The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 8.14 F*CK DISNEY! MrBeast Leaked Doc & Updates, Musk & JK Rowling Cyberbullying Lawsuit, & Todays News

Episode Date: August 14, 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!  Go to http://hellofresh.com/defrancokids to get one free kids’ meal per box for two months while subscription is active. Get 50% OFF Tee & Tank 3-Packs @ https://BeautifulBastard.com and 25-35% Off Select Graphic tees and tanks while supplies last. 83 Days Until Election Day! Make Sure You Are Registered to VOTE: https://Vote.org  – ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 00:00 - Imane Khelif Files Cyberbullying Lawsuit Naming J.K. Rowling & Elon Musk 02:40 -More Alleged MrBeast Docs & Messages Leaked  07:07 - Widower Can’t Sue Disney Cause He Subbed to Disney+ 09:32 - Blake Lively Accused of Downplaying DV in “It Ends With Us” Press Tour  12:38 - Sponsored by ZocDoc 13:49 - Court Rules Geofence Warrants are Illegal Searches Under the Fourth Amendment 17:09 - US to Sell $20 Billion in Weapons to Israel as Pro-Palestine Protesters are Charged  21:35 - 300K Doctors in India Protest for More Justice and Security  23:35 - Sponsored by HelloFresh  24:42 - Abortion Pill Reversals Take Center Stage in Reproductive Rights Battles Rosanna Pansino Video: https://youtu.be/U2aYO4c3AKw?si=ZhpPWwHGY8D7MIHn  Alleged MrBeast Doc: https://twitter.com/RosannaPansino/status/1823492098873811324  Alleged Eret Message: https://twitter.com/mrbeastexpo/status/1823113578318106787 Jess’ Response: https://twitter.com/Genderillennial/status/1823474352135778412  ——————————   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, Star Pralle, Jared Paolino Associate Producer on Abortion Reversals: Maddie Crichton  ———————————— #DeFranco #MrBeast #BlakeLively 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, and we have a lot to talk about today. So like always, you just buckle up, hit that like button to let YouTube know you love these big daily dives into the news, and let's jump into it.

This is a news show. In huge internet news, Elon Musk, JK Rowling, and countless others could be in serious trouble over their comments about Iman Khalif, with Variety reporting that both have been named in a cyberbullying lawsuit that Khalif filed in France, and specifically, they appeared in the body of the criminal complaint, with the Paris prosecutor's office saying that its branches opened an investigation into the counts of cyber harassment due to gender, public insult because of gender, public incitement to discrimination,

and public insult because of origin. And while those two were specifically named, Variety reported that the lawsuit itself was essentially filed against unknown persons so that investigators could determine which people are at fault. Though there, it's not really surprising that Rowling and Musk specifically were called out. Right, I mean, they both have huge, huge followings and they contributed to the misinformation

spread about Khalifa. Right, because after she defeated Angela Karini, the internet was full of unfounded claims that Khalifa is trans or a man and there was other speculation about her gender. This, even after the IOC defended her and denounced those claims as false. With a spokesperson even saying she was born female,

was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, and has a female passport. And I mean, she even comes from and fought for a country that is very anti-trans. But still, you had Rowling jumping on the misinformation train and saying Khalif had the quote, "'Smirk of a male who knows he's protected by a misogynist sporting establishment,

enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head. Also calling her a male and other posts. And for his part, Musk responded absolutely to a post about Khalif that claimed that men do not belong in women's sports. But again, they are not the only big names that could get dragged into this lawsuit.

With Khalif's lawyer even telling Variety that what we're asking is that the prosecution investigates not only these people, "'but whoever it feels necessary. "'If the case goes to court, they will stand trial.'" And there, adding that even Donald Trump will also be part of the investigation because of his comments, right?

Because he posted a clip of Kalief's fight and said he would keep men out of women's sports. There's also a chance here that Logan Paul enters the picture, right? Because even though Variety's article did not make it clear where he stands in a potential investigation, they did note that he called her a man on X and then eventually deleted the post and said he may have spread misinformation. But Khalif's lawyer said that any apologies or retractions, that won't change anything regarding the investigation.

So seemingly, that leaves the door open there. And then as far as, you know, how this lawsuit filed in France could include people living in different countries, Khalif's lawyer said that people overseas could be targeted as the prosecutor's office can make requests for mutual legal assistance with other countries. And this is you had her former coach talking to the AP saying that the complaint was initiated by Algerian authorities and should, quote, serve as a lesson in defending the rights and honor of athletes in Algeria and around the world and saying all those involved will be prosecuted for violating Iman's dignity and honor. But then in other news, it's been a minute since we last talked about it, but there are new Mr. Beast allegations and updates. Because among other things, there's this alleged narrative that

Mr. Beast is blocking people from speaking about victims, including those who say they were sexually assaulted. And in part, these updates start with Eret, Ava Tyson's partner. With there being an anonymous ex-account posting what they claim is an internal message Eret originally sent to mods in a Discord group. And I really want to stress this before we get into it. Currently, it is unclear if this message is authentic, right? Eret hasn't spoken out to confirm or deny it. But whether it is or is not genuine, it has led to a ton of responses online, and it's continued this narrative, and it's also led us to another big response.

But with all that said, going down the list, this alleged message claims that Ava is disgusted by who she used to be, that she regrets buying Shadman art. This message also claiming that Ava didn't know LavaGS was a minor when she began making sexually explicit jokes in Discord channels where he was present. Though both Lava and another person who says they were a minor on those channels have responded,

saying Ava definitely knew Lava was a minor at the time. And then the message shifts to Jess, who we mentioned in our previous coverage. Right, Jess claims that she and Ava had a sexual relationship that she was then brought on to the Mr. B's team, and that things quickly turned to sexual assault. And here, that message claims that Ava paid

for all of Jess's living expenses, but that she viewed Jess platonically like a sister. Also claiming that Jess once tweeted a threat to kill herself with the alleged message then going on to read, "'There has already been a third party investigation "'at Beast for a couple of weeks regarding Jess. "'However, as MrBeast has been

"'under so much pressure recently, "'they don't want to say anything publicly "'in case it causes more things to flare up online.'" With it adding that Ava's initial response was, quote, entirely written by the MrBeast execs under the insane pressure of Amazon and other corporate investors. And claiming Amazon execs basically forced Jimmy to ditch Ava. But then, like I said, with all of that, we saw Jess responding to this anonymous account, getting them to share a screenshot of what appears to be part of the same message from Ararat and this alleged Discord channel. With Jess then saying a number of the claims spread in this message were lies, saying

Ava did not pay for all of her living expenses, claiming that their relationship wasn't just platonic, and notably saying she never threatened to kill herself and addict. My case got moved to the new third party investigators, probably because the company didn't like the results of the original investigations, which started in early June. Yes, Mr. Beast wants to avoid anyone saying anything publicly about what happened to me and other victims so investors don't pull out. They don't care at all that I was essayed at their company. But then also, as all of that was playing out,

you had creator Rosanna Pansino claiming she got a hold of another alleged document. But they're saying this one is a 36-page employee manual written by Jimmy himself and claiming that she confirmed its legitimacy with two former Mr. Beast employees. But they're also posting the full document to X but going through parts of it in a video.

They're starting with a section titled, I Only Want A Players, in which Jimmy allegedly writes, A players are obsessive, learn from mistakes, coachable, intelligent, don't make excuses, believe in YouTube, see the value of this company, and are the best in the goddamn world at their job. B players are new people that need to be trained into A players and C players are just average employees. They don't suck, but they aren't

exceptional at what they do. They just exist, do whatever, and get a paycheck. They aren't obsessive, aren't spelled wrong again. C players are poisonous and should be transitioned to a different company immediately, all caps. It's okay, we give everyone severance, so they'll be fine. With Rosanna here going on to say that this is evidence of Jimmy playing favorites, saying that it shows that those who don't fit into Jimmy's definition of A player are treated as less than within his company, arguing that normal people with healthy work-life balances are not welcome, which then rolls into a later portion of the document titled, It's Okay for the Boys to Be Childish.

If talent, he's referring to his best friends, wants to draw a dick on the whiteboard in a video or do something stupid, let them. Parentheses, assuming they know all the risks and aren't missing contacts on why it's not safe. People like when we are in our natural element of stupidity. Really do everything you can to empower the boys when filming and help them make content. Help them be idiots. This just shows the culture that he is intentionally building. He plays favorites, there is a boys club, and they are allowed to do things that other people aren't.

Now with this, I want to stress this is just a couple of things from Rosanna's video. If you want to watch it, I'm going to link to it, of course, in the description down below. But for the most part right now, those are the updates we have. And that possibly in part, because last week you had creator Ludwig saying, Jimmy told him directly that he's waiting on all

of the allegations to come out, and then he'll make one reply. Which on that note, you have a lot of people right now waiting on part three of Dogpack404's video, which he teased will cover sexual misconduct coverups. But as we wait to see what happens, I gotta pass the question off to you. What are your thoughts here?

And then we gotta talk about this Disney wrongful death lawsuit, because one, it's wild, and two, it might have you rethinking your Disney Plus subscription. I'll explain, right? So this is Dr. Tangsuan. In the fall of last year, she sat down for a meal at the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant

at Disney Springs in Florida. And she, her husband, and her mother-in-law reportedly chose this place because Dr. Tangsuan had a deadly allergy to dairy and nuts, with her group being assured by Disney and the restaurant that they had all the proper safeguards when it came to food allergens. Dr. Tangsuan also repeatedly told the server about her allergies and was repeatedly assured that her food would be safe for her to eat. Then, when the meal arrived, they reportedly questioned the server again about the safety of the food, and they were once again assured that it was definitely safe. And obviously by this point,

you know where this story is going. The family ate their meals at around 8 p.m., and by 8.45, Dr. Tang Suan was suffering a severe allergic reaction and was taken to the hospital where she later died. And according to the autopsy report, Dr. Tang Suan died from anaphylaxis and had very high levels of dairy

and nut allergens in her system. Within her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Disney in February of this year, saying that the company and the restaurant were negligent. And with that, his wife's death was a direct result of that negligence. But then that, it brings us to the truly wild part of this story, Disney's response to the lawsuit. Because at the end of May, Disney's attorneys filed a motion to compel arbitration, which means that the case would

be handled by a neutral third party outside of court. And in that motion, Team Disney says that Piccolo is ignoring the agreement that he made to arbitrate all disputes against Disney and its affiliates. To which you might ask, okay, well, when did Piccolo make this agreement? Well, apparently it was when he signed up for a month-long trial of Disney Plus in 2019, with Disney's attorneys arguing

that when he made an account through the Disney Plus website, he had to accept the subscriber agreement in Disney's terms of use. And those terms included the clause agreeing to arbitration. And then also saying Piccolo had agreed to Disney's terms when he bought the tickets online for their 2023 trip. Now with that, Piccolo and his attorneys have responded, calling Disney's argument preposterous and saying that it, quote, borders on the absurd.

And arguing the notion that terms agreed to by a consumer when creating a Disney Plus free trial account would forever bar that consumer's right to a jury trial in any dispute with any Disney affiliate or subsidiary is so outrageously unreasonable and unfair as to shock the judicial conscience, and this court should not enforce such an agreement. And notably with that, Piccolo's attorney adding that Disney is, quote, explicitly seeking to bar its 150 million Disney Plus subscribers from ever prosecuting a wrongful death case against it in front of a jury, even if the case facts have nothing to do with Disney+. But for now, we're gonna have to wait to see what happens,

because you have a hearing scheduled for early October to settle this situation. But in the meantime, of course, I'd love to know your thoughts. But then, let's talk about this internet entertainment drama around Blake Lively and It Ends With Us. Because there's a lot of people right now saying that Blake Lively is making light of domestic violence. So that, just one piece of just the tons of layers and moving parts around the drama with It Ends With Us. But I'm gonna start there because that's where most of the outrage is. So as an explainer, It Ends With Us is a movie

that came out over the weekend that's based on the best-selling book by Colleen Hoover, and it deals heavily with generational domestic abuse. The story reportedly loosely based on Hoover's own mother, but the book has already been criticized by readers who felt that it romanticized domestic violence. Well, yeah, that's a controversy that the book's already had its whole life. It's now bleeding into concerns around the movie,

with a number of people accusing Blake Lively, the star and producer of the movie, of trying to ignore the heavy subject matter while doing press for the film, with folks saying instead she tried to turn it into a kind of a Barbie moment because her character's a florist called Lily Bloom. You know, she's been wearing a ton of flower outfits and saying things like, It ends with us is in theaters now, so grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it. And to some, thinking that for a film that's about abuse, that's kind of too playful and cutesy, which has also resulted in people online parodying this for other heavy movies. He's making a list and checking it twice. Grab your red coats and come see my new movie,

Schindler's List, starring a hunk with a very particular set of skills, Liam Neeson. Meanwhile, you had others upset that Blake used the movie to cross promote her beverage company by selling limited edition bouquets that came in Betty Buzz bottles and coming up with themed cocktails using her Betty Buzz brand. There are also pop-ups to take Instagram photos based on the movie.

And to some think that it just feels wrong that she's treating it like a lighthearted, feel good rom-com. With even Rolling Stone saying what this glossy marketing campaign is proving is that Hollywood hasn't found a respectful way to market movies about domestic violence. Even worse, It Ends With Us isn't even trying.

Saying it's prioritized selling a romance by covering up the themes of abuse at almost every opportunity. But then people also comparing the way Blake talks about the movie to the way her co-star and director Justin Baldoni talked about it, arguing that he took it much more seriously. The question that's always asked is... Wendy's most important deal of the day has a fresh lineup. Pick any two breakfast items for $4. The question that's always asked is... Ingredients. Vodka. Soda. Natural flavors. So, what should we talk about? No sugar added? Neutral.

Refreshingly simple. Why did she stay? And that's the wrong question. What we need to be asking ourselves is, why do men harm? This is also where a lot of the drama comes in. Because while some think that Blake is the problem, others think that it's actually Justin. With people pointing to the fact that he's been absent from most of the press events that the cast attended. And the fact that while he follows Blake and Colleen Hoover on Instagram, they don't follow him.

And so with that, you have some saying they think he did something or said something to upset everyone, that there must be a ton of drama that we just don't know about. Some tabloid headlines claiming the cast doesn't want anything to do with him because he allegedly caused problems on set.

Others then speculating that maybe there was friction because Blake's husband, Ryan Reynolds, wrote the dialogue for a key scene, so some think that he took creative control over the film as a whole. And then on top of that, some just thinking that it never made sense for a man to direct this movie in the first place, that a woman should have been at the helm. Very notably, rumors about a potential rift reached a tipping point last night when The Hollywood Reporter said that Justin had hired a crisis PR team. So you've got people out

there saying things like, this man directed a terrible movie glorifying domestic violence and cast himself as the abuser, had his entire cast disassociate with him for making them uncomfortable, hired a crisis firm to bury the story, yet social media will have you believe Blake Lively is the real villain. But then also you got some folks that say there's no good guy or bad guy, that the whole thing's just a fucking mess. Driven in part by bad choices that we're publicly seeing, as well as just a fuck ton of speculation.

But I gotta ask for those who have read the book, who have maybe seen the movie, I'd especially love to know your thoughts here. And then, you know, there are plenty of things in life we have to compromise on, single or not. It's just the way that it is. But when it comes to your health, you can't compromise. So don't go back to the doctor

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typically within just 24 to 72 hours of booking. I mean, you can even score same-day appointments. So just go to ZocDoc.com slash Phil and download the ZocDoc app for free. Then find and book a top rated doctor today for whatever you need. That's Z-O-C-D-O-C.com slash Phil. ZocDoc.com slash Phil. But then shifting gears, I want to talk about your digital privacy and something you may have never heard of before called geofence warrants. Because there's something used by law enforcement to get a company, often Google, to search its records for any phone or device that was in a specific area at a specific point in time.

You know, basically, you can get a list of anyone who was at a scene of a crime at the time it happened. You know, that's a damn good way to narrow down your list of suspects. And in fact, geofence warrants have been used successfully to help solve all sorts of crimes. We're talking burglaries, sexual assaults, even murders. And in fact, a geofence warrant was even used to identify some of those who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. But now, at least according to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, they are illegal. With the court now ruling that geofence warrants are unconstitutional according to the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches. So with that, we're seeing civil liberties and privacy advocates celebrating

this ruling. Because they have long said that these warrants end up letting authorities collect data from people, most of whom have nothing to do with a crime, in order to find a potential suspect. And then on top of that, they say that the Warrens could put innocent people at risk of wrongful arrest. And that's actually something that happened to a Florida man who became a suspect in a 2019 burglary investigation after riding his bike past the scene.

But notably, the case that actually led to the Fifth Circuit's decision began a year earlier than that in 2018, because that is when three Mississippi men robbed a mail truck at gunpoint. After nine months without even one suspect, a geofence warrant covering almost 100,000 square meters around the scene of the crime did the trick in no time. But now, you know, you have the Fifth Circuit saying

that just because they're useful, it doesn't mean that they're right. Writing in the decision, this search is occurring while law enforcement officials have no idea who they're looking for or whether the search will even turn up a result. And continuing, indeed, the quintessential problem with these warrants

is that they never include a specific user to be identified, only a temporal and geographic location where any given user may turn up post-search. This is constitutionally insufficient. And ultimately, he's saying these warrants allow law enforcement to rummage through troves of location data from hundreds of millions of Google users without any description of the particular suspect or suspects to be found. And actually, very notably with all that, they also address the argument that users agree to provide this data. With them writing that the Supreme Court has already found the notion that users voluntarily provide this information to private entities dubious, because carrying a phone is indispensable to participation in modern society. And also saying that electronic opt-in processes are hardly informed and in many instances may not even be voluntary. And adding that users are bombarded multiple times with requests to opt in across multiple apps. But then going on to say,

referring to Google specifically, that these requests typically innocuously promise app optimization rather than reveal the fact that users' locations will be comprehensively stored in a sensor ball, providing Google the means to access this data and share it with the government. But then also with all this, right?

Remember those three Mississippi men? Their conviction there, that's not being overturned or anything. With the court saying that law enforcement acted in good faith and that given the novelty of this type of warrant, they uphold the decision. But that single instance, it does not change how big of a deal this is.

Because the use of these geofence warrants, they have skyrocketed in recent years. At one point, it amounted to about one quarter of all US legal demands that Google received. And actually with that, Google has tried to deal with it on its own to some extent. Saying last year, it would begin storing users' location data on their devices,

which notably makes geofence warrants far less useful for law enforcement. And all of this is you have groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation calling the Fifth Circuit ruling a major decision, writing, it is essential that every person feels they can simply take their cell phone out into the world without the fear that they might end up a criminal suspect because their location data was swept up in an open-ended digital dragnet. But of course, you know, this situation may not be over. Because you know that decision reached by the Fifth Circuit?

It's actually a completely different decision from one that was reached in a similar case last month by the Fourth Circuit Court. So it is very likely this is going to work its way up at some point in the future. And then in international news, we need to talk about Israel. Starting with the news that the U.S. has just given the go-ahead for $20 billion worth of new weapons to begin making their way to Israel. With a big ticket item there being 50 new F-15 fighter jets alongside upgrades for the 25 F-15s Israel already has.

And that is part of a deal that is worth $18.8 billion. And then along with that, they'll also be getting 30 high-tech air-to-air missiles, 50,000 120-millimeter mortar shells, 32,000 120-millimeter tank shells, and some new tactical vehicles. With the DoD press release announcing the approval of the sale saying,

The United States is committed to the security of Israel and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives. But also with that said, it is important to know that the weapons are not expected to actually get to Israel anytime soon. The tactical vehicles and mortar cartridges are expected to be delivered starting in 2026. The tank ammunition won't start arriving until 2027. And those fighter jets, they won't get there until 2029. So for many, right, this isn't so much about what's going on now as much as helping Israel

increase its military capabilities over the long term. But of course, at the same time, this obviously does have huge implications for what's happening right now, both in Israel and the Middle East, as well as here in the States. You know, starting with international, these sales, of course, come at a time when there's massive concern about Israel

becoming involved in a wider regional war. I mean, a couple of weeks ago, in a span of less than 24 hours, Israeli attacks killed a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and a Hamas leader in Iran. You know, since then, Hezbollah and Iran have vowed revenge, though right now we're waiting to see what that's going to look like. Though notably there, Iranian officials have reportedly said that a ceasefire deal might at least get them to think twice about retaliating. And with that, you know, ceasefire talks are actually back underway this week, though it is not as good as it sounds. Because reportedly, Hamas is saying that it won't take part. With the group saying there that they believe Netanyahu is, quote, not interested in reaching an agreement that ends the aggression completely. And instead, claiming he is deceiving

and evading and wants to prolong the war and even expand it at the regional level. And so with that, they say they'll start talking again if there is a clear commitment from the Israeli government to work with the ceasefire proposal they put forward in July. And notably there, that offer has been described as significant by a U.S. official because it appeared to meet the conditions set out in the framework outlined by Biden way back in May. And notably, that was a deal Biden said that Israel had already agreed to. But then last month, Israel presented new demands that went way beyond the scope of that framework. And this also is they haven't let up in Gaza at all. I mean, just a few days ago, reportedly an Israeli strike on a mosque and school in Gaza killed at least 93 people,

bringing the reported death toll just short of 40,000. Also, an Israeli minister made a controversial visit to the holiest Muslim site in Jerusalem. And then just today, Finance Minister B'Tselel Smotrich, you know that crazy motherfucker we talked about last week? He announced plans for new settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are overwhelmingly considered illegal under international law. And of course, all of this is the U.S., of course, continuing to push for a ceasefire. And also while offering some criticism, for example, condemning that visit to the Muslim holy site.

But then also making it clear that it's got Israel's back. For example, sending its own warships and fighter jets to the region to get ready for possible retaliation against Israeli or even American troops. And then, you know, of course, there's the approval of these arms sales. And so with that, you actually have the Israeli defense minister posting on X, thanking Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken for their, quote, contribution to the strengthening of the power of the state of Israel. And of course, for the Biden administration, having members of your cabinet personally thanked by the guy in charge of the Israeli military, depending on who's looking

at that news, that's either a great look or a bad look. Because Biden and Harris, they've been doing their best to walk this political tightrope that's so fucking thin, I'm not sure it's really there. You know, on one hand, these arms sales, they help fend off criticism from Republicans

that Biden and Harris don't do enough to support Israel. And of course, for undecided pro-Israel voters, it could be a real difference maker. But on the other hand, it's obviously very unpopular with certain progressive voters and lawmakers who want Harris to commit to an arms embargo on Israel if elected. So, you know, really, we're seeing that divide play out at every

level across the country. You know, just this week, we're seeing prosecutors in San Francisco charge 26 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who blocked Golden Gate Bridge back in April. The city's district attorney there saying the demonstration caused a level of safety risk, including extreme threats to the health and welfare of those trapped that we as a society cannot ignore or allow. But then to that, the city's public defender's office said that the DA just, quote, went fishing on Twitter for complaints about the protest, even though no one was injured

and the California Highway Patrol cleared the roadway with no resistance from protesters. And one attorney going on to say, the protesters are opposing American tax dollars being used to fund ongoing attacks on the people in Gaza, which the International Criminal Court has deemed crimes against humanity. And while, of course, that's gonna play out,

we're expected to see possibly bigger pro-Palestine protests in the near future. And that, in part, because they're promising a massive showing at the Democratic National Convention next week. With organizers saying tens of thousands are going to show up. Which of course, if that ends up being the case,

we'll be seeing scenes of possible anger and disagreement at a time when Democrats are wanting to look unified. But for now, we're gonna have to wait to see what actually happens and how it gets handled. And then, this international news coming out of India, it is big, but also some of the details are kind of insane. Because India's healthcare system, it is grinding to a halt right now as nearly 300,000 doctors at government hospitals have been on strike since Monday. That number, it's just continuing to grow as they're protesting

the death of a 31-year-old female resident trainee in the eastern part of the country who was raped and murdered while working. With the protests being in pretty much every state and essentially all elective and non-emergency procedures are being canceled. And this is the news of what happened spread like wildfire within the medical community and even outside of it, it struck a chord. Which you know isn't a shock when you consider a 2015 study

found that 75% of Indian doctors had experienced some form of violence while working on the job. Which yeah, you have doctors working with the public, with people that are going most likely through the worst points of their lives, but 75% is a crazy high number. But then also on top of that, women in particular, they suffer horrifying rates of violence across India. So for women doctors, it's like double dipping into bad stats.

And with this, in a statement on Twitter, you had the Federation of Resident Doctors Association of India saying, This heartbreaking incident starkly highlights the glaring deficiencies in security within our medical institutions across the nation. A related organization making a similar statement saying, "'This heinous crime exposes the alarming lack of security "'in our hospital premises. "'Today, this atrocity occurred in Kolkata. "'Tomorrow, it could happen anywhere else.'" With the group also demanding the passage

of the Central Protection Act for doctors, which would more clearly define what counts as violence towards hospital staff and have clearer penalties for those crimes. Now, critics of the law point out that 25 of India's 28 states have laws that directly address this issue, but doctors, they claim that they're rarely actually enforced and they're ineffective, which is why a federal law would be far more likely to actually be used. That being said, at least some officials in West Bengal where the crime occurred, they seem to be taking this seriously. The chief minister has

backed protesters' demands that the investigation be fast-tracked, but really, we'll just have to wait and see what happens from here, And hopefully there is some kind of sweeping change that's made, because it really is kind of crazy just how often we hear horrifying stories out of India of women being attacked, massive protests that follow, and then nothing really changing. Which notably, it's not just me saying that as an outsider, that is something that groups within India

are super frustrated by. So hopefully this can actually be a moment for positive change. And then it is that time of year again. Back to school season is here, which means shopping, after school activities, and a lot for positive change. And then it is that time of year again, back to school season is here, which means shopping, after school activities, and a lot less free time. And I don't know about you, but less free time,

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to unlock this exclusive offer. One free kids meal per box for two months while your subscription's active. That's free kids meals just by going to hellofresh.com slash defrancokids and try America's number one meal kit today. And then, ever since the fall of Roe v. Wade, a lot of shit has gone down in the United States. But one major battle regarding reproductive rights

centers around something you may have never heard of, abortion pill reversals. Because many pro-birth organizations out there are claiming that women can undo their abortions when they're halfway through the pill regimen. And if that sounds sketchy when you hear it, you're not alone. And you probably won't be surprised to hear

that medical groups say that trying to stop abortion at the midway point is scientifically unproven and potentially dangerous. But also, before we get into all this, you have to understand how medication abortion works. Starting with, it's been proven to be effective and safe. You start by taking mifepristone, and then you follow that with misoprostol

up to 48 hours later. The first pill blocks progesterone activity, and the second expels tissue to complete the abortion. But the groups touting abortion pill reversals, they claim that if you give doses of progesterone to someone who has only taken the first pill and not the second, you can reverse it and remain pregnant. Which, of course, raises the question of, is that true? Can you do that? And can you do that safely? And there, well, it depends on who you ask. The pro-life group Heartbeat International claims on its website that, quote, from the moment a woman takes the abortion pill, she has 72 hours to change her mind and save her baby. Claiming statistics show thousands of lives

have been saved and counting through the abortion pill reversal protocol. You also had PBS Wisconsin talking to Dr. Catherine Stark, an OBGYN and medical director for a faith-based pregnancy center in Michigan who claims that this works. But they're telling the outlet in the last six years she has prescribed progesterone

to stop medication abortion at least 60 times and claiming with that, that it worked in 60 to 70% of cases and resulted in a child being born. And Dr. Stark arguing, if a woman has really changed her mind, I think she's entitled to all her options. But as far as if this has actually been proven and studied,

well, even Dr. Stark herself noted that no, the gold standard of scientific research has not been cleared. There's actually barely any research on this, and what is out there has been heavily criticized. For example, one doctor published his own case series in 2018, claiming to have worked with hundreds of patients, half of whom went on to give birth.

But critics say that his research lacked a ton of basic standards, like a control group and safety data. And then there are even smaller cases that fell short in similar ways. We're not actually proving if progesterone did anything, because people who only take the first abortion pill and they don't use the second they've always roughly had a 50% chance of remaining pregnant regardless

You know the study that people concerned about abortion pill reversals point to the most comes from UC Davis in 2019 Because their research is intended to enroll 40 patients in a double-blind placebo controlled randomized trial But they had to stop enrollment after 12 patients and that's because of safety reasons when quote severe hemorrhage requiring Ambulance transport to hospital occurred in three patients one from the group that took progesterone and two from the placebo the study concluding that efficacy could not be measured and simply warning that quote patients in early pregnancy Who only use mifepristone may be at high risk of significant hemorrhage with this you recently had the lead researcher behind the study Dr. Mitchell Crennan telling NBC News. Is there a possibility this works? I will say until I'm blue in the face Yes, there is a possibility this works? I will say until I'm blue in the face, yes, there is a possibility it works.

Is there any evidence that it works? None. And also adding that there are not nearly enough studies to inform patients of potential side effects and complications. And so because of all this, you have groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warning against this practice.

But then putting out a memo saying, it is not supported by science. Meanwhile, other doctors have called it ill-advised, some going so far as to say it's not a real medical procedure and that it's fake healthcare. For example, OB-GYN Dr. Stacey Sun also telling CBS News, "'This dangerous non-evidence-based regimen "'is used to prey on people making thoughtful decisions

"'about their bodies, families, and futures. "'It is infantilizing and manipulative.'" And this is, doctors aren't the only ones condemning this. You have politicians speaking on it as well. For example, Colorado attempted to ban reversals, but a judge blocked that ban in October, so we'll have to see where that goes. Then in New York,

Attorney General Letitia James actually suing Heartbeat International, as well as 11 crisis pregnancy centers in May for touting this method, with a press release arguing that making false and misleading claims about abortion pill reversal to convince pregnant people to get the treatment

constitutes fraud, deceptive business practices, and false advertising under New York law." With James adding in a statement, "'I mean, the increase in attacks on reproductive healthcare nationwide, we must protect pregnant people's right to make safe, well-informed decisions about their health. My office will always protect New Yorkers

from those who push a scientifically unproven and potentially life-threatening intervention.'" And notably, right, she's not even the first to take legal action. In September of 2023, California sued Heartbeat International along with a chain of crisis pregnancy centers called Real Options,

with them saying that their promises on abortion pill reversals have no credible scientific backing. Though there we saw Heartbeat International shooting back with counter suits, claiming that they're operating within their rights of free speech. And of course, stand out in these cases

is that they both come from the big blue states. Because even in those areas, pro-birth groups are working overtime to infringe on reproductive rights. Also here, I will say it is worth noting that I've been using the term crisis pregnancy center a couple of times today, because many promote these abortion pill reversals,

but they also do much, much more than that. These centers, they intentionally present themselves as abortion or healthcare clinics, but they actually aim to dissuade women from having an abortion, luring in these pregnant women, and then layering on fear-mongering and shame. And according to CalMatters, while just 62% of California counties have an abortion, luring in these pregnant women and then layering on fear mongering and shame. And according to CalMatters,

while just 62% of California counties have an abortion clinic, 80% have a crisis pregnancy center. So you have to imagine if we're talking about fucking California, imagine what the abortion misinformation looks like in a redder state. I mean, just last year, lawmakers in Kansas passed a bill

that would require providers to tell abortion patients about abortion pill reversal and list it as an option. Though there we saw a judge block that law, at least for now. But then even prior to Kansas, 14 other states had already passed similar laws mandating that patients be told about abortion pill reversals in some capacity.

With that causing massive frustration for people who see this as politicians masquerading as doctors and telling pregnant women that an understudied and unproven intervention is a viable option for them. And this also isn't even where the efforts to keep promoting abortion pill reversals ends. According to NBC News, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists plans to roll out a course on the subject to hospitals and doctors, with them notably receiving a $100,000 grant from the Heritage Foundation, which is behind Project 2025, to do so. And again, all of this to try to intervene in and limit

a procedure that, by and large, women do not regret having anyway. With a 2020 study from UC San Francisco finding that five years after having an abortion, over 95% of women say that it was the right decision for them. With author Corrine Rocca further explaining this was still overwhelmingly true, even if they had difficulty making the decision initially, or if they felt their community would not approve. And adding, this debunks the idea that most women suffer emotionally from having an abortion. So because of this, some think that it's not even worth the time and risk of studying abortion pill reversal. Though the counter argument to that is 5% on such a big decision is still a big number.

Though there you have the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists telling NBC, people seeking abortion care do so after making thoughtful decisions that align with their values, priorities, and their family's unique needs. Questioning those thoughtful decisions and promoting myths about regret associated with abortion only perpetuate abortion stigma. And of course, notably with all values, priorities, and their family's unique needs. Questioning those thoughtful decisions and promoting myths about regret associated with abortion

only perpetuate abortion stigma. And of course, notably with all this, this is happening at a time where medication abortions make up the majority of abortions in the US. But with all that said and explained, I wanna now pass the question off to you. What are your thoughts here? Whatever camp you land in,

I'd love to know what you're thinking and why. But that, my friends, is the end of your Wednesday evening, Thursday morning dive into the news. I can already tell tomorrow is gonna be a big show. So I'll leave you to hopefully having a great rest of your day and I'll see you right back here tomorrow.