The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 4.25 He Faked His Death, Then It Gets Weirder... Nicholas Rossi, Pokimane, Madison Beer, & Today's News

Starting point is 00:00:00 This is the weirdest story you're going to hear today. So I'd like you to meet Nicholas Rossi, or Nicholas Oliver Dehan, or Arthur Knight. It all depends on who you ask. And perhaps you've even seen him from this viral clip on Dateline. We were once a normal family, but thanks to the media, our lives have been interrupted. And we'd like privacy, and I would like to go back to being a normal husband. But I can't, because I can't breathe. I can't walk.

Starting point is 00:00:28 People say that's an act. Let me try to stand up. Let me try to stand up. Exactly. Exactly. What do you say to someone who believes that you are Nicholas Aliverdian? I am not Andrea. I am not Nicholas Alavardian. I do not know how to make this clear.

Starting point is 00:00:50 What do you say to people who say these are crocodile tears he's putting on a show? This is all an act. Andrea, that's a low blow. That's a right low blow. So why is this guy crying on Dateline, flopping more than Neymar in 2018, got more names than Diddy? Well, it all starts back in 2017 when Nicholas Rossi of Rhode Island left the US to avoid prosecution for a 2008 sexual assault in Utah. He settled down in Scotland, got married,

Starting point is 00:01:15 and started going by the name Arthur Knight. Then in 2020, he reportedly started calling back to Rhode Island and telling everyone that he had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and only had weeks to live. And Nicholas Rossi supposedly died in February of 2020. But then Arthur Knight was arrested in Glasgow for, quote, obstructing the course of justice and allegedly behaving in a threatening or abusive manner. He was in a hospital being treated for COVID, which is what he says caused his apparent health issues.

Starting point is 00:01:35 But by this point, the FBI was also investigating Nicholas Rossi for financial crimes, and the Utah State investigators found Rossi's airline ticket from 2017 with no record of his return, with him sending their information on Rossi, fingerprints, tattoos, and photographs to Interpol, who put out a red notice on him, which is what the arresting officer matched Arthur Knight to in Glasgow in 2021, despite Knight's claims that he had never been to the US. Also, my favorite part is that he tried to explain away the matching tattoos by saying he must have been tattooed while he was in a COVID coma as part of a plot to frame him, and that's without considering the matching fingerprints. And based on all the evidence, authorities were convinced that Arthur Knight was actually Nicholas Rossi. But this guy

Starting point is 00:02:07 has held strong, insisting that he's just a Glasgow resident that's been unfairly swept into an international manhunt. However, last November, a Scottish judge disagreed, ruling that Knight was in fact Rossi and scheduling the extradition hearings for this spring. And all of that, bringing us to last week, when at a preliminary hearing, Rossi reportedly had an altercation with a court security staff member, causing the judge to continue the hearing to May 9th. But if and when he does get extradited, things are not looking good for him in the States. He's reportedly facing the rape charge in Utah, other sex-related charges in Ohio as well as fraud charges there, and he's wanted in Rhode Island for failing to register as a sex offender. Which is why, one, I'm absolutely going to keep my eyes on this story and let you

Starting point is 00:02:41 know what happens as it unfolds. And two, in the meantime, I gotta know your thoughts in those comments down below. And then there's been a lot of talk and news around the exploitation of women and girls online and also how that conversation has evolved over the years. And a number of those stories popping up this week, the first involving Madison Beer, where she's a massive online personality. She just recently went on the Call Her Daddy podcast. And there she talked about the trauma of having her nudes leaked at 15. You know, saying she was young. She thought she could trust the person. She did this on Snapchat where she thought they weren't going to get saved. And in this, she talks about how humiliating it was, but also adding,

Starting point is 00:03:10 I didn't realize until like years later that I was the victim in the situation. Also explaining how she had to spend pretty much all the money she had made at that point in her career to try to take those nudes down. Madison also explaining in an upcoming memoir the aftermath of the leak, saying, all I wanted to do was lock myself in my room and hide under the covers. I didn't even want to look at myself in the mirror or change out of the clothes I was wearing. I felt violated. I became suspicious of everyone in my life. I should have been better protected. Which, I mean, all of that raises the question of, have things changed, right? We're having conversations today that we didn't have five, ten years ago. With the rise of social media gave everyone of all different backgrounds

Starting point is 00:03:43 and experiences the ability to explain what happened to them, to get other people who have not lived their life to empathize, which is why you had Madison saying, I am hopeful that now the internet would protect a 14, 15 year old girl who had something like this happen. I think it would be removed on TikTok instantaneously, removed on Twitter instantaneously. I didn't get that privilege. And I think it was just a different time. And while I would like to think that, and I definitely think there are more people that understand what is happening is horrible and that we do need to protect people, the cynic in me feels like everything that we've witnessed over time is, yes, an evolving conversation, but also we're just seeing new ways for women and girls to be abused

Starting point is 00:04:19 online. And actually with that, you had massive online personality Pokimane doing a huge interview with the New York Times, with a piece noting that Pokkey's been a frequent target of misogynistic comments and other vitriol including the fact that she's been the victim of deep fake pornography with the interview we're also asking her about that and pokey responding honestly there are people in the streaming industry who don't find misogyny deplorable who don't think it's a big deal who don't think deep faking should be punishable in any way saying it's almost like they're trying to gaslight you into thinking that something that is so damaging to one's mental health you just shouldn't think it's a big deal and noting for me it's been like they're trying to gaslight you into thinking it's something that is so damaging to one's mental health, you just shouldn't think it's a big deal.

Starting point is 00:04:45 And noting, for me, it's been invaluable to have fellow female streamers who know what I've gone through, who can validate my feelings. Having people there to tell you, no, it's not okay. That goes a long way to preventing you from going crazy, thinking that what you're feeling is somehow wrong. I guess all of that makes me feel like there is a lot of good that has come from a lot of bad. And there is progress being made, but it does feel like it's two steps forward one step back which makes sense people who are more inspiring and smarter than myself have said it but progress is not a straight line and the progress should be celebrated but also not make it complacent and then i've got a weird one for you the headline is magic the gathering publisher

Starting point is 00:05:17 wizards of the coast sent the pinkertons after a leaker and the details are wild right so if you're american the name pinkerton probably rings a bell and is one of the reasons this headline has shocked so many people. The company's absolutely infamous for cracking down on unions and doing the dirty work for corporations for over 150 years. But here we are with this all starting after a now-deleted YouTube video from the channel Old School MTG showed him opening packs of the upcoming set March of the Machines Aftermath, with the issue being that Aftermath's not actually set to come out until May 12th, killing Wizards' entire so-called spoiler season. And that's a major deal, because Wizards likes to trickle out spoilers slowly in order to hype up a set, believing that it boosts sales. Or think of it like online,

Starting point is 00:05:51 you ordered Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse, and you were accidentally sent Spider-Man across the Spider-Verse. And then you posted part of it or all of it online. But either way, Old School said that in response to the video going up, Pinkerton agents actually were sent to his home this weekend, and they demanded that he hand over what they called the stolen product. But this leading to some in the community being absolutely furious with Wizards and saying things like, just in case anyone thinks Wizards cares about their influencers and content creators, now they're sending people to strong arm and illegally seize items. Hasbro, fix your house. But here's the thing, old school MTG makes it seem like he just handed the product over willingly in order to not make a big deal out of it. With him emphasizing

Starting point is 00:06:22 it was not stolen and says that he meant to buy boxes of the current set, March of the Machines from a buddy and was instead just given Aftermath. And then he speculates that maybe his buddy didn't realize he was given the wrong set from wherever he got them as he doesn't really buy and sell Magic but Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh instead.

Starting point is 00:06:36 So the combination of being unfamiliar with the product and it having similar names and logos, it's easy to see how this happened. So there's a long chain of people where this just could have fallen apart. Although things do seem to point to a distributor messing up. And as longtime Magic the Gathering investor Rudy

Starting point is 00:06:47 from the YouTube channel Alpha Investments explained, I can tell you that the concept of distributors making mistakes and wrong product shipping and things showing up early is a real thing. Back in 2017, 2018, 2017, I had a similar thing happen with Aether Revolt. By the way, it does seem like things have ended amicably.

Starting point is 00:07:08 Oldschool handed the cards and boxes over as Wizards can use them to track where the mess-up happened, and he added, Wizards of the Coast is not being very, they're not being rude about it or anything. They're being very cordial and apologizing that they had to go to drastic means by sending the Pinkertons to my front door. But they are, like I said, asking if they can send me some product to make up for the loss of money. And while old school seems fine with how things turned out, it hasn't stopped many fans from being angry with Wizards. So saying things like,

Starting point is 00:07:35 the problem is you knew who the Pinkertons were and so did Wizards before they sent them and they still sent them to your actual house. You were threatened multiple times, intimidated actually everyone in the house was. Accused you of stealing. Not sure I would have gave them anything. And a lot of this raising questions about how wizards should have handled this. And then, you know, the news, it can get me, let's call it a bit wound up. And I've personally found that there are actually very few things that helped me unwind after a stressful day, like a solid cup of tea.

Starting point is 00:07:58 And I've found that high quality tea not only benefits my physical health, but also the ritual of preparation and consumption can aid your mental wellbeing. My little break from the noise. And that's actually where today's sponsor, Art of Tea, can come in to upgrade your daily routine and overall mood. Because Art of Tea blends and custom crafts the finest organic teas and botanicals carefully selected directly from growers from around the world. And they help keep my pantry stocked with delicious fresh tea and tea prep essentials. And if you want to delve deeper into the ritual of World of Tea, I highly recommend their Tea of the Month Club. There, you can choose whichever tea option that fits your style. Caffeine-free, classic, single-origin, explore for the exotic tea lover. Pyramid sachets, and for me, wellness. Where this flow blend is

Starting point is 00:08:32 fruity, creamy, and full, and it keeps me balanced. And if you're always on the go like me, the Pyramid Bags are a lifesaver and way tastier than generic mass-produced tea bags. Shop individual unique blends like vanilla berry, truffle tea, or join the club for three, six, or 12 months and renew whenever you want. No pesky monthly fees. So step up your tea game today and use code DeFranco for 10% off your tea of the month subscription and site-wide at artoft.com slash DeFranco. That's artoft.com slash DeFranco. And then, so what's happening? President Biden is officially running for the presidency again, making the announcement in a video yesterday with the overarching theme being let's finish the job. With Biden saying that he's fought for freedom and democracy, but those rights

Starting point is 00:09:07 are under threat from MAGA extremists, playing lots of clips from the insurrection as well as abortion protests. When I ran for president four years ago, I said we're in a battle for the soul of America, and we still are. The question we're facing is whether in the years ahead, we have more freedom or less freedom, more rights or fewer. I know what I want the answer to be, and I think you do too. This is not a time to be complacent. So I guess everyone should buckle up for 2020 part two with another possible Biden-Trump showdown, despite no one wanting this. We as a country, we know we need to start eating good, and we need to start running. Then we just open up Postmates and we're like, do we want too much Taco Bell or literal poison? These apparently are two

Starting point is 00:09:48 equally good options. The polls consistently showing that the majority of Americans don't want Biden or Trump to run. This including a recent NBC News survey finding that 70% of Americans believe that Biden should not run for reelection and that includes 51% of Democrats. Meanwhile, 60% of America says that Trump shouldn't run. But very notably, reportedly, that only included a third of Republicans. But that split also, I think, makes sense. The right, in general, knows what they are. They're pretty locked in. Whereas the left has to be a bigger tent party. And like we saw in 2020, there were a lot of people that voted for Biden that weren't like, yeah, fucking Biden. It was more, oh my God, no more Trump, please. But in the here and now, a very important thing that Biden's people need to consider

Starting point is 00:10:25 is that one of the main reasons that people said he should not run is age. Biden is already the oldest president in history at 80 years old. Though there you have people pushing back saying, well, Trump's not much better. He's currently 76. So if he got elected,

Starting point is 00:10:36 he's just getting silver in the old people Olympics. But yeah, I guess the main thing is we should get ready for round two of too much Taco Bell versus poison. And then Russia just held a UN meeting on world peace and it went about as well as you think it would. The meeting started with the head of the UN saying that Russia's in violation of international law

Starting point is 00:10:52 and the UN charter and is actually the one currently ruining world peace. But since Russia is the head of the UN Security Council this month, they just ignored him and pressed onward with their summit of peace. And so Russia began the meeting by launching hundreds of accusations at Ukraine

Starting point is 00:11:02 and blaming the West for the war that Russia started and then stating a world war is inevitable if the US doesn't stop opposing their invasion. How peaceful. And so Russia began the meeting by launching hundreds of accusations at Ukraine and blaming the West for the war that Russia started, and then stating a world war is inevitable if the U.S. doesn't stop opposing their invasion. How peaceful. Once Russia was done spraying their fire hose of falsehoods, the U.S. had enough of the circus and said, our hypocritical convener today, Russia, invaded its neighbor, Ukraine. Adding that they're anything but peaceful, you also have the U.K. saying that we've all seen what Russia's idea of peace means for the world. The E.U. saying that all Russians do is destroy while Europeans build and protect? I mean, this is like if Tucker Carlson held a UN summit about the dangers of fear-mongering and white supremacy. And then, the Earth is more than

Starting point is 00:11:31 halfway fucked, right? That's a statement that I can say that I think, just on face value, half of you would just nod your head. But the details of the fuckery still might surprise you. So it turns out that we've actually crossed at least five of the nine planetary boundaries, the points at which human activity pushes the Earth beyond the stable environment of the last 10,000 years. Those including climate change, the destruction of wild habitats, loss of biodiversity, excessive nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, as well as the fifth, which scientists said we broke last year, chemical pollution. And back then, the study's author said there has been a 50-fold increase in the production of chemicals since 1950. And this is projected to triple again by 2050.

Starting point is 00:12:03 Or to put it another way, a new industrial chemical is created every 1.4 seconds on average. And even putting the environmental harms aside, this directly affects humans. With the World Health Organization estimating that 2 million lives and 53 million disability-adjusted life years were lost in 2019 due to exposure to selected chemicals. So exactly one year ago today, the European Union devised a plan to tackle this growing crisis, calling it the Restrictions Roadmap. And it's seeking to ban up to 7,000 of the most potentially dangerous chemicals on the European market by 2030. We're talking things like synthetic compounds used in cosmetics, paints, cleaning products, adhesives, lubricants, pesticides, fucking everything. And these chemicals link to serious illnesses such as cancers, hormonal disruption, and reprotoxic disorders.

Starting point is 00:12:40 And the EU took the novel approach of targeting entire classes of chemicals, which is actually smart because companies often evade bans on individual substances by simply tweaking their chemical composition, or they're monetarily incentivized to try to fuck regulators. Which is why when this plan was first revealed, activists were elated. But now, a year in, very little progress has actually been made, according to a new report. With the union using the roadmap to ban just 14 chemical groups, of which only two appear watertight. And the report points to the failures to clamp down on specific chemicals we know to be dangerous. Things like bisphenols, which go into plastics and resins used to make food and water containers, sometimes seeping into the

Starting point is 00:13:11 actual contents humans are consuming. With regulators reducing the tolerable daily intake of bisphenol by a factor of 20,000 due to the risk of allergic lung inflammation and autoimmune disorders last week. Yet reportedly only five of the 148 bisphenols on the market face restrictions. And other examples include single-use diapers that contain dioxins, furans, formaldehyde, orders last week, yet reportedly only five of the 148 bisphenols on the market face restrictions. And other examples include single-use diapers that contain dioxins, furans, formaldehyde, and PCBs, a ban on which was proposed and then withdrawn, with the report also saying a planned restriction on the use of calcium cyanide and fertilizer has been delayed for years, as well as proposals to restrict so-called forever chemicals just gathering dust for the past two and a half years. And those chemicals were recently found at around 17,000 sites across the UK and

Starting point is 00:13:44 Europe contaminating the water, soil, and sediments. But then, even for the stuff that is banned, some of that just goes overseas instead. With an investigation revealing that for certain pesticides and fungicides banned by the EU due to them causing cancer, reproductive problems, and neurodegenerative diseases, the chemical companies in Europe are still exporting millions of pounds worth of them to Brazil, where farms supply Nestle products in the global sugar market. But important to remember with all this negative news is that this change is not impossible. We're just talking about Europe here, but humans have done way more on a much bigger scale. Things like the hole in the ozone layer, for instance. We first detected that back in 1985, and it's now

Starting point is 00:14:14 closing up thanks to global cooperation and strong regulation. It didn't just magically go away like some climate change deniers throw out there. What actually happened is that 99% of ozone-depleting substances have been phased out, and an estimated 2 million people are saved from skin cancer every year. And arguably, we can do the same for the world's remaining crises, as Sir David Attenborough explains. With CFC's ban, the ozone hole is healing. Now it's time to take action again. Once more, we must come together to protect the future of our planet. But that's it for the news that you need to know today. My name's Philip DeFranco. You've just been filled in.

Starting point is 00:14:50 I love yo faces and I'll see you tomorrow.

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The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 4.25 He Faked His Death, Then It Gets Weirder... Nicholas Rossi, Pokimane, Madison Beer, & Today's News

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