The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 2.14 New Andrew Tate Evidence Exposed A Bigger Problem, Why More Train Derailments Are Coming & More News

Episode Date: February 14, 2023

Click here https://www.seed.com/defranco and use code DEFRANCO to get 25% off your 1st month’s supply of Seed’s DS-01®️ Daily Synbiotic + Free shipping! Check Out Our Beautiful Bastard 24 HOUR ONLY Valentine’s Drop! https://BeautifulBastard.com Catch Up on Yesterday’s Show Here:  https://youtu.be/XVjlDUp90Bc Check Out Sunday’s Show: https://youtu.be/USax506Qkyw – 00:00 - Andrew Tate Case Prompts Industry Concerns in Romania 03:35 - Ohio & Houston Train Derailments Renew Worries Over Safety Standards 09:56 - Sponsored by Seed 10:58 - Arkansas Bill Targets Medical Care for Trans Youth 12:58 - Israel President Floats Plan to Prevent 'Constitutional Collapse' 15:11 - Three Students Dead in Tragedy at Michigan State – ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ Andrew Tate Case Prompts Industry Concerns in Romania: https://news.yahoo.com/andrew-tate-arrest-casts-light-033327027.html Ohio Train Derailment Renews Worries Over Safety Standards, Corporate Influence: https://roguerocket.com/2023/02/14/ohio-train-safety-standards-corporate-influence/ Arkansas Bill Targets Medical Care for Trans Youth: https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-state-government-gender-health-586e773f62600b34e4ed55422a5a3de8 Israel President Floats Plan to Prevent 'Constitutional Collapse': https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-urges-consensus-israel-judiciary-plans-protest-mounts-2023-02-12/ Three Students Dead in Tragedy at Michigan State: We make it a point to not include the names and pictures of those who may have been seeking attention or infamy and will not link out to websites that might contain such information. —————————— Produced by: Cory Ray Edited by: James Girardier, Maxwell Enright, Julie Goldberg, Christian Meeks Art Department: William Crespo Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Maddie Crichton, Lili Stenn, Brian Espinoza, Chris Tolve, Star Pralle ———————————— #DeFranco #AndrewTate #Train Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More and more keeps coming out around Andrew Tate, with new accusations and new groups speaking out. There's already been another train derailment, and we really need to talk about why this is going to continue to happen. We've got some evil people in the mix. The power grab in Israel is getting scary. We're gonna talk about all that and so much more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show, so buckle up, hit that like button, and actually, small but awesome announcement. In addition to all the classic emotionally exhausted stuff we dropped yesterday, and remember, there are a number of colorways that we're offering this time that we're probably never going to offer again,

all of which is available for a limited time over at butylfash.com. In honor of Valentine's Day, I have a special 24-hour only offering. I actually just made this for my wife, and she was like, you have to offer this to people. Our premium I Love Naps hoodie and tees. And because y'all heavily requested the styles, I also threw a few on crew necks as well as the premium champion hoodies. I got this made for my wife because it's Valentine's Day, and I know she loves me, but but she loves naps more and she said I had to release it because she's not the only one. So 24 hours, grab it for that person in your life that you think will love it or just get yourself a Valentine's Day present. Because while people will come and go, naps will always be there for you. And they're made even easier in our oh my god how is it so comfortable hoodies. So grab them while you can and let's jump into it. Starting with the Andrew Tate problem and the new

information coming out. So we've been covering this case for a little bit. Tate and his brother were arrested in Romania over an organized crime, human trafficking, and rape investigation with two other women associated with them also being detained over the matter. Investigators alleging that they ran an organized group to recruit victims and force them to make pornographic content that they profited off of. And there we got an update with reports coming out that prosecutors allege that the Tate brothers paid for one of the victims to get a boob job so she would be more attractive on OnlyFans. Which by itself really wouldn't be anything, but the report claims that this victim was pressured into the procedure by Tate's entourage. And apparently the pressure they applied wasn't, oh girl, if you get this done, your waist is gonna get snatched. No, allegedly the victim was actually beaten by one of the women who was arrested as part of the investigation with a report referring to that woman as one of Tate's angels. With that so-called angel also allegedly torturing the victim by making her raise her arms in the air, which stretched out the scars from her breast procedure

that were still healing. On the other side here, in response to those claims, the Tates reportedly told The Sun that they never told their associates to use pressure or intimidation tactics towards their employees. And that actually brings us to the bigger story that we're seeing as a result of this whole case right now. The impact on the Romanian sex cam industry and the concerns around all of it. Because a new report just came out noting that Romania's industry has become one of the world's biggest purveyors of virtual sex with roughly 500 studios in the country. And insiders are reportedly afraid that Tate and the allegations against him are going to ruin the reputation of everyone else in the country. With sex cam operators telling out that they had no clue Tate even had a studio until the scandal broke. As well as a former cam

girl and now studio manager saying that Tate and his brothers are not known in the space and never actually went to industry events. With her also adding that she's proud of her studio and work and that it's a good way for young women to make money and everything she works on is legal and transparent. Claiming they have 160 women on their books and make an eight grand a month on average after taxes. Notably that's about ten times the average Romanian salary. Also you had a woman who works in marketing at a studio arguing that it's unjust that from a scandal like this people think that Andrew Tate represents the video chat industry. Also, you had a woman who works in marketing at a studio arguing that it's unjust that from a scandal like this people think that Andrew Tate represents the video chat industry. This is not fair. But with that, I think it's important to note that Tate isn't really the only factor poisoning people's perception of the industry. Because when you look

into this, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, concerns about trafficking in this space are real and growing. There's been a worldwide increase in victims being trafficked and recruited to work behind the camera in this industry, which is why some of the business say they would welcome regulations, especially if from this controversy, politicians are forced to act and to regulate and that could put a positive spin on the industry. And a fact that would affect Romania probably more than anywhere else, because it's been claimed that 40% of video cam workers are Romanian women. And personally, I've said this for years, I think regulations, especially when it comes to sex work, is incredibly important. Because while there may be annoying hoops that you might have to jump

through, if it provides safety, that trumps everything. It is an industry overwhelmed with exploitation. But hey, that's the story and I'd love to know your thoughts on it in those comments down below. And then, y'all, another train derailed yesterday, with law enforcement officials saying that the incident took place outside of Houston, Texas, after a Union Pacific train collided with an 18-wheel truck, killing the truck driver. And right now, we don't have a ton of information about the crash, but it has been reported that there was no railroad crossing arms or lights at the intersection where the truck crossed. The one local outlet did report that the police had said that the driver of the truck should have had a clear line of sight to see the train coming. You had a police lieutenant telling reporters that 21 train cars were derailed and that a hazardous materials team from Union Pacific

went to the site as a precaution, but also adding, From what we're being told and shown, there's no major chemicals to be concerned about. It's more so household chemicals on board for retail purposes. It's not a large quantity from what we're being told. A Union Pacific spokesperson also confirming that Hazmat crews did go to the scene, noting that an estimated 100 gallons of diesel fuel had been released by the truck involved in the crash. So this is a concerning story on its own, but also, obviously, there are a ton of people on edge as it comes less than two weeks after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in Ohio.

We did a deep dive on that yesterday. I'll link to it in the description at the end of the show. But a key thing is at the end of that story, I mentioned that many groups have said that this whole situation underscores how corporate interests have gutted essential rail protection. And given we're already seeing another derailment, I think it's important we talk about. So there are two key areas where capitalist overlords have really fucked shit up that I want to touch on. The profit-maximizing operational model that most of the rail industry uses, and the efforts to undermine safety standards. So first off, for the last few decades, rail carriers have been increasingly using a model called Precision Scheduled Railroading, or PSR. And the idea behind PSR is basically for operators to do more with less in order to maximize revenues by driving down operating expenses. So to do this, PSR emphasizes running

strict schedules, streamlining routes, and cutting costs, equipment, and employees. With experts saying that in theory, PSR increases efficiency while lowering costs. But in reality, because these rail workers have so much marketing power, instead of doing more with less,

they're able to do less with less. So as a result, railroads are essentially incentivized to spend less money on rail operations and more money on stock buybacks or dividends to measure success in the eyes of Wall Street. Right, key things I want you to take from this. Under the PSR model, the railroad workforce has been totally gutted, the workers that remain are overworked to the point of exhaustion, and safety precautions have been sacrificed for profits. And if all of this sounds familiar to

you, it's because this whole discussion was at the heart of the railroad strike that was narrowly averted at the end of last year. You might remember us talking about it. You had workers asking for a number of really basic things like better pay and working conditions as well as more Flexible schedules for things like medical appointments all things that were denied as the results of a model that encourages railroads to do less with Less that's also been exemplified by Norfolk Southern which operates a train that derailed in Ohio that carrier has continually increased its dividend and last March it announced a 10 billion dollar stock buyback program Yes, really billion with a, while at the same time refusing to give workers basic benefits like fair pay and sick leave. This also, as the company reported,

record-breaking operating revenues totaling $12.7 billion last year. And in a recent press release, the Railroad Workers United and Inter-Union Alliance of Railworkers, they argue that the Ohio derailment was just a predictable outcome of a system operated by PSR. In fact, they went as far as to explicitly argue that the root causes of this wreck, they were associated with the hedge fund-initiated operating model known as PSR. With the group adding that, as investigators have said, the immediate cause of the wreck appears to have been a 19th century-style mechanical failure of the axle on one of the cars. And adding, there is no way in the 21st century,

save from a combination of incompetence and disregard to public safety, that such a defect should still be threatening our communities. With the group going on to say that the profit incentivizing created by PSR has made cutting costs, employees, procedures, and resources the top priority. And pointing out that Norfolk, Southern, and other carriers have eliminated many of the critical mechanical positions and locations necessary to guarantee protection against these kinds of failures. While they're also petitioning regulators for relief from historically required maintenance and inspections and in a statement to the Guardian The RW use secretary they claim the Palestine wreck is the tip of the iceberg and a red flag saying if something is not done Then it's going to get worse and the next derailment could be cataclysmic So all of that incredibly fucking scary

But also remember that is just one part of the equation here But as I mentioned earlier corporate interests have also had a hand in influencing federal safety rules In fact a report by the lever found that documents the outlet reviewed showed that Norfolk fucking Southern helped kill a federal rule that intended to upgrade rail braking systems for trains carrying hazardous materials. And beyond that, according to the report, when current transportation safety rules were first created, a federal agency sided with industry lobbyists and limited regulations governing the transport of hazardous compounds. Adding, the decision effectively exempted many trains hauling dangerous materials, including the one in Ohio, from the high hazard classification and its more stringent safety requirements. And that's really significant because federal officials told the lever that the Norfolk Standard train was not being regulated as a high hazard flammable train. This despite the fact that it was literally carrying flammable materials that were so hazardous, officials had to do a

controlled burn to prevent them from exploding. And so all of this can actually be traced back to 2014, when the Obama administration proposed new safety regulations for trains carrying hazardous materials. But what we ended up seeing were those being whittled down after industry lobbyists successfully pressured administration officials to just focus on crude oil and exempt lots of other combustible chemicals. Key thing, including the ones involved in the Ohio disaster. And then, those protections were scaled back even more in 2017 with the Trump administration who repealed a part

of that rule mandating that rail cars carrying hazardous flammable materials must be equipped with electronic braking systems this because it would allow those trains to stop quicker than conventional brakes and that move was backed by both Senate Republicans and industry lobbyists who shocker had donated more than six million dollars to GOP campaigns in the 2016 election cycle according to the lever even though Norfolk Southern had previously touted the new electronic who, shocker, had donated more than $6 million to GOP campaigns in the 2016 election cycle. And according to the Lever, even though Norfolk Southern had previously touted the new electronic braking technology, it lobbied in favor of the repeal, arguing that it would impose tremendous costs without providing offsetting safety benefits. You know, because they're just a little tiny company that's getting record profits and spent billions of dollars on stock buybacks.

I mean, y'all, they are the victims here. Do you know how much maintenance on a yacht is? Ugh. Also, very notably here, a former senior official at the Federal Railroad Administration explicitly told the lever, would ECP brakes have reduced the severity of this accident?

Yes. And saying the railroads will test new features, but once they are told they have to do it, they don't want to spend the money. And the thing is, I want there to be a better, safer tomorrow, but I don't know how that happens with evil fucking people

at evil fucking companies. Right, there's the desire for money, there's greed, and then there's an evil amount of greed. Like, you're talking about people that have done the math of, you know, I think monetarily it makes more sense to throw millions of dollars at Congress, and also, you know, pay money to deal with accidents that happen, rather than actually keep shit safe. Rather than actually treat the people that work for us as humans. So hopefully with this derailment, and hopefully as people start learning the things that we're talking about today, this helps ramp up public pressure.

Because honestly, it's going to take a lot of pressure to overwhelm the amount of money that gets donated to Congress members. And then I want to tell you about today's sponsor, Seed, and their clinically and scientifically backed DS01 daily symbiotic. You know, I love seeing your comments about Seed's DS01 last month. Whether it be questions about how many times did he say DSO1, or two, some of you wanting to see the capsule close up, or because in one capsule of the DSO1, there's both a plant-based prebiotic and 24-strain probiotic. And Seed goes above and beyond to make sure that what they claim

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your health, go to seed.com slash DeFranco and use code DeFranco to get 25% off your first month's supply of Seeds DS01 plus free shipping. And then, do you have a penis? Is a very weird question to ask most strangers. Unless, apparently, you're Arkansas Republican Senator Matt McKee, because yesterday the Senate Judiciary Committee considered a bill that would allow trans patients who receive gender-affirming care as minors to sue their doctors up to 30 years after they turn 18, notably lowering the bar for suing such doctors far below the standard for medical malpractice in other medical fields. And while the bill includes a safe harbor section allowing doctors some path to legal defense, it requires at least two professionals to certify that, quote, the minor suffered from no other mental health concerns, including,

without limitation, depression, eating disorders, autism, attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, or psychotic disorders. With critics of the bill arguing that effectively bans care for trans kids suffering from any mental illness. And so naturally, with this bill and topic, the Senate gets very heated, but I don't think anyone really expected McKee to pop this question in front of a trans pharmacist giving testimony. You said that you're a trans woman. I trans female. Yes, sir. Do you have a penis? 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

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I never said anything about genitalia. There was also another senator that claimed the Chinese were using TikTok to convince kids to be trans. But those, I mean, those are just the most viral moments. Throughout the session, you also had Republicans comparing gender-affirming care to frontal lobotomies and child abuse, castration, mutilation. Which I want to note on this topic because I think there's a lot of confusion. I mean, I even misunderstood what was being talked about early, early on when these conversations were happening. Gender-affirming surgery isn't being performed on minors.

When you're talking about people under the age of 18, you're talking about things like social transitioning, maybe puberty blockers, and even fewer cases, hormone therapy, which that, I mean, that's only done under strict criteria. But despite several healthcare professionals coming forward to vouch for the efficacy of gender-affirming care, they didn't listen, and the committee passed the bill on Monday. But also, I mean, that's only done under strict criteria. But despite several healthcare professionals coming forward to vouch for the efficacy of gender-affirming care, they didn't listen, and the committee passed the bill on Monday. But also, I mean, this is kind of just the tip

of the iceberg when it comes to GOP legislation. Right, in South Dakota, for example, they went much farther, all right, banning gender-affirming care for minors and giving doctors who treat trans youth one year to halt all gender-affirming care to them, which effectively makes it the first state ever to force trans kids to detransition. And then Israel is on the brink of constitutional collapse. Or at least that's what Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, warned in a rare televised speech on Sunday. If you're wondering, why don't I recognize that name? Well, that is because Israel's president is largely just a ceremonial position

that just gives a thumbs up when new governments are formed. However, the president's words here may carry some weight because of how rarely he speaks out on politics alongside the fact that he's the only political constant in the country. So with that said, the question is, okay, well, what is the president's big worry here? And the answer to that is this judicial overhaul that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hardline party want to implement. It would be the single largest change to the system since modern Israel's inception. Right, the TLDR of it all is that it would allow Parliament to overrule Supreme Court decisions with a simple majority

and give it more power in deciding who gets to become a judge, which is probably why it's pretty much just Beebe's coalition that supports the change. And why when the bill was still in committee, opposition members chanted shame when it was discussed and their stances haven't changed. I mean even everyday citizens are concerned about this and they've been protesting for weeks. Yesterday nearly 100,000 people descended on parliament to protest it. And it's believed that number is just gonna get bigger and bigger as the bill continues through parliament. And as far as why would people have a problem with this, it's very apparent. It essentially eliminates the need for the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court's supposed to be there to be a check and a balance,

and then Netanyahu's like, but what if I took their check and their balance? What if instead it was just mine? That seems like fun. And this has also led to the widespread perception that this change is really just there to let BB dodge his corruption charges, which is why some held signs saying things like destroying the country to avoid trial. I mean, things are so tense right now that beyond warning about a constitutional collapse, Herzog also warned that he feels like the country is on the brink of a violent clash. Even President Biden commenting on the situation, which is pretty rare, saying, the genius of American democracy and Israeli democracy is that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, on an independent judiciary. Building consensus for fundamental changes is really important to ensure that the people buy into them

so they can be sustained. And the final thing that I'll say here is I don't want to see violence. But right now, this stage is being set for a crazy showdown, right? If this gets approved, it is likely gonna be fought in the courts until it goes to the Supreme Court,

who could then rule against the law, but then Parliament's gonna be like, no, we just made a law that says we overrule you, so too bad. And then the Supreme Court goes, no, that's illegal. And then, fucking what? So in the meantime, it's likely that we're gonna see bigger and bigger protests, and we're gonna have to wait to see what the hell actually happens here. And then, run, hide, fight.

Those were three words that appeared on phone screens across the Michigan State University campus last night. Because it was an alert sent out by the school, but many staff, students, and faculty didn't need it because they already had heard the gunshots. Someone apparently firing at people on campus. Police and paramedics rushed in while everyone else was rushed out. You had students barricading themselves inside rooms, calling their parents, climbing over each other to reach safety. In other places, you had students smashing out a window in a first floor classroom and jumping out, as well as one girl texting her mother, I heard someone get shot, mom. It's terrifying. I could smell the gunpowder. Also for a young woman there, a freshman across the street from the building where the gunfire erupted, this hit very close to home.

It already sounds like an unthinkable horror to be a part of a school shooting, but she was also a survivor at the Oxford High School shooting, which is where four people were killed a little over a year ago, including two of her closest friends. So for her last night, it was yet another nightmare that just re-traumatized her, with her mom who was on the phone saying, I can't believe this is happening again. And by the end of the night, the gunman took his own life, but not before taking three other lives with him and wounding five more, some of whom reportedly have life-threatening injuries. Now, as far as what we know about him, he's a 43-year-old black man who is not affiliated with MSU in any way. His motive right now is currently unclear, but neighbors reportedly described him as a hell-raiser who

practiced target shooting on his back door. We also know he got charged back in 2019 for concealed carrying a pistol without a permit, which is a felony, though it was later dismissed. And actually, that same year, he pled guilty to the misdemeanor charge of possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, which is also why you're seeing Democrats like Joe Biden and Gretchen Whitmer taking the opportunity to call for stricter gun control, with the Michigan governor saying that this is a uniquely American problem, and adding, Certain places are supposed to be about community, learning, or joy. Elementary schools and college campuses,

movie theaters and dance halls, grocery stores and workplaces. They should not be the sites of bloodshed. But for now, that's what we know with this story. We're gonna have to wait to see what else comes from it. While, of course, please let me know your thoughts on this story, I just want to say my thoughts

and my well wishes to all those affected here. And this is actually where I'm gonna end today's show. As always, thank you for trusting us for your daily dives into the news. My name's Philip DeFranco. You've just been filled in. I love yo faces and I'll see you tomorrow.