The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 8.30 America Has A Dog Killing Problem, Woke Hurricane Idalia Slams Florida, Gabon Military Coup, News

Episode Date: August 30, 2023

Click my CoPilot link  https://go.mycopilot.com/PhilipDeFranco or use the QR code on screen to get a FREE TRIAL with your own expert fitness and health coach Catch up on our latest PDS: https://youtu.be/sH3rD5090tg?si=Co8mi7tZWMkhQeoV Check out our daily newsletter! http://dailydip.co/pds  Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phillydefranco/?hl=en  –✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 0:00 - School Faces Backlash After Barring “Don’t Tread on Me” Patch From Student’s  Backpack 02:47 - Euthanasia at Animal Shelters Spikes 40% Over Last Year 04:57 - Hurricane Idalia Makes Landfall 06:44 - Sponsored by CoPilot 07:48 - Airline To Try an Adults-Only Zone, Walling Off Families with Children 09:08 - Visa & Mastercard Prepare to Hike Fees 10:12 - Countries Protest Territories Claimed in New Map from China 10:41 - Gabon Military Stages Coup Hurricane Idalia Resources: https://www.usa.gov/hurricane-idalia https://www.fema.gov/disaster/current/hurricane-idalia ——————————   Produced by: Cory Ray Edited by: James Girardier, Maxx Enright, Julie Goldberg, Christian Meeks Art Department: William Crespo Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Brian Espinoza, Lili Stenn, Maddie Crichton, Star Pralle, Chris Tolve  ———————————— #DeFranco #Hurricane #GadsdenFlag ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're talking about Hurricane Idalia sinking Florida, the debate over this boy's backpack making national news, credit card companies don't think people are paying enough, people are banning kids and killing dogs. We're going to talk about all that and so much more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show. You daily dive into the news, so make sure you're subscribed and let's just jump into it. Starting with, welcome to everyone's favorite game show, Is it racist? But people online right now are debating, is this image racist? Because at the center of this story, you got a 12-year-old boy who showed up to his Colorado Springs public charter school with a patch featuring this on his backpack. And if you're unfamiliar, it's the Gadsden flag, right? That famous image of the rattlesnake with the words,

don't tread on me, emblazoned across the bottom. And while it actually originated as an anti-British symbol during the Revolutionary War, it has since been appropriated by a bunch of right-wing and libertarian groups. Though notably, that also including some white supremacists. And so this kid's school reportedly asked him to remove the patch, and when he didn't, he was removed from class. And that brings us to a meeting between the kid's mom

and the school's assistant principal, in which the latter says, The reason we do not want to fight this way is due to its origins with slavery and slave trade. And the mom then counters. It has nothing to do with slavery. That's like the revolutionary war patch that was displayed when they were fighting the British.

I am here to enforce the policy that was provided by the district. And definitely you have every right to not agree with it. Then reportedly after this video, the district emails the mom reiterating its position. They link to an article that argues that the flag is often seen as racist because its creator was a slave owner and it's commonly flown

alongside Trump flags and the Confederate battle flag. The district then also citing a 2014 case in which a postal worker accused a colleague who wore a Gadsden flag had of racial discrimination. Though in that case, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission didn't find that the flag was a racist symbol and only concluded that it has been, quote,

"'sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages in some contexts.'" But ultimately what we see when the story and the video around this kid come out is a lot of people outraged over an alleged First Amendment violation. And almost immediately you see the school board calling an emergency meeting,

walking back its demands that the student remove the patch, with it then claiming that the real issue wasn't the Gadsden flag, but rather a dozen other patches showing semi-automatic weapons, and adding that once those patches were removed, the student returned to class without incident. And then, in a pivot so sharp they broke their ankles, the district proclaimed, From Vanguard's founding, we have proudly supported our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the ordered liberty that the Americans have enjoyed for almost 250 years.

The Vanguard School recognizes the historical significance of the Gadsden flag and its place in history. And while a lot of this was focused on conservative media, you even had democratic governor Jared Polis defending the flag and saying, Gadsden flag is a great iconic American flag. Other kids have LGBT flags on their backpacks. Others have flags of major political parties. So as far as what happens from here,

you have the student's mom saying he missed three days of school over all this. It's possible she'll pursue legal action. But with all that said, I gotta ask you, where do you land on this story and why? And then, I want you to take a look at this painfully adorable puppy. Well, guess what? Tens of thousands of dogs, just like Fluffy here, are getting murdered as we speak. Let me explain. This year, animal intakes of both private and public shelters are expected to reach a three-year high, according to the Shelter Animals

Count database. And that, because adoption rates are down, with the number of stray animals, mostly dogs, being up, as well as owners abandoning their pets. And there are a few different reasons for what we're seeing. One being that there was a pause in spay and neuter surgeries during the COVID lockdown, after that, increasing the animal population. And then, when you had lockdowns lifting, the end of eviction moratoriums, rising rents, and inflation, even for dog food, it made it more expensive to own a pet. Plus, if you think the general housing shortage is bad, imagine trying to find pet-friendly housing that accepts your dog's breed and size

and doesn't overcharge you with fees. So to cope with the flood of animals, we've seen shelters squeeze multiple dogs into a single kennel, even putting some into pop-up crates. But still, it's not enough, and so we're seeing shelters around the country, and many of them for the first time in years,

just straight up killing these dogs because they simply don't have enough space. With about 51,000 dogs being euthanized from January to July of 2023, which is a 37% increase from the same period in 2022, which means that overall just under 10% of all dogs entering shelters were put down. Notably, that number varied wildly by state, with the South generally euthanizing more animals than the North. New Mexico, for example, killed nearly a quarter of its dogs, whereas in South Dakota they only killed 0.5%. And if right now you're thinking, Jesus Christ, how could they do this? These monsters. Let me remind you, yes, this all sucks, but it's not like these workers at these shelters want to commit this massacre.

You have people noting that when shelters get overpopulated, they get loud and the animal's quality of life suffers, especially for bigger dogs who are both harder to adopt out and more prone to kennel stress where they spin in place, smear feces on the wall and wear down their claws trying to dig out. So at a certain point, the shelter staff just has to choose between one horrible option and another. Now, of course, with this, the most obvious thing that you can personally do is to try to adopt some pets. So naturally, that's not feasible for a lot of people, and even for those who can do it. I mean, you're talking about years of responsibility, so think about it some, and not just because, you know, some fucking idiot on the internet was talking to you about it. You were like, yes, that's what I'm

going to do with my life. Especially as there are a number of people that don't think these things through, and then they just abandon their pets. And do with my life. Especially as there are a number of people that don't think these things through and then they just abandon their pets. And so with all of that, to have any sort of meaningful change, you have a lot of advocates arguing that that's why we need more funding for the shelter system to hold all these animals. But with all that said, the question I want to pass off to you is what do you think the solution here is to save Fluffy? And then the super wet Hurricane Idalia has officially made landfall in Florida. The storm coming ashore is a category three hurricane, but by 10 a.m. local time, it was a Category 2.

But notably, even if you're dealing with less of a hurricane, it's still a hurricane. There are serious threats. With the National Hurricane Center this morning describing it still as extremely dangerous, warning of catastrophic storm surge and destructive life-threatening winds, predicting some areas could be hit

with dangerous and destructive waves and see up to 12 to 16 feet of flooding. You've got storm surge warnings in effect for more than half of Florida's entire western coastline. Mandatory or at least voluntary evacuation orders have been placed in 30 of Florida's 67 counties. And we've already seen extensive flooding, with videos from local news outlets and meteorologists showing a fast-moving storm surge in numerous areas totally submerged in water. Where the panhandle meets the peninsula has especially been slammed. And that's actually a really important thing here, because according

to the Weather Channel, there have only been three hurricanes in that region since the 1850s. And the Idalia is now tied as the strongest hurricane to actually hit that area. And there's reporting that this hurricane could actually break storm surge records for the region. And as places like Axios have explained, that region is uniquely susceptible to storm surge flooding due to the shape of the coastline and shallow continental shelf. It forces the water to pile up along the shore. Also, as of early Wednesday morning, 260,000 customers in Florida didn't have power. As far as the total scope of damage and destruction, we don't know yet, which on that note, as I'm recording this, a hurricane's beginning to migrate out of Florida. By around 11 a.m. local time, the center of the storm had moved to Georgia,

and the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 1. It's now projected to continue traveling north towards coastal north in South Carolina. It's believed that Idalia will continue to weaken, and will likely be downgraded to a tropical storm by the time that it reaches the Carolina coast. But if you've ever lived in those places, you know that a lot of damage can still be done, which is actually why the governors of Georgia and both Carolinas have declared states of emergency. With officials warning about threats of intense winds, heavy rain, flash flooding, surges along the coast, and the possibility of tornadoes. And so if you are in one of these affected areas, obviously, yes, hope for the best, but keep your eyes and ears open. Please be safe, please be smart, and I'll also be linking to

resources down below. And then, you know, working out consistently can be hard. Trust me, I know. But that's why I want to thank Copilot for helping me through this journey and for being a sponsor of today's PDS. Because Copilot takes the thinking out of working out. Their coaches are able to schedule workouts that you just follow. One of the best things about Copilot is that I'm not doing this alone. Like when I was doing the dumbbell bench one arm row and my leg was too forward or when they told me to slow down on my descents, on my hammer curls, curls raise weight on bicep curls in order to get me out of what i felt was like a plateau on my biceps between the app and my coach devin i couldn't feel more supportive you just start with an easy onboarding call connect to a coach and then they make customized workouts

tailored to your needs so if you want to join me on a fitness journey of your own click the link in the description to get 14 days free with your own fitness and health coach let this be your moment because a lot of the time the changes that you make today can enhance your life in ways you never really thought possible. And Copilot is the doable way to start and stick with your fitness goals. I mean, between my coach and the app, it helps me stay consistent and work harder. With a guiding hand like Copilot, your success has never been more attainable. And I feel like even though I always think of myself as a work in progress, I think I'm proof of that. Because remember where I started, see where I'm at now, and most importantly, when I think about

where I'm going to go, it's actually a positive. And then, this is one of the reasons people argue we need adults-only flights. That video has gotten over five million views since it was posted on Twitter yesterday and even more views on TikTok. A small kid wearing a bright, flashing light-up hat on a dark plane full of people

while the adult sitting next to them sits around like nothing's wrong. And many, many people on the internet were not happy. The comments ranging from they literally could have given someone a seizure, who does that? And imagine trying to sleep and all of a sudden the plane turns into a rave. Oh, their kid's gonna learn some new words

when I'm done talking to her parents. And some folks are just horrible parents and horrible people in general. And so because of this type of, let's call it tomfoolery, along with the classic baby screaming and other general irritants of having children on airplanes, it's led to more than just an online debate, but also one airline creating an adults only section

on their flights. With Corindan Airlines, a Turkish-Dutch carrier putting out a press release recently, saying they're testing out an adults only section on their flights between Amsterdam and Curacao. The way it works is at the front of the flight, there will be over 90 seats reserved for passengers, 16 and up, and it'll be walled off from the rest

of the flight to preserve the child-free peace. But notably, it comes with an extra fee of about $50 for one of those seats, and an additional $100 for extra leg room. And the carrier actually argues this separation won't only be beneficial for those looking for a childless flight experience, but also for the families. With the airline's founder saying,

we also believe this can have a positive effect on parents traveling with small children. They can enjoy the flight without worrying if their children make more noise. And as far as how this will work out, we'll see soon because the adults-only flights are set to start in November. And it's gonna be interesting to see how this catches on,

but in the meantime, what are your thoughts? And also, with your opinion, let me know if you have kids or not. And then, hey, in really good news, everything's about to get a little more expensive. I know, you were thinking, man, shit's just too affordable right now. Good news! Visa and MasterCard are about to bump up their fees, because when businesses reportedly paid them over $93 billion in credit card fees just last year,

Visa and MasterCard were like, ah, but wouldn't it be better if it was more? And so these increases are reportedly set to happen in October and April, and one consulting company estimates that these price hikes could lead to merchants paying an additional $502 million in fees every year. And if you're not familiar with this space, these fees have kind of been this long point of tension between merchants, big and small, and credit card networks. And notably, it's led to higher prices for customers as businesses are trying to lessen some of that cost. But notably right now, so many businesses are already struggling with high inflation and high interest rates, so jacking up the fees for credit card use is just the last thing they need right now. Or as Doug Cantor, General Counsel of the National Association of

Convenience Stores said, it's just a bad combination and bad timing for any of these fee increases to happen. But a key aspect of this is this problem has also gotten the attention of Congress. Legislation was actually recently reintroduced that would give merchants the ability to process Visa and MasterCard credit cards on alternative networks, which could potentially lower fees that businesses have to pay, which means theoretically there's less of a cost to pass on to customers.

And then China just dropped its new map and its neighbors are pissed. Because China's new map shows them claiming part of India, with India saying the map is absolutely absurd, that their claims have no basis. And China's map also shows them infringing on Malaysia's maritime border, so Malaysia has rejected their unilateral claims. Also, China's map also shows them infringing on Malaysia's maritime border, so Malaysia has rejected their unilateral claims.

Also, China's map claims part of Russia, Japan, Vietnam, Bhutan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and all of Taiwan. Well, for some, it may feel silly that countries get upset over what are essentially just lines on a piece of paper, but those lines on a map, for a lot of people, they represent people's identities, their validation, things they fought thousands of years for. And then, it feels like every week there's a new coup,

right, because in what's clearly becoming a trend lately, military officers in the African country of Gabon just launched a coup and claimed to represent the entire armed forces. Making that announcement sometime today after the electoral board there officially announced that President Ali Bongo won his third term. But the military was having absolutely none of that. And at an address to the nation today, officers said that the results were nullified and that President Ali Bongo was under house arrest. They then went on to say that state institutions were dissolved, borders will be closed, and that they're working out who will lead a transitional government today. With them also adding, Now, because this is still breaking news, there's a lot up in the air right now, right?

And that includes things like what's the response going to be? And so far, we've only gotten a small glimpse of what's going on in the country. But so far, it's actually been a lot of people coming out to support the coup, with one telling Reuters, I am marching today because I am joyful. After almost 60 years, the Bongos are out of power. And that's probably because the Bongo family has been in charge since 1967, through Ali's father and himself.

Also, for good measure, Bongo's son, Nora Dean, was also arrested. That likely to remove any potential rallying point for supporters. It's also, I would say, not super surprising a coup happened. Where Bongo had an extremely controversial election in 2016, and there was a failed coup attempt in 2019. And they, alongside many Gabonese, feel the Bongo family hasn't shared the wealth generated by the country's oil and mining wealth.

And notably, if this coup ends up sticking, it'll be the eighth one in the region since 2020, many of which have erased serious Democratic gains in the region since the 1990s. Although also, pretending that every election in the region has been fair is a stretch, right? It's really been a mixed bag. I mean, just looking at Gabon's election on Saturday, you can see what I mean. Internet service was cut until it was restored. After the coup, a curfew was imposed. International observers were banned and many

foreign broadcasters were suspended during the elections. Also, notably, this is another former French colony and it puts France in an awkward position, right? It's condemned the coup and they also have troops stationed there. And right now it's unclear if Gabon will order them to leave or that's something that happened in Mali and Burkina Faso. But also, before I wrap this up, I do want to note that Gabon

is not part of ECOWAS, or that bloc of countries that split between those controlled by military juntas that support Niger and democratic ones threatening to invade Niger to restore the former president.

Of course, seeing another coup so close might have a chilling effect in the region, but we're going to have to wait to see. And that is where your daily dive into the news is gonna end for now, but do not worry, because for more news you need to know right now, I got you covered right here. You can click or tap, or I got links in the description for you. And after you watch that, don't worry, because my name's Philip DeFranco, you've just been filled in, I love your faces, and I'll see you right back here for more news tomorrow.