The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 5.21 The Theo Von Gaza Problem, Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman Forced To Stay Alive, & Today’s News

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

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So you're hosting the family barbecue this week, but everyone knows your brother is the grill guy, and it's highly likely he'll be backseat barbecuing all night. So be it. Impress even the toughest of critics with freshly prepared Canadian barbecue favorites from Sobeys. This Theo Von Gaza backlash has absolutely exploded, with some former critics defending him and former allies now blasting him. What's really going on with Trump's so-called big, beautiful tax bill after midnight blowups

and conflicting reports have been coming out? A brain-dead woman in Georgia is now being forced to go to term because of the state's abortion law as Pedro Pascal and others are standing up for Planned Parenthood. And why people may start going to jail for paying for a certain kind of OnlyFans content in July.

We're talking about all that and much more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show. You daily dive into the news, starting with this. Media and podcaster Theo Vaughn is getting a lot of love and a lot of hate around Gaza right now. Right in that, after he shared a clip where he expressed sympathy and heartbreak for those in Gaza and called what was happening there genocide. There's a conflict that's been happening in the Middle East. People know about it between Israel and Palestine and some of the areas over there, the Gaza east people know about it um between israel and palestine and some of the areas over there the gaza area they talk about and uh and i just think it's it feels

to me i don't know if i it just it feels to me like it's a genocide that's happening while we're alive here in front of our in front of our lives. And I don't, sometimes I feel like I should say something. I'm not a geologist or geographer or anything like that, you know? So I don't know a lot of the, some of it I do know though. Like I know the basics of the issues over there, but for me, it's just like how I feel. With Theo saying he's seen photos of people, children, families with their body parts hurt or scattered, and it feels hard to watch this without speaking out about it and adding. I think we're watching probably like, you know, one of the sickest things that's ever happened. And and I'm sorry if I kind of haven't said about it.

I've tried to talk about it and learn about it. And it's crazy because our country is also complicit in it. You know, it's in it and has been for a long time. And while he originally said all this during an episode of his podcast earlier this month, he just shared that clip on Twitter and TikTok yesterday with the caption, what are we doing? With, you know, bringing in a whole new wave of responses and reactions, right?

Some shocked that he shared his opinion, especially since he's often considered part of the podcasting manosphere, or at least as overlapping with that community, and some seeing him as a kind of a Joe Rogan-era parent, especially as he also attended Trump's inauguration alongside people like the Paul brothers. And so you had some on the left pleasantly surprised

that he felt this way about Gaza in writing. It's so important for people like Theo Vaughn to be saying this stuff with their demographic. And say what you will about Theo, but this really does speak to how a majority of Americans feel about what's happening in Gaza and how powerless we feel watching our own government take part in it.

But then also, he got a ton of backlash for a number of different reasons. You had some furious at him for speaking out about this, but not being as vocal about October 7th. You also had a number of people on both sides of the issue, kind of just thinking he didn't really understand the conflict enough to deliver a take on it. With, for example, the likes of Tim Pool saying,

"'It's one thing to criticize the war, "'it's another to call it a genocide.' "'Massive swing to one side on an issue "'he doesn't know much about.'" With some then specifically pointing to the fact that he said he's not a geologist, as evidence that he's not educated here in writing. "'Unpopular opinion.

"'This is why not every content creator should speak out "'slash give their opinion on stuff like this. "'I'm not a geographer or geologist. "'Like, what the fuck is this? "'If you really care, then use the platform to spread educated people's voices on it, not whatever this is. So then others defended him against the backlash saying,

I think it's fair to say that what he is expressing here is a normal, fair and relatable reaction. It is easy to dunk on him for the geologist comment or to ask about the hostages, but the reality is, Theo is like most people who just see suffering. Kids buried in rubble, parents weeping over dead bodies, neighborhoods destroyed and want it to stop. His feelings and empathy seem entirely genuine. is like most people who just see suffering. Kids buried in rubble, parents weeping over dead bodies, neighborhoods destroyed and want it to stop.

His feelings and empathy seem entirely genuine. It's saying this is a deeply human and good thing and we shouldn't demean him or anyone else for having them. But that's also not where the controversy ended because you also had a number of people frustrated that he said this even though he associates himself with Trump or with him among other things, having just been in Miami with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner and he made an appearance

during Trump's visit to Qatar doing a standup set before the president delivered remarks. So with this, among other things, having just been in Miami with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, and he made an appearance during Trump's visit to Qatar doing a stand-up set before the president delivered remarks. So with this, you have some saying he's not just kind of MAGA-adjacent, he's fully part of Team Trump. And all of this as Trump really hasn't been seen as Gaza-friendly, and even shared a video reimagining the Gaza Strip as like a giant Mar-a-Lago. You had some saying that Theo is being a hypocrite here for condemning the U.S. government's actions one minute, but then playing buddy-buddy with Trump and his family the next. Writing things like, Theo, you voted for and attended an inauguration for a man who joked about building hotels over the top of the wreckage. You supported the man who funded it with a smile. And with that, arguing that no one should fall for what they called his crocodile tears and that his sympathy for Gaza in that clip, it's just performative. But again, depending on where you go on the internet, drastically different reactions.

And so while all of this is playing out, I then got to pass the question off to you. What are your thoughts around this? And I'll leave that as kind of a more open question because there are some black and white takes that I've seen and some kind of more nuanced ones. But then from that next up, in very interesting news, if you are an OnlyFans user in Sweden,

you might go to prison. Right in that because the Swedish parliament just passed a law equating the purchase of sexual content online with purchasing sex from a prostitute, which one is already illegal in Sweden and two comes with a punishment of up to a year in prison for the buyer. And specifically under this new law, which is set to take effect July 1st, it will be illegal to pay someone to carry out a sexual act remotely for the specific purpose of that act being viewed by the buyer. Or in other words, this is not a complete ban on internet porn, but it is meant to target specifically

live commissioned interactions. So watching prerecorded content, that is still legal. And you can even watch lives as long as you are not paying for a specific act. You know, this type of content that they've made illegal, it spells some serious trouble for sites like OnlyFans. Because those live special commissioned interactions, they're both incredibly popular

and incredibly lucrative for the performers. And then as far as why the Swedish government has done this, right, do they have an issue with OnlyFans? Well there I'll say it's not that simple because during parliamentary debate, lawmakers argued that this law, it's meant to address the dangerous aspects of online sex work with one MP saying, this is about digitalized prostitution where the boundaries between pornography and human trafficking are blurred, but where exploitation and abuse are present. We've had another MP saying after the bill passed, "'This is a new form of sex purchase, "'and it's high time we modernize the legislation

"'to include digital platforms.'" And as you'd expect, we're seeing a lot of people both celebrating and heavily criticizing the move. With advocates saying that the new law makes a standard on sex work in Sweden uniform and clear, what's illegal in person is now illegal digitally. Saying the digital world can no longer be an entry point for prostitution.

Then as far as the criticism, that's actually coming from a couple of different places. You have some saying this is just born of moral panic, let adults be adults, but then others saying this actually doesn't go far enough and they've called for the ban of platforms like OnlyFans altogether. And then also there are just some that are concerned

that this law could end up arbitrary as performers and fans find loopholes. But again, this doesn't go into effect until July 1st, but it will be interesting to see if we see charges start to come from this. But then next up today, let's talk about abortion or rather more specifically, let's talk about this recent wave of advertising

and messaging that we've seen from reproductive healthcare nonprofits, starting with Planned Parenthood. And that, because the group just got backing from dozens of big stars for a campaign that started just today with a full page ad in the New York Times. With the dub, the I'm for Planned Parenthood Initiative

and per Rolling Stone, it comes in response to the Trump administration's attacks on Planned Parenthood. Because back in April, they announced plans to freeze family planning funds for the group, which is a move that'll cut access to birth control, cancer screenings, and more. And so this new campaign, it highlights the threats that reproductive healthcare is currently facing.

With it also stating that one in four people in the US have been to a Planned Parenthood health center for care, birth control, cancer screenings, wellness exams, STI testing and treatment, abortion, gender affirming care, and more. And you'd big names signing onto it, including Pedro Pascal, Olivia Rodrigo, Addison Rae, Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion,

and way more. And you'd Planned Parenthood thanking those stars on Instagram and writing that healthcare decisions should be made by patients, not politicians. Right, and this is Planned Parenthood thanking those stars on Instagram and writing that healthcare decisions should be made by patients, not politicians. And this is Planned Parenthood is not the only group that's been trying to raise awareness lately. With, for example, Axios reporting that a group called the Bridget Alliance is rolling out campaigns in Florida, Louisiana, and Georgia. And their specific focus is helping people who need to travel out of state for abortion care, helping to cover transportation, lodging, coordination, childcare, and more. And in Florida, you have the group targeting people on Facebook, Instagram, and more

with digital and audio ads about their services. And in Georgia, the group will run two static billboards around the Atlanta area for a month, with them then also posting billboard trucks in front of universities and crisis pregnancy centers. And this notably comes as there's a ton of focus on abortion laws in Georgia right now because of the case of Adriana Smith,

which if you haven't heard, it is just a nightmare story. She's a 30- old nurse in Atlanta. And according to her family, she was about nine weeks pregnant when she was declared brain dead in February. With her story then getting a lot of attention over the last week after her family told local news that Adriana has been on life support for more than 90 days

since she was declared brain dead and is now 21 weeks pregnant. With the hospital telling her family that they are keeping her alive until the baby can be delivered due to the state's abortion ban. And so as you might imagine, this has sparked a ton of outrage and debate

on how strict abortion laws should be interpreted in cases like this. Especially because this most likely is gonna end in an all around tragedy. Because you have medical experts telling the Washington Post that they know of no cases where a mother who was declared brain dead this early in pregnancy, but kept on life support,

was able to have a healthy and successful delivery. And you have Adriana's family saying that, you know, they don't know what's gonna happen and they don't know what choice they would have made if they had been given any options. But what's frustrating is that they had no say at all. And so then with all that, you had a Democratic state senator writing,

this is a grotesque distortion of medical ethics and human decency. That any law in Georgia could be interpreted to require a brain-dead woman's body to be artificially maintained as a fetal incubator is not only medically unsound, it is inhumane. And this is the state's attorney general, Chris Carr, could be interpreted to require a brain-dead woman's body to be artificially maintained as a fetal incubator is not only medically unsound, it is inhumane. And this is the state's attorney general, Chris Carr,

has denied that George's abortion law mandates this with his office writing. There is nothing in the Life Act that requires medical professionals to keep a woman on life support after brain death. Removing life support is not an action, quote, with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy. But still, you have the hospital, Emory Healthcare,

maintaining it, quote, uses consensus from to terminate a pregnancy. But still you have the hospital, Emory Healthcare maintaining it, quote, uses consensus from clinical experts, medical literature and legal guidance to support our providers as they make individualized treatment recommendations in compliance with Georgia's abortion laws and all other applicable laws. And notably there, some legal experts have said

they understand how they landed there. With for example, a professor at Drexel University telling the AP that the hospital is likely concerned about the part of the law that gives fetuses legal rights as members of the species Homo sapiens. Meaning that the hospital likely feels that it has to consider Adriana and the fetus as two separate patients,

meaning that there is an obligation to keep the fetus alive even if she's dead. Within that professor adding, "'These are the kinds of cases "'that law professors have been talking about "'for a long time when they talk about fetal personhood.'" You know, even though you had Carr slamming this interpretation of the law,

you also had Republican State Senator Ed Setzler supporting it, saying, I think it is completely appropriate that the hospital do what they can to save the life of the child. I think this is an unusual circumstance, but I think it highlights the value of innocent human life. I think the hospital is acting appropriately.

And you know, as the attention around the story has grown and the public outrage has grown with it, her family also started to goFundMe for medical costs that has raised nearly $100,000. And there you had people writing things like, "'It is a misuse of power, a violation of dignity, "'and a painful delay of sacred closure. "'Your daughter's soul deserves peace.'

"'As well as, you should have been given a choice. "'We should all be rioting outside of that hospital "'and demanding this broken law be rectified.'" But ultimately, that is where we are right now. And unfortunately, this ends up being another one in the column of just nightmarish post-Roe stories that we're seeing play out. And then I've got way more news you need to know about

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But then, going back to the news, Trump's big, beautiful tax bill? It could go up for a vote as soon as tonight, and you've got the president himself claiming that the GOP is tremendously unified. But this notably as key members of the party have said the exact opposite. So the top level TLDR is that this measure, which was drafted by House Republicans, it would set key parts of Trump's legislative agenda. With the bulk of the initial legislation being composed of more than $4 trillion in tax cuts, which include the extension of the 2017 cuts made under the first Trump administration. But also, in order to pay for that, the GOP has proposed a series of cost-cutting measures. With that, including, among other things, massive cuts to food stamps and Medicaid

that will force millions of poor Americans to lose their health insurance and other key benefits. But even then, a preliminary analysis by the nonpartisan congressional budget office estimated that this proposal would add roughly $2.3 trillion to the debt over the next decade, which, wah-wah, sirens going off, is a figure that many economists and Wall Street investors find incredibly alarming.

And it's one that would force officials to mandate across the board spending cuts, including slashing Medicare by nearly $500 billion over 10 years. Right in that is the CBO also found that the Republicans' big, beautiful bill would hurt the poorest Americans as it benefits the richest, with them estimating that in 2027, the bottom 10% would lose the equivalent of 2% of their income, largely thanks to reduced benefits. And while that's happening, the top 10% is projected to see an increase of 4% thanks to the Trump tax cuts. So needless to say, Democrats have wholeheartedly opposed this legislation, which has left the Republicans scrambling to cobble together enough of their slim majority to try and get this passed.

You know, scramble they have, though it has been an absolute nightmare for them to try to get this divided party to hash out the final details. On one side, you have hardline conservatives urging deeper cuts to offset the trillions of dollars of tax cuts, and they're specifically pushing to slash Medicaid and other federal benefit programs even more. But then also more moderate members and representatives from blue states or swing districts, they've rejected further cuts to programs that their constituents rely on. And then another major sticking point for that group is further increasing the cap on the state and local tax deduction, which you know is also known as SALT, and it allows taxpayers to write off the amount that they paid in local taxes when they file federal taxes.

But many conservative hawks have been skeptical or outright opposed any additional increases to the cap with the and it allows taxpayers to write off the amount that they paid in local taxes when they file federal taxes. But many conservative hawks have been skeptical or outright opposed any additional increases to the cap with the initial legislation already bumping it from $10,000 to $30,000. And so with all that, you then had Trump going to the house to throw his weight around, try to persuade members of his party to rally behind the bill

and seemingly at times even threatening them. With for example, when asked if lawmakers who oppose the bill would face primary challenges, Trump responded, possibly, and later added, they wouldn't be a Republican much longer. They would be knocked out so fast. Trump then also went on to single out Representative Thomas Massie, who's a libertarian

who has been outspoken about his opposition to the bill's spending levels, and the president telling reporters, he doesn't understand government. He should be voted out of office. But then more generally speaking, Trump played to the middle of his caucus with him reportedly telling hawkish members not to fuck around with Medicaid benefits while also

instructing moderates to just accept the SALT deduction cap as is. And ultimately Trump emerging from the meeting expressing confidence that his party will pass the tax bill and declaring that the GOP is tremendously unified. But in reality, and understand things can change, currently that does not appear to be the case. With it also unclear how much of an impact Trump actually had in swaying members. Or with, for example, the Washington Post reporting that despite Trump's visits, the GOP's narrow majority remained far from unified around the proposal.

And even after the meeting, things were still so tenuous that the House Rules Committee, which needs to pass the measure first before it can go to a full floor vote, it had to hold a rare overnight meeting to hash out the final detail. With members convening at one o'clock in the morning and debating well into the morning.

And as the Rules Committee debated, Speaker Johnson and other GOP leaders worked behind the scenes to negotiate with the remaining holdouts, with Johnson reportedly promising the Rules Committee at the beginning of their overnight meeting that he would get them a new version of the bill built on his ongoing negotiations. But then, according to reports from the New York Times, after eight hours of debate, Johnson had failed to deliver any modifications. Though, with that said, the speaker did announce that he did indeed reach a deal

with a moderate Republican holdouts who wanted an increase on the SALT deduction cap. With Johnson confirming that he had agreed to raise the cap to $40,000 beginning in 2025 for taxpayers earning less than $500,000. And this morning, while speaking about the agreement, he expressed very high optimism that the bill would pass, telling reporters, we plan to do it tonight if possible. But that, as you also had the more hawkish Republicans

disputing that. For example, Representative Andy Harris, the chair of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, telling Newsmax, I think actually we're further away from a deal because the salt cap increase upset a lot of conservatives, saying we actually stopped negotiating before midnight because we actually had a deal that was then pulled off the table. So again, this bill actually got worse overnight. With him then explicitly adding, there is no way it passes today. But then notably here, he appeared to walk back those statements, at least a little bit after a private meeting with Johnson. With him saying that the fiscal hardliners in the party saw a pathway forward and were greatly encouraged by the progress that's been made in the last 24 hours. But then he also reiterated that he still doesn't think that the

legislation can be passed today or even this week. And to that point, you also had another conservative leader indicating that the bill may not get passed by the Memorial Day deadline that Johnson has set, calling it a completely arbitrary deadline and arguing that it is more important to get this right, to get it correct, than to get it fast. Though that said, there is sort of a deadline, right?

A big element of this bill is that it also raises the debt ceiling, which sets the amount of money that the government can borrow to pay its bills. And you've got the treasury secretary saying that lawmakers have until mid July to increase the debt limit or risk a disastrous default. But regardless, what we're hearing from key Republicans on the ground here seems to fly in the face

of everything that Johnson and Trump have said. So for now, we're gonna have to wait to see how this plays out, if they can get this bill on the floor, what changes, who changes. But then even if that does eventually happen, the measure still faces weeks of debate in the Senate where changes are expected. And while Republicans are trying to pass this bill

using the reconciliation process, which allows them to bypass the filibuster, the complicated rules that come with that process could still threaten its chances of success. So I'll also say, notably here on the topic of the Senate, we saw that chamber unexpectedly pass the No Tax on Tips Act, which is exactly what it sounds like, a bill that would eliminate the federal income tax for tips. And specifically, the legislation, which was introduced by Ted Cruz and a bipartisan group

of senators, it would create a federal income tax deduction of up to $25,000 a year for tips given in cash, credit and debit card, and checks. So eligible employees would be able to claim a 100% deduction in their tax filings of up to $25,000 in earned tips each year. Though notably, there is a cap for employees who made more than $160,000 in the last tax year, which is a limit that increases with inflation. But the fact that this measure passed the Senate, it was surprising for a few reasons. First of all, it just generally feels like a miracle anytime any legislation can pass with bipartisan support. And while the idea of no tax on tips has garnered widespread support from across the political spectrum, it's really something that was popularized by Trump, who made it a key promise during his campaign.

And in fact, part of the reason that we're talking about this now is because Trump's big, beautiful bill also includes a provision that would pause taxes on tipped wages and overtime pay. But Democrats who were against the so-called big, beautiful bill, they've argued that this specific effort

it'd be doomed if it stays in the tax package. Also, it presents them the opportunity to show they support this particular idea, but they can still be against the other bill, which then brings us to the second reason this vote was a surprise, which was the way that the no tax on tips acts was passed. It was very unusual.

Because you see, Democratic Senator Jackie Rosen, who co-sponsored the bill, brought it up for approval through a process called unanimous consent, which allows any lawmaker to go to the Senate floor and seek passage of legislation as long as no other member objects. So normally, unanimous consent is used for more routine and procedural matters with, for example,

Politico explaining that unanimous consent success rates are not high for major changes to the tax code. Now also what I'll add here is while you have many applauding this move, you also have many experts saying this proposal, it won't actually do much to help working Americans. And that is some projections show that it'll cost the federal government between 10 to $15 billion in lost revenue every year. Because according to an analysis by Yale's

budget lab, tipped workers do not make up a large share of the labor force. With them adding that those who do tend to be much younger than non-tipped workers and do not make enough to pay federal income tax anyway. In fact, some economists say this move could actually hurt low-income tipped workers. Right in that, because it would increase their total income enough to make them ineligible for other more significant tax benefits. And some progressive groups further warning that this plan hurt low-income tipped workers. Right, and that because it would increase their total income enough to make them ineligible for other more significant tax benefits. And some progressive groups further warning that this plan could just distract from other policies

that could more successfully benefit working class and low-income Americans. But as far as what's gonna happen next, right, the no tax on tips act, it still needs to get passed by the House and signed by Trump. And then even with that, you had Senator Cruz indicating that the measure could be passed as part of the broader tax bill.

Right, and because a version of it's already included in that legislation, it seems like house leaders would probably opt to keep it there rather than have a whole separate vote. But also that decision ultimately depends on the fate of the big, beautiful bill, which brings us kind of full circle to where we started. And then I've got even more news for you in just a minute.

But first, thanks to our sponsor. Because you know, politics often feels more like performance art. Stunts, sound bites, and outrage just about daily. What actually matters, it often gets lost in the noise. And that is actually why I've been using Ground News, which is a news comparison platform that helps us see how today's stories are being covered

across the political spectrum. We actually use their tools behind the scenes when analyzing coverage for the PDS. And I genuinely love their blind spot feed because it's the easiest way to spot narrative gaps before they shape your view of the world. It's great because it surfaces stories one side won't stop talking about and the other side is appearing to ignore. So for example, the UK, France, and Canada, they're threatening sanctions against Israel. And what we've seen is that right

leaning outlets have been very silent. Meanwhile, you've got AOC's district seeing a 70% surge in crime, more than double the New York City average, and not a single left leaning outlet had covered it. Same moments in time, but different double the New York City average, and not a single left-leaning outlet had covered it. Same moments in time, but different news cycles and completely different reality. So if Ground News isn't part of your news diet along with the show, get on it. Go see for yourself why they've got 10,000 five-star reviews

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Because the Japanese minister of agriculture was just forced to resign after saying that he does not buy his own rice and instead he gets it for free. You know, to you or me, that might sound kind of like an odd comment or maybe a slightly out of touch comment in Japan, that was fucking blasphemous. In that, because the country is in the middle

of a major rice shortage right now that's massively raising the price of its staple crop. All while there's also a broader cost of living crisis in the country to contend with. Plus this is all happening just a couple of months before a big pivotal election there that's expected to shake up Japanese politics. Before fully getting into that,

let's start with the minister's controversial comment about where he gets his rice. Because basically, while speaking at a fundraiser over the weekend, he claimed that he quote, "'Never bought rice himself because his supporters donate so much to him that he can practically sell it.'" With that and sparking widespread outrage

across the country and one opposition leader describing the comment as extremely inappropriate, out of touch and intolerable. With the opposition there then threatening to submit a no confidence motion against him if he did not resign voluntarily. And that is exactly what he did, with him apologizing for what he described as his extremely inappropriate remark. Then he also seemingly tried to defend his words, reportedly claiming that he does actually buy white rice himself, and that his comment

referred only to brown rice, which he said he wants people to become interested in because it can reach the market faster. Right, and the added context there is that those rice shortages have been a growing issue since 2023 when you had hot weather messing with the harvest. Then also got worse last summer after the government issued its first ever mega quake warning which led to panic buying with the crisis then also broadly being blamed on global warming,

over tourism and higher fertilizer and production costs. Plus on top of all that, wholesalers and distributors are reportedly thought to be hoarding rice stocks to get ready for more potential shortages. And then, maybe most notably, you have many experts saying that this ultimately all goes back to the government, with them specifically pointing to decades-old policies purportedly meant to protect small-scale farmers, but which have actually kept newcomers from buying or using agricultural land, which has left thousands of acres uncultivated. And then actually with that, they say that efforts to reform the system have

been stopped by the National Farming Cooperative and other rural interests, which solidly support the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. And a key thing is that party has governed the country almost continuously since 1955. Though in snap elections last year, the party lost its majority in the lower house of parliament for the first time in 15 years. With that, and the Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba being forced to work with the opposition to form a coalition in order for the party to hang on to power. And in July there's gonna be another election with this one for the upper house in Parliament and another big loss that could mean the Prime Minister would have to step down. In the rice situation and everything connected to it,

it seems to be one of the major issues on voters minds, especially as the government has tried and failed again and again to do something about it. With them, for example, in February announcing unprecedented plans to release up to 210,000 tons of rice from emergency stockpiles. And then in April, when the situation still hadn't improved, importing rice from South Korea for the first time in 25 years. But still, you saw earlier this month, the average price of rice sold at supermarkets reaching a record high of just under 4,300 yen for five kilograms, or about $29 for 11 pounds, which is around double the price of the previous year. You know, with that, according to one recent poll, the prime minister's approval rating dropped more than five percentage points in just one month. Then the same poll revealing that 87% of respondents viewed the government's

response to rising rice prices as inadequate. So now you have the guy replacing the former agricultural minister telling reporters that he was told to put rice before anything, saying, at this difficult time, I will do my utmost to speedily tackle the high rice prices that people feel and worry about in their everyday lives. You know, we're going to have to wait to see how that plays out, especially with that election coming up. But that is not where our international news ends, because members of the World Health Organization have now overwhelmingly voted to adopt the first treaty aimed at preventing, preparing for, and responding to any future pandemic. And a big key thing is that the United States is not one of the countries since Donald Trump signed an executive order pulling the US out of the organization on his very first day back in office.

And in fact, with that, the Trump administration is now also reportedly poised to restrict access to COVID-19 vaccines, which is notable because, you know, the COVID-19 pandemic, it's the whole reason that we have this treaty in the first place. Right, and actually, starting there, these talks started way back at the end of 2021,

where the head of the World Health Organization claiming the previous year and a half had shown a light on the many flaws in the global system to protect people from pandemics. And since then, we've seen the whole effort almost fall apart thanks to false claims that the treaty would involve countries ceding sovereignty to the World Health Organization or give it the power to impose lockdowns and vaccine mandates, which to be clear, is not the case. The treaty establishes a framework that's meant to try to prevent pandemics from even starting, including things like boosting surveillance of animals to lower the risk of viruses spilling over to humans.

It then also lays out steps for responding more effectively once pandemics happen, like getting protective equipment to healthcare workers and aligning regulatory systems to expand access to treatments. And after years of negotiations to work all that out, no country voted against the agreement, with 124 voting in favor and 11 abstaining. Now with that, the treaty won't go into effect

until at least 60 countries have signed and ratified it, and that can't happen until a few final issues get resolved, with one of the big remaining sticking points having to do with the creation of a so-called pathogen access and benefit sharing system, which basically would be a way for countries to share genetic information and other data about dangerous pathogens in their territory

in exchange for access to vaccines and treatments. And then beyond that, the agreement also outlines a goal of having pharmaceutical companies donate or make more affordable 20% of the pandemic products they produce. With Helen Clark, the former prime minister of New Zealand and co-chair of the World Health Organization's panel on pandemic saying,

"'Many gaps remain in finance, equitable access "'to medical countermeasures, "'and in understanding evolving risks. "'Don't wait to get started. Dangerous pathogens are looming, and they certainly will not wait. Although with that, I will say not everyone agrees. A lawyer with the Third World Network, for example,

which is an international NGO focused on health and developmental issues, you had them saying that the World Health Organization's insistence on concluding negotiations at any cost had pressured lower income countries into giving in on key elements of the deal. And notably, despite the US not actually being involved, Trump may still be to blame for that. With you having one person involved in the negotiations pointing to the escalating bird flu epidemic in the United States and the anti-science approach of the White House as a

reason for rushing things. With him saying quote, everyone felt like we need to get something, you don't know when the pandemic will happen, we can't wait for another three, four years. But then with that the agreement's ultimate impact, it remains unclear. And again, that is largely due to the Trump administration, because the US has historically been the World Health Organization's biggest funder. And even before this treaty, you had public health experts saying that Trump's decision to leave it could have a major impact on its ability to respond to outbreaks as well as achieve long-term public health goals like eliminating malaria. And now you have his Health and Human Services Secretary,

RFK Jr. speaking out against the new treaty and instead calling for a reboot of the whole system. With him claiming, quote, "'The World Health Organization has not even come to terms "'with its failures during COVID, "'let alone made significant reforms and continuing.' Instead, it has doubled down with the pandemic agreement, which will lock in all of the dysfunctions

of the World Health Organization pandemic response." And then with that, he encouraged other states' health ministers to consider joining him in what he called a new era of cooperation outside of the World Health Organization. And all of this, as I mentioned, within the United States, we're seeing the FDA now limiting access to the COVID-19 vaccine, specifically for most healthy Americans under 65, with the agency saying that manufacturers would have to conduct randomized controlled clinical trials before updated vaccines would receive approval for healthier people. And there, to be clear, health experts have said

that there are legitimate questions about how necessary or beneficial it would be for everyone to get vaccinated if they're low risk. But for example, one former federal vaccine official telling NPR, the FDA is signaling a major departure from the one size fits all approach that's largely defined the US vaccination policy until now. Not everyone is at equal risk and public policy should reflect that reality. Though this is on the flip side,

you have critics saying there are a number of issues with the decision and the way that it's being made. For one, this is happening without the usual input from independent outside advisors. And that, even though there's actually a CDC panel scheduled to debate which vaccine should be recommended to which groups in June. Then two, there's concern that this could make insurance less likely to cover COVID vaccines. And three, connected to that, they say that given the overwhelming evidence that COVID vaccines are safe and effective,

what this policy is really doing is robbing people of choice. They're saying that some people might want to get it just to be extra safe, and some might want it to protect other people, such as older family members and those with weak immune systems. And so with that, you had one doctor telling the New York Times that he thinks changes like this

will lead to more unnecessary deaths. And then another saying it does seem to be based more on this administration's hostility to vaccines and resentment of COVID prevention methods. And adding, I think this is setting a dangerous precedent. But then finally today, I want to give out a congratulations and then talk about yesterday's comments. Starting with congratulations to Dustin H, SeatGeek's latest weekly winner who just scored $500. Dustin said he's looking to use it in his winnings for an Atlanta Falcons game. And for the rest of y'all, that's right, SeatGeek is still giving away $500 in tickets, and you should definitely enter today if you haven't already.

Just imagine being the next winner and snagging $500 towards seeing your favorite artist, sporting event, or play. I mean, there's over 70,000 events to choose from. And all you gotta do is add code PDS to your SeatGeek app profile for a chance at the weekly $500 prize and no purchase necessary. Truck month is on at Chevrolet. Get 0% financing for up to 72 months on a 2025 Silverado 1500 Custom Blackout or Custom Trail Boss. With Custom Trail Bosses available, class-exclusive Duramax 3-liter diesel engine and Z71 off-road package with a 2-inch factory suspension lift, you get both on-road confidence and off-road package with a two-inch factory suspension lift, you get both on-road

confidence and off-road capability. Dirt road ahead? Let's go! Truck month is awesome! Ask your Chevrolet dealer for details. To get in on it, and while you may or may not be doing that, let's talk about y'all's comments on yesterday's show and some comment commentary. Right, when you had in those comments were a lot of people angry about that Jan Six story. Mysterium saying compensation to people who tried to overthrow the government is insane. As well as Trump rewarding money to Jan Sixers is sending a message that violence toward his opponents

will be justified and rewarded. Scary fucking time we are witnessing. This is also a big slap to the face of all those officers who risked their lives defending the Capitol. And then specifically around the Ashley Babbitt of it all, you had Harold Haskins saying as a former Marine, Army soldier and police officer, I see Ashley Babbitt not as all, you had Harold Haskins saying as a former Marine, Army soldier, and police officer, I see Ashley Babbitt not as a patriot, but as a traitor to our country.

The whitewashing of the actions of that fateful day does not change right from wrong, period. And then regarding some of the clips of commentators connected to that story, you had comments like Magnus Olsen quoting Tucker Carlson saying, "'They'll be happy when I die.'" With Magnus then replying, "'With all due respect to Tuck, the party's supply stores will be sold out.'" I'm scared to ask what the without respect version of that comment is. Also, I'll say there were a lot of comments and conversation being had around Kristi Noem,

apparently not knowing what habeas corpus is. With the top comment on yesterday's show coming from UCLA drummer saying, Not knowing what habeas corpus is is embarrassing as fuck. It's like the agricultural secretary not knowing what corn is. There were then also a decent number of comments around the whole snap changes story in Nebraska. For example, the time bomb saying, grocery store worker here, it was such a shock to me that a homeless snap user cannot buy an already cooked chicken, but they can buy raw chicken. A lot of the limitations of snap seem to directly punish you if you're homeless and

incentivize you to buy the unhealthy snacks because they don't have to be cooked or kept refrigerated. Which yeah, I will say before we covered that story yesterday, I was not aware that there were restrictions around hot food like that. And so, you know, looking state by state nationwide, the expansion to hot foods, it seemed to be one of the things that, yeah, that seems like a no brainer. With it then, you know, being some of the other stuff

that I understand where people are more conflicted about things. Because as we've covered in the past on some of our deep dives, like the food desert situation is a real problem in this country. And that's also where it ended up being really interesting and helpful to see so many different inputs from y'all. With, for example, Guinevere saying,

Nebraska is going about it the wrong way. A few years ago, New Hampshire instituted double up bucks, fresh produce, fruits, vegetables, or half price if bought with a SNAP or EBT card. And saying it was later expanded to include canned and frozen fruits and veggie with nothing added, no salt, no sugar, no sauces, no butter, et cetera. It was remarkable how quickly many of the people

on those programs changed their buying habits. As a cashier at a grocery store, I saw this firsthand. Not every store participated, but mine did, and the program was and is greatly appreciated. And then I used to see people like Amber Spice saying, "'I worked as a care coordinator "'for adults with disabilities. "'All of my clients relied on SSI, SSDI,

"'and most received SNAP. "'My clients experienced a variety of impairments in daily living skills, meaning they could not cook for themselves. They lived alone. This meant that they had to rely on prepackaged food for most of their nutritional needs. I could go on and on about the reasons

why people may gravitate to, quote, junk foods and prepackaged items despite knowing that it's unhealthy. The best way to address food insecurity is to make healthy food more accessible. And of course, like every time I include this section, remember that this is just a small piece of the bigger conversation.

If you're interested in any of this, definitely go into the comment section of that video. For today's show, if there's anything that stands out, definitely jump into the section there. You know, for now, that's where I'm gonna end today's show. Thank you for watching. I love yo faces, and I'll see you right back here tomorrow.