The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 4.23 WOW! Elon’s Tesla Problem is Pathetic, Trump Melts Down on Zelensky, & The Truth on RFK & Food Dyes

Episode Date: April 23, 2025

What a day... Let's talk about it Go to http://vessi.com/pds for 15% off your first order. WEAR YOUR FEELINGS! https://BeautifulBastard.com Get 10% OFF with code "TARIFFS" Subscribe for New shows every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday @ 6pm ET/3pm PT & watch more here:  https://youtu.be/AMNMYHF7MfA?si=jy-RS-iK3xwf3PeQ&list=PLHcsGizlfLMWpSg7i0b9wnUyEZWI-25N3&index=1  – ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 00:00 - RFK Jr. Reportedly Launching Autism Registry & Phasing Out Certain Food Dyes 07:39 - Tim Pool’s White House Press Appearance Sparks Controversy 11:55 - Sponsored by Vessi 13:00 - Elon Musk Stepping Back from DOGE After Tesla Profits Sink 18:30 - Marco Rubio Bails on Ukraine Talks 23:30 - Sponsored by Beautiful Bastard  24:08 - Report Finds Nearly Half of Americans Breathe Unhealthy Air 26:23 - Man Gives Up Boston Marathon Goal to Help Collapsed Runner Cross Finish Line ——————————   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 #Hasanabi #ElonMusk ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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RFK Jr. is now reportedly starting an autism registry to track Americans with the condition. And according to CBS, this is part of sweeping studies that Kennedy announced in his first press conference last week. Which if you didn't see, the TLDR of that press conference is that you had Kennedy falsely claiming that autism was a preventable disease

caused by environmental toxins rather than genetics and declaring that his agency will be launching a series of studies into the causes. Right in this, despite the fact that experts widely agree that one, autism is not a preventable disease, but rather a complex neurological condition. And two, it likely has a number of different causes with multiple studies showing that,

contrary to RFK's claims, that genetic factors actually do play a significant role. With Kennedy then also attracting widespread criticism for describing autism as this horrible affliction that ruins families and painting autistic people as totally incapable of functioning in society. Though I will say he did walk back his claim somewhat, clarifying that he was only referring to people

on the more severe end of the spectrum. But regardless, the whole ordeal, it sparked a ton of backlash. And now, this week, we've gotten a little more insight into what exactly Kennedy of these autism studies are going to look like. With reports coming in saying to conduct the studies, the National Institutes of Health will be collecting

the private medical records of people with autism from numerous existing federal and commercial databases. And you had NIH director Jay Bhattacharya reportedly giving a presentation where he told the agency's advisors that the new data will let researchers study comprehensive patient data with broad coverage of the US population for the first time and adding,

"'The idea of the platform is that the existing data "'resources are often fragmented and difficult to obtain. "'The NIH itself will often pay multiple times "'for the same data resource.'" And adding, even data resources that are within the federal government are difficult to obtain. With then CBS going on to specify that the data collected will include, quote,

"'Medication records from pharmacy chains, "'lab testing and genomics data from patients treated by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service, claims from private insurers, and data from smartwatches and fitness trackers. And from there, going on to note that the NIH is also in talks with the Centers for Medicare

and Medicaid Services to broaden agreements governing access to their data. And as far as who will be able to see all this data, the NIH director reportedly said that between 10 and 20 outside groups of researchers will be given grant funding and access to their data. And as far as who will be able to see all this data, the NIH director reportedly said that between 10 and 20 outside groups of researchers will be given grant funding and access to the records in order to conduct RFK Jr.'s autism studies. But there, he also claimed that the researchers will not be able to download private medical data, promising that there will be state-of-the-art protections to ensure confidentiality. And with that, very notably here, CBS didn't provide more details about what exactly those protections will look like, and it's unclear

if any officials gave more information at the presentation. And this is the outlet also didn't provide more details about what exactly those protections will look like, and it's unclear if any officials gave more information at the presentation. The next is the outlet also didn't elaborate further on the so-called autism registry that will track people with a condition. Notably, what we've seen is that while other outlets have been unable to verify CBS's reporting, you did have Snopes explaining that NIH already keeps a list of registries for numerous different medical diagnoses. With that, including various types of cancers, autoimmune disorders, and cerebral palsy. With the Health Institute saying that the registries provide researchers with, quote, firsthand information about people with certain conditions, both individually and as a group, and over time to increase our understanding of that condition. But regardless,

you know, what we've seen is the CBS report has sparked a lot of concern online about the general privacy violations, as well as concerns about how RFK Jr. might use the data given his alarming past comments about autism. But there's been many drawing comparisons to Nazi Germany in the euthanasia program where the Nazis rounded up disabled people and murdered them in mass. For example, people writing things on X like, "'I'm autistic and when I heard RFK Jr. wants a government

"'registry to track people like me using private medical "'records, I didn't think safety. "'I thought Nazi Germany, a roundup of disabled people "'because I know history and I know exactly what comes after the list is made. And adding, this isn't about health. This is about control. It's about fear.

It's about marking people, people like me, neurodivergent people, different people. Don't dress it up as policy. This is how roundups begin. You also had others arguing that this will just scare people from wanting to get themselves or their kids tested for autism, which will artificially reduce reported cases. So there, notably, you have some people claiming

that's actually Kennedy's real intent here. He decreased the number of reported cases, so he can claim that his actions have actually reduced autism. But of course, there's also, as you have many saying, that people are looking too deep into this. That the goal is just for more information, more understanding, and there's not

a nefarious thing behind it. But that also isn't where the RFK Jr. news ends today. Right, and that because he made a massive announcement about food dyes at a press conference yesterday. But a big part of why we need to talk about this is that there's been a ton of misinformation around this whole situation. When you go on Twitter right now,

the top search results for food dye are all posts like, "'Trump administration moves to ban essentially "'all artificial food dyes in the USA food supply "'at RFK Jr.'s direction,' or, "'US bans artificial dyes "'from all food products effective today.'" But those claims are incredibly misleading, if not downright false. Because what Kennedy and his team actually

announced are a handful of different actions, none of which amount to a ban on all food dyes, and none of which will be effective immediately. R.K. Jr. did absolutely say that his agency will be eliminating eight different dyes that are found in thousands of food products, including candy, snacks, soda, and much, much more. But the methods that they're using to actually achieve this goal are highly questionable. Starting off with, of the eight dyes Kennedy claims to be eliminating, only two are actually going to be banned in any real way. And even that, it's going to take some time. We have officials saying that in the next few months, they'll start the process of revoking authorizations for citrus red number two and orange B. Though also notably, there you have experts saying

this change really won't actually change the status quo much. With the same, for example, Thomas Gallagher, a principal scientist for the watchdog group Center for Science and the Public Interest, explaining that these two dyes are very, very rarely used in adding. They've essentially been abandoned by the food industry.

And as for the other six dyes, Kennedy and his team say they'll be phased out by the end of 2026 as food producers reformulate to remove them. But, and this is a key thing there, when Kennedy was asked how this would be enforced and whether there was an official agreement with the food companies, he responded, "'We don't have an agreement, we have an understanding.'"

With another official clarifying that the phase out of these dyes will actually be entirely voluntary. So while the federal government will provide guidelines, standards, and a timeline, none of this is actually mandatory. And with that, you had FDA Commissioner Marty McCary telling reporters later that he believes this goal can still be achieved even without formal regulations saying. There's no need to have a regulation or a statute when companies are volunteering to do it. But that is, right now, it's totally unclear how many food companies are going to comply. In part,

because according to reports, literally no one from the food industry was even at the event. And while some trade groups have said they will phase out dyes, there hasn't been anything close to a unified industry response saying, yeah, we're on board. In fact, you have Bloomberg reporting today that industry leaders have actually said they did not agree to even the voluntary terms outlined by RFK Jr. and his team. Additionally, we've also seen some groups actively pushing back on the effort with the International Association of Color Manufacturers, which represents the color additives industry, saying color additives have been rigorously reviewed and adding. Requiring reformulation by the end of 2026 ignores scientific evidence and underestimates the complexity of food production.

With them then saying this process is neither simple nor immediate, and the resulting supply disruptions will limit access to familiar affordable grocery items. And that comment about scientific evidence is in reference to the fact that RFK Jr. and other administration officials have argued that this push is necessary to protect children from dyes, which they claim cause a host of behavior issues and illnesses. And you know, to that point, some studies have linked certain dyes to ADHD and other neurobehavioral problems in some children, but the FDA has long maintained that color additives are safe and most children have no adverse effects from them. But then also regardless, you have many experts saying that RFK's plan here,

it's not gonna do shit with one calling the announcement less than a nothing burger. And hell, I mean, we've even seen people who support removing these dyes criticizing the move. Like Galligan of the Center for Science and the Public Interest, who said that he wished that RFK Jr. had actually announced a ban on dyes,

not a voluntary phase out, arguing. The FDA has the authority to ban them outright if they wanted to. So it announced a ban on dyes, not a voluntary phase-out, arguing. The FDA has the authority to ban them outright if they wanted to. So it's a bit of a strange announcement. And adding, it's worth pointing out that food companies have made promises like this before. They've claimed they're going to get rid of these food dyes or other additives within a certain timeframe, and then they have consistently reneged on those promises. But then, next up in the news, we should talk about this press pool backlash. And this stemming from the internet's own Tim Pool being in the press pool yesterday. And with this, it was first announced

that he'd be added to the White House press pool back in March. And yesterday you had press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, introducing him in a briefing and giving him the first question of the day. Though that question, it had a rather long, we'll call it lead-in. Many of these organizations

that are represented in this room have marched in lockstep on false narratives such as the very fine people hoax, the Covington smear, and now what's being called the Maryland man hoax, where an MS-13 gang member adjudicated by two different judges, I believe, is just simply being referred to as a Maryland man over and over again. Now in an effort from the White House to expand access to new companies, you've created this new media seat. So I'm wondering if you can comment on

following this expansion, you've had numerous outlets disparage the companies that you've had sit here as well as the reporters. I'm wondering if you could comment on the unprofessional behavior, as well as elaborate if there's any plans to expand access to new companies.

Right, so it started by slamming mainstream news outlets and their coverage of Kilmar, Abrego, Garcia, and then teeing Levitt up to talk about those outlets, that case, and the White House's future press plans. Well, we certainly welcome diverse viewpoints in this room, which is one of the reasons we have you in here. And there's many new faces in this room in comparison to the previous administrations. You rightfully pointed out the Maryland Man story, which I, from this podium, when The Atlantic published it, on that very first day, I came to this podium and said, this is wrong. The press in this room have this story wrong. And so with that, one of the things we saw is this interaction facing some backlash online for a few different reasons. Some arguing that Tim Pool and others who have been allowed

into the press room asking questions like this are just acting like an extension of the administration and using time to throw Levitt softballs, allowing her to slam the press. And with that, you had people writing things like, I thought the point of adding new media to the news pool was to ask the questions that mainstream media wouldn't ask. Not a soapbox to pontificate and glaze the current administration with BS puff questions. With outlets like the Daily Beast even saying he went full suck up in that line of questioning. But then also in addition to that, you had some mad that he was just there at all. If not completely, at least partly, because as you might remember, Tim Pool was one of the right-wing content creators found to have been receiving money from Russian media executives. With the Washington Post reporting that he made $100,000 per episode in that operation, though he and most of the other influencers say that they were misled and had no clue that this money was actually coming from Russia.

But still, you had people responding to his presence in the press pool by saying things like, AP is out of the White House briefing space, but Team Trump will welcome and give the first question to Putin's stooge? As well as congrats, we have literal Russian propaganda producers in the White House briefing room. Also though, less importantly, you had some calling him out for wearing a hoodie and a beanie at the briefing

instead of a suit or other professional attire. And with that, you had other creators and commentators in the space like Ahsan Piker chiming in, writing, Tim Pool gets this access because he's pro-Trump and pro-Israel, by the way, with him then also on his stream mocking his attire and the question that he asked. I find it so funny that he didn't, like, dress up for the occasion. He slapped on the ugliest thing that you could put together for this moment. Mods! Mods!

Can you please yell at big media who have disparaged your beautiful brave and dare i say bold initiative to put me here mods cnn is being mean to me with that i'm leading to tim pool and hassan duking it out on twitter for a bit with tim also slamming those who generally criticized his presence in the press pool, with him saying I was in the White House today and the crying libs were not. But also, this comes as there's been greater criticism of the White House press briefings under the Trump administration 2.0, with us, for example, seeing last week the New York Times doing a piece on how the room is changing with the new media seat that the Trump administration introduced. What I'm saying in the briefing room, officials have made room for a new cohort of more partisan attendees like right-wing podcasters who often ask less adversarial questions than traditional journalists.

The Madding longtime White House reporters say the result has been an erosion of their independence. They say the increased attention toward pro-Trump media personalities who rarely challenge the administration's talking points has undercut the briefings as a space to relay accurate information to the American public and hold the president to account. You know, with all this, as this

continues to play out online and as it continues to play out in the press briefing room every single day, I got to pass the question off to you. And that is, what are your thoughts with these changes and what we're seeing now? And then I've got more news for you in just a minute. But first, you know, do you ever feel like parenting is a full contact sport? You know, one minute you're sprinting across a muddy soccer field. The next next you're rushing to grab snacks and then you're heading straight to dinner plans. No time to change, no time to slow down. Well that, that's why Vessi's weekend sneakers are clutch.

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Who knows where it's gonna land, but as I'm recording, it's at 8%. So we should talk about why. Because a face value that might not make sense. It's like, if you told me, "'Hey, Phil, I need you to make sandwiches,' and I'm like, "'Sounds great.'" And then I'm like,

"'You know, I made half a sandwich, but I also shit my pants,' and you're like, "'Fantastic job. Here's a promotion.'" Because on its face, at the surface level, it doesn't feel like that news should result in that result. But here's why it does appear to make sense, right? So Musk and other people at Tesla, they have argued that there are multiple factors that have led to the decline. With people noting that Tesla was struggling prior to the whole doge mess as a result of new competition and tariff threats. But the growing backlash against Musk specifically and his role in US politics,

it's gotten the most attention, especially since that backlash has come largely from people on the left who are more likely to shop for electric cars than those on the right. And we've talked about big parts of this before. There's been lots of anti-Elon sentiment. Some of that's turned into anti-Tesla protests all over the country, as well as cases of vandalism popping up at Tesla centers. And then just as far as the business side, earlier this month, we also learned that Tesla's global sales were falling. So the news about a much lower income during Tesla's quarterly earnings report and investor call, not the most surprising.

But also Tesla's quarterly report has sort of acknowledged that these anti-Trump and Musk attitudes could be bad for business, saying that uncertainty in the auto industry, rapidly changing trade policy, and quote, changing political sentiment could have a meaningful impact on demand for our products in the near term. And Musk actually touched on this during an investor

call, but he also placed the blame on the protesters, not himself. And he defended his role in the administration. As some people know, there's been some blowback for the time that I've been spending in government with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOJ, if the right thing to do is to just fight the waste and fraud and get the country back on the right thing to do is to fight the Western fraud and get the country back on the right track and working together with the President Trump and his administration. Because if the ship of America goes down,

we all go down with it. But the big huge thing here is that he still said that his work with Doge will be taking a back seat. Though this is, he notably didn't say that it was because the backlash against him was hurting the company. Instead, he claimed that it was actually because the bulk of his work there was already done. I think starting probably in next month,

May, my time allocation to Doge will drop significantly. I'll have to continue doing it for, I think probably the remainder of the president's term, just to make sure that the waste and fraud that we stopped does not come roaring back. With Musk then saying he'll scale back to just one or two days a week, so long as Trump wants him. But going forward, more of his time will be allocated to Tesla. Now with that, I'll say the logistics of him continuing through the whole term, they're a little wonky because he's classified as a special government employee and that status expires at

the end of May as it comes with a 130 day yearly cap on work that people can do in that role. And so, you know, we're gonna have to wait to see what this actually ends up looking like. But the news that Tesla all of a sudden will have its CEO back, you know, that seemingly helped the stock go up. But this also, as you know, those comments we just talked about that Elon made, they weren't the only ones that made headlines, Right, and that because he spent a lot of the time calling out the anti-Tesla protesters, claiming with no evidence that they had been paid to participate in these demonstrations.

With them then also suggesting that they were only protesting because they had been the recipients of wasteful government spending. They're gonna come up with some other reason. But that is the real reason for the protests. The actual reason is that those receiving the waste and fraud wish to continue receiving it.

Which I just got to say, baby boy, baby musky. As someone that gets a lot of love and hate myself, definitely not at your level, you can't say that everyone that's against you is like a paid actor or a paid shill or a bot. If you do that, it makes it easy because then you don't really have to question your worldviews and your actions or anything like that.

And, you know, put really a lot of time into thinking about yourself and what you're doing and the impact that you're having on others. But it just kind of looks sad and pathetic that you're doing that. But also I'll say that claim from Musk, it actually prompted some pushback from Tesla Takedown, which is a group behind the protest,

which gave a statement to NPR saying, "'Volunteer hosts and participants are stepping forward because they believe in democracy and the ruleakedown, which is a group behind the protest, which gave a statement to NPR saying, "'Volunteer hosts and participants are stepping forward "'because they believe in democracy and the rule of law, "'not because a billionaire is paying them.'" With them then also adding, "'The irony is rich,' coming from a man "'who spent $277 million to get Donald Trump elected.'" You know, all of this playing out

as Musk has also faced some heat about Trump's tariffs. Because while Tesla is likely gonna be the least impacted car company since the vehicles are manufactured stateside, they won't be fully free from the impacts because its factories import parts from Mexico and China. And actually, with that, you had Musk saying, I just want to emphasize that the tariff decision is entirely up to the President of the United States. Right, and so then, all in all, online, you had a ton of people kind of just celebrating this news for numerous reasons.

Right, some just celebrating the news of Tesla's profits falling. And that is, you had many people cheering on Musk's decision to spend more time at the company instead of the White House. So there, there was a notable split because you had some just saying, get the fuck out of the government and others going, yeah, please focus on the company. And actually with all this news,

it comes as the Washington Post already reported this week that Musk might dip out of his current political role as a result of the backlash that he's been getting with the article saying, the billionaire is ready to exit because he is tired of fielding what he views as a slew of nasty and unethical attacks from the political left,

according to a person familiar with his thinking. And this is you have Trump also saying that Musk is on the way out of the door. But of course, as we wait to see how this actually plays out, I gotta pass the question on to you, even though I know 95% of you have been paid to leave negative comments about Elon Musk.

Because obviously there's no other reason to be critical of the man. But then next up from that and big international news, we're gonna talk about how no-shows by the Trump administration have effectively collapsed the latest Ukraine peace talks in London. And it seems more and more like the US isn't gonna have any role in ending this war.

And this, of course, despite Trump previously saying he could do so in just a single day. But instead, where we are is that roughly three months into his second term, the US reportedly presented Ukrainian officials with a one-page document described as Trump's final offer. And this coming last week, with Trump then threatening to take a pass

on further peace talks if Moscow or Kyiv, quote, "'Make it very difficult to reach a peace deal.'" With also Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly warning that the US could walk away within days without meaningful progress. But one of the big problems with that is that the deal on the table, it has widely been seen as favoring Russia.

With for example, one source close to the Ukrainian government explaining, the proposal says very clearly what tangible gains Russia gets, but only vaguely and generally says what Ukraine is going to get. Now one, that's not at all surprising given the shift that we've seen from the White House,

but also two, it's not surprising due to the fact that Trump envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly drafted the proposal after meeting with Putin for more than four hours last week. With it being reported that Putin offered to pause Russia's invasion along the current front lines as part of a potential deal, which would leave about a fifth of Ukraine's territory in Russian hands. And that is pretty much what the Witkoff proposal says as well. And actually, let's break down the whole thing, or at least everything that we know so far. So as far as what Russia would get, one, formal US recognition of Crimea

as legally held Russian territory. Two, de facto recognition of several Russian occupied areas of Ukraine. Three, a promise that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO. Four, the lifting of sanctions imposed since 2014. And five, enhanced economic cooperation with the US, especially in the energy and industrial sector.

But then on the flip side, as far as Ukraine, well, first off, the proposal does notably call for a robust security guarantee involving European and potentially non-European nations. Though notably the document is reportedly vague in terms of how this peacekeeping operation would function and does not mention any US involvement. Secondly, it calls for the return of the small part

of the Kharkiv region that Russia has occupied. And third, it calls for the unimpeded passage of the Dnipro River, which runs along the front lines in parts of Southern Ukraine. And then lastly, it calls for the unimpeded passage of the Dnipro River, which runs along the front lines in parts of Southern Ukraine. And then lastly, it calls for compensation and assistance rebuilding, though the document doesn't say where the funding would come from. And then actually, besides all that,

finally, there are two more key points. One, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is the largest facility of this type in Europe, it would be considered Ukrainian territory, but it would be operated by the US and supply electricity to both Ukraine and Russia. And then two, the whole mineral deal that we've been hearing about it for a while, you know, that it would be operated by the US and supply electricity to both Ukraine and Russia. And then two, the whole mineral deal that we've been hearing about it for a while,

you know, that would reportedly be worth billions for the United States, it's apparently mentioned in the proposal as well, and Trump said last week that it would be signed tomorrow. Of course, you know, we're gonna have to wait to see if that actually happens because, you know, the whole mineral deal aside, right, the whole proposal, it includes at least one non-starter for Ukraine,

which is the whole Crimea thing. With Zelensky totally ruling out recognizing Crimea as Russian on Tuesday with him telling reporters, "'There is nothing to talk about. "'This violates our constitution. "'This is our territory, "'the territory of the people of Ukraine.'" But Trump actually took issue with that

in a post on Truth Social today, claiming Zelensky's words are, quote, "'very harmful to the peace negotiations'," and also blaming him and Obama for Russia's annexation of the territory. With then Zelensky later seeming to respond by sharing a 2018 declaration by Mike Pompeo, Trump's first term secretary of state,

saying that the US rejects Russia's attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine's territorial integrity is restored. And notably with that, ceding Crimea to Russia would also likely have major implications for international security across the region, with, for example, one expert telling The Post, Crimea in particular is so strategically important

for European security that there can be absolutely no interest in Europe and Crimea coming under any form of permanent Russian control or being recognized under international law. But with that said, European leaders have also just lost their latest chance to weigh in with the US.

And that because Rubio as well as Witkoff have both opted to skip talks in London today involving Ukrainian, French, German, and British officials, leaving envoy Keith Kellogg to head up the US delegation instead. With the whole event essentially getting downgraded from a high-level meeting to more low-level talks. Though notably, Witkoff,

who reportedly traveled to Moscow at some point this week for what would be his fourth meeting with Putin. And as far as Rubio, a spokesperson claimed his absence is not a statement regarding the meetings, instead saying it's a statement about logistical issues in his schedule. However, there we saw some reporting begging to differ. They're saying one official briefed on the situation, telling the Washington Post that the decision is the result of anger over Ukraine's reluctance to accept the controversial peace framework and instead, quote, discuss a complete ceasefire first and everything else

later. And connected to that, you had J.D. Vance today echoing earlier comments by Trump and Rubio that the U.S. would walk away if a deal isn't reached soon. However, with all this, Zelensky has not wavered. With him writing on social media today that Ukraine insists on an immediate, complete, and unconditional ceasefire and adding, that was the proposal put forward by the United States on March 11th of this year, and it was absolutely reasonable. And saying this is absolutely possible, but only if Russia agrees and stops the killing.

And then with that, you also had him reporting that nine civilians were killed by a Russian drone striking a bus earlier in the day. You know, ends up just serving as another reminder that as this conversation is or isn't happening, the war is still going on. People are actively dying. But for now, we're gonna have to wait to see how this plays out, as well as see if the US is gonna be involved. And then I've got more news for you in just a moment. But first, I'm gonna sponsor myself and say, you need to go to beautifulbastard.com, the comfiest and best looking way to wear your feelings.

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right now you can get any and all of it for 10% off if you use code TERRIFS at checkout. All, of course, available at beautifulbastard.com. But then from that, we have actually super awesome news. And that is that almost half of Americans are now exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution. I lied, it's not happy news. Are you new here? The only thing close to happy is usually the last story. But yeah, this news is coming from a new report

by the American Lung Association. And notably you have the ALA, not just finding that it's bad, but the situation has actually gotten way, way worse. And then more than that, it's only going to keep getting worse in part, thanks to the Trump administration absolutely taking an ax to major climate, environment, and air pollution policies. But with that, we should talk specifics. Because according to the ALA, just over 156 million people in the US, they live in neighborhoods with unhealthy levels of soot or smog. And that is 16% more than last year

and the highest number in a decade. And notably though, unsurprisingly, a person of color is more than twice as likely as a white American to live in a neighborhood with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Though this, as Latino Americans, are actually the most impacted, with them reportedly being three times more likely

to be breathing in toxic air pollutants. And when I say toxic, I don't mean like, oh, you kind of get like a sore throat. I mean, like they can lead to early death and increase the risk of serious medical issues like asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, and preterm births as well as impair cognitive functioning in later life. And of course, that's all in addition to the risk of lung cancer. Also, a big key takeaway here is that the effects of air pollution are only made worse by heat waves and wildfires, both events that we're now expecting to see more and more of in the future thanks to human-caused climate change.

And I mean, just look at New Jersey of all places where a wildfire this week has, as of recording, burned 11,000 acres and led to thousands being evacuated. And in fact, you know, with that, talking about the increase from last year, it reportedly can be attributed at least in part to extreme heat and wildfires that contributed to an increase in ozone levels

for many parts of the country, most notably in central states like Minnesota to Texas. And overall, only two cities, Bangor, Maine, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, were ranked as clean cities with no spikes in smog or soot. And of course, as we're seeing that play out, we're also seeing the Trump administration making tearing apart climate and environmental rules

a top priority, including those focused on air pollution. But then also notably environmental justice, which is largely about addressing the disparate impact of pollution on minority groups over decades, especially coming under attack with it seemingly being conflated with DEI. And so with all this, you have people like the head of the ALA saying, efforts to slash staff funding and programs at the EPA are leaving families even more vulnerable to harmful air pollution. But then shifting gears to a very different kind of news, this year's Boston Marathon was filled with good news.

We saw a Massachusetts runner who had suffered a brain injury finish the race, a patient with ALS who'd run the race previously being pushed in his wheelchair, and even a 20-year-old crawling across the finish line. But maybe one of the most heartwarming stories to come from the 2025 Boston Marathon, it centers around a runner from Brazil.

And specifically, I'm talking about 34-year-old Pedro Arrieta, who, along with his wife, were running their hardest on Monday and looking to achieve new personal goals. And for Pedro, that was a time of less than two hours and 40 minutes, and that goal was in sight. But then, just as he was short of the finish line, with time to spare, he saw 35-year-old Sean Goodwin struggling. We then videos from all different angles, capturing Pedro pulling Sean up to his feet and helping him cross the finish line. And as countless other runners flew by them, Pedro finished the race just shy of his goal

with a time of two hours, 41 minutes and 29 seconds. But then also what we saw is that his selfless act of kindness, it went viral, getting millions and millions of views online. And with that, you had him saying on Instagram, it was impossible to run past someone who needed help reaching their dream finish line and not help them complete the Boston Marathon. Thank you, Boston. Thank you, God. But then also Pedro's wife, who finished the marathon with a time of two hours, 52 minutes,

and 36 seconds, commenting on his post, saying, the essence of sport to me is that right there. You dreamed about a sub 240, and when you were almost there, God used you to lose a few minutes and do something with much more meaning to mark you entirely, much more than numbers. I love you, I'm dying of pride. So with that, you know, Pedro, for putting aside your own goals to help out a stranger, not to mention finishing the Boston Marathon,

which is an insane feat in itself, you are absolutely our bamf of the day because it serves as a reminder, the things outside of us, that's the big shit. And a little kindness, it goes a long way. And more than our words do, our actions echo. But that, my friends, is where your Wednesday evening, Thursday morning dive into the news is gonna end.

And of course, you don't have to worry about missing my stupid face for too long, because 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 tomorrow.