The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 5.22 DID SHE LIE?! Andrew Tate’s True Influence Revealed, Debt Ceiling Countdown, & Today’s News

Starting point is 00:00:00 Sup, you beautiful bastards. Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show. We got a lot of news to talk about today, so let's just jump into it. Starting with... Fake news about an explosion at the Pentagon is spreading on Twitter. This morning, in no way was it hard to find accounts, including verified ones, sharing an image of a smoke cloud alongside the claim about the explosion. Several of those posts alone getting hundreds of thousands of views even had news outlets like RT, which is a Russian state media platform, spreading it. And while they did eventually remove that post, damage control was still necessary. With Arlington Emergency Services trying to refute all this misinformation spreading on Twitter, writing, there is no explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon Reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public.

Starting point is 00:00:35 With tons of people now suggesting that the photo was AI generated. Though no matter how it was made, it's a fake, and the Department of Defense also confirmed it as a piece of misinformation to Forbes. Now currently, the source of the image has still not been determined, but even though this was a fake, there were still real consequences. Not only because this sparked a general fear for a number of people, but it sparked a fear with the stock market, which dipped slightly this morning

Starting point is 00:00:53 as a result of the fake news going viral. And again, this is just a small snippet of a much, much bigger problem that's only gonna get worse. Because I'll continue to say this until I'm blue in the face, the AI that you experience today is the worst that it will ever be again.

Starting point is 00:01:04 And remember, we've had a fake news problem before the rise and the lowering of the bar for the accessibility of this tech. The AI isn't the fire. That's already been raging. This is the gasoline. And then why in the world is Eric Adams evicting homeless veterans? That's the question people have been asking since the New York mayor announced a plan to bus some migrants to hotels in nearby counties earlier this month. And with that, Orange and Rockland counties suing to block that from happening. And the state Supreme Court granting both temporary restraining orders. But by that point, many migrants had already arrived. And so as we soon learned, at least 15 homeless veterans were forced out of their hotels in short notice to make room for the asylum seekers.

Starting point is 00:01:36 Which is why we saw for the next week, right-wing media taking this story and going fucking wild with it. It's a total embarrassment. It's a slap in the face to veterans, to citizens of New York and this country, who are really being cast aside to allow for asylum seekers to come here. These are our nation's heroes. These are our veterans. These are the best among us who deserve a helping hand. They put their lives on the line. If you're going to have to choose one desperate person over another,

Starting point is 00:02:00 choose the ones who are already helping who have served this country. Except now it all looks like it was complete and total horseshit. Or because several of the homeless men that were supposedly kicked out of the room say they were duped by Sharon Toni Finch, a nonprofit leader who houses the homeless. With her associates allegedly going to a shelter

Starting point is 00:02:14 looking to get volunteers, or a trip to Connecticut to speak to a local politician about homelessness. With then 15 of them meeting her at a diner where she bought them food and alcohol, then rounded them up in the parking lot and presented her plan. Or instead of a politician, they would go in front of a local chamber of commerce and pose

Starting point is 00:02:27 as military veterans who were forced out of a hotel to make room for asylum seekers. If they weren't comfortable with that, she allegedly instructed them to say they had PTSD and couldn't speak. And so they did it. And the New York Post picked up that story with it going viral in right wing circles. But then the homeless men say that Tony Finch took them back to the shelter and promised to return with their money, but just never did. So they spoke out and other holes in the story began to emerge. But the graphics experts were telling a local outlet that the photos of the hotel receipts supposedly paid for by Tony Finch appeared to have been altered with smudges behind the darker type and had different fonts.

Starting point is 00:02:54 The hotel manager also reportedly is saying they had no record of the transaction, no veterans were at the hotel, and nobody was kicked out. And so now we're seeing Tony Finch saying she only told a Republican state assemblyman that she had homeless veterans who were displaced, not that it was because of asylum seekers. But he says he felt devastated and disheartened after he confronted her about it and the truth came out. Saying, quote, she alluded to the fact that maybe it's not exactly how I said it was. And then when the Associated Press confronted her on the phone, she reportedly said we should have verified better. But they then quickly hang up after further questioning.

Starting point is 00:03:19 And with this, we've seen continued fallout all over the place. Things like Fox News host Laura Ingraham having no choice but to apologize for spreading misinformation. Turns out the group behind the claim made it up. We have no clue as to why anyone would do such a thing. And all this as the New York State Attorney General is now saying she's reviewing details of the incident to determine whether she'll open a formal investigation. And Mayor Eric Adams also saying he supports a probe of the incident. And then how much actual influence does Andrew Tate have? That was not the focus of some random op-ed that we're going to talk about, but rather actual YouGov poll data.

Starting point is 00:03:47 With the Independent reporting, they've seen the data, and it revealed that 26% of men between 18 and 29 in the UK, and 28% of men from 30 and 39 agree with Andrew Tate's views on women. Also finding that men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity, right? Three in 10 supporting that compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29. Also for some extra context here, those stats are among men who know who Andrew Tate is, and it seems that most men do. 93% of the younger group familiar with him, 86% of the group in the

Starting point is 00:04:12 30s. But also outside of those demographics, there is a drastic difference. With those in the UK at large, less aware of Tate, just 63% of British adults having heard of him. And even more notably, of that now larger group, only 6% held a positive view of him. Though that still doesn't shake the sizable grip that he has on key demos. And then, Meta just got slapped with a massive $1.3 billion fine. With the European Union ordering them to pay that after discovering that Facebook broke privacy laws by transferring the data from European users to the US. And specifically saying that for years, Facebook had been illegally storing the data of EU citizens on American servers where it can be too easily accessed by US spy agencies. And so also as part of the order, Meta will be required to stop sending

Starting point is 00:04:47 European data to the US and delete the information it currently holds. Now Meta, for its part, has promised to appeal the decision, arguing in a statement that while there was, quote, no immediate disruption to Facebook in Europe, the move could have sweeping implications that go beyond Meta. Claiming the decision is flawed, unjustified, and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the EU and US. And actually, to that point, this landmark decision has also increased pressure for the US to complete a deal that would allow Meta and thousands of other multinational companies to keep transferring foreign data to the states. And actually, a preliminary version of that deal was struck between Biden and EU leaders last year, but it still needs to be

Starting point is 00:05:18 finalized, which is a very key thing to understand, because without that, today's ruling could create very, very serious challenges for some of the biggest companies out there. And then, yo, it's that time of year again. Travel, water destinations, tropical destinations, or just plain old staycation. What do you need for any of those? A great pair of shoes are going to handle any type of weather. And that's where the fantastic sponsor of today's show, Vessi, comes in. Vessi boardwalk sneakers are perfect for getaways of all kinds. Whether you're going to a sandy beach or you're staying home with all the rain everywhere in the nation, Vessi has you covered. They're lightweight, waterproof, and snowproof, so you can enjoy a relaxing walk in any weather.

Starting point is 00:05:45 The boardwalk sneakers are laceless, and you can move around without being restricted, like with rain boots. They look great, the low cut goes with almost any fit you can think of, and with different colorways, you can pick the right look for you. But I also really want to give a shout out to the team at Vessi, helping to support programs

Starting point is 00:05:57 to create fresh water where it's needed most around the world, not to mention funding programs that help shape the next generation of water protectors. So go check out the Vessi boardwalk and other styles at vessi.com slash defranco,co and get 15% off your entire order. Get your style and size now. And then we're just 10 days away from a total economic catastrophe. Because the Treasury Secretary has repeatedly said that on June 1st, that is the hard deadline by which the debt ceiling must be raised to prevent the U.S. from defaulting for the first time ever.

Starting point is 00:06:20 Something that would not only trigger a recession, but also send global markets into complete disarray. And as this ticking doomsday clock ticks down, Republicans and Democrats have failed to reach any kind of agreement. Or because the situation at hand is Republicans have said they will not agree to any debt deal until Biden agrees to massive spending cuts that would significantly roll back much of his domestic agenda. And so far, Biden has refused to cave with Democratic negotiators instead proposing a plan to freeze but not reduce federal spending in the next fiscal year. But ultimately what we saw were Republicans rejecting that plan on Friday and ending negotiations. And while we saw talks briefly restart that same night, they stalled again, prompting Biden, who was at the G7 summit

Starting point is 00:06:51 in Japan, to cut his trip early and head home to take part in the talks. But the president now set to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy today, where they'll hopefully actually begin to sort shit out. And with those two, I mean, we've seen some kind of tempered optimism. With McCarthy saying that Biden, quote, walked through some of the things he's still looking at, he's hearing from his members, I walked through things I'm looking at, I felt that part was productive. But adding, look, there's no agreement, we're still apart. Biden also echoing that,

Starting point is 00:07:12 and while that may not sound incredibly optimistic, it is a notable and big shift from over the weekend where Biden slammed House Republicans even at one point saying, I can't guarantee that they wouldn't force a default. And also very significantly, Biden once again raised the possibility of invoking the 14th Amendment

Starting point is 00:07:25 to declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional because of a clause that requires the US to pay its debts. With him having said at the summit that he believes he has the authority, but reiterating that that is a last resort option. So we'll wait to see how that plays out. I think it is important to talk some of the specifics of what happens if we actually see America default.

Starting point is 00:07:40 As some reports have noted, the most dramatic impact might be a pause in regular federal payments to tens of millions of American families, including seniors on Medicare and Social Security and people relying on food stamps. Additionally, veterans who served our country would be impacted as the government's supposed to pay out $12 billion in veterans benefits on June 1st. Also, many of the millions of federal employees would be placed in this limbo with the federal government unable to pay the $4 billion in salaries it needs to by June 9th. A situation impacting a broad

Starting point is 00:08:02 group of essential workers like military personnel, food safety inspectors, air traffic controllers. But for now, we're gonna have to wait and see. The unfortunate thing is the thing we're waiting to see is a total economic collapse or not. You know, no biggie. And then an eight-year-old girl died under the watch of U.S. Border Patrol,

Starting point is 00:08:18 and there's been a wave of backlash as information has come out. All this reportedly starting on May 14th, when the girl who was at a Texas Border Patrol facility first reportedly complained about abdominal pain, nasal congestion, and coughing. She then tests positive for influenza. Officials begin treating her with acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and Tamiflu. And by this point, they reportedly knew about her medical history, which included heart problems and sickle cell anemia. But then with all this, they reportedly

Starting point is 00:08:37 just transfer her and her family to another facility in Texas, which her mother says was dusty and smelled like urine. And the first day there, her daughter woke up with a headache and a fever, with the mother saying that the agents repeatedly ignored her pleas to hospitalize her daughter over the next few days. Like when she complained to one agent about her daughter's bone pain, she says he responded by saying,

Starting point is 00:08:52 oh, your daughter's growing up. That's why her bones hurt. Give her water. And then when her daughter was struggling to breathe, she says doctors still refused to send her to a hospital. At one point, she even says the girl stopped walking and couldn't eat because of a sore throat. But then ultimately on their last day in CBP custody,

Starting point is 00:09:04 going to the facility's medical unit three separate times. One for vomiting, a second time for a stomachache, and a third time for what appeared to be a seizure. The mother carrying her daughter into the unit that time, and finally they took her seriously and brought the girl to a hospital. There, despite their best efforts to revive her with CPR, she became unresponsive and was pronounced dead. With all this happening last week, and it marked the family's ninth day in Border Patrol custody, according to the mother. Which is also an odd amount of time because the average time migrants spend in custody is just 77 hours as of Sunday. And that's while agency policy states that people should not be held more than 72 hours. As it turns out, that rule is often violated during unusually busy times,

Starting point is 00:09:35 and border facilities have been overcrowded since Title 42 expired. But even with that, it's not clear why this girl and her family were kept so long in particular, nor do we have any answers on why she wasn't given adequate medical care. And then a major crisis may have just been averted, at least for now. And that's because today, California, Nevada, and Arizona have finally reached a deal to take less water from the Colorado River

Starting point is 00:09:52 after months of negotiation. And notably, this historic agreement comes as the essential water source has been on the verge of collapse due to the years of overuse and unprecedented climate-related mega drought. And I really do not want to undersell this, right? Because not only is the Colorado River

Starting point is 00:10:04 an essential source of drinking water for 40 million Americans in seven states and parts of Mexico, but it also irrigates 5.5 million acres of crucial farmland while its dams provide electricity to millions of homes and businesses. But also in recent years, the river's flows have dropped by nearly one-third compared to historical averages. And that threatens a devastation of water systems in the West. And according to the New York Times, this deal calls for the federal government to provide nearly $1.2 billion to irrigation districts, cities, and tribes for their agreement to temporarily use less water. The three states have also agreed to additional cuts beyond that, which taken together would amount to a 13% reduction in total water use.

Starting point is 00:10:35 And while 13% by itself just sounds like a little, the reporting on this has described the decision as quote, among the most aggressive ever experienced in the region and likely to require significant water restrictions for residential and agricultural uses. But also a key note here is this agreement only extends through the end of 2026, at which time all seven states that rely on the Colorado River will almost certainly need to come up with more permanent solutions,

Starting point is 00:10:54 especially as further declines in water reserves are likely. And then every day, America inches more and more towards becoming a full-on renter nation. And right now, you'll see plenty of people saying it's a terrible time to buy a house in America. And actually, because of that, more built-to-rent houses are being built across the country. And right now, you'll see plenty of people saying it's a terrible time to buy a house in America. And actually, because of that, more built-to-rent houses are being built across the country. And in some places like Arizona,

Starting point is 00:11:09 you have over 2,000 built-to-rent homes under construction per million residents. With the National Rental Home Council CEO saying built-to-rent housing is quickly emerging as an essential and highly desirable sector of America's housing market. Adding that America's facing a housing shortage of somewhere between 3 million and 6 million homes.

Starting point is 00:11:22 Saying anything that brings more housing into the mix is a positive. But also, one of the biggest problems with renting is the rent itself. I think we're all aware that as time goes on, rent goes up. But the rates and comparisons are key here. With Moody's Analytics reporting that rent has increased by 134.9% since 1999, but income has only increased by 76.8%. Meaning that today, the median renter would need to pay 29.6% of their monthly income on rent alone in the first months of 2023. And all this is a reason Redfin reports that there are only four major cities where a typical house has a lower mortgage than cost of rent.

Starting point is 00:11:51 And that's connected to the rising interest rates. Which is also why you have a lot of people not selling their homes right now and instead being interested in renting. If you own a home and you got a mortgage with like a 2.8% interest rate, who's selling? Unless you need cash on hand, like you want to be super liquid. Just to highlight the drastic change we've seen over the last few years, let's say you buy a million dollar house, you put $200,000 down, right? You have an $800,000 mortgage. If you got that at a 3% rate, you are paying $4,160 a month. But if you did that same thing at a 6.5% rate, you are looking at a monthly payment of $5,844. That is a drastically different world.

Starting point is 00:12:23 So that's why you have so many people saying like, oh, I feel like I have golden handcuffs on. If I sell this property with the intent to buy somewhere else, I'm just fucking myself. But if I now rent this house out in a world where 6.5% is what's expected, a person could probably make a nice profit. Even though, as is often the case, the person most dumped on is the renter. And that's where I'm going to end today's show. As always, thank you for watching, liking, and being subscribed to these daily dives into the news. My name's Philip DeFranco. You've just been filled in. I love your faces and I'll see you tomorrow.

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The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 5.22 DID SHE LIE?! Andrew Tate’s True Influence Revealed, Debt Ceiling Countdown, & Today’s News

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