The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 6.11 This Youtube Prankster Got Elected to Parliament, Elon Musk, MKBHD, & Apple, & Hunter Biden Guilty

Episode Date: June 11, 2024

Go to http://KiwiCo.com/DEFRANCO and use code DEFRANCO to get 50% off your first crate of any KiwiCo monthly subscription! Go to http://zbiotics.com/DEFRANCO and use code DEFRANCO at checkout to get u...p to 15% off your first order. New 3-Packs & Cyber Lime Collections NOW LIVE @ https://BeautifulBastard.com ==== ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩- – 00:00 - Americans’ Sound Off on Airplane Etiquette 2:47 - Elon Musk Claims Apple’s New Partnership With Open AI Will Be a Disaster 6:41 - Jon Stewart Slams Cynicism of Corporate Pride Month Celebrations 9:57 - Sponsored by KiwiCo 11:00 - Hunter Biden Found Guilty on 3 Counts 13:05 - Secret Sting Recordings of Samuel & Martha-Ann Alito, John Roberts Released  19:58 - Sponsored by ZBiotics 21:08 - King Charles Portrait Vandalized, YouTuber Elected to EU, Young Thug Legal Drama 25:05 - Homeownership Costs in U.S. Have Surged 26% Since 2020 ——————————   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, Jared Paolino ———————————— #DeFranco #MKBHD #JonStewart ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Sup you beautiful bastards! Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco show, your daily dive into the news. As you can tell, I'm doing a little bit of a roadshow, which I'll explain in the coming weeks, but we have a lot of news to talk about today. So let's just jump into it. Starting with... Can you play a game with me really quick? Are you proposing? Yes, I'm proposing again. So we're just, we were just on a flight. I need to know from you, flight advocate. I know that we...
Starting point is 00:00:20 You can recline your seat. Okay, well, we're going to get there. Okay, according to a survey, we get my Steve Harvey on. Not really. Is it acceptable or not acceptable to ask to switch seats with another passenger? You can always ask. You can't get mad when they say no. 51% agree that it's acceptable. 26% say it is unacceptable. Chatting with a stranger next to you the entire flight. Not unacceptable. Ooh, you are surprisingly in the minority. 46% find it acceptable. 29% unacceptable. These are all chatty people who took this poll. Putting your purse or your jacket in an overhead compartment on a full flight. No, absolutely not. 52% find it acceptable. But the number one question that everyone talks about, reclining seats, is it acceptable or unacceptable? It is acceptable because you are purchasing the seat
Starting point is 00:01:07 and the area that the seat occupies, right? You're not purchasing the space in front of you. Yeah, okay. Purchasing the seat, you can lean back. Also, I have a back fracture. I'm allowed to do this. Oh, I get special treatment. Everybody should be allowed to recline their seat.
Starting point is 00:01:23 And I think it's, You're purchasing the seat space. You are not purchasing the seat in front of you. You're not purchasing that space in front of you. I know it sounds insane, but that's what it is. Reclining on a plane. I think it is very much like having the right argument. It's how you do it. If you smack that thing, if you just you crank it.
Starting point is 00:01:41 I've literally gotten hit in the head before because someone was like, I'm going to go from my full distance. Why is your head at the chair? Because I was looking. It's for something in my bag. Yeah. Yeah. Always. You should put it up when it's at mealtime.
Starting point is 00:01:58 If you have them, if they like bring around because the tray, I don't, but I should. Is making a phone call okay? No. 37% okay. It's actually been going in a positive direction. I think making a phone call is fine, but having a conversation where it's just like casual, I think it's a little bit rude. Yeah. But like, if you need to be like, hey, let me buy or I'm going to call you when I land. When I was on the plane yesterday and there was like a parade of 11 people that went to the bathroom and I just could not get to the restroom. And I was like, it's a fucking parade.
Starting point is 00:02:29 Did I say that low enough that it was just a conversation between you or me? Or did I just bring the whole cabin into that conversation? Brad. You need Brad, everybody. What? Sorry. Somebody's calling me. I might.
Starting point is 00:02:41 And go, go, go. Thank you for being here. I love you. But you can recline your seat now you know and then we need to talk about why elon musk just threatened to ban apple products at his companies and why we're seeing the reaction we're seeing because this is happening after apple announced sweeping changes including new ai features at their world developer conference right wdc oh they announced a lot of changes including ones that are all about customization options for
Starting point is 00:03:03 your iphone and ipad and the ability to finally text Android users properly. Although Apple was still petty because despite no real difference in functionality between messaging iPhone users and Android ones, there'll still be great bubbles. But what Musk fixated on with his announcement was that Apple was going all in on AI, both with Apple intelligence and then working with OpenAI. For Apple, this represents a major step forward in how AI is used at home and heavily expands not only on what Siri can understand and is capable of, but what its apps in general can do. In particular, there will be generative AI tools that can do things like summarize emails, write new ones, or even proofread what you're about to send. In the photos department, it'll let you edit out people or make entirely new, albeit creepy as fuck, emojis. But also notably, in the announcement, Apple said that they would be working with OpenAI to add Shaq GPT features, leading Musk to then post memes and tweet,
Starting point is 00:03:48 if Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my company. That is an unacceptable security violation, and visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door where they will be stored in a Faraday cage. Although notably, that's missing a lot of the details. Apple made it clear that the vast, vast majority of AI uses will be powered by your device and your device only, with the data never leaving it. And in some cases where more power is needed to handle the request, it'll send that out to private servers run by Apple on Apple hardware. And when that happens, reportedly the data is anonymized and they can't read it or share it. With OpenAI seeming to be only involved in rare cases, like if you ask Siri a specific question it can't answer. And if that's the case, it'll then ask
Starting point is 00:04:24 you if you want to send the question to ChatGPT, at which point it'll connect to OpenAI. With Apple promising the IP addresses of these requests that they would be obscured, and that OpenAI won't be storing any of the information unless you have a paid ChatGPT account and you choose to connect it to your device. But notably, Elon wasn't buying that because he also tweeted, It's patently absurd that Apple isn't smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security and privacy. Apple has no clue what's
Starting point is 00:04:49 actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They're selling you down the river. Say, Apple using the words protect your privacy while handing your data over to a third-party AI that they don't understand and can't themselves create is not protecting privacy at all. With all of that leading to Musk actually getting community noted for both of those posts and creators who were at the event, like Marques Brownlee, responding with, I asked Tim Cook, he said Apple at no point sends any of your data to OpenAI without explicit user permission. But regardless, the reality is that all this really hinges on whether Apple can keep good on their word as well as its ability to ensure OpenAI adheres to its end of the bargain. Though Musk is unconfident about that and highlighted examples
Starting point is 00:05:23 of OpenAI doing sketchy things, like when Scarlett Johansson told OpenAI not to use her voice, but they cloned it and used it anyway. Now imagine what they can do with your phone data, even if you don't allow them to use it. And finally, Musk was also unhappy with the argument that you need to agree to have your data sent to OpenAI because nobody actually reads the terms and conditions. And to be fair, I mean, he's probably right there. But again, at least for now on paper, there are projections in place to ensure that even if you accidentally accepted the terms and conditions, OpenAI couldn't just build a profile about you. And short of a massive security breach by Apple, OpenAI for sure can't just siphon your data away like Musk made it seem. Also, what's funny about all of this is that a lot of these features are things that Windows actually just recently announced as part of an update of its operating system and people flipped.
Starting point is 00:06:03 Which has led to a lot of speculation that Apple went into so much detail about how it'll handle privacy because it didn't want to run into a similar controversy. But at the end of the day, a lot of this comes down to whether you believe Apple or Elon more. And there, you know, you have people pointing out on one hand, Apple has a longstanding history of trying to be privacy advocates, so much so that it routinely tells law enforcement that it won't help them break open phones and that they don't store user information, so they have none to give away. Though on the other hand, OpenAI has done things to make people skeptical of them. With that, people also noting that Elon's basing a lot of his claims on really nothing more than concern over OpenAI. And even more arguing he has a bias given his history with OpenAI and
Starting point is 00:06:36 the fact that he runs his own AI. But with all that said, I gotta pass the question off to you, what are your thoughts here? And then, you know, a lot of people already see that a lot of the corporate support for Pride Month, a lot of it is very cynical, self-serving PR. You know, this year, something that has been kind of standout is that people are having conversations not only about what they're seeing, but what they're not seeing. And to understand this conversation or really even to have it, we have to look back to what happened last Pride Month. You know, a long list of companies could actually serve as examples, but we're going to go with the two most notable being Bud Light and Target.
Starting point is 00:07:06 Both companies came under fire from conservatives for supporting queer people. With Bud Light partnering with Dylan Mulvaney and Target putting out some pride displays. But then both companies taking a noticeable hit to their sales. People posting videos of themselves destroying beer cans and Target displays. So now this series of people noting that both companies have scaled back their pro-LGBTQ marketing, you know, in an effort to avoid a repeat of 2023. But Target limiting the number of stores where Pride merchandise will be sold, cutting back on the types of products that it sells, and making sure that the ones that it does sell are less provocative. So Pride-themed items for children, like onesies, those are gone. And as for Weblight, you have people saying they haven't even mentioned
Starting point is 00:07:38 Pride month on social media. Instead, opting for ads with people like MMA fighter Dustin Poirier and NFL player Peyton Manning. Others noting that Nike, which also partnered with Mulvaney last year, hasn't posted anything about Pride yet. Others pointing to changes with North Face, Skittles, Calvin Klein. And so with all this, you have experts noting that in previous years, you know, companies tried to stand out as the most progressive. But increasingly now, they're aiming to be quieter, more generic, and less political. Or in other words, they're looking for this Goldilocks zone where they're just kind of woke enough to tap into the progressive market, but not so woke that they lose the conservative market. Or the kind of stuff that could be plausibly considered pro-LGBTQ if you squint at it, but doesn't really raise an alarm if you're not paying attention. Though that's not to say the pressure from the left and right are exactly the same.
Starting point is 00:08:16 Right, I mean, in a survey of 200 corporate marketing executives, 18% said that the threat of conservative consumer backlash prompted them to change their Pride Month plans. Whereas only 9% said the same about progressive consumers. So maybe the most important takeaway from the data is that over three quarters of them said that they made no changes after 2023, suggesting that even despite the handful of corporations that have changed, so-called woke capitalism is still going strong, which isn't surprising given that the LGBTQ community holds an annual purchasing power of nearly $4 trillion, according to a corporate advisory firm. But even if most companies are sticking to their pride marketing, all it takes is a few big brands flipping message the moment they can't take the heat to expose that all of
Starting point is 00:08:52 them are just in it for the money. Which actually brings us to why Jon Stewart and The Daily Show are on the news today. Because last night, for 14 straight minutes, Jon Stewart absolutely ripped into the whole idea of corporate pride. So they're very clearly conflicted between the high moral values that they think we want and the amoral values that serve their shareholders. So if I may address corporate America quickly in this moment. Stop. And by the way, for those on the right who wish corporations would just ditch the woke performances and go back to good old fashioned patriotic values,patriotic. Let's just let corporations live their truth as the profit-seeking Patrick Bateman psychopaths they are.
Starting point is 00:09:52 So as expected, there have been a lot of thoughts and opinions here, and so I want to extend that to you. What are yours? And then, y'all, you know, as my kids get older, different things become even more fun to do with them. And thanks to the sponsor of today's show, KiwiCo, I've actually found that projects are one of them. I mean, seriously, we've been using these for years,
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Starting point is 00:10:19 And importantly, all while having fun. And they're really great for summer months to keep their brains active. Now, KiwiCo offers subscriptions for all ages, but they also offer one-off crates in their KiwiCo store, from robots to ice cream making and more. Each crate's designed by experts, tested by kids, and KiwiCo includes everything you need, plus a kid-friendly magazine empowering them to complete the projects on their own and dive deeper into the subject. You know, and at home here, we love
Starting point is 00:10:40 how it provides hours of entertainment for the kids, and it provides opportunities for special moments with them while doing projects together. Or like actually recently watching them just take over. KiwiCo works really hard to create these whoa, awesome moments. So it's really a gift that keeps on giving. So definitely head on over to KiwiCo.com slash DeFranco and use code DeFranco to get 50% off your first crate of a monthly subscription. And then Hunter Biden is guilty. That's what a jury just decided, convicting him on two felony counts of lying while filling out paperwork to buy a gun back in 2018, with Hunter
Starting point is 00:11:09 claiming in that paperwork that he wasn't using illegal drugs at the time. And the jury also convicting him on a third felony count of possessing that gun for 11 days while on those drugs. And notably, these convictions carrying a combined maximum sentence of up to 25 years. And while Hunter's lawyers have spent the last week arguing that prosecutors failed to prove he knowingly lied on those federal forms, instead saying he wasn't actively abusing drugs when he bought the gun, Assistant Special Counsel Leo Wise said in a closing statement this morning, the evidence was personal. It was ugly and it was overwhelming. Having the photos, texts, and testimony around Hunter's addiction may provoke disgust or sympathy or both, but the defendant was in charge with being an addict.
Starting point is 00:11:45 Saying lying to buy that gun is a choice, and that, that is why we're here. Now, notably, these crimes all happened before Joe Biden was elected to be president and don't actually involve him. But come on, one, I mean, it's an election year, and two, this is politics. Joe Biden's getting dragged into the middle of this one way or another. For one, a number of Republicans probably want to draw attention away from the 34 felonies Trump just got in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. In fact, just this morning, we saw Representative James Comer saying,
Starting point is 00:12:08 Today's verdict is a step toward accountability. But until the Department of Justice investigates everyone involved in the Biden's corrupt influence peddling schemes that generated over $18 million in foreign payments to the Biden family, it will be clear Department officials continue to cover for the big guy, Joe Biden. Though this, as even Matt Gaetz of all people, saying the Hunter Biden gun conviction is kind of dumb, to be honest. You know, notably, this is still the first time that someone from a president's immediate family has been convicted of a crime
Starting point is 00:12:31 while the president's in office, which has also aided some wondering if Joe Biden might try to pardon Hunter. But last week, Joe actually shot down that speculation, telling ABC he would accept the outcome either way and giving just a very general statement this morning, saying he'll always be a father to Hunter, talking about family and addiction recovery, and adding, we are so proud of the man he is today. But as far as what happens next year, one, we're gonna have to wait for the sentencing,
Starting point is 00:12:53 but then also, two, his legal troubles aren't over, because he has to stand trial for another case in September, right? And that one being in LA for failing to pay $1.4 million in income taxes. So I'm facing three felony charges, as well as six misdemeanors. And then, Justice Samuel Alito and his wife, Martha Ann, are back in the news again. And this time, it's because of recent secret recordings of the two, as well as Chief Justice John Roberts now being released, with those recordings being taken by liberal activist and documentary filmmaker Lauren Windsor, who had posed as an anti-abortion conservative supportive of the Alitos,
Starting point is 00:13:23 with her then uploading clips of her conversations on X yesterday. And in the conversation with Alito, which was taken at this year's annual gala for the Supreme Court Historical Society, Windsor can be heard approaching the justice, complimenting his work, and then talking about polarization and the need to return America to a place of godliness. Considering everything that's been going on in the past year, you know, as a Catholic and as someone who, like, really cherishes my faith, I just don't, I don't know that we can negotiate with the left in the way that, like, needs to happen for the polarization to end. I think that it's a matter
Starting point is 00:13:59 of, like, winning. I think you're probably right. One side or the other is going to win. I don't know. I mean, there can be a way of living together peacefully, but it's difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things
Starting point is 00:14:28 that really can't be compromised. It really can't be compromised. So it's not like we're going to split the difference. And that's what I'm saying. I just... I think that the solution really is winning the moral argument.
Starting point is 00:14:44 Like, people in this country who believe in God have got to keep fighting for that to return our country to a place of godliness. Oh, I agree with you. I agree with you. And Windsor also stitched in a clip in the gala the year before, where she recorded herself talking to Alito about his opinion overturning Roe getting leaked and how the court hadn't publicly identified anyone responsible. You know, Alito says the court did its best, but it doesn't have the same investigatory powers as Congress or the federal government. Windsor continues by arguing that
Starting point is 00:15:11 we're in a period of turmoil where people don't trust the court, asking how we can get America back to a place of less polarization, with him responding. I wish I knew. I don't know. It's easy to blame the media, but I do blame them. Because they do nothing but criticize us. And so they have really eroded trust in the court. Martha Ann also took aim at the media in her conversation with Windsor, with the Justice's wife saying she would go after the journalist and imply she might bring defamation suits after Windsor approached her and offered support.
Starting point is 00:15:42 I'm huge fan of your husband, and everything that you're going through, defamation suits of limitations. I don't know what you mean by they. I don't mean that. Oh, okay. Come on. Come on. I'll get you. Come on. They also discussed the flag debacles, right, where Martha Ann flew two flags that have come to be associated with the stocked steel movement outside two of the couple's homes. I mean, like, the whole, like, appeal to have a heaven flag was like, Right, right, right.
Starting point is 00:16:28 That's, you know, the other thing is the femme Nazis believe that he should control me. Yeah. So who the hell? Who never controls me? They're then going on to offer this little tidbit when Windsor said that people were persecuting Martha Ann for the flag. You're persecuting me. And you're like a Canadian fan now for anybody who's religious.
Starting point is 00:16:47 Look at me. Look at me. I'm German. I'm German. My heritage is German. You come after me, I'm going to give it back to you. And notably here, she didn't offer any more explanation. But in general, you had a number of people saying that was a weird vibe to say,
Starting point is 00:17:02 I'm German, I'll go after you, given, you know, the history of when Germans went after people. With Martha Ann also going on to share, let's say, interesting thoughts on the pride flag when Windsor mentioned bringing America back to a more godly place. You know what I want? I want a sacred heart of Jesus flag because I have to look across the lagoon at the pride flag for the next month. Exactly. And he's like, oh, please don't put up a flag. I said, I won't do it because I'm deferring to you. But when you are free of this nonsense, I'm putting it up, and I'm going to send them a message every day.
Starting point is 00:17:32 Maybe every week I'll be changing the flags. There'll be all kinds. I made a flag in my head. This is how I satisfy myself. I made a flag. It's white, and it's yellow and orange flames around it. And in the middle is the word vergogna. Vergogna in Italian means shame.
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Starting point is 00:18:20 Vergogna. V-E-R-G-O-G-N-A. Vergogna. Shame, shame, shame on you. Right, so that was the Alitos, but Windsor's conversation with Chief Justice Roberts, which also was at this year's gala, has gotten a lot of attention, with Windsor asking him similar questions about political polarization, to which he responds by noting other points in history that were super tumultuous. Right, saying this isn't the first time that the court has found itself in the middle of all that, and he doesn't think that the polarization is so extreme that it can tumultuous. Wright's saying this isn't the first time that the court has found itself in the middle of all that, and he doesn't think that the polarization is so extreme that it can't be repaired. Roberts' comments also differ drastically
Starting point is 00:18:50 from Justice Alito's in regards to religion, with him pushing back on many of Windsor's assertions. But you don't think there's like a role for the court in like guiding us toward a more moral path? No, I think the role for the court is deciding the cases. If I start, would you want me to be in charge of guiding us toward a more moral path? That's for the people we elect. That's not for
Starting point is 00:19:10 lawyers. Well, I guess I just, I believe that the founders were godly, like, we're Christians. And I think that we live in a Christian nation and that our Supreme Court should be guiding us in that path. Yeah, I don't know that we live in a Christian nation.
Starting point is 00:19:26 I know a lot of Jewish and Muslim friends who would say maybe not. And it's not our job to do that. And with all this, we've all seen a number of people reacting to this by condemning Windsor for pretending to be someone else and secretly recording these powerful people. With, for example, some journalism ethics experts raising questions about her tactics, arguing that they're not justified and drawing parallels to methods used by Project Veritas. With that, we saw Windsor hit back, arguing that it was justified, and telling reporters, we have a court that has refused to submit to any accountability whatsoever. They are shrouded in secrecy. I don't know how,
Starting point is 00:19:56 other than going undercover, I would have been able to get answers to these questions. And then separate from the ethical questions here, I mean, the reality is that this information is out there now. So part of what we've seen here is that it's generated a ton of backlash, especially for the Alitos. Many calling for Alito to be impeached, saying he admitted a lack of impartiality and promoted Christian nationalist ideals. Others saying both Alitos are a threat to America and democracy and shouldn't be near power. And of course, plenty of other folks just saying this once again proves a need for sweeping ethics reforms and accountability for the Supreme Court. But for now, that's where we are, and we're gonna have to wait to see what happens from here. And then, summer is upon us, and wouldn't it be nice to make the most out of
Starting point is 00:20:32 backyard barbecues, graduations, vacations, weddings, birthdays, Friday nights? I could go on. But to just have a few drinks without feeling not great the next day. Because nobody wants to feel not so great after enjoying a few, especially when you have kids. Well, thanks to the fantastic sponsor of today's show, Z-Biotics. They've got you covered. Z-Biotics pre-alcohol probiotic is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Because when you drink, alcohol gets converted into a toxic byproduct in the gut. And that byproduct is a big reason why you feel so rough the next morning. Z-Biotics produces an enzyme to break this byproduct down, right? It's designed to work like your liver, but in your gut, where you need it most.
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Starting point is 00:21:38 this show. And then let's talk about this batch of requested quickie news. Starting with the fact that King Charles just had his first portrait as King Vandalize. Right, that portrait that made a ton of headlines because it was just so aggressively read. Now, we're seeing animal rights activists keeping the conversation going by pasting a picture of Wallace from Wallace and Gromit over the face of the king.
Starting point is 00:21:56 Which in their defense, for some reason that Wallace image actually looks more like King Charles than the actual portrait. Though notably, they did not do this for accuracy's sake. Right, the group responsible is called Animal Rising. And in addition to putting Wallace's face over the king, they also included a speech bubble that said,
Starting point is 00:22:10 No cheese, grommet. Look at all this cruelty on RSPCA farms. Right there, calling out allegations of cruelty on farms assured by the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals, which is a charity that King Charles is the patron of. And per CNN, the RSPCA's assured farm scheme is meant to guarantee welfare standards and promise that animals are given a better quality of life. But Animal Rising released a report on Sunday finding cruelty and suffering at 45 of those farms across the UK. With them saying there were dying animals left in walkways, salmon were eaten alive by sea lice.
Starting point is 00:22:38 As far as why they chose a Wallace and Gromit reference, well, Charles is apparently a massive fan of those movies. With one of the activists involved saying, even though we hope this is amusing to his majesty, we also call on him to seriously reconsider if he wants to be associated with the awful suffering across farms being endorsed by the RSPCA. With Animal Rising also saying they stuck the images onto the painting safely using a water spray in the gallery hosting the portrait confirmed to BBC News that it wasn't harmed. But still, the RSPCA condemned this stunt and added to the BBC, you remain confident that our RSPCA's short scheme is the best way to help farmed animals right now while campaigning to change their lives in the future. Then we should definitely hop overseas to Cyprus. And that's because a YouTuber there by the name of Phidias, he's actually been elected
Starting point is 00:23:16 to be an independent MEP in the European Parliament. With some outlets calling him a prankster, a MrBeast wannabe, or just saying he's known for generally bizarre stunts. Things like spending months trying to get Elon Musk to hug him, also hugging Mr. Beast and getting buried alive. He also faced a good amount of backlash for trying to travel around Japan without paying transit fares. But now, he's got a big boy job. But BBC News is reporting that even though he has no political experience, he got the third largest number of votes with nearly 20% and will be one of the six selected MAPs from Cyprus. And unsurprisingly, the reason he did so well is he did incredibly well among
Starting point is 00:23:50 young voters, especially those aged 18 to 24. And this, even though he previously said he had never actually voted himself and also was not intending to actually win the race. He just wanted to get young people involved in politics. But somehow it's calling his election a shock and a miracle. Though more importantly, it is a sign for leaders to modernize and listen to young people. But then finally for this section, we should talk about the Young Thug racketeering trial. With Young Thug's lawyer actually having to spend several weekends behind bars after being held in contempt. You know, there's a lot of finger pointing here, so let's break it down and I'll start with a refresher. Young Thug and his associates are accused of being a part of a criminal street gang responsible for violent crimes,
Starting point is 00:24:26 with authorities alleging Young Thug himself was the leader. As for what happened with his lawyer, the Washington Post had a great breakdown. During the trial yesterday, Young Thug's attorney, Brian Steele, said that the judge and prosecutors had an improper private meeting with a witness in the case, claiming that this meeting influenced the witness to testify because he was told he would be jailed if he did not cooperate, and Steele arguing that this was coercion and that he and the defense should have been involved in the meeting. When the judge asked where Steele got this information, Steele refused to say, citing client protections, and this is where things got super sticky. But I need you to tell me how you got the information. If you don't tell me how you got the information, I'm going to hold you in contempt. This is so sacrosanct
Starting point is 00:25:00 to have a conversation in my chambers parroted to you and others. It is that serious. Yeah, that's why I raise it. It is that serious that we should have been there. You got some information that you shouldn't have gotten. You're not supposed to have communication with a witness who's been sworn. Those are just snippets of their back and forth. They went on for quite a bit. But all of this leading to the judge holding Steele in contempt and later sentencing him to 20 days in jail,
Starting point is 00:25:29 which will have to be served on weekends starting this Friday. Now, Steele and other defense attorneys called for a mistrial, though prosecutors denied wrongdoing, and the judge said that there was nothing improper about the meeting at the center of this whole thing. But as he was escorted out of the courtroom, Steele told the judge that this would impact Young Thug. You are removing me against his will, my will. You're taking away his right to counsel. It's also worth noting here that he was later allowed back in the courtroom for the rest of the day's proceedings.
Starting point is 00:25:51 When he did request that he be able to spend his jail time in the same facility as Young Thug to help him prepare, the judge seemed open to it. So with this, you have outlets like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noting the situation has just shot to attorneys in the city and Steele's wife, who's also an attorney, is appealing her husband's criminal contempt finding. You also had another lawyer telling Fox 5 Atlanta that the whole thing's complicated, saying if a judge asks a question, you've got to
Starting point is 00:26:11 answer. But then adding at the same time, Mr. Steele had a right to attorney-client privilege, so what is an attorney to do? But for now, that's where we are and we're gonna have to wait to see what happens from here. And then, buying a home in the U.S. is expensive. So understandably, it's something that more and more Americans are feeling is out of reach as we're seeing home prices skyrocket. And unfortunately, I'm here to just crush those dreams even further today because it ends up that it's not just the prices of homes that continue to skyrocket, but also the cost of just maintaining one. According to findings from Bankrate, the price of homeownership has gone up 26% since the start of 2020 to $18,118 a year. And to be very clear, that does not include the cost of a mortgage. Instead, that number includes things like property taxes and insurance premiums.
Starting point is 00:26:54 It could also be argued that many lenders roll property taxes and insurance premiums into your monthly payments, so that number is slightly misleading. Which is why those numbers also include maintenance, gas, electricity, cable, internet, you know, all of which have gone up on average. And for a while there, inflation was largely blamed for a lot of these price hikes. But the issue is that the 26% hike outpaces inflation, especially when you consider that inflation has returned to, quote, normal levels. Although new data will be coming out very soon,
Starting point is 00:27:18 and there are some concerns we'll still see it higher than where the Fed wants it to be. They're shooting for a 2%. And some think that in order to do that, interest rates will need need to be cut which is actually another thing that a lot of people miss when just looking at home prices because not only are they on the rise in general but the cost to even borrow the money it's skyrocketed apparently it's between 6.5 and 7.5 percent depending on factors which is way way higher than the nearly two percent it was at a few years ago i mean just to do some napkin math that'll show you the difference that the 4.5% makes. The average American home is $490,000. At let's say 7%, that's like $3,260 a month. If you go back to June of 2021, $490,000 home would have cost like $2,200 a month and likely have been a bigger,
Starting point is 00:27:57 better home. Which is why I'm not going to ask you like, do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing? And instead, I'm just going to open up my comment section for venting. Get the anger you have about this out. It can be cathartic. I love you. But that, my friends, is where your Tuesday, evening, Wednesday morning show is going to end today. I'll be back in the regular studio tomorrow.
Starting point is 00:28:14 And without a doubt, there's going to be a lot to talk about. So I'll see you next time.

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