and not vaccinate your kids. Mr. Kennedy, all of these things cannot be true. So are you lying to Congress today when you say you are pro-vaccine? Or did you lie on all those podcasts? We have all of this on tape, by the way. Yeah, Senator, as you know, because it's been repeatedly debunked, that statement that I made on the Lex Friedman podcast was a fragment of the statement. He asked me, are there vaccines that are safe and effective? And I said to him, some of the live virus vaccines are.

And I said, there are no vaccines that are safe and effective. And I was going to continue for every person. Every medicine has people who are sensitive to them, including vaccines. He interrupted me at that point. Now, a few things to note here. First of all, RFK Jr. didn't address Wyden's claim that he later said he regretted vaccinating his children. And second of all, I just want to show the full clip that Kennedy is talking about. Difficult question. Can you name any vaccines that you think are good? I think some of the live virus vaccines are probably averting more problems than they're causing.

There's no vaccine that is safe and effective. It's a big word. So I'll let you use your judgment there, but even if you buy his argument, there are also other countless times on the public record that RFK Jr. has expressed anti-vaccine sentiments. In fact, we saw a new analysis by the Washington Post finding that Kennedy has, quote, criticized vaccines more broadly in at least 114 appearances, calling them dangerous, saying the risks outweigh the benefits, and making misleading claims about

vaccine safety testing or discrediting vaccine efficacy. Beyond that, Wyden also noted the actions Kennedy has taken to undermine essential vaccines, with Kennedy's response once again being interrupted by a protester. In May of 2021, you petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to not only block Americans from having access to the COVID vaccine, but to prevent any future access to the life-saving vaccine. Are you denying that? Your name is on the petition. We brought that petition after CDC recommended a COVID vaccine without any scientific basis for six-year-old children. Most experts agree today, even the people who did it back then, that COVID vaccines are inappropriate for six-year-old children who basically have a zero risk from COVID. That's why I brought that

lawsuit. I don't want to, I want to emphasize this. Mr. Kennedy, the facts, the facts. Now with that, it's important to point out that his claim there about six-year-olds not being at risk for COVID, that's false. You can definitely argue less at risk than other groups, but according to the CDC, 81 kids between five and 19 died of COVID in 2023. That's actually higher than the annual death tolls for other childhood diseases like hepatitis A and rubella

before widespread vaccination. Additionally, even though we see him claiming to be concerned about the children, the petition that Kennedy filed reportedly tried to block the COVID vaccine for all Americans, not just those under six. But I digress, right? Going back to the hearing, of course, Wyden was just one of the many Democratic senators who questioned RFK Jr. on his questionable past claims. You have started a group called the Children's Health

Defense. You're the originator. Right now, as I i understand that on their website they are selling what's called onesies these are little things clothing for babies one of them is titled unfaxed unafraid next one and they're sold for 26 bucks a piece by the way next one is no vax no problem now you're coming before this committee and you say you're pro-vaccine. Just want to ask some questions. And yet your organization is making money selling a child's product to parents for 26 bucks, which casts fundamental doubt on the usefulness of vaccines. Can you tell us now that you will, now that you are pro-vaccine, that you're going to have your organization take these products off the market?

Senator, I have no power over that organization. I'm not part of it. I resigned from the board. That was just a few months ago. There's also saying things like this exchange between Kennedy and Senator Michael Bennett. So I'm asking you, yes or no, Mr. Kennedy. Did you say that COVID-19 was a genetically engineered bioweapon that targets black and white people, but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people? I didn't say it was deliberately targeted. I just quoted an NIH funded and NIH published study. Did you say that Lyme disease is a is highly likely a materially engineered bioweapon? I made sure I put in the highly likely. Did you say Lyme disease is a highly likely militarily engineered

bioweapon? I probably did say that. Did you say that exposure to pesticides causes children to become transgender? No, I never said that. Okay, I have the record that I'll give to the chairman, and he can make his judgment about what you said. This matters. It doesn't matter what you come here and say that isn't true,

that's not reflective of what you really believe, that you haven't said over decade after decade after decade, because unlike other jobs we're confirming around this place, this is a job where it is life and death. Now, again, I want to show some of the clips Bennett is referencing here. The first one he flags about RFK Jr. floating the argument that COVID is ethnically targeted. That was published last year by the New York Post, and here's what he said. COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese. Now with that, RFK Jr.'s claims have been dismissed

by scientists, and the main study that he repeatedly referenced to back his claims, it didn't say the virus targets racial or ethnic groups. And as for Bennett's question about whether Kennedy said pesticides cause children to become transgender, here's the clip he's referring to. I think a lot of the problems we see in kids,

and particularly boys, it's probably underappreciated how much of that is coming from chemical exposures, including a lot of the sexual dysphoria that we're seeing. I mean, they're swimming through a soup of toxic chemicals today, and many of those are endocrine disruptors. There's atrazine throughout our water supply. Atrazine, by the way, if you in a lab put atrazine in a tank full of frogs, it will chemically castrate and forcibly feminize every frog in there. If it's doing that to frogs, there's a lot of other evidence that it's doing it to human beings as well.

Also, another topic that was hit on a lot was RFK Jr.'s stance on abortion, which he has flip-flopped on repeatedly. In the past, and as recently as a few years ago, when he was running for president as a Democrat, Kennedy voiced his support for abortion. But he has since changed his position to echo Trump's anti-abortion stance, a fact that was flagged by many Democrats, including Senator Maggie Hassan. When was it that you decided to sell out the values you've had your whole life in order to be given power by President Trump? When does fast grocery delivery through Instacart matter most? When your famous grainy mustard potato salad isn't so famous without the grainy mustard.

When the barbecue's lit, but there's nothing to grill. When the in-laws decide that, actually, they will stay for dinner. Instacart has all your groceries covered this summer. So download the app and get delivery in as fast as 60 minutes. Plus, enjoy $0 delivery fees on your first three orders. Service fees, exclusions, and terms apply. Instacart. Grocer groceries that over-deliver. Senator, I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy.

But what you're telling us is if President Trump orders you to take action to make it harder for women to get direly needed healthcare, you'll follow his order. And with that, Kennedy didn't really respond to her question about whether he would just blindly follow Trump's orders. With him then continuing to evade similar

questioning from other Democrats who pressed him on his inconsistent views and saying that he agrees with Trump and repeating this one refrain over and over. Senator, I believe that every abortion is a tragedy. I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy. Senator, I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy. Beyond that, there are also some notable one-off moments from the hearing. Like, for example, when Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned him about his financial entanglements. Right, asking if he would agree to not take money from the pharmaceutical industry during the four years he's in office if confirmed and four years after, to which he says yes. With her then going on to

note his refusal to give up his financial stake in his lawsuit against the maker of an HPV vaccine, which of course, Caroline Kennedy also flagged in her letter. With Warren then asking RFK Jr. about his affiliation with a law firm that's bringing the suit. In the past two years, you've raked in two and a half million dollars from a law firm called Wisner Bomb. You go online, you do commercials to encourage people to sign up with Wisner Bomb, to join lawsuits against vaccine makers. And for everyone who signs up, you personally get paid. And if they win their case, you get 10 percent of what they win. So, Mr. Kennedy, will you also agree that you won't take any compensation from any lawsuits against drug companies while you are secretary and for four

years afterwards? I'll commence it and not take any fees from drug companies while I'm secretary. I'm asking about fees from suing drug companies. Will you agree not to do that? You're asking me to not sue drug companies. And I'm not going to agree to that, Senator. You can sue drug companies as much as you want. I'm not going to agree to not sue drug companies or anybody's. Look, no one should be fooled here. The bottom line is the same.

Kennedy can kill off access to vaccines and make millions of dollars while he does it. Kids might die, but Robert Kennedy can keep cashing in. Now with everything here, you may have noticed that all the clips that we've been playing, they've been from Democrats. And that's largely because Republicans just kind of praised him and asked softball questions that allowed Kennedy to queue up

his comfortable talking points about chronic disease and how food impacts health. Though I will say there were some notable exceptions like Senator Bill Bill Cassidy, who had a tense exchange with Kennedy over Medicaid and Medicare. And Cassidy asked Kennedy some pretty straightforward questions about these two incredibly important programs that you would expect the health secretary to be able to answer. And with that, we saw the former president of Doctors for America, who was at the hearing, telling reporters afterwards that it was clear that RFK Jr. did not know basic facts about these enormous health programs that he would be supervising.

Right, and that interaction with Cassidy, it is super important for a few reasons. First of all, Cassidy is one of the Republicans who could vote against Kennedy's nomination. What's more, he'll also lead Kennedy's second confirmation hearing tomorrow before the Senate Health Committee. And at that hearing, it's expected that RFK Jr.

is gonna be pressed even more extensively on his knowledge of Medicaid, Medicare, and other key health programs. We'll have to wait to see how that's actually gonna play out tomorrow. And so I'll end here with two things. One, of course, with everything that we're covering here, it was from a huge hours long hearing and I can't hit on every highlight.

So I'm gonna include coverage if you wanna watch down below. And two, with everything that we just talked about with this hearing, I'd love to know your thoughts in those comments. And then we'll get back to more news in just a moment. But you know, are you looking to jumpstart your health in 2025?

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a judge temporarily blocked the plan following mass confusion around Medicaid's online portals going dark, with a memo ordering all agencies to begin implementing roughly half a dozen of Trump's earlier executive orders by completing a comprehensive analysis to identify programs, projects, and activities

that could go against them. With it specifically highlighting financial assistance for foreign aid, non-governmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the Green New Deal. And with that, the lack of clarity in the directive meant that there was just panic, chaos, and uncertainty yesterday

as everyone was trying to figure out what the memo meant. With some of the impact seemingly being immediate with Medicaid portals going down in all 50 states. With that not made any better thanks to Trump's press secretary unable to answer a question about whether the program would be funded. I'll check back on that and get back to you. Though notably, the OMB then issued another memo

claiming programs like Medicaid would continue without pause. But in any case, you then had a DC judge temporarily blocking the freeze, keeping the new restrictions from taking effect until at least February 3rd. Though also notably, she did not take an official position on the leg temporarily blocking the freeze, keeping the new restrictions from taking effect until at least February 3rd. Though also notably, she did not take an official position on the legality of the freeze.

Instead, she just gave time to hear more fleshed out arguments about why she should issue a temporary restraining order that would have only blocked the freeze for an additional two weeks. But then all of a sudden today, you had the acting director of the OMB issuing another memo, simply saying the previous memo had been rescinded.

Right, with it then going on to say, if you have questions about implementing the president's executive orders, please contact your agency general counsel. And so with that, you had Trump's press secretary saying in a statement, OMB has rescinded the memo to end any confusion on federal policy created by the court ruling and the dishonest media coverage.

But then continuing, the executive orders issued by the president on funding reviews remain in full force in effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments. And finally, claiming this action should effectively end the court case and allow the government to focus

on enforcing the president's orders on controlling federal spending. And she also made the point again on X with then people like Chris Murphy, the Democratic Senator from Connecticut responding, the funding shutdown is still in place. They are just doing it without the piece of paper. And this is then AOC responded,

to end any confusion we are going to say one thing and do another. And now on top of everything, a different any confusion we are going to say one thing and do another. And now on top of everything, a different judge is reportedly coming in to block the freeze. With the seeing Politico senior legal affairs reporter saying on X that US district judge John McConnell will grant a restraining order.

And the judge there reportedly saying that the OMB's withdrawal of their initial memo is quote, distinction without a difference based on the press secretary's comments about continuing on as planned regarding the freeze. And really like, as I'm recording this, everyone appears to be just more fucking confused than they were before.

Which is also why you have some like AOC saying that the Senate should not confirm Trump's pick to lead the OMB. Writing, the utter fiasco of the last 48 hours is just a taste of the chaos Russ Vought would unleash. But in any case, even as we wait to see where the dust settles with the funding freeze, there's just been more and more conversation

about its impact. Especially in terms of funding for US programs abroad, right? Because even before the OMB memo this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered an immediate halt on virtually all U.S. foreign aid programs. And with that, approximately 60 senior staff within the U.S. Agency for International Development have reportedly been suspended, something that's left the agency without clear leadership. And then on top of that, several hundred contractors at USAID have reportedly been furloughed or laid off, some being fired immediately without severance pay and with their benefits expiring within days.

Also dozens of senior staff inside the US Agency for International Development were placed on administrative leave and hundreds of contractors furloughed or terminated. And now, since then, Rubio has issued a waiver to his own foreign assistance boss, with a memo saying, "'Life-saving humanitarian assistance would not be frozen.'

And then defining that as life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs necessary to deliver such assistance. But still, as a recording, it is not clear what exactly that'll mean in terms of what programs stay funded

or whether it'll impact those whose employment has already been terminated. And notably, as on the domestic side, we're already seeing the impact internationally, with one of the biggest concerns being that this could have a massive impact on efforts to fight HIV and AIDS around the world. You see, that is because clinics all over the place, they rely on U.S. support to provide treatments to those battling the disease.

And specifically, something known as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, it's a global health program that was started by Republican President George W. Bush that's credited with saving more than 25 million lives worldwide. But notably, some Republican senators have campaigned against the program for years now, claiming that it promoted abortions. And now, just like that, its funding's been paused, halting the distribution of HIV medications purchased with the U.S. aid money, even if the drugs were already in clinics. And with all that, on Monday, officials worldwide were told that the program's data systems would shut down only three hours later, right immediately, closing off access to all data sets, reports, and analytical tools. And now, appointments are reportedly being canceled

and patients are being turned away. And so with this, as far as the question of, you know, what is the ultimate impact gonna be? There was one study that estimated that if the program were to end, as many as 600,000 lives would be lost over the next decade in South Africa alone. And this is one of the big things

is that South Africa relies on it for only 20% of its HIV budget. But poorer countries, they're almost entirely dependent on it. But there's also saying the chief of staff for the program during the Biden administration saying, this is another domino in the devastating impact of the harmful freeze to programs leaving lives hanging in the balance. But then to shift gears, let's talk about some what the fuck news on a much smaller level than what we've been seeing lately.

Because we're now seeing the news that a Florida teacher and principal are in serious trouble after they allegedly threw a massive rager and had like a hundred local high school kids show up. Oh, Florida, my old home state. We're in a rager where according to police, paramedics had to be called, fights broke out, DUIs were had, and even a gun was pulled out for a video. I mean, literally, even with this being Florida, so much crazy shit happened. I was like, this has to be fake.

But no, and at the center of all this, you have Elizabeth Hill Brodigan and Carly Anderson, both of whom are now facing child neglect charges. And as far as who's who, Hill Brodigan is Carly Anderson, both of whom are now facing child neglect charges. And as far as who's who, Hill Brodigan is a principal at a nearby elementary school, while Anderson seems to be a teacher. And police claim that the party was hosted on January 19th

at Hill Brodigan's place and was a so-called open house party, which notably is an actual thing under Florida law, and it pretty much means that there was a party where minors had access to booze and adults knew about it. And the party here was reportedly easily accessible to minors and there was alcohol, like lots of it. With it also apparently super annoying for the neighbors

who ended up calling police multiple times throughout the night. And this is according to the officers, at least one host, Anderson, was clearly inebriated. So much so that she allegedly tried to stop paramedics who were helping a girl who was throwing up a ton. Though Brodigan also spoke with officers that night and promised around 8.40 PM that things would quiet down.

But then at 11 PM, when officers returned to the party, it was still going. And then police also think that someone used a prank call to get the officers to go away and let the party goers escape. Because just as they were ready to shut things down, officers were told that a call reported shots fired at a nearby skate park.

And then on top of that, the caller had to make the story even crazier and added that there was also a satanic ritual taking place where people were being held at gunpoint. Even with it being Florida, none of that appears to be true. And when officers went back to Hill Brodigan's place, everyone was gone. Then things went from bad to worse because two days later, investigators started talking to students that were at the party and they found out that these were normal

things that happened once or twice a month at the house. In fact, it was alleged that these are advertised on Snapchat and Hill Brodigan even had some of them come early for preparation. And with all that, both have since been arrested and booked before posting bond and they've since pleaded not guilty, but have otherwise remained silent. So right now, as far as what happens next, if they're found guilty of the child neglect charges, which are by far the worst that they're facing,

it could be up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. By the way, this probably not great for their careers. But seeing, for example, the school district that they work for saying, we are extremely troubled by these accusations and are fully cooperating with the Cocoa Beach Police Department. And this is the superintendent added that if the allegations are true,

they're a complete failure in leadership and a violation of our trust. But then to shift gears to different news, who else is sick of these lazy ass kids just sponging off of the government by eating school lunches when they could be out there picking berries on a farmer, picking up shifts at McDonald's. Wait, what? Huh? You don't agree.

You think that kids should be able to eat and learn? Well, you, my friend, are apparently not on the same page as my boy, Rich McCormick, a Republican congressman from Georgia. Because while discussing the federal grants freeze on CNN yesterday, host Pamela Brown asked if he would support getting rid of school lunches and programs that provide food assistance to low-income families. And he said this. When you talk about school lunches, hey, I worked my way through high school.

I know about you, but I worked since I was, before I was even 13 years old, I was picking berries in the field before I had child labor laws that precluded that. I was a paper boy. And when I was in high school, I worked my entire way through. You're telling me that kids who stay at home instead of going to work at Burger King, McDonald's during the summer should stay at home and get their free lunch instead of going to work. I think we need to have a top-down review. I think you're painting a lot of these kids with a broad brush. And so there we saw Brown push back a bit, following up to say,

That's not necessarily a fair assessment of all of the kids. So you would say all the kids in your district who use the free lunch, for example, or breakfast, they're all just sitting at home and not working. Of course not. Okay. This gives us a chance, though, to see where is the money really being spent? Who can actually go and actually produce their own income? With the men saying that a ton of people got their start working in fast food,

and high school kids are capable of getting jobs and learning life skills, and they should be thinking about their future instead of thinking about how they're going to sponge off the government when they don't need to. With the men suggesting that having them work is more productive to ending poverty than welfare programs. And so then, unsurprisingly, we saw a number of people outraged, disgusted, or at least just criticizing him, saying that this is wrong to suggest that children are

freeloaders for needing to eat. Or with people arguing that children shouldn't need to work to be of value to the country. And there, we even saw New York Governor Kathy Hochul tweeting, anyone who wants to force a 14-year-old kid to work as a fry cook to pay for their lunch should try going without food for a day. Meanwhile, you had others seeing this and reacting by talking about how serious an issue food insecurity is for children in the States. Or with, for example, statistics from Feeding America showing that in 2023, 14 million kids faced hunger and one in five is unaware where their next meal will come from. Kids in single-parent families even more likely to face these issues. And this can have serious effects with, for example, Crystal Hodge, an

assistant professor in food science and human nutrition, previously saying, research has shown that students at nutritional risk are more likely to skip breakfast and have poor attendance, to be late, and to show behavioral problems in school. There are also being negative health outcomes like increases in anemia, asthma,

tooth decay, and stunted growth. And so with this, two things. One, of course, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this whole situation, but two, I gotta say to McCormick, as someone who has worked since he was 10 years old, both off the books and legally, your mindset regarding kids who are just trying to fucking eat, it's disgusting and short-sighted. You know, I pride myself on my work ethic and the things that I learned from

starting jobs so early on. It also gave me some economic mobility I would not have otherwise had. But to take these things that we're proud of and to force them onto others or to go, hey, this other kid can't have it easier. That is cruel, especially at a time we just got the nation's report card back. The kids are not all right. They are struggling in school at pretty much every level. And unless your goal is to have a more malnourished, dumber public, then help fucking feed the kids. The argument that he uses has this facade of man of the people, pull yourself up by the bootstraps. But the reality, his kind of thinking, it supports when billionaires fail,

they fall onto a trampoline. When poor people fail, they don't even get a fucking safety net. And that's in addition to just how it will eternally bug the shit out of me that so many people that will be a party of or say things like, think of the children, their actions say, fuck them kids. But anyway, that is the story. And then separately, my opinion on it and whether you agree or disagree,

I would love to hear from you in those comments down below. But moving on from that, we need to talk about Donald Trump now offering buyouts to millions of civil servants as part of an apparent effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce and push out those who aren't loyal to him. Or with the general gist being, get out and get yourself paid. And very notably with that, these were sent using the Trump administration's new mass email system, which is actually already the subject of a lawsuit filed by two federal employees.

With them alleging that the OPM failed to do an assessment required by law to understand and mitigate potential privacy risks. But in any case there, the subject line of this email read, fork in the road. And if that sounds familiar to you, it's actually the same subject line in the email

that Elon Musk sent to Twitter employees back in 2022, asking them to commit to extremely hardcore work or else leave the company with three months pay, which is why unsurprisingly, Musk reportedly played an integral role in the rollout of this buyout. And in fact, he previewed the move at a rally in Philly last October. We'll reduce a lot of head, a lot of government headcount, but we're going to give, I think like, like very long severances. Like, I mean, like two years or something like that. Look, just go do something else is what we're going to say. With that, the offer now being extended to federal employees isn't quite as generous as he claimed. With him saying now that those who resign would receive about eight months pay rather than two years. Also, some other notable things, they will only have until February 6th to decide. Also, according

to the email, employees who do not take a buyout cannot be given full assurance regarding the certainty of their position or agency. With the email saying that the majority of federal agencies would probably be downsized and that a substantial number of employees would be furloughed or reclassified to at-will status, essentially making them easier to fire. And then on top of all that, the email reiterated what's been ordered and wanted Trump's day one executive actions, and that is a return to in-person work. With the email saying that most people who have been working remotely will be required to work from an office five days a week. It also went on to add that some physical office will be consolidated, meaning that some people may be relocated.

And then finally, we have what's been described by many as one of the most troubling aspects of this email. With the email they sent talks about, quote, enhanced standards of conduct and says that, quote, the federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work. With critics here saying that loyal is the key word. And with all that, you had the American

Federation of Government Employees, which is the largest federal workers union, pushing back. With the saying the organization's president saying in a statement, purging the federal government of dedicated career civil servants will have vast unintended consequences that will cause chaos for the Americans who depend on a functioning federal government. And continuing, this offer should not be viewed as voluntary. Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear that the Trump administration's goal is to turn the federal government

into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to. And so to understand the thinking there, we need to talk about exactly who received this email and what it's gonna mean if people take the offer. So first thing, the federal government, it reportedly employed around 3 million people last year, with that number making up nearly 1.9% of the nation's entire civilian workforce. Though

notably, not every single one of those is being offered the buyout. Postal workers, members of the military, immigration officials, certain unspecified national security roles, and any other role that agencies deem as being necessary reportedly won't be able to opt in. But still, according to Katie Miller, who serves on an advisory board to Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, that leaves more than 2 million federal employees who are being sent the email. So with that, according to the Associated Press, for example, if even a fraction of them take the offer, that could send shockwaves through the economy and spark major disruptions across the country, all of which could lead to wide-ranging, but as of right now, unknown consequences for the

delivery, timeliness, and effectiveness of federal services. We're seeing the New York Times reporting that regular activities like traveling, renewing passports, or filing a tax return could be delayed or disrupted. Also everything from national parks and museums to the administration of benefits like social security, Medicare, veterans aid, and food stamps could be affected. All while regulators and inspectors for food, water, drugs, and workplace safety might end up

leaving the government as well. And then beyond all that, we could see an exodus of skilled researchers and scientists from doctors to meteorologists. And then depending on how the Trump administration defines national security, officers at law enforcement agencies like the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration may also resign. But with all that said, right, we do not know right now who and how many will leave. Though there, you did have one Trump administration official saying that they expect 5 to 10 percent of federal employees to quit and claiming that it could lead to $100 billion annually in savings for federal taxpayers. But also a big key thing is right now, we don't know if this is even legal. According to OPM guidance, employees who accept deferred resignation should be placed on

paid administrative leave. But it's not actually clear right now that Trump has the power to offer administrative leave to basically the entire federal civilian workforce. And then even if he does, under the law, no employee can be on administrative leave for more than 10 days in a year, let alone almost eight months. And alternatively, there is actually, under the law, no employee can be on administrative leave for more than 10 days in a year, let alone almost eight months. And alternatively, there is actually something under the Homeland Security Act that allows agencies to offer federal workers $25,000 in exchange for their resignation.

But for a lot of these workers, eight months pay is more than $25,000. And so with all that, we're seeing people like Democratic Senator Tim Kaine saying, "'He doesn't have any authority to do this. "'Do not be fooled by this guy.'" And adding, "'If you accept that offer and resign,

"'he'll stiff you just like he stiffed contractors. Right in there, you have people pointing to not only Trump's history of allegedly not paying his bills, but also again, drawing the comparison to the buyout offer that Musk offered Twitter employees, which is something that led to the company being accused of refusing to pay at least $500 million in promised severance to thousands of employees. But as far as how all this is going to play out, we're going to have to wait to see. How many people actually resign? Do they get paid like they're supposed to? Is this even legal? And I mean, that is genuinely the question with so many of the things that we're seeing, not everything, but so many of them. And again, as I have said, and repeat, ad nauseum, that as part of Trump,

Stephen Miller, and that whole administration's plan, test what they can do as fast as possible. They know that there are going to be immediate legal challenges, but why not work it all the way to the Supreme Court and see what happens? Receive the conservative majority there. Many who are there because of Donald Trump agree with Donald Trump. And then we'll get to more news in just a moment. But first, you know, NordVPN isn't just a sponsor of the show.

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plus an additional four months free at nordvpn.com slash phil. That's nordvpn.com slash phil, or scan the QR code. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee. But then getting back to the news, we need to talk about how one, childhood vaccination rates are plummeting

at an alarming rate. And two, experts are now saying that it is a matter of when, not if, there will be deadly outbreaks of preventable diseases that not only threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, but adults as well. Even those of us who have been vaccinated against these illnesses. And I say that knowing that it is not new information that childhood immunization rates have continued to fall since the pandemic. Now we have this wild new analysis by the New York Times of recent CDC data for the 2023, 2024 school year that provides some crucial context that's been lacking from the conversation and really shows just how dire the situation could

get. And here, where I'll start specifically is that the data shows that nationally, the rate of kindergartners with complete records for the measles shot dropped from around 95% before the pandemic to just under 93%, with notably rates for polio, whooping cough, and chickenpox vaccines similarly falling. Now with that, you might think, hey, well, 93% is still pretty good. And when we're talking about national averages, you'd be right. That still gives the population significant herd immunity, meaning their immunization rates are high enough to stop an outbreak.

But this is a key thing here. Just looking at the national average in a vacuum, that can be deceiving because as the Times explains, those national figures mask far more precipitous drops in some states, counties, and school districts. With them adding there, in those areas, falling vaccination rates are creating new pockets of students no longer protected by herd immunity. By high national rates, that's all well and good, but it does

not help places that no longer meet the herd immunity threshold. And in fact, we've already seen evidence of this in recent outbreaks of preventable childhood diseases. With, for example, cases of both whooping cough and measles increasing over the last year. And when it comes to measles, you have epidemiologists saying that outbreaks become significantly harder to contain when immunizations fall under 90%. And at some point below that threshold, the spread of measles becomes essentially inevitable if the disease is introduced in the community.

And part of the reason I'm flagging measles specifically is because the Times found that there are thousands more schools where the vaccination rates have now fallen below 90% compared to just five years ago, which means that it is now estimated that there are 280,000 kindergartners without documented protection against measles, which is an increase of roughly 100,000 kids

since the pandemic. Now with all that, as far as why we're seeing these trends, one of the main factors appears to be an increase in vaccine exemptions. Where you see normally, families need to show that their kids have received the normal schedule of childhood immunizations before they can attend school. But families who opt out of those shots

can receive exemptions from schools for medical, religious, or other reasons, depending on state and local laws. And according to CDC data, during the 2023-2024 school year, the number of kindergartners who had exemptions for one or more vaccines rose 3.3%. I mean, that is literally the highest that's ever been reported. And very notably here, the analysis from the Times found that, quote, the shifts in exemptions mostly fall along political lines. With the Times finding that the number of students with exemptions increased on average in states that went Trump back in November, growing everywhere except West Virginia.

And that is exemptions rose in only a few of the states that went for Harris, largely staying flat or even falling in most others. You know, that makes sense because polls have largely shown a new growing partisan divide on vaccines since the pandemic. With the seeing, for example, a Gallup survey back in 2019 saying that 67% of Democrats and Democrat leaners said that the childhood immunizations were extremely important compared to 52% of Republicans and

Republican leaners. Five years later, while the enthusiasm only fell 5% for the Democrats, it absolutely plummeted for Republicans, dropping to just 26%. And so now, according to polling, one in every three Republicans actively believes that vaccines are more dangerous than the diseases they were designed to protect. Beyond that, we've also seen an increased effort among Republican politicians to roll back vaccine mandates in recent years, and those policy changes have had a direct traceable impact on childhood immunization rates. And so, for example, we can look to Mississippi, and you might not know this, but they've actually long had the highest kindergarten measles vaccination rate in the country for the last four decades. And actually, the reason for that is during that time, the state

had one of the strictest requirements on the books, only allowing kids to opt out for medical reasons and with the doctor's approval. But then in July of 2023, a federal judge ordered the state to allow religious exemptions. And in the first school year that this policy was in effect, the state saw its vaccination rates take a notable dip. Additionally, we saw Idaho passing a law that allowed 18 year old students to exempt themselves. And now the state has the single highest exemption rate, which is something that's also been described as concerning because Idaho also had the lowest kindergarten vaccination rates in the nation for almost every single major childhood shot, thanks to lax policies that were already in place. And then with all that, we have the Times' analysis really

illustrating how concerning this is, right? Idaho already had one of the lowest measles immunization rates in the country. Then, during the 2023-2024 school year, it plummeted even more, marking the largest decrease in the entire country by far and making Idaho the only state to fall below 80%. But again, it's not just one or two states. Other states that have laxed policies have also seen sharp declines. Like with, for example, Florida and Georgia,

which have some of the lowest reported minimum immunization rates for kindergartners, thanks to their policies of allowing parents to get exemptions by simply submitting forms with their kid's school. But this also is other states out there have strengthened their vaccine requirements and we've seen the exact opposite happening. With rates rising in Maine and Connecticut, simply submitting forms with their kids' school. So this also, as other states out there, have strengthened their vaccine requirements,

and we've seen the exact opposite happening, with rates rising in Maine and Connecticut, which both got rid of non-medical exemptions during the pandemic. And so with all of that said, we're seeing experts saying that the new Trump administration is going to help continue the worrisome national trend of falling childhood vaccinations.

You know, like we talked about with his confirmation earlier, RFK Jr., Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has been described by many as a vocal anti-vaxxer. So you have many saying that if he's confirmed, America would be installing someone who backs unscientific and disproven claims about immunizations to lead our key health agencies, including the ones that govern and regulate national vaccine policy. Now also, very notably here, experts have said that they do not think

that RFK Jr. would have the power to take some of the most extreme actions like banning certain shots or taking them off the market entirely. With R.F.K. Jr. also claiming that he has no intention of doing that. He also notably can't abolish vaccine mandates, like the ones that require kids to get certain immunizations before attending school, right? Because those are actually set by state

and local governments. But this also adds to people saying there are a number of ways he could still do serious damage. Or with things like, for example, influencing the guidance on vaccine schedules issued by the CDC, which is part of HHS. Because while states set their own mandates, they rely on that guidance,

as do insurance companies determining which vaccines to cover. And in his role, Kennedy would have the power to stack the external committee that advises the CDC on vaccines with what's been described as his anti-vax allies that could then change the childhood immunization schedule, including by removing some recommended shots entirely.

Now with this, Kennedy did say in his first confirmation hearing that he supports the childhood immunization schedule, including by removing some recommended shots entirely. Now with this, Kennedy did say in his first confirmation hearing that he supports the current childhood vaccine schedule, but still some public health experts have expressed concerns that health authorities, especially in red states, will follow a CDC that is skeptical of vaccines, which of course is a move

that could lower the childhood immunization rates in Republican-led states even more. Additionally, because Kennedy would oversee the FDA, he could also request a review of every vaccine that's been approved by the agency and subject them to new requirements. And very notably, because many shots are paid for by the federal government, he could direct Congress to pull those funds, cutting off some of the most at-risk children from access to essential shots. And if you're thinking, well, there's no possibility that Congress would actually do that, I mean, Trump himself has literally threatened to defund schools that require vaccines for

students. And also, beyond that, you have some concerned about the symbolic impact of installing someone like RFK Jr. as the highest ranking health official in the country. For example, The Guardian reporting beyond policy actions, experts warned of the power of rhetoric, saying the mere presence of a federal official who is skeptical or outright hostile towards vaccines

gives the opposition more credibility. It's an argument that by tapping RFK Jr. for this position, not only is Trump giving him the biggest possible platform, he's also allowing him to set the tone for the administration and the Republican Party as a whole. You know, with that, we've seen one former CDC director saying, you know, when we're talking about the top health official in the country, the stakes here are incredibly high, saying a lot of damage is possible.

The Secretary of Health has a life or death responsibility. And if unscientific statements and decisions are made, if agencies are damaged, if public confidence is undermined, then you can get spread of disease. And of course, also the risk of that spread is massively increased when you have a growing population that also isn't immunized against a host of illnesses, which is why we're seeing experts say

that if vaccinations continue to fall, preventable infections considered as childhood diseases will resurface in all age groups, not just for children. With many describing a world where not only anyone would be put at risk if they're unvaccinated against these diseases, either by choice or because they can't get certain shots for health reasons.

You're saying an outbreak, it wouldn't just impact the unvaccinated. You have experts saying that adults who may not have responded to immunization because of medical conditions, their age, or weak immune systems, they're also in jeopardy. This is some adults who were vaccinated as kids may also be vulnerable now

because the immunity that some vaccines provide can reportedly wear off over the decades. For example, studies finding that in rare cases, immunity gain from the measles shot may decrease over time. And the same is true for the mum shot and the newer version of the whooping cough vaccine developed in the 90s. Well, of course, all of these diseases are concerning. Experts are especially worried about the measles because it's just so damn contagious. Each infected person, they can spread it to as many as 18 others and it lingers in the air for up to two hours. It's also very deadly. Before the first measles shot came out in the 1960s, the virus killed an estimated 2.6 million people worldwide each year.

With one study even estimating that before widespread immunization, measles might have made up half of all infectious disease deaths in children. We already have historical evidence of what happens when the vaccination rate for measles drops. You see, back in the late 1980s, thanks to Reagan-era budget cuts, immunization rates fell sharply, mostly among low-income black and Hispanic kids. And as a result, the disease reportedly infected

more than 55,000 Americans and killed 166 in the period between 1989 through 1991. And so taking everything we've talked about into account, it makes for a very uncertain and potentially scary future. But for now, that is where we are. We're gonna have to wait to see what happens next. And of course, in the meantime, I would love to know your thoughts

in those comments down below. But then finally today, I wanna give a congratulations and then talk about yesterday. Starting with a congrats to Mark S, SeatGeek's latest weekly winner who scored $500 in tickets and he's taken his wife to see Post Malone, which that sounds like a great date night.

And for the rest of y'all, that's right, SeatGeek is still giving away $500 in tickets, and you should definitely enter today if you haven't already. Right, imagine being the next winner and snagging $500 towards seeing your favorite artist, sporting event, or play. I mean, there's over 70,000 events to choose from. And remember, all you gotta do is just add code PDS to your SeatGeek app profile for a chance at the weekly $500 prize, no purchase necessary. But, with that said, let's talk about yesterday in some comment commentary. Right in there, let's first dive into the conversations y'all were having around the Lyft controversy. Right, that was a situation with a woman that was like 489 pounds. It's suing Lyft over weight discrimination. But some of y'all just initially kind of shocked

at the situation. With two days saying, how do you get to be 500 pounds as a 4'11 woman? That's insane. I'm a 6'3 rugby player with a meat pie addiction and I barely hit 300 pounds after a lifetime of eating far too well. Does it suck to be told you can't do slash have something because of your weight slash size? Yes, it's happened to me. Does that mean you should sue people for not wanting to accommodate your life choices? No. Two Dave's going on to say that vehicle is the driver's livelihood. He didn't want to put undue strain, and yes, it's undue strain

to have effectively three adult women sat in the same seat on the seats, shocks, whatever. He was polite in his refusal and offered alternatives. Making him out as a villain here is wild, and suing Lyft is just a cash grab. With many there agreeing in the same seat on the seats, shocks, whatever. He was polite in his refusal and offered alternatives. Making him out as a villain here is wild, and suing Lyft is just a cash grab. With many there agreeing in the replies, you also had All Game saying, I was an Uber driver for a few years in college, and I drove a small sedan like that guy.

I will never forget this ride where I picked up three really large people, I'm talking 300 plus pounds each, and my car was barely able to keep up with their weight. Pedal all the way forward, my car was not able to go over 40 miles per hour with all of them in, and the suspension was constantly creaking. Not to mention, brakes are screaming at every red

light. But then adding, they kept commenting on how slow my car was. They weren't entirely wrong, but they weren't helping the situation, saying it was so hard not to tell them, yeah, my car is slow because I'm hauling an extra 900 pounds. And all I can really say here is, you know, I'm very sensitive to bigger people problems. I've lived extended parts of my life as a much bigger person. I bounce around 175 now, but during the pandemic, I think I was about 285. It was definitely under 300.

So even there, you know, that's not a direct one-to-one comparison. There's still about 200 pounds of difference. And I will say even at 280, granted I'm six foot, or as my wife likes to say, when we argue a five foot 11 and three quarters, the world generally feels hostile and not for you.

But that does feel less applicable to the extremes that were involved in this story. And I was also, and I understand he was making a legal argument, not a kind of like general argument, but I was very turned off by the argument from the lawyer who equated someone saying, I'm not going to drive you somewhere because you're black to, hey, I don't know the limits of my car in regards to your weight. That said though, I know he's just being a lawyer, right? He is making a legal argument in regards to state law there. And so really all I would ask here is, please do not look at this story and the situation as a reason to just fucking fling toxic shit at

people that are overweight. I can only ever really speak for myself, but it sucks. It's not like I wanted to be like that. And people attacking me for being overweight, never fucking help. It's far more likely to fuel self-harm than productive change. But then finally today, of course, let's talk about Donald Trump and the spending freeze and all the controversies. With us seeing comments here like,

"'Attorney here, public housing authorities "'were in emergency mode due to the EEO "'as this could have forced them "'to stop making housing payments. "'This would include veterans, seniors, "'people with disabilities, et cetera. "'This would have led to mass evictions "'across the country.'"

Also here we saw some of this connected to the tariff threats regarding Taiwan chips, with Maxer is saying, one of my big fears of the tariffs raising prices for gadgets, cars, and even the Switch 2 is that companies will not lower them back down if the tariffs are lifted. They might see it as a sign of people are paying and we can make even more money. And that was something we saw a number of people hitting on. Meanwhile, some were kind of just aghast at the woke usage. The Pony, for example, saying the fact that the word woke is used seriously in these executive orders truly rings that we're living in a nightmare.

And asking, can conservatives even agree on what that buzzword defines when they keep moving the goalposts? With Charles responding, woke is when it makes me uncomfortable to think about. We also saw Mox Hex claiming, as a federal worker who works closely with active duty personnel,

I can tell you that morale is at a historic low. So there, we also saw responses claiming, as someone who actively worked with active duty personnel daily, I can't assure you that this administration is providing more confidence than there was in the last four years. Again, claiming, I've seen more smiles on base in the last two weeks than I have in years. More people are excited for their deployment because they feel like they'll actually be doing something productive. Saying it's just the bad actors that are upset, those who heavily invested in the last administration.

But the final comment I'll touch on here is Jason Morley, who wrote, Wow, it's almost as though the modern bureaucratic economic system has disastrous consequences when held to the whims of a single point of failure. Who could have guessed? Yeah, it's almost like there are three branches of government and checks and balances for a reason. But really, as shocking as this is and as disorienting as so many things are, this is the plan. This has been expected. Test as much as possible, as fast as possible, get any opposition out of the way and or confused. And based on how the American public voted this past November, they gave Trump

very little opposition. So yeah, buckle up because the Trump administration is not going to pump the brakes. It's really just going to be a question of will they hit speed bumps? Will they hit walls? Will they go off a cliff? Or is it smooth sailing, at least for Trump and his supporters? But that, my friends, is the end of your Wednesday evening, Thursday morning dive into the news. Of course, remember, I'm giving you a brand new show every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6 p.m. Eastern, 3 p.m. Pacific. Thank you for watching.

I love yo faces, and I'll see you right back here tomorrow.