The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 9.28 Andrew Tate Blamed In Horrific Stabbing, What Taylor Swift Travis Kelce Obsession Really Exposes, &

Episode Date: September 28, 2023

Go to https://get.aspr.app/SH9Gz to get 35% off your first order of Sundays.  Download the DoorDash app and enter code PHIL to get 50% off your first order (up to a $20 value) and zero delivery fees.... Go Buy http://WakeandMakeCoffee.com 50% OFF select orders! This new batch won’t last long. Catch up on our latest PDS: https://youtu.be/rlqDtlL1OmI?si=LBlzAgFstow45sEF Check out our daily newsletter! http://dailydip.co/pds  Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phillydefranco/?hl=en  –✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ –00:00 - Tragic Death of U.K. Teen Leads People to Condemn Andrew Tate 04:14 - Fans Worried After Britney Spears Dances With Knives 06:03 - Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Whirlwind Is Everywhere 07:47 - Sponsored by Sundays for Dogs 08:47 - Mother Protects Son from Bear in Viral Video 10:13 - Google Search Engine Change Opens Doors for Drug Dealers  12:26 - Tinder’s Top 1% Sees a New Invite-Only $500 per Month Subscription Plan 13:32 - Senate Votes to Reinstate Formal Dress Code 15:14 - CA Will Fine Schools That Ban Books Over Race or LGBTQ+ Topics 16:02 - Sponsored by DoorDash 17:02 - China’s Quest for Human Genetic Data Spurs Fear of DNA Arms Race 23:24 - Your Thoughts on Yesterday’s Stories ——————————   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 #TaylorSwift #AndrewTate ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Today we're talking about this horrible tragedy in London and why people are pointing their fingers at Andrew Tate now. We've got a wild close call with a bear. You've got book bans getting banned. People are sounding the alarm around Britney Spears. The Taylor Swift, Travis Kelsey situation is making my brain melt. And we need to talk about the DNA arms race that we're having with China right now that you probably don't know about. We're talking about all that and so much more on today's brand new, extra large Philip DeFranco show. You daily dive into the news, so just make sure you're subscribed and let's jump into it. Starting with, this recent tragedy in London is absolutely horrific in its own right, but it's also now led to a lot of people pointing fingers at Andrew Tate and people like
Starting point is 00:00:32 him. And specifically, we're talking about this 15-year-old girl who was stabbed to death on her way to school Wednesday morning, and a 17-year-old boy who was arrested in connection to the crime. With one police chief calling the situation every parent's worst nightmare, another top metropolitan police officer calling it senseless and impossible to comprehend. With the community just grieving the loss of this young woman. Right now, regarding this young man, he's been arrested but not charged. He's currently being held for questioning and officials have until Friday to charge or release him. As far as why this happened, some reports say that he attacked her after she refused to go out with him and rejected flowers from him. Though some have it a little differently. BBC citing
Starting point is 00:01:02 witnesses who said an argument broke out after either the girl or one of her friends rejected the flowers. Other outlets saying the girl was stepping in to defend her friend who was turning the boy down. Details are still emerging, but either way, a lot of people have seen this story and figured this teenage girl was killed. She lost her life because a boy's advances were rejected. This has just horrified people and started a massive conversation about girls' safety, about violence against women, with people saying things like, this is why we say, sorry, I've got a boyfriend. This is why we don't swear at the people who catcall us on the street.
Starting point is 00:01:28 This is why we keep our heads down, because we're terrified you'll kill us. And people act like we're just being paranoid and hysterical about male violence, but this is the reality. The temerity to take your life for daring to turn down their advances. This is why I will never take my foot off the neck
Starting point is 00:01:40 of an incel slash any creator that encourages incel behavior, because these are the results, whether or not they are few and far between of teaching people that girls and women are objects of desire and not people with autonomy right a lot of people using that last line of thinking saying this is what happened when poisoned men become role models that this is only going to get worse well he was definitely not the only one because there's a whole portion of the internet dedicated to this kind of thinking the person seemed to get the most fingers pointed at him
Starting point is 00:02:02 was andrew tate with people writing things like went to school with flowers and a knife with full intentions of killing her if she rejected him. This is a byproduct of the misogynistic attitude people like Andrew Tate have been shoving down kids' throats. And the incel culture that has been pushed by Andrew Tate, Sneeko, all these red pill losers are responsible for this poor 15-year-old girl getting stabbed. When you objectify women and reduce them as nothing but sheer things to get your gratification from, rejection is not something you accept. As well as, I don't get why men are trying so hard to not link this back to dangerous incels like Andrew Tate. This is not just violence.
Starting point is 00:02:31 This is a teenage boy who felt entitled to a 15-year-old girl that he killed her. That is plain old misogyny. Now, at this point, I really want to know, what we're talking about is a horrific thing that happened, as well as conversation that's happening online. It is important to note that right now, we do not have the suspect's search history here. We don't know. If you watch Andrew Tate or any of these people,
Starting point is 00:02:47 we don't know what kind of content he was consuming online. We don't really know all the factors at play. But the urge to blame the culture Tate promotes at large still has been a huge part of the conversation. And while also with this, you see general pushback saying, there's no way you can blame people like Tate. You also have others saying, to just blame Tate, it's too simple. People noting that this kind of violence against women and girls predates Andrew Tate.
Starting point is 00:03:06 You also saw Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan defending themselves as well. Tristan writing that if young boys listened to Andrew Tate, this would not happen. Stoicism, emotional control, self-accountability. Andrew Tate is not dangerous. A society lacking what he teaches is what's dangerous. And Andrew echoing those points, adding, I teach men how to grow into formidable forces of competence, which protect and provide for everyone they love,
Starting point is 00:03:25 especially the women in their lives. Attacking me, a man who stands up and tells young men how to grow into good men, is what's dangerous. But of course, with that, you have tons of people responding by saying that is absolutely not what he really teaches. With critics saying he essentially has presented two different people. Or you have one Tate that lines up with the human trafficking allegations, all the documented stuff in the past about how women are to be controlled
Starting point is 00:03:43 and used, how they're less than, all the violent language that he's used around them. And then saying there's this other Tate where all of a sudden his language has pivoted, that he's trying to use it as a shield. But for now, while the court of public opinion talks about all this, and of course, with this story, I'd love to know your thoughts. For now, obviously, we have our eyes on this and we'll see what happens with the 17-year-old. What more details will we learn and what's actually going to happen to him? This conversation also notably happening as we got an update about Tate's case, with the Romanian court now easing restrictions on the Tates and allowing them to travel anywhere within Romania, though notably they are still not legally
Starting point is 00:04:10 allowed outside of the country. So that's another story and case we'll be looking for updates on. And then we need to talk about this Britney Spears situation, because if you didn't see, she put out a video where she was dancing with knives and the internet has been freaking out. She posted the video to Instagram. She's moving really quick in it. And fans were immediately worried, posting, look, this is scary. This is dangerous and not great. Where is her team? I'm tired of hearing she's an adult. She can do what she wants, but truly not in this case. And Miss Girl has me worried. One wrong move with one of those and she's going to hurt herself. With some seeming to suggest that Britney is mentally unfit to handle herself, right? Almost
Starting point is 00:04:38 implying she needs a conservatorship again. Especially as there were headlines suggesting she cut herself, as in a later video, you could see what looks like a bandage on her arm, though it's unclear why she had a bandage there. Technically, no one has confirmed it was from the Knives. Then you had people saying she should be forced to give up her dog, saying this is a safety issue for them. But then you had a ton of people pushing back against all that and saying, a lot of people seem to be jumping on the pro-conservator bandwagon because they don't like how Britney Spears is acting. Is dancing with Knives a good idea? No, we don't take away people's rights for doing things we know are bad ideas. As well as the degree of scrutiny she's subjected to is excessive. She's not allowed imperfections or any kind of deviation from normal behavior without people then defending her, though a lot of people not believing the knives were fake. And all this leading to Britney essentially saying, calm down. Posting another video of her dancing, this time without any
Starting point is 00:05:30 potentially controversial props in writing, lighten up about the knives, I'm copying Shakira. But that apparently being a nod to Shakira's recent VMA performance where she danced while holding knives. And so with that, you had tons of people sharing that response and saying, you know, this is a double standard. Arguing Shakira did this in front of millions, yet not one person said, shit, Hawaiian dancers do this all the time. Nobody says shit. If you stop looking at Britney from a she needs help lens,
Starting point is 00:05:50 you'd know this isn't a big deal. It's literally fake knives. Though some saying, you know, there's a difference between those three situations. With all that said, especially as there's seemingly no end in sight regarding all the back and forth that's happening, what are your thoughts on the situation now, especially if you were paying attention to this whole thing
Starting point is 00:06:02 during the Free Britney movement? And then, I'm just stating the obvious here, the Travis Kelsey Taylor Swift situation has gotten ridiculous. I'm a fan of both. Whatever's happening, I wish them the best. But for the last week, there has been 24-7 big royal wedding-esque non-stop news coverage of them. And not just from entertainment outlets or just dumb idiots like myself on the internet, but actual, like, legitimate news organization. Where you had whole stories being written up of, like, look how Travis was smiling here.
Starting point is 00:06:32 Now, that said, there are a lot of newsworthy aspects of this whole situation. There's a lot of societal and business stories connected to it. Like, you might have already seen Kelsey's jersey sales absolutely going through the roof after this last Sunday. His jersey sales jumping 400%. But that just being a small taste of the fandom that follows her. Kelsey's Instagram followers going through the roof, Sunday's Chiefs game being the most-watched NFL game on any network last week, and very notably was specifically the most-watched game among women aged 12 to 49.
Starting point is 00:06:54 Also, news has spread that we might see something again this weekend, with multiple reports saying that Taylor is set to attend the Chiefs-Jets game in New York on Sunday. And what do you know? Immediately, that impacted ticket sales. The price of seats immediately going up. You also had a rep for StubHub telling Town & Country that, quote, Since Swift's appearance at the Chiefs game on Sunday. And what do you know, immediately that impacted ticket sales. The price of seats immediately going up. You also had a rep for StubHub telling Town & Country that, quote, since Swift's appearance at the Chiefs game on Sunday, the Jets have sold more tickets for their game against the Chiefs in a single day since the season started by more than double. StubHub also seeing a boost in sales for Chiefs home games in general. Travis's podcast with his brother Jason
Starting point is 00:07:19 topping charts more than ever now. And all of this has even gotten me transfixed, not only because, you know, the situation is somewhat interesting to me, but also because I can't stop looking at the circus that has now surrounded it. And so where I'm going to leave you is with two questions. The first being more generally for everyone. What are your thoughts on what we're seeing? And then two, this is the same question I asked my wife, and this is specifically for the Swifties. Why are you so excited and invested in this new relationship? And that's not a question coming from a place of judgment. I asked the same thing of my wife. She gave me a very detailed answer, but I also want to hear from y'all. And then if you're a dog lover like me, nutrition is so important for your dog's life
Starting point is 00:07:51 and wellbeing, but also it can get costly. So I, and especially my dogs want to thank the sponsor of today's show Sundays. Sundays is fresh dog food made from a short list of human grade ingredients containing 90% meat, 10% veggies, and zero synthetic nutrients. And unlike other fresh dog foods, sundaes doesn't require refrigeration or preparation because of their air drying process. Just pour and serve, and it's super easy to store. And I am not exaggerating when I tell you our dogs are obsessed with this food. They see the box and they react like my kids when I tell them, hey, we're going to Disneyland. You know, we love feeding them quality food, but the convenience of home delivery is also where it's at for us. Because in the past, you know,
Starting point is 00:08:23 I think we've all been in the position where the food's gone. Maybe you resort to sliced bread or whatever's dog friendly in the pantry. We're doing whatever you can to feed your dog. And get this, sundaes cost 40% less than other healthy dog food brands because sundaes doesn't waste money shipping frozen packages. Instead, they spend the money on what matters, sourcing the best all natural ingredients for your dog. So you should try it and you can get 35% off your first order of sundaes. You just got to click the link in the description and your dogs will thank you. And then when you come face to face with a several hundred pound killing machine, would you have the nerve to not back down? Or in other words, are you made of whatever the hell
Starting point is 00:08:55 the stuff this mother in Mexico is made of? Because this is Sylvia and she took her son, Santiago, who has Down syndrome to a park to celebrate his 15th birthday. And they're sitting at a picnic table, enjoying their tacos, enchiladas, french fries, and salsa. And suddenly, out of nowhere, a black bear leaps onto the table and begins devouring their food right in front of them. So together, the mom and son, they just sit absolutely still, just inches from the jaws of this beast, with Sylvia casting her eyes downward to avoid challenging it. And this, as her number one fear, is that her son is gonna freak out because, as she explains, Santiago is very afraid of animals, a cat or a dog. Any animal scares him a lot. And this is not just any animal. This is a fucking bear. Things could go sideways very fast. But fortunately, Sylvia is a bamf and
Starting point is 00:09:34 she has planned for this. Rehearsing a game with her son where they remain as still as possible and pretend to be statues. And so that is exactly what they do. With the boy also describing the tension, saying we heard him as he growled, as he ate, you could smell the bear. It was really very, very close. With the bear even appearing to sniff the boy at one point. With then Sylvia's friend, Angela, who caught the encounter on video, spotting a plate of enchiladas that the bear hadn't eaten yet and tossed it far away. And sure enough, the animal wanders over to it and it gives Sylvia and her son enough space to quietly creep away. And so in the end, it's all good news. Santiago got new birthday tacos. And if he didn't already know, he learned that he has one of the best moms in the world. Though, you did have Sylvia herself shooting down claims that she's a hero, saying instead,
Starting point is 00:10:11 I think I'm just a mother who protected her cub. And then what do the FDA, the New York Times, and UC Davis all have in common? They all advertise crystal meth, right? And don't worry, I'll explain. All of this has to do with how Google generates search results, right? So many websites have an internal search function where you can search for things inside that site. When you type something in there and you hit go, it creates a new permanent web page with its own unique address to display the search results, even if there are no results. Now, for a very long time, those web pages were generally blocked from appearing on Google's general search results. But then last year, the company changed that, allowing them to appear, but promising that its algorithm would
Starting point is 00:10:41 filter out the unimportant ones. Except, as we've now discovered, it's not too great at doing that. Because you had Insider finding over four dozen websites for government agencies, universities, news outlets, and other businesses that were hijacked by drug dealers, including Insider itself. With people creating internal search webpages through those organizations' websites that say things like cocaine for sale here or buy crystal meth online. And the list of products being sold this way includes everything from heroin, fentanyl, and ecstasy to oxycodone, Xanax, and black market ozempic. And those pages linking to telegram
Starting point is 00:11:08 channels with thousands of members where not just drugs, but guns, cloned credit cards, and bank account information are sold. So now anyone can effectively create their own webpage saying whatever they want, attach it to an official trustworthy website, and have it show up on Google's front page. And apparently some of these drug dealers have a sense of humor because they've done this through websites like places for the FDA, the DEA, the IRS, Interpol, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. We've also seen universities and media outlets hit like the Times, Bloomberg, CNBC,
Starting point is 00:11:33 the Washington Post, and The Economist. And right now it's not even clear whether these webpages are meant to actually sell drugs or just to scam people. Because if you're dumb enough to type into a Google search bar, where can I buy cocaine? Drug dealers probably don't wanna get anywhere near you. But then again, it could also just be showing off how brazen they are and also tech savvy. I guess also another way to look at this story is less to do with maybe the
Starting point is 00:11:52 growing technical prowess of drug dealers and more to do with the declining quality of Google's search engine. Because for example, when the company began promoting AI generated content this month, you had real website owners complaining that they lost huge amounts of traffic as results created by programs ranked above theirs. So for these and other reasons, we've seen a number of people switching from Google to alternative search engines like Bing and DuckDuckGo. Though for many, that doesn't feel like a viable option for them because of Google's allegedly monopolistic control of the market, which is also why it's currently embroiled in an antitrust trial with the Justice Department, which notably is the first such case in modern U.S. history, with the DOJ accusing them of illegally using partnerships with handset makers, computer manufacturers,
Starting point is 00:12:23 and browser developers to stifle competitors by making itself the default search engine. And then, would you pay $500 a month for Tinder? Which, as absurd as that question sounds, is actually now officially possible, with Tinder now announcing their $499 per month invite-only subscription, Tinder Select, in which you will reportedly be allowed to access VIP search and matching, and can message someone you haven't matched with twice a week. You'll also reportedly have increased visibility even among Tinder's quote most sought after users. And the company is saying that Tinder Select will only be available for 1% of its user base who are the most active and will offer a special badge identifying them as select subscribers. Though, like that Twitter blue checkmark, that can be hidden.
Starting point is 00:12:58 Which I have to imagine anyone that's actually going to pay for this has to be hiding that badge because while I have zero experience with dating apps, I don't know if there's anything less attractive than shouting from the rooftops, I spent $500 a month on a dating app. It's like wearing a shirt that says I'm sad and desperate, but I have money. Also, you have a lot of people saying chatting without matching is an area of concern with some people calling it a recipe for harassment. But with all that said, you know, this still could be a win for Tinder because it kind of makes me think of freemium games on your phone. All those in-app purchases, they're really built for only one to 2% of the people actually playing those games,
Starting point is 00:13:28 or the whales is what they call them. And so Tinder as a company, you know, they're getting their Captain Ahab on. And then the Senate has finally vanquished the number one most serious threat to America, senators wearing shorts. And it's just so important and powerful for I think everyday Americans to see
Starting point is 00:13:42 that during these trying and polarizing times, our leaders can come together to make the changes we need to make. And everything we're seeing right now stems from last week when Republicans went absolutely feral after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that he'd no longer enforce the informal dress code on the Senate floor. And while he didn't name anyone in particular with his announcement, it was clear that this was about Senator John Fetterman. I'm often seen wearing shorts, a hoodie and running shoes around the Senate ever since he came back. And while you had many people saying this as if you were doing kind of a nice guy thing, trying to help out a colleague who had just gone through a really hard time,
Starting point is 00:14:09 Republicans absolutely lost their shit. And all of it leading to yesterday where the Senate passed a resolution by unanimous voice vote that requires business attire on the Senate floor. And that resolution specifying that for men, the requirements include a coat, a tie, slacks, or other long pants. Though they're notably not spelling out what's required for women. But this is still a historically significant moment because it marks the first time ever that the senate has officially codified a business attire dress code. Really until Schumer's announcement last week the chamber just followed an unofficial and unwritten policy that men dress
Starting point is 00:14:34 formally and that women cover their arms. Schumer also hitting on that while speaking on the floor yesterday saying though we've never had an official dress code the events over the past week have made us all feel as though formalizing one is the right path forward and then going on to thank Fetterman for working with him to reach a solution. And as far as Fetterman, he really only responded in two ways. One, by posting a viral meme of Kevin James, you know, coyly shrugging. And then two, quickly moving on to congratulating his Republican colleagues on their impeachment quest. Tweeting this morning, I directed my staff to deliver a gift to congratulate and salute Representatives Comer and his Team America squad as they embark on their historic impeachment journey, with him apparently gifting them a case of Bud Light. And a note saying a profile in Courage can make a guy thirsty. Congratulations, this Bud's for you.
Starting point is 00:15:13 Hugs and kisses, John Fetterman. And then, California just banned book bans, with Governor Gavin Newsom just signing a law that prohibits school boards from banning or censoring textbooks and library books on racial or LGBTQ plus topics. And under the new law, which takes effect immediately, schools will be hit with fines if they remove any books that cover those topics. And this is a move intended to better enforce already existing California law that requires lessons on ethnic studies and LGBTQ plus history as part of statewide education standards. Additionally, it also gives the superintendent of public instruction the ability to buy textbooks for students in a school district and make the district pay for those books if a school board chooses not to provide materials that meet state standards. And it's believed that this will
Starting point is 00:15:46 be a very effective means of preventing book bans because the financial penalties could be pretty damn hefty. And notably, it's not like this new law came out of nowhere. Newsom's been locked in this high-profile battle with a conservative school board in the state that opposed summer reading materials for the portrayal of Harvey Milk. The board eventually backed down after Newsom threatened to hit them with a $1.5 million fine. And then, do you need fresh groceries for the week, but you don't have the time to go to the store? Well, don't worry, I've got you covered, or better yet, the fantastic sponsor of today's show has you covered. So thank you, DoorDash, for your grocery delivery service that's come in handy for me and my family lately. You've trusted DoorDash to deliver your restaurant favorites, but did you know that you can actually
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Starting point is 00:17:18 Right, genomics research is on the cutting edge of methods to treat diseases, create new pharmaceuticals, design medical devices, detect birth defects, and understand how our biology works. And it's become increasingly clear that in the 21st century, genetic material is a natural resource just like any other, and whoever has a lot of it is going to take the lead. And no other country understands that reality better than China. Because Beijing has announced plans to become the world's leader in biotechnology by 2035. And to that end, it's been scooping up DNA around the world for well over a decade, with one very ambitious company by the name of BGI Group, formerly known as the Beijing Genomics Institute, spearheading that campaign. For important context, BGI was created in 1999, as the Human Genome Project was nearing completion. And that was actually one of its
Starting point is 00:17:56 first ventures, with it contributing about 1% of the research behind the first map of the genome, earning China a personal thanks from Bill Clinton. And then, over the next dozen years, it expanded, building sequencing labs where researchers sat in front of machines that analyzed daily shipments of DNA. And its clients included everyone from pharmaceutical firms and autism advocates to food producers and obesity researchers. But then, in 2013, it went from a consumer of sequencing machines to a producer of them, with BGI acquiring Complete Genomics, one of two leading U.S. producers of gene sequencing technology for $118 million. And that very notably after it had received a $1.5 billion cash injection from the China
Starting point is 00:18:29 Development Bank to fuel its quest to become a global competitor in that market. You know, from there, it continued to grow until the pandemic when it absolutely exploded. Right, BGI ended up being perfectly positioned to help sequence the genome of COVID-19 and mass-produced commercial tests for the new virus, which China would donate to the rest of the world. And through this drive to help other countries battle the coronavirus, which arguably did a lot of good, China also got a foothold in places where it had less access. Right, and for a prime example, just take a look at BGI's FireEye, a portable sequencing lab that detects infections from tiny genetic fragments that the virus leaves behind, with versions of it popping up in more than 20
Starting point is 00:18:59 countries across four continents, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. But even after COVID began to recede, the labs remained, and several countries turned them into permanent genetics testing facilities attached to research centers. Like in Serbia, where China helped establish the first lab in the country to specialize in deciphering the whole genomes of human subjects. And all that equipment coming from China and Chinese experts coming in to train the staff and set up the facility. Or, for example, in the United Arab Emirates,
Starting point is 00:19:20 officials announced plans in March to map the DNA of every person in the country using BGI's equipment. Now, with all that, if you ask BGI, it claims it has no access to the genetic data fed through the labs it sold to foreign countries. But skeptics and critics have suggested otherwise. With them pointing to things like a press release last year that seemed to indicate at least a limited data sharing arrangement with the Serbian lab. And one of the reasons people are concerned about which DNA it does and doesn't have access to is the same reason why anyone's concerned about giving data to Chinese companies. BGI has documented ties to the Chinese government. A very key thing, in 2021, Reuters reported that BGI has worked with China's military on research ranging from mass testing for
Starting point is 00:19:52 respiratory pathogens to brain science to genetically enhanced soldiers. Though reportedly, for that last one, it's not like they're creating superhuman monsters. Rather, we're talking more about things like trying to make soldiers less susceptible to altitude sickness, which may help them in border areas like the Himalayas. But then going even further, Beijing employed BGI to build and operate the China National Gene Bank, a government-owned database housing DNA from millions of people around the world. And a 2021 US Intel assessment linked the company to the Beijing-directed global effort to obtain even more human DNA, including from the United States, which is actually one of the reasons why the Pentagon officially listed BGI as one of several
Starting point is 00:20:24 Chinese military companies operating in the US last year. But the White House then even blacklisting two BGI subsidiaries early this year because of the risk they would divert data to Chinese military programs. But then also very importantly, even without any direct evidence of government ties,
Starting point is 00:20:37 you can't guarantee firms like BGI will keep your data safe. Right in this, because since 2017, Chinese firms and citizens are legally obliged to share proprietary information acquired in foreign countries whenever requested by the government. Yet, at the same time, current Chinese law actually bans foreign entities from collecting genetic material in the country
Starting point is 00:20:52 or moving such resources abroad. So it very much appears they understand the value and what's at play here. And that's a drastic difference to the 2000s when international cooperation on scientific research was more the norm. But the current situation is today's China under Xi Jinping aggressively harvests DNA from the rest of the world while closely guarding its own.
Starting point is 00:21:07 And it's important to understand that it's not just BGI that helps it do this. Right through business partnerships and stock purchases, nearly two dozen Chinese companies have reportedly acquired rights to genetic data and other private records of U.S. patients by 2019. And that same year, a DOJ in Daibin alleged that Chinese operatives hacked into patient databases at four U.S. companies, siphoning the private health care data, including DNA of more than 80 million Americans. And so now with all that said, you might be wondering, you know, what in the world are they going to use my DNA for? Because your mind might go to a place like they're going to make biological weapons that can target specific genetic populations. And while it's true that some Chinese academics
Starting point is 00:21:38 have debated the feasibility of such a weapon, many of them actually appear to have been simply reacting to paranoia that the U.S. was developing something like that, with most experts actually saying genetically-based bioweapons are at best decades away if they're even possible at all, which many don't believe they are. But we know that Beijing is using genomic sequencing for a far more realistic and also sinister purpose, with rights groups documenting systematic campaigns to forcibly collect biometric data from Tibetans and Uyghurs to ethnic minorities that have been repressed. Right, I mean, you have Human Rights Watch reporting that police have demanded blood samples, iris scans, and fingerprints
Starting point is 00:22:06 from all adult residents of the Xinjiang province. Also launching a similar campaign in Tibet in 2020. Those DNA samples can help authorities link suspects to protests or locate family members who might be subjected to pressure over a relative's behavior. And so with that, you have one expert saying, it is part of the architecture of social control
Starting point is 00:22:21 and it's a very effective psychological pressure tool. Whether the DNA database is effective, there's a fear that is induced by the large-scale deployment of this technology. But that kind of usage for DNA concerns people inside China, and for everyone else, there's no public evidence right now that Chinese companies have used foreign DNA for reasons other than scientific research, which is why most U.S. officials say Beijing's interest in genetics is less to do with military superiority and more to do with economic competition. If Chinese firms can become the sole or main supplier of an important new medicine or technology, they'll gain leverage over their
Starting point is 00:22:47 Western competitors. Whatever your personal feelings on that are, US policymakers, they clearly consider this a threat. Also of note here was that while China has one of the largest biobanks of human genetic material in the world, it's still fragmented across jurisdictions and institutions. Also collecting data is one thing, storing it, curating it, actually using it as something else entirely, which is also why recently the Chinese government has taken steps to synthesize existing data into, quote, a national genetic survey that would be conducted every five years. But if there is one thing you get from this story is that understand that biotechnology is undeniably going to be one of the key battlegrounds in what many have called the new Cold War between Beijing and Washington.
Starting point is 00:23:21 So we wait to see that fun thing unfold. I got to pass the question off to you. What are your thoughts on this? And then let's talk about yesterday today, where we look back at yesterday's show, where we talked about so many news stories. We then dive into those comments to see your reactions, your opinions, and maybe even sometimes your experiences. And possibly because it was such a big show, like the shows have been this week, which by the way, let me know if you like the shows this big. I don't know if you can tell, but I've really enjoyed the show, like what the show has become over the last two weeks. But diving into the conversation, there were a lot of people sounding off on that horrible cop.
Starting point is 00:23:48 People saying the first story is horrifying. People like the cop shouldn't be in positions of power, especially in ones above the current or former partners. As well as saying the number of people bullied, abused, killed by power tripping psycho cop exes is scary. Hope that woman is protected and gets help dealing with the crap show. Which I mean, yeah, you never want to make broad, all encompassing statements. But when you look into things like domestic violence numbers by professions and you look at like people that are cops, it's, it's fucking scary. So much so that, I mean, we saw this back and forth of someone saying, you know, that story is frightening. And nowadays a person can't break up with a cop without expecting
Starting point is 00:24:18 serious legal ramifications. And another responding, honestly, at this point, if you date a cop, that's on you. We know what they are and the people who choose to be them. And people saying things like, you shouldn't have dated that cop in the first place. 40% of them are like this, and those aren't odds worth messing with. There's definitely a lot of agreement and disagreement there. We also had a lot of active military and vets speaking out on the barracks coverage. People sharing things like, I've been out of the army for almost 10 years now. The barracks weren't any better back then, so I'm glad this is finally getting addressed.
Starting point is 00:24:41 I remember one barracks in Arkansas that had a hole in the floor that you were supposed to avoid. Others sharing that a lot are in bad condition, saying there were constant complaints. Many angry at the general use of funds when it comes to the military. With people saying things like, it never ceases to amaze me how our government is more than willing
Starting point is 00:24:55 to spare absolutely no expense on the military. No questions asked. Except for when it comes to the human beings that are actually serving in it. And then finally, a huge chunk of the conversation that was taking place was around that therapy speak segment. With a lot of people, including mental health professionals, thanking us for the it. And then finally, a huge chunk of the conversation that was taking place was around that therapy speak segment with a lot of people, including mental health professionals,
Starting point is 00:25:07 thanking us for the coverage. What I'm saying is as a therapist, it's so frustrating to hear people overuse and misuse therapy terms and diagnoses. People often get the wrong idea of conditions because of people using terms to talk down to each other. Associating every diagnosis and condition with all the people in your life that you hate
Starting point is 00:25:21 is not serving anyone. It's just creating biases and stigmatizes real people working through real struggles. And for the therapist, it seemed like it was less of people, right, using those terms and more how they've become buzzwords that get overused and attributed to things that don't necessarily fit. So obviously at the same time, trying not to delegitimize someone trying to understand what they're going through, right? Sometimes finding the right words is one of the biggest battles. It can help us understand ourselves more, what we're going through more. And some even shared their experiences explaining, as someone who has and
Starting point is 00:25:47 continues to benefit from therapy, I have found therapy speak to be incredibly validating. I couldn't articulate my feelings regarding many of my life experiences. Finding these cliches allowed me to see that. While I felt isolated, my experiences were common enough to have their own jargon. I wasn't crazy. I was a typical human being. And saying, after I left the guilt and shame behind, only then could I start the healing process. Now the phrases I use from therapy are specific to me and my experiences and asking what I have gotten to this point in my healing without therapy speak maybe, but I'll never know. And once again, not to fucking just keep toot my own horn. This is, this is why the segment is like, I'm so glad we've, we've created it. Lots of different feelings,
Starting point is 00:26:19 lots of different opinions, so many different experiences. So whether you're taking the time to write those comments or you're taking the time to listen, thanks for being a part of this. And that is where your daily dive into the news is going to end today. But 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 down below. And as always, 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 next time.

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