The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 2.20 Luigi Mangione’s Trump Problem BACKFIRED & What King Trump's Fights With New York & Ukraine Exposed

Episode Date: February 20, 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&index=1&t  Level up your health at http://www.TryARMRA.com/DEFRANCO and use code DEFRANCO at checkout to get up to 15% off your first order.   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 copy pasting old ones will lead to an increase of sales and codes being pushed that are no longer active  – ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 00:00 - Trump Accidentally Helps Luigi Mangione  04:26 - Trump Admin. Moves to End New York City Congestion Pricing  09:12 - Sponsored by Armra  10:20 - Trump Blames Ukrainian President for War with Russia 19:39 - Grand Jury Recommends Entire AL Police Dept. Be Immediately Abolished 22:12 - Comment Commentary  ——————————   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 #LuigiMangione #DonaldTrump ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Service fees, exclusions, and terms apply. Instacart. Grocer $0 delivery fees on your first three orders. Service fees, exclusions, and terms apply. Instacart, groceries that over-deliver. We've got big Luigi Mangione updates and gluing his Trump problem actually helping him, at least for now. Why King Trump's

war on New York congestion pricing might backfire. Why America's pivot to siding with Russia and Putin over Ukraine represents one of the biggest world-shaking foreign policy pivots in generations and what it could mean for us and the world at large moving forward. We're talking about all of that and much more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show. You daily dive into the news, how it's being covered,

and how people are reacting to it, starting with this. We've got big Luigi Mangione updates today, starting with the fact that Donald Trump may have accidentally helped America's most beloved accused murderer. What a sentence that was. But it's also not that simple, right? Because last month, Donald Trump signed an accidentally helped America's most beloved accused murderer. What a sentence that was. But it's also not that simple, right?

Because last month, Donald Trump signed an executive order telling his attorney general to pursue the death penalty, quote, for all crimes of a severity demanding its use. A move that notably both ended the pause on capital punishment from Biden and threatened the life of one Luigi Mangione. Because of the alleged killer of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson,

is convicted on his federal murder charge, he will be eligible for the death penalty. But it also turns out he inadvertently raised the pile of cash in Mangione's piggy bank. And I say that because the top donor for his legal defense fund right now is someone who anonymously gave $11,000, who cited Trump's executive order and expressed concern

that the death penalty will be politicized. So there, I'll say if that case is politicized, right now it is unclear whether that is gonna be a good or bad thing for Mangione. Because just by looking around, you'll see that while many condemn him as a terrorist, many also see him as a hero. Right with us having seen no shortage of people

turning him into a sort of a living martyr for the cause of overthrowing the American healthcare system as we know it. And with all that, his defense fund as of today has accumulated nearly half a million dollars in donations. So this outpouring of support has come in all sorts of forms besides money, including mountains of letters sent to him in jail, hard-eyed women fawning over him, protesters donning Luigi hats outside the courthouse, and the R-free Luigi Reddit forum.

Well, the spotlight on him is not as intense, of course, as it once was when everything was still fresh. I mean, you've got several documentaries about him that are either already out or still in production. And with us living in this time where everyone has a social media footprint, right, out there in the world, there's just all these different aspects of his personality, history, and deed that have made him appear more likable in the eyes of many. So with how widespread the video of the attack and just the situation in general have been, how many people have an opinion on Mangione,

you have legal experts now saying that jury selection is gonna be the hinge on which this trial turns. With one even telling Northeastern University News, you know that everybody has read something about the case or seen something on social media or on television. So it's not so much about finding a jury that is oblivious to the case, because that's impossible.

It's about finding jurors who claim and legitimately claim that they haven't made up their minds yet and that they can actually listen to the facts, listen to the evidence and apply the law in a way that's equitable. And so naturally with that, we're gonna see the prosecution

doing pretty much everything they can to weed out anyone who might be sympathetic to them. But whoever is on this jury, right, this trial, assuming it does go to trial, it's gonna be extremely public. And with that, you know, there are a few ways this could go, right? I mean, obviously he gets either convicted or acquitted,

but both of those outcomes require a unanimous verdict by the jury. So even if just one person differs from the rest, that's a hung jury, which results in a mistrial. But then with this, you have a lot of people talking about the other possibility, which most people don't even know about, which is jury nullification. And that is when the jury agrees that someone did commit a crime that they're accused of, but they find the

person not guilty anyway. Historically, it's a wild card that's usually pulled out when people oppose a particular law, like possession of a drug, for example. You know, it is hotly debated because on the one hand, a jury is only supposed to evaluate the facts and determine whether a crime was committed, not decide the punishment, right? That's the judge's job. But on the other hand, the jury's decision-making process is considered sacred, right, nobody is allowed to interfere with it and they don't have to explain their reasoning.

So you have experts saying, right, if Mangione's charm or whatever, it sways enough for the jury, not to mention if he takes the stand, some think that's a real possibility. And as that idea is already out there in the world, it appears that he's already cultivating his image outside the courtroom.

I mean, he recently spoke out for the first time since his arrest in December, with him writing from his Brooklyn jail cell, "'I am overwhelmed by and grateful for everyone "'who has written me to share their stories "'and express their support. "'Powerfully, this support has transcended political, "'racial, and even class divisions,

"'as mail has flooded Metropolitan Detention Center "'from across the country and around the globe. "'While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, "'please know that I read every one that I receive. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write. I look forward to hearing more in the future." With it signed, Luigi Mangione. Now with all that, as far as what's next,

his next appearance in New York State Court, that's scheduled for tomorrow. But then his next one in federal court being set for March 19th. So while Mangione has kind of slipped into the background with all the Trump news as of late, whether you love him, you hate him, you feel some sort of way in between,

you're gonna be seeing a lot more of him in the near future. This is very likely going to be one of the most widely followed trials in American history. For now, we'll wait and see what happens next. And in the meantime, of course, I'd love to know your thoughts in those comments down below.

But then, next up today, we need to talk about Donald Trump starting an all-out, balls-to-the-wall battle royale with New York over congestion pricing. Because while it may not be the sexiest topic, at the very least, it is very, very interesting. And at the most, it is an incredibly important test case for the Trump administration and America as a whole. And so for some background here, in June of 2023, the Biden administration approved a pilot program that would allow New York City to implement the nation's first congestion toll on motorists. And

after a year of delays, including a last-minute indefinite postponement due to backlash from lawmakers, the policy finally took effect this January. And specifically here, the toll would require most vehicles to pay $9 to enter lower and midtown Manhattan during peak hours. With the idea there being to reduce traffic and pollution on some of the most crowded streets in the world, all enacted these policies shows that while congestion pricing is often initially unpopular, it wins more public support over time as traffic and vehicle emissions fall and alternative transit grows. Right in early data from New York indicated that gridlock had already lessened while foot traffic, a metric for business activity, had increased. But of course, with that, you know, the policy still had many opponents who argued that it puts an undue burden on working class motorists and

will ultimately hurt businesses in the toll zone. We've seen those arguments echoed by the president himself, who has a residence at Trump Tower, which is in the congestion zone. And so it wasn't at all surprising that the Trump administration moved yesterday to shut down the entire program just months after it began. Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy,

sending a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, saying that Trump had directed him to review the pilot program. Writing that the president expressed his concerns about the extent of the tolling and quote, "'The significant burdens on the New York City residents, "'businesses, and area commuters, "'including those from New Jersey and Connecticut

"'who regularly use the highway network.'" With Duffy then going on to say that he shares those concerns and arguing that he also thinks it's unfair that the revenues from the toll are invested in mass transit rather than highways. And with all that, claiming that the scope of the program oversteps what was allowed by Congress.

Now, all that said, a very notable thing here is that the letter did not provide a date by which the administration plans to end the congestion pricing pilot. And almost immediately after the news broke, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the tolls, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the order. With the suit alleging that Duffy and other federal officials violated multiple federal laws governing procedure, including due process rights protected under the Fifth Amendment. Right, and then arguing that the federal government approved this project after extensive review and the new administration does not have the power to go back on that less than three months in. With Governor Hochul also echoing that, blasting the Trump administration in various public comments and saying, "'I don't care if you love congestion pricing or hate it. "'This is an attack on our sovereign identity,

"'our independence from Washington.'" And then later adding in a statement on X, "'We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king.'" With that seemingly in reference to a Truth Social post that Trump made shortly before Hochul's tweet, where he wrote, "'Congestion pricing is dead. Manhattan and all of New York is saved.

Long live the king.'" Which, yeah, a lot to unpack there. Starting with, unfortunately for Trump, he is not actually a king, and experts widely agree that the law is not on his side here and this move will face very high legal hurdles. The same, for example, Robert Glicksman, a professor of environmental and administrative law

at George Washington University Law School, explaining, "'Declaring I'm the King' is not sufficient grounds for reversing. If the facts on the ground have not changed, then you have an extra high burden of justifying a reversal of position." And adding, they can't just say, "'Sorry, we changed our mind.'

They have to explain why." You know, it's not like he's alone there. That has been echoed by plenty of other legal scholars who say that there is no precedent for federal officials to just reverse approval for a major transit project in New York. And that lack of precedent appears to be because the federal government

likely doesn't have the legal authority to stop the pilot program. With the same folks like David Supra, a law professor at Georgetown University Law Center, arguing that the federal statute that authorized the tolling program has no provision that would give Duffy that kind of power. With him then also noting that, you know,

some statutes do indeed give federal officials the ability to cancel approved programs after providing certain periods of notice. But adding, if you look at the text of this statute, there is no authority for this cancellation. With him then going on to say that if Duffy's policy concerns are valid, he would have to take the matter to Congress.

And so, you know, we're gonna have to wait to see how this plays out. And in the meantime, New York officials have said that the congestion pricing program will remain in place until further notice. Right, and then as far as public reaction, it's been such an interesting, weird thing to watch. Because the different teams that you sort of see

when it comes to politics and things like this online, it's not as clear cut as you usually would expect. I mean, not to paint an entire organization with a broad brush, but I saw dude bros from Barstool Sports going, "'Oh no, Trump, stop!' Like they've got guys making passionate videos about it and also having to defend their stance on Twitter.

Saying, I love conspiracies that are being paid by lobbyists to tweet about congestion pricing. No, I just hate cars. It's not political. We should get rid of a ton of cars, make the city more walkable and replace street parking with outdoor dining and or dumpsters to make the streets cleaner.

You know, for now, while we wait to see how this plays out, I wanna leave this with two questions. One, just for the general public, what are your thoughts here? But then also two, if you live in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, you're just in this overall bubble. What are your thoughts here?

What have your experiences been? And what would you like to see? Because for anyone new here, yes, this is a new show, but also I want it to be a conversation. I love diving into those comments, see what y'all are saying back and forth, and you might even make the show next time. And then we'll get to more news in just a moment.

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we need to talk about Russia, Ukraine, and Donald Trump upending decades of US foreign policy through official comments, offhand comments, and rambling falsehood-filled social media posts. Because earlier this week, we talked about how the US started talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine without inviting Ukraine. And this is Trump also reportedly demanded

50% of Ukraine's mineral wealth as repayment for past military aid and not in exchange for any sort of security guarantee. Within all of that, spurring European powers to start working on a massive new military aid package for Ukraine as well as discussing the possibility of contributing peacekeepers to back any deal on Ukraine. Something Russia quickly said it would not accept.

But in just a couple of days since then, Trump has fully flipped the script, blaming Ukraine's leaders for Russia's invasion and suggesting they may not deserve a seat at the table at all. With that then setting the stage for what experts are saying might be one of the country's most consequential shifts

in foreign relations ever. It's a starting Tuesday, Trump speaking to reporters and sounding as if he had just found that people died during war, but somehow also not understanding how the invading forces would bear responsibility. Russia wants to do something. They want to stop the savage barbarianism. I mean, what's going on over there? It's soldiers are being killed by the thousands on a weekly basis. It's ridiculous. And they're not American soldiers. They're Russian soldiers

and they're Ukrainian soldiers largely, although a lot of Koreans have been killed, as you know. And from there, you had Trump bashing Zelensky and claiming that the Ukrainian president's approval rating had dropped to 4%, something that is not only grossly untrue, Zelensky has a better approval rating in his country than Donald Trump has here right now. But finally here, you had Trump addressing the issue of Ukraine being excluded from the opening round of negotiations and seemingly outright blaming the country's leaders for the war. But today I heard, oh, well, we weren't invited.

Well, you've been there for three years. You should have ended it three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal. I could have made a deal for Ukraine that would have given them almost all of the land, everything, almost all of the land, everything, almost all of the land, and no people would have been killed and no city would have been demolished

and not one dome would have been knocked down. But they chose not to do it that way. And then with all of that, yesterday, Trump just doubled down and went even further. With Trump posting on Truth Social claiming that the US spent $350 billion on aid to Ukraine, $200 billion more than Europe, and alleging that Zelensky admits

that half of the money sent is missing. With the men even calling Zelensky a dictator without elections and warning he better move faster, he's not going to have a country left. And finally saying, I love Ukraine, but Zelensky has done a terrible job, his country is shattered, and millions have unnecessarily died.

With then, last night, Trump tripling down on his comments while speaking to investors and executives in Miami, again calling Zelensky a dictator and suggesting the Ukrainian president wanted to prolong the war to keep the gravy train going, referring to American military aid. Trump then finally speaking to BBC on Air Force One and saying that Russia has the cards in Ukraine peace negotiations. So there we saw some countering saying, well, yeah, of course, because you stack the deck for them. With people pointing to the numerous things that are just not true being said by Trump about the war in Ukraine over the past

few days. Things like, for example, his claims about how much America has spent supporting Ukraine and how it spent way more than Europe. That is just false. Because it is absolutely possible to arrive at a few different numbers depending on how you count it, but there's seemingly no basis

for the $350 billion number. With one reliable estimate, for example, putting the total value of military, financial, and humanitarian aid actually allocated to Ukraine by the US at around $119 billion. And this is the number for Europe, including both EU and non-EU countries, it's around 138 billion.

And then, you know, as far as Zelensky and the so-called missing money, that's actually a bit of misinformation that's been floating around ever since he said in an interview a few weeks ago that Ukraine had only actually received about $76 billion in aid from the US and that he didn't know where the rest of it was.

And that's not in reference to money getting disappeared. That's him making a point about how Ukraine doesn't actually get a lot of the money that people think they do. Or with most of it actually being spent in the US, largely going to American weapons manufacturers. Then, you know, as far as Zelensky's 4% approval rating, while, you know, I made a mention of it,

as far as the specific numbers we have, one recent poll, for example, showed that 57% of Ukrainians trust Zelensky. And while that figure is lower than it was at the outset of the war, it's up from 52% in December. And that, notably, as Trump's approval rating is dipping here and is now down to about 44%, according to one of the latest polls.

But then, next up, let's talk about the idea that Zelensky is actually a dictator without elections. Well, first of all, there, right, Zelensky won the presidency in a landslide victory in 2019. And, you know, it is true, his five-year term was originally scheduled to end in 2024. But notably, under their country's constitution, an election cannot be held while martial it is true. His five-year term was originally scheduled to end in 2024. But notably under their country's constitution, an election cannot be held while martial laws enforce.

Or with the rationale sort of being that holding an election would be a logistical nightmare when you have Russian missiles raining down on the country. And this is you have election experts saying that any vote held during wartime would effectively disenfranchise voters living in Russian occupied areas. Those who have fled the country as refugees

and soldiers in combat. But with that said, right, I will note, there is some real concern about the suspension of elections in the country. And that includes from within Ukraine, where for example, the mayor of Kyiv is among the officials who have accused Zelensky's office of abusing its powers.

And this also is some of Ukraine's allies have pressured the country to move forward with elections despite the issues. But really, either way, it's not only inaccurate, but it is a pretty fucking wild criticism to levy against Zelensky, when the guy on the other side of the situation is Vladimir Putin.

Someone who has effectively ruled Russia for 25 years, rigging elections and amending the constitution to extend his rule. But of course, probably the biggest, most shocking, fucking dumbest, most offensive claim is that Ukraine is at fault for this war. There is zero doubt that Russia started the war by invading Ukraine.

There is no amount of, when you're famous, they let you do it, just close your eyes, look away. What dress were you wearing? Excuses that puts away the seriousness of the situation and what actually happened. Right, back in 2014, Putin annexed Crimea and backed militants taking over the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine.

And in 2022, almost exactly three years ago, he launched a full-scale invasion with the aim of toppling Zelensky's pro-Western government in Kiev. The Russian military attacked from the east and north, including from neighboring Belarus, as well as from Russian-occupied Crimea. That attack started the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. And since then, Russian firepower has leveled whole cities and killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have also been killed and wounded, and Russian soldiers have committed atrocities.

With the ICC even accusing Putin of war crimes and issuing a warrant for his arrest along with other senior Russian officials. And so with all of this, we've seen Zelensky hit back against Trump's comments, claiming that the US president is trapped in a disinformation bubble and saying, I would like to see more truth from the Trump team.

We've seen this disinformation. We understand it comes from Russia. Unfortunately, President Trump, and we have great respect for him as a leader of people we also respect very much, he lives in this disinformation space. Which then resulted in Vice President Vance criticizing Zelensky for so-called bad-mouthing Trump

and warning it's an atrocious way to work with the US. Cause you know how like when someone calls you a dictator and you're like, hey, that's not nice, you're the asshole. But with all of that, we saw the Kremlin essentially echoing what Vance said. Right, a Kremlin spokesperson saying Zelensky made inadmissible remarks about other world leaders and adding, the rhetoric of Zelensky

and many representatives of the Kyiv regime leaves much to be desired. The fact that Zelensky's rating is falling is an absolutely obvious trend. But the Kremlin then also saying today it absolutely agreed with Trump on Ukraine and is ready to resume dialogue with the United States on all parameters of the war. And of course, with that, they may be eager to negotiate with the United

States and not others because the concessions that Trump and his team have suggested Ukraine might have to take, it's written like a Russian wishlist. Reportedly, they would get to keep all Ukrainian territory illegally seized by force. NATO membership would be off the table for Ukraine and the US can't provide any security guarantee. Additionally, sanctions against Russia might be lifted and Trump has even suggested that Russia be readmitted to the G7, which it was expelled from for its original 2014 incursion into Ukraine. And all of this is it appears that the only thing

they'd be asking of Putin is that the Kremlin halt the fighting, right? As of filming, Trump has not highlighted any other concessions that he would insist on. And that is Trump has also not said how Putin can actually be trusted to keep an agreement given that he violated a 1994 pact guaranteeing Ukrainian sovereignty,

as well as two ceasefire deals negotiated in 2014 and 2015. Right, and so all of that taken together is why we've seen this called a remarkable moment in US foreign policy and a seismic shift. For example, the likes of the Washington Post claiming, "'This head-spinning move away from decades "'of US policy toward Russia may lead "'to the most significant geopolitical realignment

"'since World War II.'" And the New York Times explaining, "'Trump is in the middle of executing one of the most jaw-dropping pivots in American foreign policy in generations, a 180 degree turn that will force friends and foes to recalibrate in fundamental ways. And I wanna be clear, these are not value statements.

Well, I have my own opinions. I'm not saying whether it's gonna be good or bad, just that it is significant. To Trump and his allies, this pivot may be seen as a necessary change to a policy that they have long viewed as being misguided. Right, with them thinking that the cost of defending Europe, it's just too high and resources would be better spent countering China. Though there, I will say, this has not been the dominant view of even Republicans. With us now even sort of seeing the GOP splitting on the approach to Ukraine, though none really

speaking out strongly against Trump specifically. But in any case, we're already seeing the potential impact of this in Europe. Right, we're seeing Politico, for example, talking about a new Western crisis coalition forming to basically develop a Ukraine policy separate from the US, right? And notably, NATO would normally be the go-to place to discuss this issue, but these countries are meeting outside of that

or any other existing venue. Or with that excluding the US, as well as NATO countries like Hungary and Slovakia that are generally seen as more sympathetic to Putin. And notably here, European politics and European support for Ukraine, I mean, that could be getting a shakeup this weekend thanks to the German election.

Because Germany is a leading member of NATO as well as the second biggest weapon supplier to Ukraine after the US. But they're the far right party, one which has been backed by Elon Musk. They appear to be heading towards their strongest result ever. And they are a pro-Russian party

that supported ending aid to Ukraine. And of course, all of this is playing out as the actual war is still happening. But for now, we'll have to wait to see what continues to happen on the ground and also what happens with international politics connected to it. But then, shifting gears to other news,

we need to talk about four words. Abolish the police immediately. Because that is what a grand jury in Coleman County, Alabama just suggested after reviewing an investigation to the Hantsville Police Department. With an 18-person jury unanimously agreeing that the entire department should be immediately eliminated. And even had the district attorney quoting them as saying,

We the grand jury find that the Hantsville Police Department is a particular and ongoing threat to public safety. That there is a rampant culture of corruption in the Hantsville Police Department, which has recently operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency. Now with that, understand that doesn't which has recently operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency. Now with that, understand that doesn't mean that there's just gonna be lawless anarchy in this pocket of Alabama now.

Instead, you just have another state or local law enforcement agency taking over the responsibility of policing this 3,000 person city as the grand jury recommended. But also even without full blown abolition, this department's being gutted with now five officers, including the police chief, as well as one of the officer's wives

getting arrested and charged. Where the chief was charged with failure to report an ethics crime and tampering with physical evidence. And as for the rest, they include computer tampering, tampering with physical evidence, conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, and use of an official position for personal gain.

Now with all this, as you could probably tell, a lot of this scandal has to do with evidence, right? And that is because in the grand jury's words, the department failed to account for, preserve and maintain evidence. With the DA pointing to this gaping hole in the wall saying that if you stuck a broom through it, you could jimmy the handle to get the door open.

And so using this trick, numerous unauthorized individuals reportedly accessed the evidence room routinely, which of course not only destroyed the integrity of anything in there, but also it allegedly killed someone. With the grand jury finding that the department's negligence,

lack of procedure, general incompetence, and disregard for human life directly caused the death of one of its dispatchers, 49-year-old Chris Willingham. He was reportedly found dead in his office last August, and the cause of death was reportedly a cocktail of drugs, including fentanyl, diazepam, and so many other things. Within the manner of this death being listed as an accident, and at the press conference,

someone asked whether he was exposed to fentanyl from the evidence room. And there, we saw the district attorney reply that Willingham had access to the evidence room the day that he died, and when he was found, there was evidence in his office. But it also didn't end there, because if that's how they treated their evidence, you can only imagine what they did with the people that were in their custody. We, the grand jury, have zero confidence in the Haskell Police Department's ability to maintain a jail or to meet basic health and safety needs of jail personnel or inmates.

But now ultimately where we are is that it's up to the city to actually abolish the cops if they want, and we'll see what happens there. But notably, you have the mayor saying in a statement, the council will carefully consider all recommendations and act swiftly and decisively to address the problems within the police department. So it's definitely gonna be interesting

to see what they end up doing. But then finally today, let's talk about yesterday in some common commentary brought to you by beautifulbastard.com. Where right now, I'm gonna tell you, don't actually buy anything right now. What? What the fuck?

Instead, go to beautifulbastard.com and sign up for our mailing list and or text me at 813-213-4423. Right, and that is because on Monday, we're doing a big drop. It's gonna have some new stuff that you're gonna love, but also we are unvaulting a number of things you have been demanding.

So mailing list, text line, be the first to know to be able to get it. But that said, let's talk about yesterday in comment commentary. Right, unsurprisingly in those comments, there was so much conversation about that mom who lost her baby. With Zare Umbra saying,

"'Imagine being pregnant for nine months, "'going through all of that, even the birth of the child. "'Then you learn it isn't even your own "'and it gets taken from you despite you having done all of the work and effort. Honestly, I don't even know how one would ever recover from that level of physical, emotional, and even financial damage. With others adding, and remember, she went through years of medical stuff to even be able to have that kid just for it to be taken away in a court battle. You know, with that whole situation, with the news around it, I went through the same emotional rollercoaster as many of y'all. With Lily Koepp writing, with the first story, I immediately

thought, wrong donor, that's unfortunate, but for the child to not be hers at all is horrifying. It's horrifying because I knew she legally had no parental rights to the baby. To carry your baby to term safely, give birth, bond with your child, and have to give them up because the law says they're not yours has to be emotionally devastating. With some even saying it felt like she was being penalized and punished for doing the right thing. With Wingsavers saying, the mother did everything right. She saw that the baby probably wasn't genetically hers, found out that he definitely wasn't genetically hers, and still cared for him as her own son regardless. I know she was still pregnant with the baby for nine months, but I want to praise her anyway. She deserves to be a mother, and I hope nothing but the best for her and her family

in the future. And this is what others like Shady Cat's adding, she lost her case because commercial surrogacy organizations heavily lobbied to bring into law that women who give birth to babies that were conceived through egg and sperm donation had zero legal claim to the children. Despite the fact that the couples paying for surrogacy can refuse to take the baby for the same reason, wrong race, born disabled, and other issues, and the mother gets stuck with a baby they weren't emotionally or financially prepared for. This is why no matter genetics, there needs to be some level of legal protection for the women that gestate and birth these babies. So there you had some like Ali saying, well, but the protections for surrogates would be different than for her. The

couple didn't want her to carry their baby. It was the clinic's negligence. But then in addition to that, there was a decent chunk of conversation around the Trump immigration updates, though I will say it kind of just was one thing. We're just a whole bunch of y'all disgusted by the White House putting out that video on X and Instagram of the deportation ASMR. With y'all saying among other things, it has to be the most inhumane and downright evil thing I've seen. Ruining others' lives while making content now being done by the very government

that's supposed to protect us is a dystopian to say the least. But then finally, the last two things I saw popping up in those comments were comments about the show. And some saying on a different note, I'm glad to see some variety in today's show. Saying I don't even play Marvel Rivals and I was excited to hear about it.

Which there, I will say, we're trying to find the right balance because there's just so fucking much going on. Even when there's like 20 things happening with the White House, I think we're probably better served to focus on just one or two of them and do something slightly deeper on that and then do quick mentions and links out to other things so that we'd include the full breadth of stories of the day. But even with that said, all stories aren't equal and we always try to be really flexible with the creation of the show and what we're focusing on. And then finally, I was glad to see those of you

that were a part of the 15% that like the inside baseball stuff there, saying that you liked it. But that my friends, you beautiful bastards is where your Thursday evening, Friday morning dive into the news is gonna end. Well, this is the last full show this week. 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 yo faces, and I'll see you right back here on Monday.