The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 3.1 Russia's New Brutal Tactics in Ukraine Are Horrifying, What is Actually Wrong With Me & Today's News

Starting point is 00:00:00 Sup you beautiful bastards! Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show. I'm still shooting from home, I'm not 100%, but before you feel too bad for me, like, my home's dope. I- I resent having to leave my house most days. So while I would rather not be in any pain whatsoever, this is kind of a perk! Also, for those that have been asking, like, what are the health problems, uh, it turned out I had diverticulitis, uh, and a lot of you know that I have PKD, polycystic kidney disease. My cysts were bleeding, and also it wasn't impacting me then, but it may impact me in the future. I got a kidney stone just on reserve. That's a fun way to introduce the show. Hey, welcome back. Hit that like button, and let's just jump into it. You know, the first thing that we're

Starting point is 00:00:38 going to talk about today, it's actually horrible news for all you gator molesters watching right now, which according to the YouTube stats is 40%, dear God, but. The bad news is that right now, South Carolina is considering a bill that would allow fines between 500 and $1,000 to be imposed on people who quote, "'Feed, entice, or molest alligators.'" But they get up significantly from the 100 to $150 fine

Starting point is 00:00:57 currently on the books. Now to be clear, molest isn't necessarily sexual, it just means touching or bothering them, you filthy-minded bastards. And if you're like, but why? Well, the incident that motivated this legislation was this video posted to Facebook in 2020, showing folks at a mini golf course sitting on top of a restrained alligator and riding it after a crew had removed it from a nearby retaining pond, which also ultimately led to the gator being euthanized under state policy. And so the new bill, which also lays

Starting point is 00:01:19 out specific guidelines that contractors must follow when capturing alligators, passed unanimously in the state house and now awaits a vote in the senate with representative jeff bradley the bill's author saying this is what i think is perhaps a good example of responsible government responding to constituent requests and representative bill hickson adding they don't want anyone to get hurt but also i do have to say this feels like less of a crime and more of you saying if you want to molest the alligator that's going to cost you a000. It feels more like a fee than a fine. But main point, y'all please stop molesting all these gators.

Starting point is 00:01:48 And then this is one of the more requested pieces of news. We saw this over the weekend. You know, they say about America, they say diversity is our strength, you know? And I look at China and I look at Russia. Can we give a round of applause for Russia? Yes. Russia who can we give a round of applause for Russia? Absolutely absolutely Right so that man who has been described by some as a racist hot-air balloon is Nick Fuentes a white nationalist organizer and media figure

Starting point is 00:02:21 Who first entered the public eye when he attended the unite the right rally in Charl Charlottesville. If you've ever heard the term griper, it comes from him. That's what he calls his fans who, like him, believe that the mainstream Republican Party is not quite right enough and advocates for the preservation of a so-called white European American identity and culture. So to promote that goal in 2020, he founded the American First Political Action Conference, or AFPAC, which you just saw a clip of and it's meant to be the alternative to the more mainstream conservative political action conference, or CPAC, which also just wrapped up as well. But a big thing is that this year a couple of notable people showed up to FPAC. I'm talking about current elected Republican representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar. This prompted a wave of criticism from the party and top Republicans such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader

Starting point is 00:02:56 Kevin McCarthy, with McConnell saying there's no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or anti-semitism, and McCarthy calling Fuentes and the conference appalling and unacceptable, but only saying that he would have a conversation with Greene and Gosar. Even Republican National Committee Chair, Ronna McDaniel, calling white supremacy, neo-Nazism, hate speech and bigotry disgusting, and vowing they would have no home in the Republican Party.

Starting point is 00:03:16 But again, falling short of promising to take any action whatsoever toward Greene or Gosar. Just saying they would discuss it at the next party meeting in August. But still, y'all, the bar is so low to call this out. Even Chip Roy, who notably is one of the three House Republicans who voted against an anti-lynching bill that was passed yesterday, he still called Fuentes an asshole. Now as far as Green, she later called the criticism against her an attempt to cancel her and bashed what she called identity politics.

Starting point is 00:03:38 Also saying she wasn't aware of Nick Fuentes or his views before going to speak at the event. Though later on Twitter, it seemed like she was trying to equate her speaking to this group as following the the path of Jesus. Writing in a thread, Jesus was a friend to sinners. We are called to follow his example. That's why I will continue to share my message of unity, family, and faith in our great nation to every corner and every group within America. It doesn't matter if I'm speaking to Democrat Union members or 1,200 young conservatives who feel cast aside and marginalized by society. You know how Democrat Union members and people who went to a white nationalist conference are the same. But also, you should really expect no action from the Republican Party on this.

Starting point is 00:04:10 And I say that because Gosar, like, he can't even use the excuse that he wasn't aware of, like, what this group's about. He literally attended the same conference last year. So it's a little bit weird that Republicans are coming out to denounce his attendance now when they did nothing before, but I guess better late than never? But also, that's assuming they do something other than try to escape the 24-hour news cycle on this story. But of course, with this story, I'd love to know your thoughts on it. But from that, I want to take a second to thank the sponsor of today's show, NordVPN, and more directly, nordvpn.com. You all know I've been a Nord customer for years now, and I'm here to remind you that it's important to be

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Starting point is 00:05:21 and it's all risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee. And then, one of the days that a lot of people have been waiting for, but then, you know, the whole Russia started a war for no reason thing, the 2022 midterms officially kicked off today. Oh god, elections again! Right, the primaries have now begun in Texas, a state with some of the strictest voting laws in the nation, and a congressional map that's being legally disputed.

Starting point is 00:05:40 Which, I mean, if that's not the most perfect place to start off this fucking insane shitshow, I don't know what would be. Right, because the voting law took effect just a few months before the primaries, election officials had asked state lawmakers to delay the starting date of the rules to the next election, or even push back the primary, but of course they refused. And so the situation in Texas has already been set up to be a mess. Last month we talked about how Texas rejected thousands of mail-in ballots, an unprecedented amount. But that's not the only way that Republicans made it harder to vote. The law also got rid of voting methods that became popular during the pandemic, especially among communities of color, like drive-through voting.

Starting point is 00:06:09 There's also no longer 24-hour voting places, which could make voting close to impossible for people who can't take work off. And at the exact same time that Republicans are making it harder for people of color to vote, they are literally being sued by groups that say that the new GOP-drawn congressional maps discriminate against racial and ethnic minorities.

Starting point is 00:06:24 Right, Texas was the only state in the last census to gain two new congressional seats as a result of population growth that was almost entirely driven by people of color, and specifically boosted by Latinos, who now account for nearly 40% of the state's population. But many of the maps for some of the most populous cities and metro areas, including some that have Latino majorities,

Starting point is 00:06:39 do not reflect those population changes, with Republicans instead redrawing boundaries so they have majority white populations. And the case against the boundaries isn't set to go to trial until September, so the congressional map will almost certainly still be in place when voters cast their ballots in November. And as far as what happens next, we're gonna have to wait to see how this election shapes up as returns start coming in later today and tomorrow. But very notably here, this election does have broader implications for the rest of the country, because as Axios notes,

Starting point is 00:07:01 it offers the first glimpse at how the 2022 midterms will play out, and specifically, Trump's role in the future, which faction of the Republican Party voters will reward, and whether overall turnout reflects voter enthusiasm or apathy. But if I was a betting man, and I am, I do believe that the Trump train is going to be strong, and historically the party that lost power in the election before ends up gaining seats, and I think that's what we're going to see. And for the liberals that watch my show, yes still, even after everything. And then finally today, of course, we need to talk about Russia and Ukraine again. Lots of updates starting off with the news that Belarusian forces have now officially entered Ukraine,

Starting point is 00:07:32 although that's not too surprising considering missiles have been fired from there and it was only a matter of time. Then there's a situation around Kherson, a major city that controls one of the largest crossings for the river that splits Ukraine. It has seen extreme Russian attacks and is believed to be the hotspot for fighting right now. Then in Kharkiv, the country's second largest city in the scene of constant Russian attacks. The last 24 hours have been no different, and it looks like Russia is becoming more and more aggressive to try to get the city to submit, with footage showing worse and worse missile strikes, although Ukraine still holds the city. Then in Kyiv, it looks like Russian forces are aiming to encircle the city and cut off resupply from

Starting point is 00:08:00 the west. Right, that large 17 mile long Russian convoy is now stretched out to approximately 40 miles long, though mostly because they finally spread out rather than sitting next to each other like sitting ducks. But it's believed that the convoy alongside 15,000 Russian troops are methodically working their way around the city, leaving many with fears of a prolonged siege and street fighting that could kill many civilians. However, it hasn't just been Russian attack after Russian attack. There are reports that Ukraine has hit a Russian airfield with its own missile, and Ukraine continues to grow its fighting force with tens of thousands of Ukrainians returning home to fight and many foreigners taking up its offer to fight.

Starting point is 00:08:27 Russia is also reportedly dealing with a lot of desertions, which may or may not be bolstered by the Ukrainian offer to pay Russian soldiers who surrender five million rubles. Or it might be connected to reports of even more indiscriminate Russian attacks on civilians and non-military infrastructure. Which actually on that note, the International Criminal Court is answering Ukrainian calls

Starting point is 00:08:43 to look into possible Russian war crimes, especially over reports that it's deliberately targeting civilians. Also, with all that, it's not surprising to hear that in just five days, it's estimated that 660,000 Ukrainians have fled the country, with many more still trying to make their way out. And neighboring countries have largely suspended the rules for crossing the border to make it easier for refugees. And all of this has led to major traffic jams and border crossings. You know, this unjustified invasion and the increased violence in Ukraine, it's led to even further isolation for Russia on the international stage. For example, we saw diplomats snubbing Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov by walking out while he was speaking at

Starting point is 00:09:11 the UN Council on Human Rights this morning, with pretty much the only ones left being from Syria, Venezuela, and China. You know, champions of human rights across the globe. And on top of that, we're seeing the strict sanctions continue to work on crippling Russia's economy and crashing the value of the ruble. In fact, it's been so bad it led to Russia closing its stock markets until at least March 5th, alongside directives that Russians aren't even allowed to transfer their money to foreign banks in an effort to keep money circulating within Russia. The sanctions are also having secondary effects, like leading many companies to effectively stop their work with Russia, which has led to instances like Russians in Moscow who went to take the metro and realizing, oh, Apple Pay and Google Pay no longer worked, then leading to a ton of people scrambling to get cash.

Starting point is 00:09:45 Also leading to some companies just boycotting the place. Right, Maersk, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, announcing they wouldn't work with Russia anymore. We also saw UPS and FedEx enacting similar plans. Now, not all the restrictions have been isolated to people in Russia. Some Russian media outlets, especially Russia Today,

Starting point is 00:09:58 have essentially been blocked by multiple platforms. Microsoft removed its apps, while YouTube announced that in Europe it will block channels linked to Russia Today alongside Sputnik, another state-owned outlet. With the same game plan being carried out by Roku, TikTok, and Facebook. This even extended to more traditional outlets such as DirecTV, which has plans to drop RT. We may even see more outlets drop Russian state media platforms as the National Association of Broadcasters asked US broadcasters to quote, cease carrying any state-sponsored programming with ties to the Russian government or its agents.

Starting point is 00:10:23 Also in the entertainment space, Netflix decided to not work with Russian regulations that required at least 20 state-owned channels to be put on their platform, meaning that Netflix is likely going to be shut down in Russia. Several studios are also pulling films from theatrical releases in Russia, with Disney actually releasing a statement saying, Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia. We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. And because we don't know the release of theatrical films in Russia. We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. And because we don't know the timeline and things are unclear right now,

Starting point is 00:10:47 that boycott might affect movies like Doctor Strange and Lightyear. Disney is not alone here. Other studios have followed their lead, with Warner Bros. pulling the Robert Pattinson-Zoe Kravitz, the Batman film from Russia, with Sony and Paramount making similar moves as well. But then finally with this story today, I want to end by talking about President Zelensky.

Starting point is 00:11:02 He's still in Kiev. He's trying to make things happen for Ukraine. Right yesterday, we talked about him signing Ukraine up for the European Union and well they actually accepted his application which is a solid first step to actually joining the bloc. And in a speech to the European Parliament he said за виживання. І це найголовніше наша мотивація. Але ми боремося і за те, щоби бути рідноправними членами Європи.

Starting point is 00:11:33 Доведіть, що ви разом з нами. Доведіть, що ви нас не відпускаєте. Доведіть, що ви дійсно європейці. І тоді життя переможе If you don't let them go, prove that you are really Europeans. And then life will win over death,

Starting point is 00:11:50 and the world will be dark. Glory to Ukraine. With that, receiving a standing ovation from the delegates and actually leading to a viral moment where the Ukrainian-German interpreter broke down in tears and couldn't finish, having to apologize to viewers. And in a quick update, right as we were finishing recording, right after this speech, the European Parliament even voted to recommend Ukraine's admission to the EU, which is another big step. But keep in mind, there are

Starting point is 00:12:11 still many, many, many, many more steps that would have to happen before Ukraine officially joins. That is, assuming the EU doesn't carve out special rules to speed up this process. But ultimately, where I'll leave this story, it's on two fronts. If you want to stay as up-to-date on this story as possible, make sure you follow us over on TikTok. A million people have joined us in the past month. We've been putting out several videos a day, even on non-PDS days. And secondly, to the people in Ukraine, I've seen a ton of comments from people in Ukraine saying, you know, it's really making a difference in helping our audience understand what's going on there. We see you, we hear you, we love you and support you. And it's once again, the reason I'll include resources down below for

Starting point is 00:12:43 anyone that wants to help as well. But ultimately that is where that story and today's show ends. Of course, whether it be this story or anything else stood out to you today, I'd love to know your thoughts in those comments down below. Let's close it out together. My name's Philip DeFranco.

Starting point is 00:12:54 You've just been filled in. I love yo faces and I'll see you tomorrow.

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The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 3.1 Russia's New Brutal Tactics in Ukraine Are Horrifying, What is Actually Wrong With Me & Today's News

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