The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 2.21 Ethan Klein Please Stop, Amateur TikTok Investigators Terrorize Town, Putin is a Clown, & More News

Starting point is 00:00:00 Amateur TikTok investigators are terrorizing this town, versus big, mad, and desperate. Ohio just can't catch a break. Ethan Klein done goofed again, and this is the last time I wanna talk about it. But 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,

Starting point is 00:00:13 and let's just jump into it. Starting with this news that all it takes is one mysterious disappearance for the whole internet to lose its damn mind, and exhibit A is Nicola Bulley. She's a 45-year-old mortgage advisor in a small Lancashire village in Britain who was last seen over three weeks ago.

Starting point is 00:00:27 And all we know is that she dropped her two daughters off at school, then went for a walk with her dog, then sending an email to her employer, texting a friend about a play date, and logging on to a Microsoft Teams work call with her camera and microphone turned off. With that lasting for half an hour, and a few minutes later someone finds her phone on a bench, still connected at the meeting with her dog,

Starting point is 00:00:42 running around in its harness on the ground. So at this point, the police's leading theory is that she fell into the nearby river, saying there's no evidence of foul play. With search teams scouring the riverbed using divers and sonar equipment, but finding nothing and instead shifting downstream. Which is exactly when all hell breaks loose. Because you see, TikTok catches wind of this story and it quickly goes viral, with videos using Bully's name as a hashtag collecting over 270 million views as of Friday. And this inspiring legions of amateur TikTok detectives to flood the scene for clues,

Starting point is 00:01:07 which sounds like, hey, maybe that could be helpful, except for one thing. Most, if not all of them, have no fucking idea what they're doing. And secondly, many just start spreading rumors, speculation, and conspiracy theories, with some clips even suggesting Nicola's friends are crisis actors

Starting point is 00:01:19 and that Nicola herself isn't even real. Or you have people claiming the whole thing's performance staged by the government to distract the public for reasons? Then thirdly, they're just a fucking nuisance. You got some taking selfies at the bench where Bully's phone was found, reportedly peering into windows and jiggling locked door handles at people's homes.

Starting point is 00:01:34 With one person even attempting to remove the panels from a pumping station, presumably to check if Bully was in there. We also saw one YouTuber and TikToker, Dan Duffy, getting arrested after he said in a video that he searched an abandoned house and had been in people's back gardens at nighttime with torches. And so with all this chaos, you had the borough's council leader saying his town of 600 people had begun to feel like a theme park where people were coming along to play detective.

Starting point is 00:01:54 All of this prompting the Lancashire police to issue a dispersal order, which, hey, that's normal enough. But then they also took a rather unusual step, releasing a statement that Bully had been classified as a high risk missing person because she, quote, suffered with some significant issues with alcohol, which were brought on by her ongoing struggles with menopause. So with that, we saw swift backlash from critics who accused them of publicizing what should remain private information about Bully, with Rishi Sunak and other MPs expressing concern over this breach of privacy. Also, leading Britain's Independent Data Privacy Authority to announce it would be investigating the police's decision, and others even going further alleging sexism and misogyny playing a role here the veteran police watchdog Zoe Billingham saying would we talk about a man in a similar situation?

Starting point is 00:02:28 Or old Barney's hit the bottle because he's got erectile dysfunction That would be unimaginable for the police to put that out notably all this coming a year after the kidnapping rape and murder of Sarah Everard By a cop in London that shocked the nation after which a poll showed 40% of men and 47% of women reported declining trust in Police since the murder. As well as a report last year by the UK's independent police watchdog finding a culture of misogyny, sexism, and predatory behavior toward members of the public. And so with a search for Nicholas stretching on for weeks, people got restless again. But on Sunday, police finally found her body. So now, not only do our loved ones have to deal with her tragic death, but also the incompetence of police and the insensitivity of TikTok crime tours.

Starting point is 00:03:04 And as if that wasn't enough, the news media fucked up its coverage of the case as well, with Nicola's family saying the press and members of the public have accused her partner of wrongdoing and misquoted and vilified friends and family. Adding that Sky News and ITV contacted them for comment after the body was discovered despite express requests for privacy. So in the end, it just feels like everyone fucked up here. This family's grief and a nightmare situation was turned into a national spectacle because why? Well, because a number of problems, but one of the most in-your-face ones being that it feels like people don't fucking see people as people anymore, that it's just content. And even for those that have like a hero complex or to a lesser extent, they think that,

Starting point is 00:03:37 yeah, I just want to help. There are ways to help in a way that doesn't make everything worse. And I'm just left hoping that the family, the friends, everyone impacted by this, they can heal. Everyone else who messed up in this situation, that they learn from it, they own it, and they grow. And then, are Elon Musk and Twitter trying to curb criticism of Tesla? That's a question many Twitter users have been wondering over the past 24 hours.

Starting point is 00:03:58 And that's because many received a warning pop-up when they liked a tweet that put Tesla in a negative light. But the tweets in question, including a link to an article on ChinaDaily.com titled, Limited Lineup a Problem for Tesla. One tweet sharing that article saying, imagine the head of the China Passenger Car Association saying this about your company.

Starting point is 00:04:12 With a screenshot of a quote from that official featured in the piece reading, Tesla's facing a serious problem of a very limited product mix. Its slowness to respond to Chinese consumers' preferences has led to a very passive positioning for Tesla to rely on few means, such as price cuts, to stay competitive.

Starting point is 00:04:24 With 30,000 people liking that tweet, and some who did so responded to the post noting they got a pop-up from Twitter. A pop-up saying help keep Twitter a place for reliable info. Find out more before liking this tweet. So tons of people started calling it out. With many pointing to Elon himself because not only is he the head of both Twitter and Tesla but because he has this air of you know him being Mr. Free Speech. So in this situation it appeared he was trying to put warning flags on a post critical of one of his companies. And there were tons of people commenting on this and spreading this. Podcaster Ethan Klein, for example, tweeting, Elon Musk, a free speech warrior, is automatically

Starting point is 00:04:51 censoring articles critical of Tesla. Try liking this tweet and you'll see. And others saying things like, so Pfizer is currently trending from conspiracy theorists and those tweets can be liked, retweeted with zero issue. But noting, attempting to like or retweet this Tesla post flashes a warning to find further information while providing no further information. Unbiased forum, by the way. And political commentator Hassan Piker writing, obviously Elon never bought this website for free speech purposes. He was forced, but this level of petty tyrant behavior where he's trying to stop retweets and

Starting point is 00:05:16 likes on tweets about Tesla from spreading on Twitter is a new low I didn't imagine was possible. That one was extra interesting because people quickly started responding to him saying, hey, I actually got the same warning when I liked your tweet about this. But all that said, according to Forbes, the reason for the warning isn't Musk's well-documented sensitivity around criticism of his various brands, and instead saying these kinds of pop-ups appear when you like a tweet linking out to a state-owned news source from Russia or China, with China Daily being a CCP-owned outlet. Forbes also noting that the warning doesn't prevent you from liking the tweet, you just have to read it before you do. And quickly with people realizing, oh, even with non-Tesla articles from China Daily,

Starting point is 00:05:48 I get that same warning. Though, notable change. As of this morning, my team was actually able to like a variety of tweets linking out to China Daily with no warnings at all. Extra note, just doing research, not a fan of the CCP. That including the original tweet that we showed, including the Tesla article. No issue. Same with Hassan's tweet.

Starting point is 00:06:02 And so as a recording, it's unclear exactly what changed between then and now. Notably, that Forbes article that clarified the situation was posted just last night. And as a recording, Elon hasn't tweeted about any changes and normally he seems like he would. But yeah, that's the situation that disappears right now. And I also, you know what? It is so beside the point of this story,

Starting point is 00:06:17 but since he was mentioned, I kind of just want to say this. To Ethan Klein, can you stop talking about my fucking weight on your podcast? Well, I personally use people saying negative things about my weight or my looks as further motivation when I'm working out to the point that I even do like David Goggins as bullshit, like like taking the audio of them calling me fat or whatever language they use and mixing it with pump up songs for my workouts. There are also tons of people that deal with weight issues and eating disorders, which,

Starting point is 00:06:43 by the way, it's well documented that I've talked about myself having an eating disorder that I've had to really fight to overcome over the years. So when you say on your podcast to hundreds of thousands and if not millions of people that I am permanently doughy, that I am a ham sandwich, it's fucked and I think it can have a genuinely negative impact on other people. That's where I'm going to leave it. I don't want anyone going after anyone because of things that were said about me. I just think that we should all try to be better. And then, I want to take a second to thank the fantastic sponsor of today's show, Raycon. You know, I probably got three pairs of Raycons, one from a gym bag, a set from my desk, a pair on my nightstand. And that might sound excessive, but it's also easy because Raycons are affordable, starting at half the price of other premium audio brands. So you don't have to choose between

Starting point is 00:07:20 products. Get one of each, a pair, a spare. And they have three sound profiles. Pure sound for when I'm listening to podcasts. Balanced sound when the music changes up. And I love the bass sound. Great for when I just want to kick it into another gear. Also, if you ever wondered, yes, Philip DeFranco says shit like, kick it into another gear. I'm corny. I do not care.

Starting point is 00:07:37 There also says a noise isolation. But if you need to hear what's going on around you, just touch and hold the right earbud logo for three seconds and you get put into awareness mode. Plus, they're really comfortable with optimized gel tips for the perfect in-ear fit, so they won't budge and really, trust me, they will not budge. So you're ready to buy something small with a big impact, that's what he said. Then click that link in the description box or go to buyraycon.com slash defranco to get 15% off your Raycon purchase. And remember, they offer free shipping, free returns, and buy now, pay later options, and have a 30-day happiness guarantee. And then, Ohio can't get a damn break right now.

Starting point is 00:08:07 Are the states still reeling from the train derailment and the environmental concerns that it sparked after officials decided to burn hazardous materials to prevent a bigger explosion? And then, just yesterday, there was a major explosion at an industrial plant outside of Cleveland that killed one person and injured at least a dozen others. According to authorities, the incident took place at the I. Schumann & Co. Metal Factory in Bedford, Ohio. The fire department captain, Brian Duraco, saying that the firefighters had been called to a very large explosion with heavy fire and smoke that sent debris hundreds of yards raining down on cars nearby. It was also reported that the blast sent debris across the street, produced a crater in a building, and created a smoke plume that could be seen for miles. With a witness who works across the street saying, it was the loudest noise we ever heard. Everything was shaking. Things were falling off the shelves here.

Starting point is 00:08:46 It blew up half the building. It blew debris and shrapnel. There were cars on fire. We just saw pandemonium after the explosion. And according to Duraco, 13 people were taken to hospitals, mainly for burns, and one person was in critical condition. With a spokesperson for the county later confirming that a 46-year-old man had died. Now, as far as the cause of the explosion, it's currently unknown. It's under investigation.

Starting point is 00:09:02 With Duraco having described the place as a relatively safe plant. And adding, it's a foundry, so you're dealing with molten hot metal, so there's always an inherent danger. With I. Schumann and Call describing it as an explosion of unknown origin. And adding that they'll work alongside investigators in their search for answers. And so while we all obviously send our well wishes to those affected by this horrible blast, hopefully we'll have more information and more answers in the coming days. And then, to save money, maybe you should skip breakfast. That is a very real verbatim headline that the Wall Street Journal ran about a week ago. But I would argue more importantly, that also appears to be a new platform for the Republican Party. Because right now, GOP lawmakers are considering cutting food

Starting point is 00:09:35 stamps as part of their new budget proposal. The idea of being floated by multiple members as part of an effort to reduce the national deficit is including Republicans now leading the House Budget Committee, who flagged food stamps, formerly known as Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or SNAP, as one of the 10 areas they would support cuts. With the committee arguing that stricter work requirements would save tens of billions of dollars, while a more rigid verification process for applicants

Starting point is 00:09:55 would limit waste, fraud, and abuse. But that, contrary to experts saying that these proposed changes could result in devastating cuts for the 41 million Americans who rely on food stamps and exacerbate an ongoing hunger crisis at a time when food prices have been rising due to inflation. So some of the details. SNAP provides low income households with an average of around $230 a month for groceries.

Starting point is 00:10:13 And for many of those families who are also the most impacted by inflationary price increases across the board, that money is absolutely essential, which is why any cuts to SNAP would be incredibly harmful, especially because Republicans want these cuts, despite the fact that Congress already agreed just two months ago to end a pandemic-era program that increased benefits in some states. Back in March of 2020, SNAP was expanded so households could receive maximum benefits instead of benefits based on income tests. And so with those benefits now expiring in March, an estimated 16 million households will see their per-person benefits drop by around $82 a month. And so as a result, we're seeing lots of Democrats fighting against

Starting point is 00:10:43 the effort to cut SNAP benefits even more and risk plunging more Americans into hunger. This including Representative Brendan Boyle, the leading Democrat on the House Budget Committee, who told Hexios, If Republicans really wanted to reduce families' reliance on SNAP, they wouldn't block efforts to raise the minimum wage, extend the child tax credit, and lower the cost of child care. But here's the thing. Even if Republicans don't end up cutting SNAP in the budget, the program's not out of hot water. And that's because while raising the debt limit is at the forefront of stupid fucking partisan battles right now, we're already seeing a fight shaping up over another essential piece of legislation, the Farm Bill, which notably is a package that has to be updated and reauthorized every couple of years. And it's not a whatever. The package is absolutely massive. Not only is it one of the most important tasks that Congress deals with, it also includes a ton of incredibly important subsidies and programs that are imperative to America's food systems, farms, and much more. And one of the super important programs that fall under the purview of the Farm Bill is, you guessed it, SNAP. And so we've already seen Republicans

Starting point is 00:11:31 floating the idea of cuts to SNAP as part of the Farm Bill instead. So as far as what's going to actually happen to the tens of millions of Americans who rely on this? Well, at least with the Farm Bill, lawmakers have until October 1st to either enact a new version or just agree on some kind of extension. And then, you know, in this life, we all make mistakes, but rarely do I think we ever make $275 million mistakes. And I mention that very specific amount of money because that's how much Spain's government dished out three years ago for a contract to modernize its trains in two northern regions.

Starting point is 00:11:56 With the project slated to finish next year, except until last month they got a surprise announcement, and it's why there are sayings like, measure twice, cut once, or a thing, the contractor, as it turns out, had been given the wrong dimension, so the trains were actually too wide to fit through many of the region's tunnels. Meaning now, the project has to be delayed two years, and somebody somewhere is very, very embarrassed. Which also, probably connected to yesterday's Spain's Secretary of State for Transport resigning in shame, along with the

Starting point is 00:12:19 President of the State Rail Operator. But, hey, not all bad news for commuters, with the government announcing that travel on affected networks will be free until 2026. And also, to make a bad situation less horrible, clarifying that this error was spotted before the trains had actually been built. So, there will be delays, but the money has not necessarily been wasted. Also, as an American, because I think it's important that we own our L's and we don't just, like, make fun of other countries, it's important to remember things like the $125 million Mars rover that NASA lost in 1999. With that one happening because Lockheed Martin did their measurements in English units

Starting point is 00:12:48 and the agency does theirs using the metric system. And then the murdering clown known as Vladimir Putin is going off the rails. As President Biden is preparing to make a speech in Warsaw, Putin was ranting to Russian lawmakers this morning and making some ridiculous claims in the process. Right, a key thing, this speech comes just days before the one year mark of the war in Ukraine,

Starting point is 00:13:04 or as Putin once again put it, the special military operation. And the speech was likely meant to drum up domestic support for Russia, jumping from topic to topic and saying everything from the U.S. was the cause of the war to claiming that pedophilia was normalized in the West. He also doubled down on his claim that the sanctions against Russia have been ineffective, citing its access to new markets. Though, it does seem like he ignored the fact that his GDP shrank by 2.1% and it's only expected to get worse. But in this, Putin also made some major announcements. But the key one being that Russia is pulling out of the START treaty, the last major arms control agreement

Starting point is 00:13:33 between it and the US, claiming that America, quote, wants to deal us a strategic defeat and are meddling with our nuclear facilities. Which, yeah, if you're talking about START and other nuclear treaties, that's the point. It allowed both sides to inspect nuclear missiles and sites to ensure that the terms of the deal were actually being followed. And while it's an absolutely major deal that Russia is officially pulling out, it's not especially surprising. The U.S. has said for months that Russia has violated the treaty by refusing to let American inspectors check out sites and refusing to just discuss the matter. Though, quick update here, the Russian foreign ministry just added that it would actually still follow all of START's rules, minus allowing inspections.

Starting point is 00:14:05 Which since you have common sense, you know that kind of undermines the whole point of nuclear treaties. Trust, but verify. This, instead of their new policy, just trust us bro. Wow, you don't trust us? Feels like it says more about you than it does us. Trying to gaslight us like an abusive ex? Which is why we saw Secretary of State Antony Blinken describing Russia's decision as both really unfortunate and very irresponsible, while also leaving the door open for future arms control treaties. One of the main things is with

Starting point is 00:14:28 the last major arms control measure now thrown to the side, we can expect nuclear rhetoric to go on the rise. And despite assurances from the Russian foreign ministry that it'll just continue to follow all the other provisions of START, there's a chance we'll see a return to nuclear weapons testing, at least from Russia. With Putin preemptively justifying this by saying, without any evidence, we know for a fact that certain figures in Washington are considering the possibility of actual tests of their nuclear weapons. So if you had a return to nuclear testing on your 2023 bingo card, then feel free to check it off. And that's where today's show ends. Thanks for watching and being subscribed to my daily dives in the news. That said, my name's Philip DeFranco. You've just been filled

Starting point is 00:15:01 in. I love your faces and I'll see you tomorrow.

The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 2.21 Ethan Klein Please Stop, Amateur TikTok Investigators Terrorize Town, Putin is a Clown, & More News

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