The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 6.5 The Taylor Swift Lady Gaga Problem & $20 Million Reparations Program Sued For Non-Black Exclusion

Episode Date: June 5, 2024

Just go to https://www.zocdoc.com/phil  and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today!  Use code “PHIL” for $20 OFF your first SeatGeek order & returning buyers use code “PDS” for $10 off AND your chance at weekly $500 prizes! https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/PHIL Daily Dip newsletter subscribers can win up to $1,000 in SeatGeek credit so make sure you’re subscribed: https://www.dailydip.co/ New 3-Packs & Cyber Lime Collections NOW LIVE @ https://BeautifulBastard.com ==== ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩- – 00:00 - Wave of Pop Star Body Shaming, Ohtani’s Interpreter Pleads Guilty  03:57 - FDA Panel Overwhelmingly Rejects MDMA as a Treatment for PTSD 06:55 - Conservative Group Sues Reparations Program in Chicago Suburb 09:37 - Sponsored by ZocDoc 10:44 - U.S. Officials Push for Cease-Fire as Israeli Launches New Attack in Gaza 16:34 - Comment Commentary  ——————————   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 #TaylorSwift #SelenaGomez ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sup, you beautiful bastards. Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco show, your daily dive into the news. I hope you're having a great one. I'm having a fantastic one. By that, I mean I'm operating at like 80% today, which is 80% higher than yesterday, because it turns out I did not have just a bad cold. I have strep throat. The doc, she got me on antibiotics, some steroids, my fever broke last night, and I feel like a human being again. That's a genuinely good thing, because there is a lot of news we got to talk about today. So buckle up, hit that like button, and let's just jump into it. In quickie entertainment and drama news, we should start with Lady Gaga. Nah, because she

popped up in the news for some photos. She was just attending her sister's wedding and rehearsal dinner with a bunch of people then running to Twitter to say that she looks pregnant. It turns out there will be no Goo Goo Gaga in the near future. With Lady Gaga posting a TikTok with the caption, not pregnant, just down bad crying at the gym, register to vote at headcount.org.

As they're turning it into a political action call and a Taylor Swift reference. You know, also with that, you had a ton of people then defending Lady Gaga amid the comments about her body. Even Taylor Swift herself chiming in, saying, Can we all agree that it's invasive and irresponsible to comment on a woman's body? Gaga doesn't owe anyone an explanation, and neither does anyone.

And her comment is also notable because Taylor herself has had to deal with pregnancy rumors. With people just constantly posting TikToks from her tour speculating because, God forbid, she takes a big breath for a second and then, oh boom, she's pregnant. Which is already annoying, but then made even worse. Like, if you ever saw her Miss Americ americana documentary because she specifically talks about having an eating disorder and not just that but how these rumors impact saying i tend to get triggered by something whether it's a picture of me where i feel it looked like my tummy was too big or like someone said that i looked pregnant or something and that will just trigger me to

starve a little bit though also i know us talking about this like it's not gonna mean anything actually changes because people are just gonna be fucking weirdos about people's bodies online. That's just, that's just the way things are. I mean, look at the Halsey situation. Yesterday while announcing new music, she wrote long story short, I'm lucky to be alive. Short story long. I wrote an album with that accompanied by footage of them discussing being sick and receiving treatment. While the post didn't make the exact illness or diagnosis 100% clear, also did tag the lupus research alliance and leukemia and lymphomamia and Lymphoma Society and is making a donation to both organizations.

And while if you look through our Instagram comments, you're like, oh my God, there's so much love and support. If you went to the hell hole that is Twitter, you found way uglier responses. Right, some saying the lupus tag and bringing up Selena Gomez's battle with the illness in a really shitty way. Writing things like, no, they'll be fat like Selena.

Right, because Selena has been very open about the fact that her lupus medication causes her weight to fluctuate. People on the internet just loving to put a body under a microscope, making a lot of uncalled for, insane comments. And like body shaming in general is just a shitty, horrible thing. But to also do it because someone's dealing with a disease

is fucking insane. Like it just makes me wonder how shitty is your life? It's not even how shitty of a person, like how can you openly not only have these thoughts but put this out there into the world and then not like have a moment later on in your life where you're like maybe i'm just taking up space maybe the world would be better off without me in this current state i should probably work on myself with that said our final quickie story is actually about shohei otani right and that because his former

interpreter just pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges. That's a major update because Ohtani, he's not just the star player for the Dodgers. He's the biggest name in baseball right now. And there were a lot of allegations and speculation that Ohtani himself was involved in this. But here we're seeing his former interpreter admitting to bombshell claims that he stole $17 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts. And while the MLB had also launched its own investigation into the matter after the guilty plea, I mean, they've shut this case and absolved Otani, releasing a statement saying, based on the thoroughness of the federal investigation that was made public, the information MLB collected and the criminal proceeding being resolved without being contested, MLB considers

Shohei Otani a victim of fraud, and this matter has been closed. And as far as what happens next, Otani's interpreter is facing up to 33 years in prison. Notably, we won't know what his actual sentence will be because that doesn't come down until October. But we'll also, I don't know how he will, have to pay Otani restitution as well as another million and some change to the IRS. But both of those amounts are also subject to change by the sentencing. And then, you know, FDA advisors were considering a psychedelic drug for the first time ever yesterday, and it ended up being a complete fucking disaster. Because an independent advisory panel for the agency

discussed whether to recommend MDMA-assisted talk therapy as a treatment for PTSD, with them then voting nine to two that it's not effective, and 10 to one that the benefits do not outweigh its risks, which is an absolutely stunning blow for the now decades-long movement to legalize psychedelics. So I will say the decision is both surprising and not surprising.

It's surprising because the drug sponsor, Lycos Therapeutics, submitted two randomized controlled trials that showed extremely positive results. With the first one finding that 67% of patients no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD following three dosing sessions compared to about 32% in the control group. And the second one, an observational follow-up study finding that the treatment's durability lasted at least six months. But the panel's rejection is unsurprising for a long list of reasons. Like right off the bat, the FDA doesn't regulate psychotherapy, nor has it ever assessed drug-assisted psychotherapy like this. So they're already treading very uncharted territory, but that also doesn't get into the problems with the studies. Because as we've talked about on the show before, Lycos has been accused

of misconduct and even being a therapy cult. With the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, a group that evaluates clinical data, publishing a report last month stating that it is possible that the study encouraged the reporting of positive events and downplayed adverse events. And in fact, yesterday, one of its participants told the FDA that her therapist encouraged her to view worsening symptoms as evidence of healing and spiritual awakening,

and adding that she and other participants later struggled with suicidality following the trial. And then there's also the scandalous video that went public of two therapists in bed with a participant while she was on the drug, with some on the panel expressing concern that the drug could incentivize that kind of unethical behavior if used widely. And then, you know, misconduct aside, there were fatal flaws in the data, most notably that the double blind was ruined because it was obvious to most patients in the trial whether they had gotten the placebo or not, which, you know, isn't surprising because if you've ever done MDMA, you know that you have taken MDMA.

So it's not surprising that the follow-up study had a dropout rate of 25%, with also some participants seeking therapy and using illicit drugs, including MDMA, which then brings us to the next sticking point, the lack of data about feelings like bliss and euphoria. And that's important because the FDA needs to know whether the drug has a high abuse potential.

With one doctor telling NPR, we're actually managing more and more severe cases of MDMA overdose, and so I'm less concerned about the safety in the acute setting, but more chronically if they go on to abuse MDMA. We also know from illicit use that MDMA may affect heart and liver health, but the trial didn't dispel that concern. With all that said, you know, the FDA doesn't technically have to follow the panel's recommendation. Though I will say it would be very surprising if it didn't in this case. Which I will say, you know, I understand, but I also think is unfortunate. This seems like a situation where there just needs to be more and more research, very obviously done by different groups. Especially as there's only two FDA-approved

treatments out there for PTSD. You know, the need for a new treatment option, that's long been recognized. And this would be the first new therapy option in nearly 25 years. And I mean, PTSD, that affects 13 million Americans. So notably, you know, this is only one drug and one application of it. There are other psychedelics out there like mushrooms and ketamine that are also being tested as treatments for other disorders like depression and anxiety. And then you should talk about what some are calling an assault on the first government funded reparations program in the United States, because this is going down right now in a Chicago suburb by the name of Evanston, where during the Jim Crow era,

redlining policies locked black residents out of financing for real estate in certain neighborhoods, which is why in 2019, we saw the Evanston City Council pass a first-of-its-kind reparations program without applying to black people who either lived in the city themselves or whose direct ancestors lived there between 1919 and 1969.

And by taxing cannabis sales and real estate transfers, it gives each eligible applicant $25,000. Now at first, the money was designated for housing related expenses like buying a home, paying a mortgage, or making home repairs and improvements. But last year, the city council added the option of direct cash payments because some found the restriction was demeaning.

If you give me something, you can't tell me how to spend it. So, and it's like, you know, you have people like, well, what are they gonna spend it on? Man, I'm gonna buy Newports and a Cadillac. Come on, really? So now as people like, well, what are they going to spend it on? Man, I'm going to buy Newports and a Cadillac. Come on, really? So now, as of today, the program's paid out nearly $5 million to 193 people over the past two years, with hundreds of people still on the waiting list.

Of course, not everyone's happy about it, with one business owner whose identity PBS kept anonymous because he actually tried to take back his interview later on, saying, I don't think it's a good idea. There are people who need help. The help should not be predicated on someone's race, creed, color, orientation. So if we go by that standard, well, then we owe the Chinese recompense. We owe the Japanese even more recompense. And there comes a point where we're a flawed society.

I think the thing we need to do is move forward. But the counter argument we've seen there is that the program doesn't target anyone based on race. Right, instead saying that it recognizes people who were themselves targeted for their race in the past and tries to right that wrong. So the hope from reparation supporters is that this will provide a model for other states in the federal government. With a former city council member and an architect of the program telling NBC a few months ago, now we have set a new standard. It in fact is attainable. It can be funded. It can be legislated. Reparations can be dispersed without fear of judicial pushback.

Or maybe not, because the conservative advocacy group Judicial Watch just filed a class action lawsuit against Evanston on behalf of six non-black residents, with them arguing there that the program's race-based eligibility requirement is discriminatory and violates the 14th Amendment, which, you know, notably is exactly the same argument that the Supreme Court used to strike down affirmative action in college admissions last year, which is a decision we saw open the floodgates for a wave of conservative lawyers and

judges to challenge similar race-conscious policies, things like diversity fellowships and minority business grants. So we're gonna have to wait to see if this experiment in Evanston survives, but even if it doesn't, activists say there are ways to design future reparations programs so they're less vulnerable to legal attack. Like, for example, Providence, Rhode Island is one that lets black residents automatically qualify, but also adds a separate income criteria that could include about half of its white residents. But for now, we're gonna have to wait to see how this plays out, and I'd love to know your opinions in the meantime. And then, you know, y'all know that I truly believe staying as healthy as you can, it's crucial.

And I get that finding a trusted doctor, one who actually takes the time to listen to you, not treat you like cattle, that can be a challenge. Not to mention the time that it takes to get an appointment. I mean, seriously, it's ridiculous nowadays. But that's where the fantastic sponsor of today's show comes in. ZocDoc. Be it that head cold that's lasted over a week and turns into something more, that nagging pain that starts to affect the rest of your body. ZocDoc can help. Because ZocDoc is a free app and website where you can search and compare highly rated in-network doctors near you who accept your insurance and instantly book appointments with them online. We're talking about booking appointments with tens of thousands of top-rated, patient-reviewed, credible doctors and specialists. And you know, the app is so easy

to use. And it's not just about finding your general practitioner. ZocDoc finds dermatologists, dentists, psychiatrists, eye doctors, I could go on. And the typical wait time to see a doctor booked on ZocDoc is between 24 to 72 hours, sometimes scoring same-day appointments with doctors who have verified reviews from real, actual patients, not bots. So just go to ZocDoc.com slash Phil and download the ZocDoc app for free. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today. That's Z-O-C-D-O-C dot com slash Phil. ZocDoc.com slash Phil. And then in big international news, Biden officials are back in the Middle East pushing for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

And specifically, we have CIA Director Bill Burns meeting Qatari leaders in Doha to receive an update on their conversations with Hamas leaders. Because yesterday, a Qatari spokesperson said they had delivered an Israeli proposal to Hamas that reflected the position stated by US President Joe Biden.

And notably there, adding that the proposal was now much closer to the positions of both sides. And so with that, this goes back to the surprisingly optimistic announcement made by Joe Biden last Friday. Israel has now offered, Israel has offered a comprehensive new proposal. It's a roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages. And according to Biden, the first phase of this proposal would be for a full and complete ceasefire. And specifically, this would mean the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza,

the release of a number of hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in humanitarian assistance. Right, and during this phase, Israel and Hamas would negotiate the necessary arrangements to get to phase two. Then phase two would be an exchange for the release of all remaining living hostages,

including male soldiers, Israeli forces with withdrawal from Gaza. And as long as the mosque lives up to its commitments, a temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposal, the cessation of hostilities permanently. The new BMO VI Porter MasterCard is your ticket to more. More perks.

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Tackle the open road with added confidence in the 2025 Sierra 1500 Pro Graphite at 0% financing for up to 72 months. With an available 5.3 liter V8 engine, 20-inch high-gloss black painted aluminum wheels, off-road suspension with available 2-inch factory-installed lift kit, plus a towing capacity of up to 13,200 pounds, you'll be ready for anything this truck month. Truck month is on now. Ask your GMC dealer for details. And then finally, phase three would involve the reconstruction of Gaza, including rebuilding homes, schools, and hospitals that have been destroyed by the Israeli military. Except the problem is that the day after Biden's speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement

calling a permanent ceasefire in Gaza a non-starter, with him saying, specifically, And with that, this week, the freeing of all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel. And with that, this week, an Israeli official straight up said on Monday that Biden's description of the ceasefire proposal was not accurate. In fact, disputing that it was even an Israeli proposal at all, saying it was actually a proposal put forward by mediators to which Israel had made amendments and changes, as well as fully disputing the idea that Israel had agreed to eventually fully withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip.

But then, on the flip side, you had U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby claiming afterwards the Israeli foreign minister himself acknowledged that this was the Israeli proposal. And State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said yesterday that the Israeli government had communicated to the U.S. that they were ready to implement the ceasefire deal should Hamas accept. Right, and so with all this, the U.S. and Israel just do not seem to be on the same page at all. And that could also be due to how divided Israelis are on this issue. Members of the country's most far-right parties are threatening to quit if a deal with Hamas is accepted. With one minister even saying that he spoke to Netanyahu and, quote, made clear to him that he will have no part in a government that agrees to the proposed outline and ends the war without destroying Hamas. But notably, Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox coalition partners are now backing the proposal.

So that could potentially offset the opposition from the far right. And with that, some opposition leaders from the other side of the aisle have explicitly endorsed Biden's speech about a deal. And leaks from within Israel's negotiating team reportedly suggest that some members would accept an end to combat in exchange for freedom of all hostages. Plus, on top of that, you have weekly demonstrations advocating for an end to this war, having grown to more than 100,000. Though also, to that point, only about 40% of Israelis support the ceasefire proposal, though a large chunk are still undecided. And so with this, you had the White House National Security Advisor saying on the Today Show this morning, Israel's a raucous democracy, so there's a lot of talk and a lot of chatter, but the Israeli government has reconfirmed repeatedly, as recently as today, that that proposal is still on the table

and now it's up to Hamas to accept it. And the whole world should call on Hamas to accept it. Which as of recording, we're still waiting for an official response from Hamas. Though notably, just yesterday, a spokesperson for the group reiterated their concerns about Israel's unwillingness to commit to a permanent ceasefire or a complete withdrawal of forces. With them adding that Israel was interested in only a temporary ceasefire to free hostages and would then just resume the war. And to that point, on Monday, Netanyahu was quoted as saying, the war will be stopped for the purpose of returning hostages,

and then we will proceed with further discussions. With him then again restating his commitment to the elimination of Hamas. Right, which is why you have people saying, you know, these talks seem like a step forward, but also like they're in the same place. And notably, as all of this has been playing out, Israel has been stepping up its military offensive in Gaza. Specifically, the latest action taking place not in the southern city of Rafah, but in central Gaza, where according to Gazan officials,

at least 44 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in the area since yesterday. Though with that, you had the Israeli military claiming that the jets were hitting Hamas militant targets and saying that the ground forces were operating in a quote, focused manner with guidance from intelligence in an area that is notably one of Gaza's long established refugee settlements.

And notably, we've also seen things heating up between Israel and Lebanon, you know, which is the country's northern neighbor. Israel has been exchanging fire with Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, in parallel with its assault on Gaza for the past eight months. With this, you know, being one of the big things raising concerns that an even wider conflict could break out in the region.

And today, Netanyahu warned that Israel was prepared for, quote, very intense action in the north as he visited a border city hit by wildfires sparked by Hezbollah rockets. With this happening is the Israeli military is now again being accused of hitting residential buildings in Lebanon with white phosphorus, which, you know, is a chemical substance that can set buildings on fire and burn human flesh down to the bone. Notably, you have these accusations coming from Human Rights Watch, with them claiming that Israel's, quote, widespread use of white phosphorus in South Lebanon is putting civilians at grave risk and contributing to civilian displacement. And to that point, they say they verified the use of white phosphorus by Israeli forces in at least

17 municipalities in South Lebanon since October of 2023, including at least five cases where airburst munitions were unlawfully used over populated residential areas. Though in response, you were the Israeli military telling the Associated Press that it upholds international law regarding munitions using white phosphorus only as a smokescreen, not to target civilians, but also noting that the substance is sometimes used in densely populated areas. But in any case, Human Rights Watch has said that Lebanon should take the issue to the International Criminal Court. Though notably on that subject, the U.S. House of Representatives has now officially passed a bill to sanction the ICC over its prosecutor's decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli

officials, with even 42 Democrats joining Republicans to approve the measure in a landslide vote. Though notably here, that bill is not expected to be brought up for a vote in the Senate. And even if it did somehow pass, Biden, who has even criticized the ICC decision, has said that he strongly opposes the bill. But ultimately, that's where we are right now as we wait to see how things continue to play out. And then, finally, we've got a congratulations and comment commentary. With the congrats going out to David E., the latest winner of our weekly $500 giveaway towards any tickets on SeatGeek. Looking like here, David's putting his winnings towards a comedy show. And for everyone else, that's right. Seat Geek and The Daily Dip are still giving away up to $1,000 in tickets,

and you should definitely enter today if you haven't already. Just add code PDS to your Seat Geek app profile for a chance at the weekly $500 prize, no purchase necessary. And $1,000 prizes are available to Daily Dip subscribers who add code PDSNEWSLETTER, doubling entries and winnings. And then as far as comment, commenter, we dive into the comments on the last show. Y'all definitely had a lot to say about Louisiana. With Lee Dark saying, I can promise you, as a lifelong Louisiana resident, they want inmates to refuse and get a longer sentence. Everything in criminal justice in this state is about keeping inmates in prison and working for slave wages. With a number of locals agreeing, but also some saying it's not just Louisiana. This is a whole America problem. Well, problem for everyone except

the government, since they're the only ones profiting from it. And then we as taxpayers foot the bill. That's the problem with capitalizing on imprisonment. It's a for-profit prison system. It's built to make them as much money as possible, not to reform them. Though this is you had some who responded saying, damn, if only they weren't criminals, then I might actually care. I will say one of the reasons it seemed like a lot of people were very concerned about this law in Louisiana is that someone could be convicted incorrectly. With folks saying things like, with the amount of prisoners released after new evidence is brought up, I'm not confident enough in our justice system to support permanent changes to people's bodies.

And this is where also interesting takes like, as a former sex crimes prosecutor, I want to say it's really easy to be in support of the Louisiana bill for obvious reasons, but what is forgotten is that in the vast majority of child sexual abuse cases, the driving force of the abuser is not sexual, it's power and control. I won't lose any sleep over the implications for the abuser or even the Eighth Amendment implications. However, there is little to no good evidence to support that such a procedure would prevent recidivism. Oral copulation, digital penetration, groping, photographing among countless, countless other horrible acts will not be prevented or even dissuaded by this. This only makes the lawmakers feel better through retribution and looking good for their base. I will end by

saying it doesn't even do anything to bring closure to victims, many of whom just want to move on with their lives and not live in the past. I haven't encountered many victims who are out for retribution. They heal through receiving support, therapy, time, and simply being told, I believe you. But then finally today, there was also a decent chunk of conversation around the special ed teacher shortage. Some sharing, as someone who's passionate about teaching, who is dead set on becoming an educator, teacher, and autistic, I dropped my enrollment for my higher education because I was able to make more money at an entry-level retail job than I would as an educator. It's not about people who want to, it's about people not having an incentive. Teachers

don't get paid enough and get blamed for so much these days between politicians telling people that teachers are grooming kids to entitled parents. It's just not worth it. Others sharing my wife is a spess ed, mild mod and mod severe dual license. The fact she loses aids left and right and the fact she has not provided the funds to do basic life skill teaching and comes out of pocket to the tune of thousands of dollars to assist her handful of children to learn how to cook, clean, or fold clothes for basic independent skill teaching. Her pay hasn't kept up for funding that out of pocket, and I know the aides are wildly underpaid. She shows up at 7 a.m. and doesn't come home till 6 p.m. and still feels stressed that her paperwork will be filled

in on time. I appreciate this deep dive. As well as comments like, high school special ed teacher and case manager from Texas here. The district that I'm in is generally pretty good about making special ed staff life better. They give us a lot of wiggle room to do what we need to do. We still have issues. Staff shortages, loss planning, conference periods, etc. I have a caseload of about 15 to 16 students depending on the time of the year, which has been considered to be pushing it in terms of manageable numbers for one teacher. But with that, adding a friend of mine in a neighboring district of equal wealth and funding

has 52 kids on his caseload. This is literally impossible to legally serve. He is short on minutes for kids every week, not because he isn't trying, but because he is one human being asked to do the job of five humans. I think sometimes it's less a question of do we have the support and funds we need and more of a do we care at all about special education and its necessity. I know a lot of people leaving a job they used to love because of mismanagement like that. But that is where we're going to leave it today. I also look forward to your comments and

we'll talk about those tomorrow. And until then, just remember, my name's Philip DeFranco. You've just been filled in. I love your faces and I'll see you right back here tomorrow for more news.