The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 2.19 Marvel Rivals Scandal Exposes a Brutal Problem, Mom Loses Baby Over IVF Mix-up, Trump, Milei, & More

Episode Date: February 19, 2025

Subscribe for New shows every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday @ 6pm ET/3pm PST & watch more here:  https://youtu.be/rSOTsiZZ9fA?si=_u3IUTk3A3pciHpd&list=PLHcsGizlfLMWpSg7i0b9wnUyEZWI-25N3&inde...x=1&t  Go to http://www.vessi.com/pds  for 15% off your first order.  Go to https://saily.com/Phil and use the code Phil to get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! ⛵ Use code “PHIL” for $20 OFF your first SeatGeek order & returning buyers use code “PDS” for $10 off AND your chance at weekly $500 prizes! https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/PHIL   https://BeautifulBastard.com Get yourself some of our new shirts, crews, and hoodies! copy pasting old ones will lead to an increase of sales and codes being pushed that are no longer active  – ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 00:00 - White Woman Sues After Giving Birth to Black Baby 03:31 - Trump Now Involved in Brazil's Coup Case as Jair Bolsonaro Faces Prison Time 07:33 - The Marvel Rivals Firing Scandal is Crazy 10:06 - Sponsored by Vessi 11:05 - Insane Drama as A$AP Rocky Found Not Guilty 14:32 - Argentina President Javier Milei's Crypto Scandal is Embarrassing 18:23 - Sponsored by Saily  19:27 - Trump Pauses Certain Immigration Apps, Faces Backlash for Deportation ASMR 25:22 - Sponsored by Seatgeek 25:56 - Comment Commentary Coffeezilla Argentina Crypto Interview:  https://youtu.be/EqizJTbxAEM?feature=shared&list=PLHcsGizlfLMWpSg7i0b9wnUyEZWI-25N3&index=1&t ——————————   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 #Moistcritikal #Coffeezilla ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 The new BMO VI Porter MasterCard is your ticket to more. More perks. More points. More flights. More of all the things you want in a travel rewards card. And then some. Get your ticket to more with the new BMO VI Porter MasterCard. And get up to $2,400 in value in your first 13 months.
Starting point is 00:00:24 Terms and conditions apply. Visit bmo.com slash viporter to learn more. It's truck month at GMC. Tackle the open road with added confidence in the 2025 Sierra 1500 Pro Graphite at 0% financing for up to 72 months. With an available 5.3 liter V8 engine, 20 inch high gloss black painted aluminum wheels, off-road suspension with available two inch factory installed lift kit,
Starting point is 00:00:50 plus a towing capacity of up to 13,200 pounds, you'll be ready for anything this truck month. Truck month is on now. Ask your GMC dealer for details. This Marvel Rivals scandal has people sounding the alarms, but are things getting overblown? Why a white Georgia woman's suing after giving birth to a black baby?
Starting point is 00:01:06 Huge Trump immigration news, and why Team Trump's now in the middle of Brazil's Bolsonaro being charged over an alleged coup attempt? And Argentina's President Malay is in the middle of a crypto fraud scandal. We're talking about all that and much more in today's brand new Philip DeFranco show.
Starting point is 00:01:19 You daily dive into the news, how it's being covered, and how people are reacting to it, starting with this. This is a nightmare situation, a true IVF horror story. Because while there's actually some great IVF news, how it's being covered, and how people are reacting to it, starting with this. This is a nightmare situation, a true IVF horror story. Because while there's actually some great IVF news, Trump's looking to expand it with the president signing an executive order this morning stating, "'Americans need reliable access to IVF "'and more affordable treatment options,
Starting point is 00:01:36 "'as the cost per cycle can range from $12,000 to $25,000.'" And so with that, you have Trump instructing the assistant to the president for domestic policy to bring him a list of policy recommendations on protecting IVF access and quote, "'aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs within 90 days.'" You then also have the news around Christina Murray,
Starting point is 00:01:53 who's a 38 year old woman in Savannah, Georgia, who says that she wanted to be a mother ever since she was a little girl. And so she went through hell for it with her reportedly undergoing 18 months of intrauterine insemination to no avail, with her then trying IVF for several months, saying that she did follow-up exams,
Starting point is 00:02:06 medical tests, blood tests, daily injections, nothing worked until it did. With her finally getting pregnant, using sperm from a donut that she selected who reportedly looked like her, having dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. With her then, in December of 2023, reportedly giving birth and saying,
Starting point is 00:02:19 "'The first time I saw my son, like any mom, "'he was beautiful and literally the best thing "'I'd ever seen, But it was also immediately apparent that he was African-American. So you have this white woman unexpectedly popping out a black baby and she had no idea why. And so she says that she takes an at-home DNA test and here's the thing.
Starting point is 00:02:35 It appears that this is not a case of whoops, wrong donor. The baby is not hers, which means that someone at the fertility clinic implanted the wrong embryo inside of her body, making her carry someone else's baby to term. And so she notifies the clinic, which then notified the biological parents, who then sued for custody of the child. Thing is, though, by this point, Murray says she loves the baby and had bonded with him.
Starting point is 00:02:55 She's breastfeeding him and taking him to doctor's appointments. My baby is not genetically mine. He doesn't have my blood. He doesn't have my eyes. But he is and will always be my son. So she hired a lawyer and fought back, but says that after a tremendous amount of money and time, they told her that she would likely lose her case. So last May, she went to a family court hearing and turned this child,
Starting point is 00:03:14 whom she considers her son, over to another couple. I walked out of the building with an empty stroller. And they left with my son. The actions of the fertility clinic have come very close to destroying me, have left irreparable damage to my soul, and ultimately left me questioning whether I should be a mom.
Starting point is 00:03:34 Now with all this, despite everything, you have Murray saying she is trying again with a different IVF clinic. Plus she also notes she has no clue what happened to her own embryo, so who knows, like maybe it was implanted in another woman who actually gave birth to her baby embryo. So who knows, like maybe it was implanted in another woman who actually gave birth to her baby.
Starting point is 00:03:46 But really we may never fully know there. But what we do know is that she is suing the clinic, Coastal Fertility Specialists, and some of its staff for a long list of offenses. With those including negligence, gross negligence, bailment, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent concealment, battery, lack of informed consent, violations of the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act,
Starting point is 00:04:04 and violations of the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act. Notably here, you also have our lawyer stressing this fuck up is not unique to any particular clinic, rather saying it is a systemic thing, which is something that he says is because the industry is largely unregulated. There are no reporting requirements when errors are made. There are no random and unannounced inspections. There are no statewide or federally required certifications for the staff who work at fertility clinics. But then from that, we got to talk about some wild international news, and that is that Brazil's far-right former president, Jair Bolsonaro, plotted to poison his successor, shoot dead
Starting point is 00:04:40 the Supreme Court justice investigating him, and reinstall himself as the country's leader following his defeat in the 2022 election. All of that is just a bit of the 272 page indictment that's now been filed by the country's top lawyer. And now, get this, the judge that Bolsonaro allegedly tried to assassinate as the head of the federal investigation into the former president, he is the one who now gets to decide
Starting point is 00:04:59 how to proceed with the case. With notably, his first order of business being to decide whether Bolsonaro represents a flight risk and should be held in jail until trial. But also, you know, that judge, he's now being sued by Donald Trump's media company with that complaint being filed just hours after the indictment against Bolsonaro.
Starting point is 00:05:13 And with that, a possible very key thing is that that is happening just one month after Bolsonaro explicitly called on Trump to take action against the judge in an interview with the New York Times, which is why you have places like the Times now suggesting the lawsuit appeared to represent an astonishing effort "'by Mr. Trump to pressure a foreign judge
Starting point is 00:05:28 "'as he weighed the fate of a fellow right-wing leader "'who, like him, was indicted on charges "'that he tried to overturn his election loss.'" And so with that, to try to make sense of all this, we should go back to that election. Because in 2022, Brazil's current president, Lula, defeated Bolsonaro, and Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat and baselessly claimed that the only way
Starting point is 00:05:43 he could have actually lost was a result of election fraud. But then, a few months later, thousands of his supporters attacking the country's presidential palace, Supreme Court building, and House of Congress. And of course, all of that may sound familiar to anyone in the U.S., that is kind of where the similarities end. Because in June of 2023, the country's top electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the country's electronic voting system, and they banned him from running for office until 2030. Then, in November of last year, the country's federal police formally accused Bolsonaro of attempting a coup,
Starting point is 00:06:09 and finally this week, you had those charges being brought by the country's prosecutor general, revealing not only those new allegations about the plan to assassinate Lula and the judge, but adding, the members of the criminal organization structured a plan at the presidential palace
Starting point is 00:06:20 to attack institutions aiming to bring down the system of powers and the democratic order, which received the sinister name of green and yellow dagger. And saying in no uncertain terms, the plan was conceived and taken to the knowledge of the president and he agreed to it. And so with that, assuming the Supreme Court
Starting point is 00:06:33 accepts the charges, Bolsonaro will stand trial and reportedly face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. And considering the power that one Supreme Court justice in particular has over the case, it's why you have people wondering whether the Trump lawsuit is really a coincidence, right? And so to dive into that part, let's start by saying that the case is being brought by the Trump Media and Technology Group, which is majority owned by
Starting point is 00:06:50 Donald Trump and is the company behind a social media network, Truth Social. But also, notably, right, Truth Social, it relies on fellow right-wing platform Rumble for cloud hosting, video streaming, and other backend services. And so with that, Rumble is also named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. And in fact, the entire case is mostly based around the fact that the judge ordered Rumble to remove the accounts of prominent supporters of Bolsonaro. Right, Truth Social hasn't actually been subject to the judge's order at this point, but since the company is partly dependent on Rumble's technology, it says it risks, quote, operational challenges in the United States as a result. And all of this is, even though this is a case against a Brazilian judge, it's being filed in the U.S. on the basis of U.S. law. The company is specifically claiming the gag orders demand that Rumble, from its Florida-based headquarters and without any Brazil operations, enforce a universal ban on the targeted accounts, imposing a total blackout that extends even to U.S. users. And so they're accusing the judge of censoring what they said is legitimate
Starting point is 00:07:36 political discourse in the United States and saying they're undermining fundamental constitutional protections enshrined in the First Amendment. And so for now, we're gonna have to wait to see, you know, you know, how or whether the lawsuit will affect the state of play in Brazil. But notably until now, right, this judge, he hasn't caved, even with his life on the line. Because in addition to the alleged assassination plot, a Bolsonaro supporter tried to bomb the Supreme Court,
Starting point is 00:07:55 but that has not stopped him from ordering the arrest of Bolsonaro's allies and the confiscation of his passport. And similarly, he hasn't bowed to criticism about his decision to suspend hundreds of social media accounts belonging to Bolsonaro supporters, even from the world's richest man. You may remember this, but last April, Elon Musk announced that he'd be lifting restrictions against accounts banned under the judge's authority. And after a months-long feud culminating in Brazil's telecom agency blocking access to X across the entire country, Musk backed down and complied with the judge's demands. Now, with all that said, one thing to note is, you know, there is a very real debate in Brazil about whether this judge has gone too far at times.
Starting point is 00:08:25 But for now, we're gonna have to wait to see how things play out. And in the meantime, of course, I'd love to know your thoughts here, whether it be about the allegations and charges against Bolsonaro or the Trump lawsuit of it all. But then, next up, in big business and video game news,
Starting point is 00:08:36 we should talk about this controversy around Marvel Rivals. Because if you didn't see, one of the teams behind Marvel Rivals, which has had one of the most successful launches out there, they just got laid off. With the news coming from LinkedIn, where one of the game's directors, Thaddeus Sasser, wrote, my stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games, and we're just laid off. And this is Sasser's team apparently worked on new level design mechanics, gameplay mechanics, and so on.
Starting point is 00:09:01 And then going on to say that he'd be highlighting members of his team that need new jobs in a series of posts, and other members of the team that need new jobs in a series of posts and other members of the team like level designer Jack Burrows wrote, just couldn't dodge that big boot, I guess, no matter how big the success of the gig. Which regarding that success, that's part of the reason this is so shocking.
Starting point is 00:09:14 Marvel Rivals kind of came out of nowhere in December to become a smash hit almost overnight with some reports claiming it's already made $136 million. And so one of the big questions here is what justification Nettie's, which is the parent company behind Rivals, could possibly have for these layoffs? With people saying things like,
Starting point is 00:09:28 "'Do really well at your job, you're out. "'This industry sucks, man.'" As well as probably booted to make shareholder stocks better or whatever corpos do for Christmas firings. I'm gonna enjoy the crash and people online memeing saying, "'Make bad games? Fired. "'Make good game? Fired. "'Make incredibly successful game?
Starting point is 00:09:42 "'Believe it or not, also fired.'" This, as we've seen big prominent voices in the community speaking up like Moist Critical, for example, who spoke about the situation and he went over Sasser's post saying, He seems pretty upset, rightfully so, because you usually don't expect when your product is so good that you helped build,
Starting point is 00:09:59 you don't really think that you're gonna be the one on the chopping block. Cause I mean, logically that doesn't really check out that doesn't pass the smell test hey this thing is doing so well we're going to celebrate by spitting in your face get the f**k out leave leave like that's not that's not something a lot of people expect except in the video game industry because in the video game industry all bets are off there's no f**king telling who's going to get, you know, flushed down the a**. With Charlie there then going on to bash companies for keeping CEOs around that he believes are incompetent, while getting rid of talented teams that have skills which can continuously be used as the game continues to grow.
Starting point is 00:10:35 However, on the other side of this, as far as what NetEase is saying, they're responding to outlets saying, essentially, these layoffs were for organizational reasons, and that it doesn't mean that development will slow down. Saying, quote, we are investing more, not less, into the evolution and growth of this game. Adding, we're excited to deliver new superhero characters, maps, features, and content to ensure an engaging live service experience
Starting point is 00:10:53 for our worldwide player base. But also with that, I will say, I think Moist Critical will probably hit the nail on the head when he said that even if these layoffs are justified, the timing is just really bad optics. Where the game is a smash hit and a team partially behind it is effectively being punished because of it. And then we'll get to more news in just a moment. the timing is just really bad optics. Where the game is a smash hit and a team partially behind it
Starting point is 00:11:05 is effectively being punished because of it. And then we'll get to more news in just a moment. But first, you know, those rainy or snowy days when the weather forces you to cancel plans, skip errands, or settle for boring outfits, well, that stops now. Weather no longer has to dictate your life or your style, thanks to our longtime sponsor, Vessi.
Starting point is 00:11:20 You know, with Vessi, you're free to take on the day no matter what the forecast says. Not to brag, I'm walking through puddles, sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident, and my feet stay completely dry. I know I'm like 13% more attractive to you now. And Vessi's sneakers, they take on any terrain from sand to snow, keeping your feet dry through it all. Like the Chelsea and Weekend sneakers, they truly have something for everyone. And they really nailed both style and function rate. These aren't just rain boots and disguise, they actually look good with everything from jeans to gym shorts. And comfort?
Starting point is 00:11:46 It's like wearing a sock. You know, whether it's daily walks, weekend hikes, or just wanting to look put together in any weather, Vessi's your best bet. So you ready to make every day an adventure or just look damn good doing it? Head over to Vessi.com slash PDS and get an automatic 15% off your first order at checkout. Trust me, your feet will thank you. That's Vessi.com slash PDS. And get them now while they still have your size. It won't take long to tell you Neutral's ingredients.
Starting point is 00:12:15 Vodka, soda, natural flavors. So, what should we talk about? No sugar added? Neutral. Refreshingly simple. What's better than a well-marbled ribeye sizzling on the barbecue? A well-marbled ribeye sizzling on the barbecue that was carefully selected by an Instacart shopper and delivered to your door. A well-marbled ribeye you ordered without even leaving the kiddie pool. Whatever groceries your summer calls for, Instacart has you covered. Download the Instacart app and enjoy $0 delivery fees on your first three orders.
Starting point is 00:13:01 Service fees, exclusions, and terms apply. Instacart. Grocer groceries that over-deliver. And next up, in big legal and entertainment news, we should talk about the insane drama and verdict in the trial of A$AP Rocky. He's a 36-year-old Grammy-nominated rapper. His real name is Rakeem Myers. And the fact that he was being tried for a crime is notable on its own because he's already tied up in a number of upcoming projects. From headlining the Rolling Loud festival in March to sharing the Met Gala in May to starring in a Spike Lee directed movie
Starting point is 00:13:27 alongside Denzel Washington this summer, like there's a lot going on. So with the Barry least, the conviction on two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm could completely upend all of that. But you know, according to the LA County prosecutor, back in 2021, he tried to shoot his one-time friend
Starting point is 00:13:39 from high school and former bandmate, A$AP Relly. Their names were similar because they used to belong to the same rap collective, which they called the A$AP Mob, short for Always Strive and Prosper, but their friendship had grown bitter. And so with that, reportedly, they agreed to meet in a parking garage one evening to clear up their differences. Then with that, the prosecution presented surveillance video purporting to show the pair fighting with Rocky holding a gun and later shooting at Relly. So Rocky got charged. He pled his innocence, turning down a deal that would have
Starting point is 00:14:02 gotten him only six months in jail for confessing to one of the counts, which really was huge because he faced up to 24 years in prison, though the prosecution was only seeking eight. And so with that gamble in mind, the three week trial began with really the whole thing centering on one question. Was the gun real or fake? Because you see, no weapon was actually recovered at the scene or presented as evidence. And you would rarely alleging it shot real bullets while Rocky claimed that it was actually a prop gun from his DMV music video with Rihanna that only fired blanks. So you had Relly alleging it shot real bullets while Rocky claimed that it was actually a prop gun from his DMB music video with Rihanna that only fired blanks.
Starting point is 00:14:28 So you had each side laying out their respective arguments with Relly testifying that he believed one of the bullets grazed his hand, which the defense argued that his injuries were just knuckle scrapes that could have been sustained in a fight or a fall. Adding there that police couldn't locate evidence of a discharge weapon at the crime scene.
Starting point is 00:14:42 But Relly testified that he returned to the area later that night and retrieved two nine millimeter shell cases. And this is the defense painted Relly as the aggressor claiming that he attacked Rocky on the night of the shooting with him adding that Rocky kept that prop gun for times when he didn't have security and only fired it to prevent Relly
Starting point is 00:14:56 from attacking one of his friends. And this is Relly claimed that Rocky threatened to kill him, but Rocky claimed that Relly knew that it was fake. But also not all the trial focused on the substance of the allegations. But we also saw both sides trial focused on the substance of the allegation, where we also saw both sides' attorneys and the judge getting personally heated, to say you say. Speak in a normal tone of voice. Let me finish. He doesn't know or care about the law. That is clear.
Starting point is 00:15:30 And that's unethical. That's unethical. One more thing out of here, and we air everything that's happened in this case. I'm so pleased. You should be, Joe. I've heard enough from both of you. But despite all that, they finished their closing arguments last week,
Starting point is 00:15:45 giving Rocky the weekend to contemplate his fate. And then on Tuesday, after deliberating for nearly three hours, the jury emerged and the verdict was read. The jury in the above entitled action find the defendant, Rakeem Mayers, not guilty. With Rocky then seen diving from the defense table into the gallery and hugging his partner Rihanna, his gallery and hugging his partner, Rihanna, his attorney and his supporters,
Starting point is 00:16:06 while sobbing, clearly overwhelmed by relief and joy. With him even telling the jurors, thank y'all for saving my life. And as far as the other side, you had the district attorney saying that he respected the jury's decision, but he also added, our office remains committed to seeking accountability
Starting point is 00:16:18 for those who break the law, no matter their status or influence. Fame does not place anyone above the law and we will not waver in our pursuit of justice for victims in the community. But that seems to be the end of it, although at least in terms of criminal charges, right? Because Rocky still has some civil stuff
Starting point is 00:16:32 pending against him. But then next up, we gotta talk about this Javier Millet crypto scandal because it is fucking wild. So Millet is of course the president of Argentina and he has joined the club of world leaders who have promoted a crypto coin. Except unlike with Donald Trump, he is in a ton of hot water right have promoted a crypto coin. Except, unlike with Donald Trump,
Starting point is 00:16:45 he is in a ton of hot water right now. So the coin in question is called Libra, and it was billed as a way to help rebuild the Argentinian economy with Millet posting on Friday, "'This private project will be dedicated "'to encouraging the growth of the Argentine economy "'by funding small Argentine businesses and startups. "'The world wants to invest in Argentina.'"
Starting point is 00:17:03 And that coin took off and then it died. Within just about 24 hours, the coin completely tanked in value, leading to what some outlets claim was a $286 million crypto catastrophe and a 96% devaluation. With the collapse being so massive and spectacular that you had some speculating that it was a rug pull, which I will say, you know, we're not a crypto channel. All you really need to know about a rug pull is that it can happen in many different ways. And it essentially means that the value of a coin is raised super, super high before the backers sell out and abandon the project. We don't know for sure if that is what happened. That is a, that's a coffeezilla problem to figure out. And
Starting point is 00:17:35 in fact, it appears he's already on the case with this weekend, him releasing an interview he did with Hayden Davis, who was one of the people who was behind the project and also someone who reportedly made a ton of money off the collapse. Right in the video, you have Davis claiming that he was only brought in to strategize the coin's launch and didn't have much else to do with it. He also touched on accusations that this was a scam saying, you know, people are saying this is a rug pool. Like that's not objectively true. There's still like, there's what 60 million on the bonding curve of liquidity that's locked, right? It's that 300 million market cap. Like it's not a rug. It's a plan gone miserably wrong. But Davis then going on to insist that the coin was sniped,
Starting point is 00:18:10 meaning that a cabal of independent people managed to raise the value of the coin before selling at the top and crashing. And in the description of this video, I have a link to the full video, but keep in mind that it is a lot of inside baseball. But either way, right? The collapse of Libra, it's led to it being called another meme coin, which, you know, is a name given to coins that probably shouldn't exist and are just kind of pure gambles without a utility. And one of the key things to be clear here is that these collapses happen extremely fast. Ray Millet took down his Friday post just a few hours after making it and saying in a follow-up, a few hours ago, I posted a tweet as I have countless times before supporting an alleged private venture with which I obviously have no connection, saying I
Starting point is 00:18:44 wasn't informed of the project's details and after learning about them, I decided not to continue promoting it. That's why I deleted the tweet. But crypto fans and investigators, they're not convinced that Millay isn't involved. Although Davis told Coffee that he largely wasn't and just promoted the coin.
Starting point is 00:18:57 Also, I'll say, speaking of all that, there are alleged texts from Davis that claim he has access to Millay's sister and quote, "'I send money to his sister and he signs whatever I say and does what I want. Crazy as shit. Which, if true, certainly doesn't help Millay at all. Though there, I do want to note that Davis does deny this and said, recent media reports claiming I paid President Javier Millay or his sister Karina Millay to launch the Libra meme coin are completely false. Saying I never made any payments to them, nor did they request it. And claiming their only concern was ensuring proceeds from Libra
Starting point is 00:19:25 would benefit Argentina's people and economy. Also with this whole situation, we've seen a lot of talk that Argentina's opposition is gonna try to use this situation to impeach Millet and a federal judge has actually already opened an investigation into the situation. However, those impeachment efforts, they're unlikely to go that far
Starting point is 00:19:39 unless the investigations reveal crazy new details. But that's also not where this situation ends because there's another controversy that's stemming from this and that's what to do next. Because Davis, he still has control over the liquidity pool, which is essentially a big reservoir of money that's supposed to help stabilize coins. And with that, we saw Coffey suggesting that Davis used the money to help some of the people that got crushed in this launch recoup some of their money. Which on the note of people losing money, there were some pretty big names out there pretty much demanding they get their money back. We saw influencers like Aiden Ross reportedly losing
Starting point is 00:20:04 $300,000 because of this. Now, normally that would be kind of unheard of, but Davis has reportedly already kind of opened that floodgate. Davis reportedly giving Portnoy like $5 million that he lost right when the coin launched, which is something that he calls a mistake, but an in-the-moment decision to try and keep the coin's launch aligned. But as far as what happens from here, that remains to be seen, right? All of this is still playing out, and so we're going to have to wait to see. Then we'll get to more news in just a moment, but you know, traveling abroad is incredible,
Starting point is 00:20:28 but once we land having reliable local internet and access to our home phone benefits without insane charges, that's essential. From catching an Uber to checking maps, our phones have become crucial for navigating new places and that's where today's sponsor, Saley, steps in. They're revolutionizing how we stay connected when traveling.
Starting point is 00:20:43 And Saley isn't just another travel app, it's your passport to hassle-free connectivity, no matter where you go. So as far as, you know, what makes Saley different, you can set up fast internet for all your devices from the comfort of your home, right? Still in your PJs. No more scrambling for SIM cards at airports
Starting point is 00:20:55 or dealing with unreliable wifi. And if you're traveling through multiple countries, Saley's got you covered with global or regional plans that work seamlessly across borders. With coverage in over 180 countries and eight regions, you'll always have access to reliable service. You know, as far as why Saley's every traveler's best friend, it's quick to set up. It works on multiple devices and offers 24-7 customer support. Plus, it's dual SIM compatible, eSIM friendly, and they'll refund you if your phone isn't compatible with their system. I mean,
Starting point is 00:21:19 it's all so easy. You just download the Saley app now or scan the QR code on screen and use code Phil at checkout for 15% off. Y'all say goodbye to travel headaches and hello to hassle-free connectivity. But then next up, we've got three big pieces of immigration news you need to know about today. First up, the Trump administration has now reportedly paused immigration applications
Starting point is 00:21:36 filed by migrants from Latin America and Ukraine who were already in the US legally under certain Biden era policies, with this including many who were fleeing war and other deadly crises. And specifically, according to a memo obtained by CBS News, the freeze applies to several Biden administration programs
Starting point is 00:21:49 that allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the US legally through an immigration law known as parole, which is something that gives the US government the power to quickly admit foreigners on humanitarian or public benefit grounds. While the Biden administration used parole at an unprecedented scale when Trump took office,
Starting point is 00:22:02 his administration suspended those efforts, halting new entries under the programs. But now this newer effort, it goes much further with a memo specifically ordering a pause on all pending benefit requests filed by hundreds of thousands of migrants who are already allowed in the US under three different Biden-era programs.
Starting point is 00:22:15 With the first there being a policy called Uniting for Ukraine, which offered safe haven for around 240,000 Ukrainians with American sponsors fleeing the war. The second program allowed 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans sponsored by US citizens to enter the country. And then the final program let some Colombians, Ecuadorians,
Starting point is 00:22:31 Central Americans, Haitians, and Cubans with American relatives to come to America while they waited for a family-based green card. But because the people who entered the US legally under those programs were only given work permits and deportation protections that usually last just two years, many of them applied for other immigration benefits.
Starting point is 00:22:45 With those including green cards, as well as benefits given to people fleeing countries on humanitarian grounds like asylum and or temporary protected status. But with this new pause, migrants who came to the US legally under those three Biden era programs, they're gonna be unable to access those services. And as far as why this is being done now,
Starting point is 00:22:59 the memo announcing the decision claims that, quote, broad information in public safety or national security concerns are not being properly flagged in USCIS's adjudicative systems. With the directive noting that, quote, fraud information and public safety or national security concerns are not being properly flagged in USCIS's adjudicative systems. With the directive noting that the Biden administration temporarily paused the parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans due to fraud concerns. With it then going on to reference an investigation
Starting point is 00:23:15 that found that thousands of applications under that initiative had serial sponsors, information of dead individuals, or identical addresses. With it claiming that some of those applications were proven to be fraud and that some migrants who are allowed to enter the country under the program were not fully vetted. Now, as far as what happens next there,
Starting point is 00:23:30 the memo does say that the pause can be lifted once officials complete a comprehensive review and evaluation of the migrants paroled in the US under those three Biden administration initiatives. But a key thing is that it's also unclear how long that will take and you have experts saying that in the meantime, this move effectively puts those migrants into legal limbo. And you know, if the government ends meantime, this move effectively puts those migrants into legal limbo.
Starting point is 00:23:45 And you know, if the government ends their parole status entirely, they'll be open to deportation. Then moving to our second big piece of immigration news, the Trump administration has now ended legal representation for unaccompanied minors who cross the border without adults, which was some quick context here when underage migrants present themselves to immigration officials at the border without a parent,
Starting point is 00:24:01 they're put in custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement or ORR. And from there, ORR works with a broad network of shelters, foster homes, and group homes to care for those minors. Legal nonprofits acting as subcontractors to provide screenings to see if the children can avoid deportation while the ORR looks for family members in the US who can take over custody.
Starting point is 00:24:18 And until now, the ORR has had a contract for over $200 million each year that gives those legal nonprofits the funding needed to represent around 26,000 unaccompanied minors in court, as well as offer know-your-rights trainings and provide legal screenings for tens of thousands more. But now what we're seeing is that this latest directive cuts that funding and orders all lawyers to immediately stop all work. Notably, according to some reports, the stop work order doesn't necessarily end legal representation for kids who already have it. Because if an attorney has already filed paperwork in court
Starting point is 00:24:44 as the recorded lawyer for a certain case, they are obligated to continue the representation unless they ask a judge to be removed. But also at the same time, the directive ends all funding. So you have experts saying it's unclear how the nonprofits that offer legal services can continue to do so. In fact, many now are at risk of closing down altogether.
Starting point is 00:24:59 And so as a result, you have immigration advocates arguing that this move effectively removes essential services from vulnerable children. And that, including many who have faced abuse and neglect, have been trafficked or are fleeing persecution. With experts even saying this just opens them up to exploitation and an increased risk of trafficking, which notably undermines a decades long bipartisan effort
Starting point is 00:25:16 to make sure that kids who have been trafficked have access to the proper legal resources. But all that said, right, this move is all but certain to now be challenged in court. I mean, Trump already tried to halt funding for a similar program that offered legal representation and resources for adults in detention,
Starting point is 00:25:28 but the DOJ actually reversed the order two days later after nonprofit groups sued. But then all of that brings us to three, the final bit of immigration news we're talking about today, and that is a video posted by the White House. Because the White House decided it would be a hilarious idea to post a video of shackled immigrants being deported and call it ASMR.
Starting point is 00:25:44 With a seeing, the official White House account uploading the video on X and Instagram with the caption, ASMR illegal alien deportation flight. With that 40 second video then showing footage of shackles jangling as they're pulled from a basket and laid out on an airport tarmac. As well as presumed migrants with handcuffs and chain link restraints walking around the tarmac or onto a plane. So unsurprisingly, this elicited a very big response. With us seeing many condemning the post, saying it was disturbing and dehumanizing, accusing the White House of mocking people,
Starting point is 00:26:10 fleeing persecution. Others saying the video was fascist, some comparing it to Nazi Germany, like the Lincoln Project, which retweeted the post with the caption, "'If Hitler had a social media account.'" With also the group's rapid response director posting, "'The dumbest fucking person you know is cheering this on
Starting point is 00:26:23 and in the same breath insisting that in Nazi Germany, they wouldn't have been cheering on the SS all the same. We also saw some saying that this feels like it crosses a line for them, even if they oppose illegal immigration. Like one person who wrote, am I against deportations? No, am I against glibly posting videos like this and labeling them ASMR as if the sound of change is supposed to give me pleasure?
Starting point is 00:26:41 Absolutely. But then of course, on the other side, there were plenty of people applauding the post. With this, including the likes of Elon Musk, who retweeted it with the caption, ha ha wow, and a metal emoji. We also saw the media kind of responding similarly with the left-leaning outlets slamming the post
Starting point is 00:26:54 while right-leaning sources echoed the positive sentiments and downplayed the post. With, for example, places like the Daily Caller calling the video a savage move to keep Gen Z on MAGA train, as well as Breitbart running the headline, White House Trolls, Illegal Aliens' with Sights, Sounds of Deportation." And so with the seeing all these different reactions in all these different places, of course,
Starting point is 00:27:11 I gotta pass the question off to you. What are your thoughts here? Because you know, yeah, this is a new show, but also I want it to be a conversation. So whether it be this story or anything that stands out today, let me know what you're thinking in those comments down below.
Starting point is 00:27:21 And you may even be featured at the end of tomorrow's video. But then finally today, let's end with a congratulations, and let's talk about yesterday. Starting with a congratulations to Matthew E., right? SeatGeek's latest weekly winner who scored $500 in tickets, and he's taken his mom to see Hamilton for her birthday,
Starting point is 00:27:35 which sounds awesome, and for everyone else, that's right. SeatGeek is still giving away $500 in tickets, and you should definitely enter today if you haven't already. But imagine being the next winner and snagging $500 towards seeing your favorite artist, sporting event, or play, and y'all, there's like over 70,000 events to choose from. And all you got to do is just add code PDS to your SeatGeek app profile
Starting point is 00:27:50 for a chance at the weekly $500 prize, no purchase necessary. Do it. It's easy. It's a win-win. But that said, let's talk about yesterday in comment commentary. Right, and in those comments yesterday, a lot of you were just kind of shocked. Saying things like, for a plane to be upside down and on fire and yet have no casualties, absolutely insane luck there. As well as the plane manufacturer still has an amazing safety record. A plane they made crashed as a result of rough conditions
Starting point is 00:28:12 and everyone survived. Though of course that Delta crash landing, it wasn't the only aviation news. So you had a kind of people bouncing back and forth between that and the FAA cuts. The folks like Apostate Pagan saying, "'Industrial maintenance mechanic here. "'Let me tell you, laying off maintenance men
Starting point is 00:28:25 is absolutely a bizarre concept to me. I've been working in the industry since I graduated high school and worked in several different industries. The FAA and other airlines letting that important side of the labor force go is insane because there's not many of us left and the work we do is incredibly important,
Starting point is 00:28:38 ranging from repairs to upkeep all the way to critical calibrations and fine tuning. I've seen several job sites lower their hiring criteria because there's so few of us to pick from that as people retire, there's no one to replace them. I've seen a shift go from 15 guys to three just because the company can't find any new hires. We're a small community and we can find work anywhere due to the high demand. To let several go means you won't be able to rehire them and word will get around as to how you treat your mechanics. This is blatantly unsafe and makes me worried for mass transit in the future. Also, in addition to that,
Starting point is 00:29:05 there were a lot of comments and conversation around Elon Musk. Are people laughing or saying it's weird that the White House is saying that Elon Musk is in charge of Doge? Are they saying it's kind of crazy that we all just assumed Elon was the one running Doge and it took federal court filings
Starting point is 00:29:16 to realize barely anyone has any idea who's actually running it? Though there is something I'll add and it's something I should have mentioned yesterday. My opinion is that they're doing it for legal reasons or they're saying this for legal reasons. And in fact, several of y'all brought that point up to those comments. With Calzone saying, he is for sure in charge, but they need to try and act like he's not in order to have any chance against the lawsuits happening
Starting point is 00:29:34 against them. Meanwhile, some of the comments were about the sponsors yesterday, saying the ZipRecruiter ad right after the government firing story is ironic and now an Incogni ad after access to private personal data story. Chef's kiss to the ad manager today. Though to that, I would say this is a little inside baseball. That yesterday, it was just random happenstance. This is how we work. We do not build stories around what the sponsors are going to be. In fact, for most sponsorships, I shoot those lines the week prior over the weekend, unless it's kind of a last minute addition or some sort of thing got moved around. And then to go even more inside baseball, when I shoot the show, I do not shoot it in the chronological order that you get it. I shoot every news piece as an individual solo and I provide
Starting point is 00:30:08 alternate lines for the PDS. Hence why so often we are shifting gears from that to, and then often I'll just have my producer organize everything from the show. And that's also how we're able to chop things up so easily for all the other platforms. And so yeah, now you know something that 85% of the people that watch the show probably don't care about. But that, my friends, you beautiful bastards, is where your Wednesday evening Thursday morning dive into the news is going to end. Of course, remember, I got a brand new show for you every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6 p.m. Eastern, 3 p.m. Pacific. Thank you for watching. I love your faces, and I'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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