Kamala Harris 4 Prez Again? & Scammed by AI Wellness Influencers l WAC w/Corinne Fisher Ep. 340

[00:00:40]Running from the man. Yeah, the mad man's coming. Yeah, the man's running for me tonight.

[00:00:46]I spent the last week running from the heat with the beats coming alive tonight.

[00:01:28]Hello wackos. Welcome to this week's episode of Without a Country. I am Karen Fiser. Thanks to everyone who supports this show. All hail to our amazing dictator Christopher Fungi. Hello to my capitalist pigs and my cuties. This is an independently run show. We're not on a network. We're not affiliated with any of the media sources that we use. So, if you want to help uh to uh contribute to critical thinking and analyzing news from an independent standpoint, please consider joining our Patreon. It's patreon.com/withoutacountry.

[00:02:04]You can be a Patreon subscriber for as little as $6 a month and it is so helpful to the show. This is kind of a passion project. I just really do this show because I enjoy it and I just try to break even on it uh for all the people that are involved, our wonderful producer Mike Harrington and Crystal who does the thumbnails for the show and provide some scientific insight from time to time when we need her area of expertise. And then of course we just have Alfred here. And Alfred and Alfred wants toys. So, um, that's not really what the money goes to. That's for my own personal funds, but I thought I could tug at your heartstrings a little bit. Um, and with your subscription, you of course get an additional news story every single week in the same format of this show, but I try to make it something very interesting that is um, you know, not covered here, but uh, along the lines of things that we talk about as far as you know, we talk a lot about AI, we talk about domestic violence, animal issues, um, the top stories of the week, obviously sometimes more covered on this show, and then, uh, you know, censorship, things like that.

[00:03:12]So, a lot of important stuff going on right now and I really appreciate anyone who is able to donate. I know summer's tough. Uh I just saw like a couple people had to leave because of financial situations changing. Totally understand it. Uh but just wanted to remind everyone how grateful I am when you do subscribe to the Patreon. All right. Um, and then also last housekeeping order of business for this week is if you're in Los Angeles, we are doing the annual, it's become an annual ritual basically to do gash in Los Angeles um for Halloween time. This year we're doing it on Sunday, October 25th in the belly room right now. Although uh they love the show and they really want to move it to the main room, but we got to sell out the tickets to the belly room first so we can make that move uh downstairs. And obviously we can book some bigger names if we're in the main room. It's just kind of like a status thing. Like I, you know, I know the people whether I'm in the belly room or the main room, but just some folks don't um work in the belly room and some big folks do again like Rogan does, but Rogan's not in LA anymore. Um, and my audience doesn't want to see Rogan also. Um, but but if they did, if they did.

[00:04:26]Um, all right. So, let's get into some breaking news that was released, you know, like 20 minutes before we went on air. And that is uh I'm going to take it from Fox News, but chaos erupted as erupts as House passes 1.15 trillion dollar defense bill with Israel provision stop stoking Jew hatred. This is a quote from the headline. Um Democrats and Republican skeptics joined forces against section 219 while transgender provisions further split the vote.

[00:05:02]Classic Fox article, right? a little Israel, a little transgender, folks. The House passed its $1.15 trillion annual defense policy bill today after a bipartisan revolt over a provision expanding USIsrael defense technology cooperation. which is interesting because one of the stories I had previously picked to cover on today's episode um was actually how you know the establishment is finally kind of c catching the memo that if we keep funding Israel and working with Israel in the US they're going to lose more and more uh voters basically on the left and uh you know I thought this was like you know positive um that they were finally getting the memo uh because they did vote against sending, you know, more aid to Israel, but obviously they're not getting the memo. It really does seem. Um so again, the House passed its $ 1.15 trillion annual defense policy bill today after a bipartisan revolt over a provision expanding USIsrael defense technology cooperation. The fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act passed 216 to 212 with Republicans largely supporting and Democrats mostly opposing the measure. Uh there's just always some a couple people who are hanging on that they just can't really understand that this is going to be a losing strategy if they continue uh to want to be elected on the left. The annual bill, which sets Pentagon uh and policy and typically draws broad bipartisan support, re received only six Democratic votes as much of the caucus objected to section 2019 or sorry 219 and Republicanbacked amendments restricting transgender care and easing access to personal guns on military bases. Opposition came from a coalition of progressive Democrats and Republican skeptics of US support for Israel who accused congressional leaders of shielding the provision from scrutiny after lawmakers were denied a separate vote to remove it. You know, just just basically let's put it in with some other stuff. Let's hide it a little bit.

[00:07:15]The fight erupted as support for Israel has weakened among House Democrats and some America First Republicans during the war in Gaza and the widening conflict with Iran. I really hate when they use the word conflict because it's just like more than a conflict. Like these are more than conflicts. Um, just one week earlier, 103 Democrats joined Representative Thomas Massie, Republican from Kentucky, in voting to block 3.3 billion dollars in US aid to Israel, which again was like the positive news that I was going to share regarding um our our real uh obsession with Israel here in US government. For opponents, section uh 219 would move the relationship in the opposite direction by embedding USIsrael cooperation more deeply inside the Pentagon's weapons development and acquisition system. The provision would direct the war secretary to designate a Pentagon executive agent to coordinate and accelerate bilateral defense research, testing, and industrial cooperation. And like from a strategic strategic standpoint like obviously like we don't want to continue to be um involved in Israel. It's just causing like a huge problem with I don't know the rest of the world many of the constituents here in the US. Um but from a technological standpoint I can understand why they would want to be just because Israel tends to be uh super ahead when it comes to surveillance and war technology. So, but it but it's also like we're under the an administration that promised us, you know, no war. So, why does it seem like we're always preparing for war? Critics argue that structure would make the relationship harder for future administrations or congresses to unwind and could shift parts of the partnership away from highly visible aid votes into less visible technology procurement and production arrangements. supporters said it would coordinate long-standing programs and give the United States faster access to Israeli defense technology, which is like again I understand wanting access to that technology and perhaps maybe you know that's part of what Israel is like as Israel sees that it's uh losing it it's losing just uh you know faith and it's and it's losing followers and it's losing support pretty much around the entire world. I guess strategically they can look and say it's like well what's one thing that we can hold over the US's head um and anyone's head really but specifically the US's head because we already have this um relationship with them. What's one thing that we really do do better than other places that they need us for? They need our intelligence. They need our technology. And I guess this could be a way to kind of keep us wrapped around their finger. Uh, Representative Alexandria Okasiocortez, Democrat New York, urged lawmakers to reject the entire defense bill, arguing that the provision would merge parts of our military with the IDF, something that we've been talking about for several weeks now, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. This amendment is an existential threat to American sovereignty and democracy. Okasiocortez wrote on X prior to the vote, referring to section two uh 219, every member of Congress must vote no, which of course, you know, if you're in the Republican party, nothing is going to make you make you want to vote uh yes more than AOC telling you to vote no, unfortunately.

[00:10:55]Um Representative Mike Lawler, Republican New York, shot back on X.

[00:10:58]Good grief. You are either obtuse or intentionally lying. We are not merging our military with the IDF as we do with many of our allies. We enter into cooperative agreements, share intelligence, develop technology and ammunitions and conduct military exercises together, stop stoking Jew hatred, and do better. And again, it's super unhelpful when people on the right, you know, just as much as I as I get aggravated with people on the left for conflating is issues with Israel with issues at with Jewish people. It's also completely unhelpful when the Republicans do that, right? They claim to be, you know, it's like you guys are pro- Israel. You're not pro-Jew. Like nothing that you have done. Um, and it's only been like really recently that a lot of Jewish people, if they are Zionists, started uh supporting the Republican party, but historically Jews are very left-leaning. And again, super unhelpful when we're talking about something that is about Israel, which is while many Jews can, you know, consider it to be the homeland of Jewish people, it is not something that all Jews in the entire world are behind. And uh you know people are already so confused about like Jewish people and Jewish culture you know to begin with long before October 7th. And now again this is anytime someone talks uh negatively about Israel or says that the US should stop funding things or stop going to bed with Israel in the government and Republicans say things like stop stoking Jew hatred when it is not Jew hatred. really actually super harmful to Jewish people in a society where anti-semitism is rising by the day. Um Massie similarly opposed both the rule governing debate and the final bill after Republican leaders denied a floor vote on his bipartisan amendments to strike the provision. We should not merge our military tech and supply chain with Israel's Massie said on X uh beyond creating the executive agent section uh 219 would direct the Pentagon to identify jointly developed or Israeli origin technologies that could be used in US weapons programs and promote joint ventures licensing agreements and US-based production partnerships with Israeli companies. Before final passage, the House adopted two amendments from Representative Anna Paulina Luna, Republican from Florida. One removed four uses of the word integration, while the other extended annual reports to Congress for as long as the executive agent remains in place. The original reporting requirement would have ended in 2030. The amendments left the initiative central structure and cooperative programs intact, falling short of opponents demand that section 219 be removed entirely.

[00:13:58]Massiey's amendment was backed by Democratic representatives Roana of California, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, hey Sus Chewy Garcia of Illinois, and Rashida Talib of Michigan.

[00:14:10]Section 219 would not combine the country's command structure, place US troops under Israeli authority, or give Israel control over US military operations. The United States and Israel also already cooperate extensively on defense technology, including the Iron Dome, Arrow and David's sling missile defense systems, counter drone technology, and anti-tunnel capabilities. The provision's principal change would be to place a designated Pentagon executive agent in charge of coordinating and expanding those efforts across the war department. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, Republican Alabama, said the provision would improve oversight and efficiency by assigning responsibility for existing initiatives to a single official, which I'm sure you know in this administration would be someone completely not qualified for the job. In no way does it give away command and control of our military operations personnel or equipment, Rogers said last month.

[00:15:11]Critics argued that the executive agent structure would give USIsrael projects a privileged path through the Pentagon and further entrench Israeli technology and companies in the American defense supply chain. The fight threatened the broad coalition traditionally needed to pass the NDAA, one of the few major bills Congress has routinely approved with bipartisan support. Democratic opposition was also fueled by Republican amendments restricting gender affirming medical care for troops and military dependents and transgender participation in sports at Defense Department schools.

[00:15:47]again just going to be an on an ongoing huge battle um for a very small group of people that we have decided to become completely obsessed with as a country.

[00:15:59]the house or half of us have the house voted uh 219 to 208 Tuesday to prohibit uh Triricare from covering certain gender transition procedures and treatments with five Democrats supporting the amendment and one Republican opposing it. Like and I would also like to say like what are the numbers? Like have we ever even looked up the numbers? Like what amount of taxpayer money annually is going towards gender affirming care.

[00:16:37]I would think a lot that's very small.

[00:16:40]Um, so again, this is just what's coming up on Google AI. Uh, which is just what happens when you Google things these days, as you know. So, it says national taxpayer spending on gender affirming care is estimated between $11 million and $17 million annually at the state Medicaid level, which let me just tell you is like very low. That's a very low amount of money. Um, as I as I thought it would be. Um, super low amount of money. um for the amount of time like we're we're just like basically wasting elected officials time by obsessing over that or they're wasting our time depending on how you look at it depending on where you think the source of the obsession is. It's a huge It's just a way to distract anger um keep us separated. But like you know I've for like my dad's medical care like had he not been covered by insurance like him alone would have would you know for his individual care was like a million dollars right um for for cardiac arrest. So, this is just like chump change that we're talking about and spending this amount of time and you know uh putting it into uh legislation so that people won't vote against it.

[00:18:01]It's like it's just such a waste of time honestly. It's it's a waste of time and it's just causing uh us to be so angry at each other. Uh lawmakers separately voted uh 221 to 203 to prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls sports at war department schools.

[00:18:17]Again something that what is what is this one for one is this legislation for one person like how many transgender girls are in war department schools I mean it's it's not a number that we can so I mean this is a this is a school where the total enrollment across these military operated schools is only 67,000 students So, we're now introducing legislation in case uh in case there's transgender girls who want to like it's just not again it's just not a thing. It's like this is truly we're introducing legislation that would apply to I would say one to two people. Okay. The House rejected a separate attempt by Representative Lauren Boowbert, Republican, Colorado, uh to codify uh President Donald Trump's executive order barring transgender troops from serving in the military. That's dumb because no one else wants to. Like, if you want to serve, you should be able to serve. The amendment failed uh 217 to 212 after four Republicans joined every Democrat in opposition.

[00:19:30]Um, I mean I mean I mean I mean it's like stupid to even uh introduce is is my point. Um, lawmakers also narrowly approved an amendment making it easier for qualified service members and civilian war department employees to reserve uh receive permission to carry personal guns on military installations.

[00:19:50]The measure passed 215 to 214.

[00:19:55]Uh, I don't love that. um an amendment that would have largely prohibited Ukraine security assistance failed though 76 Republicans supported it. The uh proposal would have preserved funding only for security at the US embassy in Kev. Um, the underlying NDAA would authorize roughly 1.15 trillion dollars for national defense, including payraises ranging from 5% to 7% for service members, expanded weapons and munitions production, and new investments in missile defense, autonomous systems, hypersonics, and other emerging technologies. The bill would also formally change the Department of Defense's name to the Department of War, uh, deeming references to the Defense Secretary and Department and federal law to mean the Secretary and Department of War. The NDAA sets defense policy and authorizes spending levels, but does not provide the money itself. Congress must separately pass defense appropriations legislation to fund the programs and priorities included in the measures.

[00:20:57]Consideration of the legislation had been delayed for three weeks by a separate Republican fight over the Save America Act, Trump backed election legislation requiring document uh documentary uh proof of citizenship to register to vote and identification to cast a ballot in federal elections. The House approved the election measure in February, but it stalled in the Senate where Republicans lacked the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Republican leaders revived the legislation through a procedure directing the House clerk to combine it with the NDAA after passage, but before sending the package to the Senate. The approach allowed the House to vote on the defense and election measures separately before transmitting them as one bill. The plan initially collapsed June 30th when 13 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the procedural rule. Representative Anna Paulina Luna, uh, who we talked about before, the Republican from Florida, and other holdouts later relented after Speaker Mike Johnson promised to attach the election legislation to appropriations, bills, and others and other mustpass measures. The combined defense and election package faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where Democrats blocked consideration of their chambers, NDAA, last week in protest of the Trump administration's war with Iran. The debate also comes as the Pentagon seeks additional money to cover the conflict and replenish US weapons stockpiles. The White House has requested an 87.6 billion supplemental package including 67.1 billion for defense needs while House Republicans are considering additional military and intelligence funding through a partyline reconciliation package. I mean, bas at this point, all our money is going to, you know, weapons um and then uh deporting uh people who most times shouldn't even be deported because we're just going willy-nilly deport whoever the hell we want to just, you know, oh, is this person look brown? Oh, okay.

[00:22:51]That's a good person. We should deport them. Um, all right. So, that was again just breaking as I uh as I turned on.

[00:22:58]So, and and again, I was like so happy to present to you like look, Democrats are finally uh you know, really getting the message that we really don't want to be funding Israel with our taxpayer dollars. That's not what the people who uh voted you in have decided. And then it all went back backwards. Speaking of Israel, we have a kind of a big uh like it's a big municipal issue, but it has turned into a national um and international really issue here in New York. Um you know, if you were following the mayor's race last year, the one that I was uh involved in, the one that I was running in, um you know, uh Israel came up a lot even though it it does not the mayor of New York has no pull over what's happening in Israel like whatsoever. Um uh it it came up a lot the question of visiting Israel, supporting Israel, whether or not Israel should exist. Um and uh Zoran Mdani constantly or consistently said that he would uh arrest Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes if Benjamin Netanyahu came to New York City. And I don't know why he said this because I was like according to anything that I've read um this is well beyond uh the uh jurisdiction of a the New York City mayor. Like well beyond it. I'm like, I don't know why you're saying this because just like for me when I'm running for mayor, I'm really not making dick swinging promises that I absolutely can't like I clearly can't keep. But he thought, you know, but people loved it. People loved that he said it and they still loved that he said it today. And you know, finally, um, he kind of had a comment on that because he kept saying it. And yeah, voila, obviously he puts out a video. I think it was yesterday being like, "Hey, we actually looked into it." He said from all like he was like, "We looked into it from all avenues." Acting like there was something that he possibly missed. I mean, I guess you could look at but it was just it was very clear that this was not a possibility. So, I was just sitting back being like, "Why are what?" And also, why are we talking about this? It's just not It's just not something the mayor of New York City um unless they're basically setting themselves up to uh run for a higher office, which just so you know, every elected official is is doing every moment of the [ __ ] day. They're continuously uh auditioning for the next highest role, whether or not they are even eligible for it. In this case, you know, Dor Mandani, not h not having been born in America, is not eligible at this point in time to run for president. I think because of the way America is structured, it is something that we are going to have to change. I I don't think we're changing it, you know, super soon, but I think it is something we're going to have to change in the next few decades. Uh certainly, um but I think it's going to be a big a big uh topic uh full of uh vitrial. It'll show more hatred in the country. Obviously, there are issues that need to be discussed just like the you know the the safety and security of national intelligence for America when you know we don't want people to start other countries to start basically um kind of developing potential uh presidential nominees to then send to the United States. Like it could really become a a problem. Uh but right now, you know, you have to be born in the United States to uh become president of the United States. And yeah, Mayor Mum Donn yesterday released a video saying that, hey, you know, we looked into it. We, this administration, we are not eligible to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu. Again, no [ __ ] [ __ ] Uh but kind of putting pressure on the federal government to do so. Trump immediately responded and is like, "Yeah, we're not doing that." Of course, that's not a that's not a surprise. Um, but yeah, like by, you know, the federal government is is allowed to do this. If I'm Benjamin Netanyahu, I'm just probably chilling uh by myself so none of this happens. Um, or so that someone else doesn't randomly assassinate me.

[00:27:19]But that's what's going on now. Um, and uh, and also something that I thought was interesting this week is is Zory Mom Donnie was doing an interview.

[00:27:28]He's constantly doing a lot of press, which I do have a problem with. Um, you know, I have a partial problem with it because part of it is like, yes, you are the star. You are the face of New York City. So, you I think you do have to continually uh, be in the spotlight. I do fully believe that is part of the job of the mayor. But now he's doing like social media things like you know playing video like live streaming playing video games and it's like where's the line between being accessible and actually just wasting everybody's time and tax dollars again but you can't say anything negative about him on on the left whatsoever because everyone's just like this is a guy who does no wrong which I think is a really really dangerous place to be. And again I am someone who is extremely happy overall with the job that Zoran mom Donnie is doing. Um, I think part of the reason that we're so happy is unfortunately because we have been in abusive relationships with previous mayors and just in general with our elected officials who do absolutely [ __ ] nothing. And so then when someone comes in and actually does the things for the most part that they said that they were going to do and is acting on it and not just acting on it but also communicating with the constituents because Eric Adams if you looked at his like annual address to the city um he actually was getting a certain amount of stuff done but he wasn't conveying it to the constituents which I think educating and communicating with constituents is a big part of the job. So if you're not like you kind of do need to keep saying like this is what I did. This is the program that I started. This is how you access the benefits of this program.

[00:29:00]Very important. And so few people are doing it. Like there needs to be one basic portal where anyone in a certain area who needs services knows what services are available to them and makes it extremely easy for them to apply to get those services. That's like the number one problem in government. It's like programs exist to help people but pe the people who need help don't know how to access them. I would say that's problem number one. Um probably in all government but specifically in municipal government and it's a in an age of technology it is such a simple uh thing to fix. Um, but Zory Mumdani also I forgot where he was getting interviewed, but he did pro like a a rather extensive interview one-on-one with a with a journalist and she asked him point blank if AOC runs for pre, you know, he she she talks about the uh obvious partnership that he has with AOC and he says yes. And you know, I do consider this a partnership that I have. Uh he he agrees with her her language around that. And then she says, you know, it seems like AOC might be running for president in 2028. If she does, uh, can we get, you know, definitely get an endorsement, uh, promise from you?

[00:30:16]And Zoran basically, you know, he gives his, uh, diplomat, so what some would call diplomatic, what I would call [ __ ] uh, nonsensical, uh, skirting the the the an answering the question response, which is like, oh, I can't promise that. Obviously, it's kind of too long um out from the election to promise that he would endorse AOC. I do see that like strategically, politically, not a sound move. Um but I think really the more so the reason why he can't do it is because the DSA has been flip-flopping, for lack of a better term, uh about whether or not they would be behind AOC running for president in 2028 if that would be like someone that they would endorse. And again, we can have conversations till we're blue in the face about how great Zoran Mani is.

[00:31:05]That's not really the question that I'm asking here. The question is, uh, will Zoran Mani ever do anything, um, outside of exactly what the DSA tells him to do?

[00:31:15]And I think that's really important. Um, because it's like, who did we vote? Do we vote for Zoran Mani or do we just vote for the heads of the DSA, which is not Zoran Mani? Um, and at this point, I don't think he's I don't think he would stray. and so many pieces starting started to come together for me uh specifically this week with him making this you know to camera video about how they don't have the ability to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu in New York again no [ __ ] [ __ ] um and uh and the question that I had kind of asked for his whole campaign was just like again why is someone who has invested their pretty much their whole political and activist life to free Palestine which again a noble pursuit if that's your pursuit but why are you running for mayor of New York like one seat where you really can't do much about that issue and now I feel like the pieces because I just knew there was an answer to that again like there has to be there has these things are not just like [ __ ] I'm making up there had to be an answer to the question and with the specific endorsements he's you know been making for Congress um lately and uh you know using his as the New York Times calls it political capital. Um it is it is very clear. They're like, "Oh, we I I think the DSA pretty much uh made the decision that they thought that the an easy win in a in a big talked about seat could h for the DSA could happen in New York City, right? We're like, we think we can win this race and it'll give us um national public attention on this specific candidate who is a, you know, a good candidate to get behind. They were very smart in choosing Zora Donnie obviously super beloved and camera friendly and smart which most politicians aren't and um uh well wellspoken uh likable young uh but someone who who who wants to be famous enough that they will go along with what the DSA says and um and they found that in Zoran Mani and then they were like okay yeah and then we can have him uh with his power endorse these specific congressional candidates and then little by little the the DSA uh can start to get a lot more national power and then do one of the main things that the the DSA wants to do which is completely cut American ties with Israel. So now this week the pieces really are like coming together in a real tangible way. Um and then of course because the free press got to be free press in they put out um an interesting article uh about the the DSA and they have a certain format of article that they love to put out in the free press and that's like I was a part of this insert you know left-leaning movement organization uh thought here and you know this is why I and this is why I got out and now I'm going to tell you everything uh that happens in this terrible organization.

[00:34:23]And of course, they did one they got a former DSA member to do this, right? But I think it's still important to to share the article. It, you know, just to give us a little insight because again, I'm not calling the DSA a cult, but there's [ __ ] going on that is not widely known.

[00:34:44]And again, there has to be a reason that superle left-leaning queer elected officials like Chio have gone back and forth with the DOS. Chio, again, reminder, um, council member, the pro probably like the most known um, because of his social media presence. Actually was doing uh, social media presence in a big way here for municipal politics before Zoran Mum Donnie was. I I think he really is the one who started it here in New York City. if you're a New Yorker, and even if you're not, you might be familiar with who he is. He is uh black, he is gay, um he's young, and he is someone who has really gone back and forth with the DSA. And famously, right after uh Zoran was elected, we talked about it here, wanted to uh primary Hakee Jeff, and Zoran would refused to endorse him, which caused a big stinkier. I mean, they seem to be friendly again now, but uh you know, to be a council member in New York City who is against Soran Mumdani would truly be political suicide. So whether or not Chios actually likes him, you know, they had a friendship before. Um and then obviously, I'm sure he was very hurt by the the non-endorsement. But again, this is the free press. I was in the DSA.

[00:35:58]Here's what they really believe. Uh the socialist candidates being swept into power want to dismantle American life.

[00:36:06]such a free press way to go about it.

[00:36:08]It's all right there in their new platform. And this is by Jake Alman from July 20th. Uh candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America DSA.

[00:36:19]And I do want to point out because we're going to talk about him later and he does a lot of work with the DSA. Bernie Sanders does a lot of work with the DSA if highly affiliated with them. Is actually not by my research an official member of it. And I do think that's important. I also think that's why Bernie is super smart because he's smart enough to know that to not to to like go along with most of what they say as I do. I think most of what they say good ideas, but would I ever join? Nah, not under the conditions as as they are now.

[00:36:51]Um, and I think Bernie recognizes that as well. Similarly, I think Brad Lander recognizes that. again, someone here in New York just won the congressional primary um beat out someone with a lot of money um who's young and charismatic in my district. But did he officially join the DSA? He did not. And I think there's reasons. Uh candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America DSA keep racking up primary victories and skeptics and fans alike are struggling to determine what the organization actually believes. Well, I mean, you know, their beliefs are up on their website. We've read them on on on this uh very program. President Donald Trump says they are communists. One prominent DSA member Jacobin publisher uh Bascar Sumcara says they are a milktoast organization seeking Scandinavian social democracy with no interest in violent revolution. I was a member of the DSA from the 2010s until 2022. During that time, I witnessed a rise in extremism, ranging from an eagerness to collaborate with Leninist groups to a growing animosity towards the US and the West, which I think is not some is something that we not only saw within the DSA, but just among uh leftist young leftist voters in the US in general. Like we've talked so much on this show about how it's kind of like in vogue to be like I hate America. And like if we're talking about um obviously part of the great part of being in America um and you know our America 250 celebration of the things that are still good about this country is this first amendment right to be like I'm in America. I'm an American and I hate America. Really cool that we're able to say that. But then there's a certain part of me it's like, well, if you really hate America that much, number one, my first question always, what are you doing to make it a place that you don't hate? Because if you just hate a place and then you, you know, then you vape and watch Real Housewives, you're part of the problem. But secondly, um, you know, there there are, it kind of breaks my heart a little bit because there's so many people who are literally dying to get in this country, whether they're, you know, to seek refuge um, in this country. And if you don't want to be here, I would love if you would switch spots with them. I'm not talking about like just deporting people who think that the government is corrupt. I I too think the US government is corrupt in many ways, but I don't hate America. I think we have a lot to fix here, but I don't hate it, you know.

[00:39:21]Um and and additionally, I'm actively working to make it a place that is better and more equitable for everyone.

[00:39:27]My final departure was prompted by a DSA statement that attributed Russia's aggression against Ukraine to American imperialist expansionism. You know, it's a different reason for everyone. So, what does the DSA stand for? An answer to that question arrived last week in the form of a Yes.

[00:39:46]>> Why? But like that's a decent thesis if I've ever heard one. What's what >> the the the pro problems in the Ukraine is a direct result of American imperialist expansion. I mean trying to drag the Ukraine into NATO when we knew dating back to like 2009 2012 somewhere around that range that that was a hard red line for Russia and would 100% prompt them to attack Ukraine. Like with our own CIA is documented on the ground like giving that report to the president. I wasn't saying that I didn't that I that I was disagreeing with it. I just said it's it's in truly genuinely interesting for me to see like what is the breaking point for an individual person.

[00:40:29]>> Yeah.

[00:40:29]>> That's my like cuz I'm like that's not what would like break it for It's always interesting I think specifically to me when it's like um Yeah. I guess when it's a when it's something that's primarily relating to our relations with another country, I guess, which is also like there's just so many problems within the country that I just am always fascinated when and it's I I do think it's very DSA to be like preoccupied with things happening in other countries. I don't know, we just have so much [ __ ] going on here. But again, that's like a little bit more municipal point of view, even though it's national. Um, okay.

[00:41:05]>> I don't know. No, I mean every dollar that gets sent to Ukraine is a dollar that isn't being used to give universal healthcare to an American citizen.

[00:41:13]>> Here heard, but but as we just talked about with the trans, you know, the trans legislation we're working on for zero to one people, we're certainly wasting money in a lot of other ways.

[00:41:27]And we lost him. Okay. Uh so what does the DSA stand for? Um an answer to the question arrived last week in the form of a new platform. Among the DSA's core aims are ending the presidency uh and Supreme Court, abolishing uh prisons, uh and let me like look at the I have to look at the actual like what is the DSA's new platform because we've gone over the old platform but this introductions DSA launches new program. Okay, because again this is all on the democratic thing. Where is this? Mm.

[00:42:06]No, this is a actual program.

[00:42:10]All right, let's see. Uh cuz like abolishing prisons, I was uh very familiar with the uh the ending the presidency at large is we're going to have to look into that more if you want to pull up something, Mike. Um, among the DSA's core aims are ending the presidency and Supreme Court, abolishing prisons, universal free housing, the elimination of all debt, closing all US military bases overseas, lifting all sanctions from Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran, and so much more. Uh, workers deserve more. The title of the new platform is meant to present a friendlier face to the world and overcome the radical reputation the organization has developed in many corners of the public. which is so funny to me because I feel like if anything these wins and getting to know actual DSA members, you know, with the exception of a few who I think are not great reflections of the DSA, I think, you know, someone like Zorom Donnie is really positive and not a radical face of uh, you know, to represent the DSA, you know, with the work he's done so far. uh that makes it even more remarkable that the document is still so radical on its face. It advocates the elimination of capitalism, not a thick layer of redistribution on top of the current economy. It prompts readers to imagine a world where the profit motive has been squatchched out of existence.

[00:43:33]You have no debt. You don't need health insurance. You don't pay a mortgage or have a landlord because comfortable housing is a human right. Your retirement is publicly funded. It goes on to promise open borders, the abolition of the police, free everything, and guaranteed jobs, all with less effort from the individual.

[00:43:53]This is the stuff of fairy tales, but instead of a fairy godmother, the reader is greeted by an agent of the secret police. The platform offers a utopian, they love to say utopian in the free press. The platform offers a utopian vision that erases the complexities of human life. It includes vague demands for a massive expansion of public resources alongside specific proposals like paid family leave for all workers, a 32hour work week with full pay and benefits and a living minimum wage. They also call for free college and the cancellation of all student debt, which I mean some of these things are very possible and we've seen other countries do them. So to act like these are all crazy is not true. Some of them are I I I would love to see the actual nuts and bolts of how they think they're going to do these, but some of these things are are not at all. Um and oh wait, what are you pulling up here? The proposed changes. Okay, so this Yeah, because when did they did they they truly just announced last week? Uh apparently >> Yeah, this is from their statement a couple weeks ago. Uh so for eliminating the presidency the DSA proposes abolishing the office of the president and electoral college in its place the executive branch would be a collective body chosen by and kept strictly subordinate to a single federal legislature.

[00:45:19]>> All right. Yeah. I mean I I just feel like that's not something that's going to be happening quickly. Uh because I just that you know a big change like that is going to take I would say several decades if they think that's actually happening. But, you know, they've again getting getting Zoran Mumani in into the seat of mayor of New York was a huge uh, you know, step. So, strike while the iron's hot, I suppose.

[00:45:44]Um, again, they also call for free college and the cancellation of all student debt. It paints a world devoid of anxieties and limits. No debt, no mortgages, no landlords, and no bills coming due. The platform uh makes no mention of home ownership likely because many in the DSA genuinely imagine a world without private property. I do agree with that. Um instead like I I don't agree that private property shouldn't exist. I agree that I think that a lot of people in the DSA agree that private property shouldn't exist. Instead, the proposal promises that you work as much you as you are able and no more than needed. a near restatement of Marx's famous dictim from each according to his ability to each according to his need by suggesting that you could quote control your own labor and see it going to good use. The document makes a complex reorganization of society sound suspiciously easy as history has shown such experiments yield catastrophic results. At times, the authors try to make the revolution they're seeking appear limited, saying they'll target and expropriate only the largest corporations and essential industries. But the candid remarks of DSA leadership reveal a distrust of all private enterprise. New York City DSA co-chair Gustavo Gordio told Fox News that he did not care if government-owned grocery stores put small bodeas out of business. If one publicly owned grocery store that brings prices down in the neighborhood is enough to put someone out of business, then maybe they shouldn't have been in that business in the first place.

[00:47:25]Interesting. Interesting take for uh a group that I think considers itself to be super pro-immigrant. as we know in New York City, all these like small uh bodeas owned by immigrants um immigrant families for the most part and are a core a staple part of uh New York City life and culture. So I think sometimes and again you know a big problem with the DSA that is not that is something I observed independently but then has been uh you know co-signed by a lot of people that I've been having uh meetings with uh uh privately within New York City politics uh is that the DSA has a big problem um when it comes to uh black voters. And this is a problem that the Democratic Party has. Not that it like not that it has a problem getting black voters to vote, but it it like they don't it's a group of people who again we talk about time and time again are only really considered uh when it when it comes to election time um and in my opinion are used as pawns um in US elections and it's real [ __ ] up and uh you know you would think that the DSA would stray from that but it seems like they have it and when we talk about, you know, people not wanting to work themselves to the bones. Again, a lot of these act super active DSA members are not people who are working themselves to the bones. The people who are working themselves to the bones don't have time to be canvasing for the DSA because they're working themselves to the to the bone. Like again, just when you look at the college education and the median income of uh DSA members, it's just too it's just too high for the things that they want. So, there is a that's there's a disconnect somewhere. Again, there's a disconnect somewhere and we got to figure out what where that is and why that is. And so when we're talking about uh people not having to work so much, why is this not appealing to the people who actually work so much? It's like they're proposing shorter work days for people who already don't have long work days because they're like influencing online and their parents are paying for their NYU uh college education.

[00:49:35]The plan also makes clear that the DSA would strictly regulate investment properties and impose universal rent control, a strategy currently playing out on a smaller scale in New York City.

[00:49:47]The goal of these policies not is not to solve a housing shortage, but to render private rental properties unprofitable, clearing a path for long-term expropriation. Remember, the DSA's Housing Justice Commission has been clear that its long-term goal is the end of commodified housing. Many DSA activists are committed, true believers armed with the arrogance of youth and plenty of free time to organize around their vision. Many really do believe a revolution will liberate the world from capitalism, all while enjoying chic coffee shops. Again, this just like sounds old when you say things like that, but I hear you. uh how will the how will they pay for it? On July 16th, Sunara posted to X perhaps the most honest answer which is quote expropriate the expropriators by targeting the most productive parts of the American economy and undermining small businesses. The DSA would gut the engines of America's success. The result would mirror the city of Chicago, which has operated under DSA aligned leadership since 2023.

[00:50:52]If you're a Chicagoan and you feel like you have some level of expertise on what's happening there, shoot me an email without a [email protected].

[00:51:00]Chicago is now borrow borrowing to pay its daily operating costs, a clear indication of a fiscal cliff. At a certain point, there is nothing left to expropriate. When economic reality finally hits, emiseration ensues, and Chicago has implemented only a fraction of what a full-blown DSA government would do. The spiral under their control would be immediate, deep, and irreversible.

[00:51:26]The DSA's revolution against American institutions is also designed to strip rights and eliminate checks on power.

[00:51:33]Instead of a balanced government, the DSA calls for replacing the president and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress. The only way the DSA could conceivably accomplish its total program is through the fundamental elimination of checks and balances that safeguard America's pluralism and stability. The changes DSA proposes would conveniently remove any potential break on their consolidation of state power. And what is also so interesting about this is right so it's like okay all of a sudden um after all these uh congressional endorsements of you know for d uh endorsements of congressional candidates who are in the DSA Bizor and Mumani and him you know showing great success in these endorsements I again isn't it interesting that all of a sudden now the DSA says hey we're introducing a new list of goals and wants. Um, you know, and in this new list, um, it's saying that, you know, Congress is going to make decisions, uh, about who is leading the country and it's not going to be the president in the Supreme Court anymore. Again, I just knew there [ __ ] had to be a link. And and again, hard to talk about when you ran against the guy because it just makes you look like a sore loser. But I assure you, I really am happy that not Cuomo uh won and I'm happy that the people of New York are happy. But I can I but when when we you have someone in power um and we saw it with Barack Obama to a certain extent too who just they win and then everything they do is untouchable, uncritique uncriticable and they are a godsend. They're the poster boy. That is a dangerous place to be for an elected official. a dangerous place to be. No elected official should ever be in that position. Um, and I knew that there had to be some kind of [ __ ] plan here. And here it is. Because is this this president thing is that's new.

[00:53:38]That wasn't in their original platform, right, Mike?

[00:53:41]>> Yeah. This came out two weeks ago, >> right? No, cuz I mean I cuz I'm like we had gone over every um main thing that they uh wanted when we started talking about the DSA extensively when Mayor Mom Donnie won. Um and that was not part of it. So again, like this is very very very very very calculated. And again, I knew there had to be a reason why why Mayor Mani would have wanted to be mayor of New York City when there's not anything that he can really do for his cause directly um in this seat. And now we're now the pieces are starting to come together. Can you imagine? I post this a video of this though online. lose eight 18,000 followers in one day. That's it's really unfortunate. So anyway, thanks for um listening to the show if you're if you're listening because I just knew every there's there's so many pieces to every puzzle. Um all right. Beyond its uh domestic agenda, the DSA's foreign policy signals a clear intent to pursue retribution against DSA's political opponents.

[00:54:51]Interesting. Because the DSA is interesting because, and I'm not against this because I also took some pages from Donald Trump's book, which is just kind of like go for things you're um quote unquote unqualified for, which tons of DSA members are certainly doing. Um, and that's and that's not the part that I push back on at all. I don't think anyone's unqualified to represent a place where they live. Uh, as I've said before, that's my hot take. That's my Subway take. Um but uh the uh yeah it it's this it's this political retribution is this new theme and it's interesting that we're now see that we see it within the DSA. You know this is something that is not specific to the Trump administration and I think a lot of far-left groups like the DSA are are realizing like not only do we not support people who don't agree with us, we seek retribution against them and I think that's a theme that we're going to see. Um, and we when we talk about political extremism, I think this is like I don't know, this is like a negative part of it for me. Um, yeah, to pursue retribution against DSA's political opponents while ignoring America's adversaries. The proposal to defund the Department of War includes a demand to end immunity for US war criminals, a clear call for political prosecution built around around a far-left campaign of lies. obviously t you know the that's why the timing of uh Zora Mamdani saying that he doesn't have the uh ability to uh you know arrest Benjamin Netanyahu again all tying back to changes the DSA is making in real time what one hand feeds the other this is completely linked the platform advocates for the closure of all overseas military bases effectively seeking an end to US military power crucially DSA's foreign policy positions ignore America's enemies. While DSA targets US and Israeli leadership for prosecution, the platform is silent on the actual atrocities committed by the Russian, Iranian, Venezuelan, and Chinese regimes. In early 2019, when I argued that the DSA should denounce the Nicholas Maduro regime for mass persecution, abuse, torture, and murder, a local leader told me that to advocate against the Maduro administration would be to play into US war propaganda. H it is always >> Don't disagree. Certainly do not disagree.

[00:57:11]>> Well, you know that you should um you should join the DSA, Mike.

[00:57:15]>> No. God, no. I disagree with way too much of the other stuff. What? Like what >> like no private property the the the Marxist rhetoric over and I mean none of that really works for me but I do think that you know coming >> their international war stances you seem to agree with >> not even that I don't think we close all bases internationally but >> yeah I mean that was that was a crazy I'm like okay we'll just make our we'll just put a put a target on our back like what that was crazy >> so I do like the the uh I can't remember exactly who said might have been Ron Paul, but he somebody said something to the effect of like if you want to know who the next war America is going to be fighting is look at who we're funding right now. And it's like, you know, that should should probably be like the number one thing to get done is like just stop funding for any of these rebel insurgent groups that are the lesser of two evils because they will become the greater of two evils in 20 years.

[00:58:16]All right, >> that would be my that would be myction policy stance.

[00:58:21]>> Seems like a pretty simple one. Stop giving money to terrorists. I don't know >> there. Well, but terrorist is in the eye of the beholder. That's the problem with the use of >> We funded al-Qaeda. We taught Osama bin Laden how to shoot a rocket launcher in the 80s.

[00:58:34]>> I understand that part. Yes, it is always the US so-called American imperialism that comes in uh for the harshest criticism while America's authoritarian enemies get apologia. Uh for the DSA, the world's most authoritarian regimes deserve political cover. DSA blamed NATO and Western imperialist expansionism for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. October 7th, 2023, the DSA first expressed its solidarity with Palestine and then laid to blame uh wait that DSA first.

[00:59:13]Is that right? I mean, I thought it was a longstanding uh tenant of the DSA that they were pro Palestine. What did the DSA start? No, but they're they're saying that they came out on October 7th or October 8th to denounce Israel in the wake of the October 7th attack, which >> Right. No. Yeah. Okay. because that that's just written weird because I was like the DSA has long been uh you know into Palestinian liberation and it looks like that dates back when I look it up to at least 2017 which is more what I thought cuz I was like no that was like a long-standing tenant and that's why you know and Zor Mani has been working with that cause for quite some time too.

[00:59:56]Okay. Um, the DSA first expressed its solidarity with Palestine and then laid the blame for Hamas's terror terror attacks on Israel. After the Maduro regime brutalized and murdered its opponents, DSA members were happy to visit him and celebrate his regime.

[01:00:12]Meanwhile, the West is expected to dismantle its military capabilities.

[01:00:17]Part of the DSA program is an attack on the forces of law and order. The DSA continues to push for police and ICE abolition while simultaneously establishing establishing what sounds like a paramilitary wing. The DSA has formed a group called the Red Rabbits to prepare for a national uprising against federal agents and police brutality. So, it's a paramilitary force for the DSA, but no protection for the rest of us.

[01:00:45]Red Rabbits DSA and just so like I mean like this is straight from the Democratic Socialists of America uh website, but the Red Rabbits are a grassroots security and community defense network within the Democratic Socialists of America formed to protect leftist organizers. They run training in deescalation, protest marshalling, first aid, stop the bleed, and self-defense to keep demonstrations safe. Man, I really need to go and get trained in that because I would be loving to be I would love to see who is signing up for that and what kind of physical shape they're in. Um, do not uh be fooled by defenders who claim the utopianism of DSA's platform is merely a far-flung aspiration, a vision plan for some Earth. What is I don't even know what that word means.

[01:01:41]One second. Ursat.

[01:01:46]Oh, ursett just means substitute. I don't even think I've ever Oh, it's a like a German word. That's why I don't know what it is. Why are we using a German word? Okay. Uh for some uh for some ursats, which is means substitute.

[01:02:00]Uh new Jerusalem far over the horizon.

[01:02:04]It takes concrete shape in policy today.

[01:02:07]When DSA demanded that Mayor Zoron Mandani, who they endorsed, not increase the number of police in New York, the mayor caved, the DSA's utopianism, its flawed belief in human perfectability will have real world consequences. Now, that being said, though, I'm on I'm on um the DSA's side when when it comes to increasing the number of police, especially coming from the policeheavy former police officer Eric Adams administration. We didn't need to increase the number of police officers.

[01:02:40]He had already just increased the number of police officers. We were we're good.

[01:02:44]I agree with that. Why would And also, we all know Mum Donnie hates the police.

[01:02:50]He's He has to pretend he doesn't now because he like works with them, but like we know he hates the police and good on you, you know? Me too, babe. Um, not everyone inside the DSA is busy with a whitewash brush. The Marxist unity group, a cau a caucus with three members on the organization's governing board of 27 operating as part of the explicitly communist coalition that governs the DSA, is clear. The demand is communism.

[01:03:19]A February 2025 statement on their own draft program for DSA which influenced workers deserve more um is much clearer about the organization's ultimate goal.

[01:03:30]The maximum program on the other hand elaborates the history of capitalist development and the role of the working class within it. It demonstrates our commitment to the long-term struggle for a fully liberated classless society in a word communism. And what's interesting about this is I think the DSA does a really good job of like presenting the things that are easy to digest about their beliefs and the things that we can all get behind, right? The things that are like for just they're kind of like inarguably for the greater good. Um but unless you're going to do heavy research or unless you're going to pay the dues to actually get into the meetings and stuff that they have, um you're not going to know the nooks. like most pe they they they uh are depending on the fact that like not a lot of or they're reliant on the fact that not a lot of people are going to go to that that extra step and they're absolutely right.

[01:04:22]So like when you go workers deserve more DSA can we even get to that? Okay. So, you can it looks like you can get to workers deserve more, but if it is, there is there more stuff that you that I can't see in front of this payw wall. Um, I almost want to pay I see I don't want to be on like I don't want to be registered as a DSA member because I don't want that on my record, but I do I wouldn't mind giving them like one month of dues just to read some of this stuff. Um, but like yeah, if you want to read this kind of workers deserve more these new, you know, tenants that they're that they're that they're going to be uh fighting for and pushing for, you can just find it on the the DSAUSA.org website. You know, you you go on and it says, "Imagine taking a day off from work in a future without capitalism. It might not feel as badly needed as it does now. You enjoy your work. It's interesting to you and you're well trained for it. You work as much as you are able and no more than needed and you would control your own labor and see it going to good use. It's not just a job to pay the bills. Speaking of bills, you don't really have them anymore. You have no debt. You don't need health insurance. You don't pay a mortgage. And just I I I think it's very interesting that the first picture um that they're showing for this workers deserve more is someone lying in bed with the sun shining through. And listen, I love to lie in bed. I hear you. I love a good night's sleep. I think we all deserve an eight hour night sleep. And um I've for many years gone with less than eight hours of sleep. And I know how it uh firsthand negatively affected my brain function, right? I totally understand that. I think we are an overwork worked um country. I think we're an overstimulated country. Uh you're not going to get push back from me on that.

[01:06:19]But I also think it is funny for an organization that is like the the primary advocates of it are people who have never really seemingly worked a really hard day because they just graduated from college. Like that the first picture on this new list of of needs, wants, and demands as a person in bed sleeping well past an ordinary hour because of the amount of sunlight that's leaking into the room. Maybe not how I would have illustrated it. Um, oh my god. Your retirement is publicly funded. Food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation aren't forprofit businesses. They are common goods and utilities. Okay. Love. Uh, enough. Okay, enough about bills. What do you do on your day off? Maybe in the morning you walk your kids to school, run errands, or go to a doctor's appointment. In the afternoon you might play a sport, practice a new skill, read, plan a trip. In the evening, you could meet up with friends or family and eat together. Maybe go to the movies or down to the park. These are all familiar everyday activities. A socialist day off could be like any good day now. And it's interesting that they kind of switched the language to it's not a democratic socialist day. It's a socialist day later in here, right? A socialist day off could be like any good day now. But what if you were free to spend your time But what if you were free to spend your time how you like without worrying about cost or dreading going back to work?

[01:07:43]What if you didn't have to think about paying rent or loans at the end of the month or saving for college or affording groceries? What would that what would that be like? It's been said that it's easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of capitalism. But just because it isn't easy to imagine now doesn't mean we should we shouldn't try to make it happen. Workers deserve more. Okay, I'm going to read one more part of this because I'm kind of and and then again, there's all these kinds of things that you can click through. Um, and you know, there's a list of things that you can click through. The freedom to flourish, healthc care for all, housing for all, finish reconstruction, end mass incarceration and police immun immunity, um, feminism for all, green new deal and the US war machine, free Palestine and blockades, embargos and sanctions, abol abolish ICE, democracy for all, economic democracy. So these are all things that you can read through. But the the the the last thing I want to share from the DSA site is our perspective. Right? The world is in chaos, but for the bosses, it's all going according to plan. We can see their plan in the countless heartbreaking images coming out of war zones like Beirut, Gaza, and Thrron. Uh we can hear it in the rumble of bulldozers making way to build detention camps and data centers. We can feel it in the air as the summer heat becomes unbearable. and in the pits of our stomachs when faced with the price of gas and rent. We're promised magical technology with AI, but in reality, the bosses lay us off and track our every move. Uh the billionaire class is dividing workers against each other, and it's making us desperate and miserable.

[01:09:20]The political and economic system under which we live is built on private ownership and profit at all costs. As capitalism fails to solve problems of its own making, it turns to right-wing authoritar authoritarianism.

[01:09:33]Big business makes deals with the government to line their pockets and politicians stoke hatred between working people. Instead of offering real solutions to unemployment and the cost of living, they attack immigrants, communities of colors, and trans people.

[01:09:49]rather than fixing our broken health care system, they push snake oil and circulate conspiracy theories, which is interesting because that's one of the main stories that we're going to get next get to next. Um AI and its uh relationship with pushing snake oil. Uh the Republicans are in on it. The Democratic party is asleep at the wheel and both are funded by the same criminal class of billionaires and war profiteeers. Democratic socialists know that no one has to live like this. If we lived in a classless society and governed ourselves, we could freely build a world without war or poverty.

[01:10:21]But it's I I mean, you know, I just like what is self-governing look like?

[01:10:28]Especially for a group of people like the DSA who as soon as someone strays from exactly what they said we should be going towards, they immediately turn their not only turn their back on that person and seek retribution. Right? That to me is like, you know, anytime we attempt to have like a classless society uh that is self-governing, there is still like classes still prevail and some kind of uh cast system still prevails. Like I don't even know an example of a large society where that has not happened. if you could if you send me one without a country podcastgmail.com like that's just like even in these little communes that we watch like documentaries about on HBO there's always someone who prevails as the leader not just because in human like amongst humans there are you know some people who are leaders and some people who are followers just like in their personality like it's just this always happens it's human nature um we could build a world where no one suffers for their race gender or religion and everyone is free equal and cared for building this world is the guiding star of our movement. When we labor for our common good instead of private profit, we can all have a secure and dignified life and use our time and talents how we wish. To achieve this future, our class must organize. The Democratic Socialists of America is building a party whose goal is a democratic society of the working class. Our enemies are not just individual bosses, but the entire global system of capital. Not just this or that cop, judge or president, but the entire anti-democratic structure of our society. We are workers fighting to transform society, to win the battle for democracy, draft a new constitution, and create a democratic socialist republic.

[01:12:16]DSA has written this program for ending capitalist oligarchy and creating a real democracy. Some of these demands may be won under our current system, but we know complete victory will require building a new society from the ground up. and and to do so it seems like you would have to knock the existing society down. And how do you do that? Because I don't think it's going to happen without violence. We push these demands to their furthest extent today so we can fight for their fullest realization in a socialist future. Join us. Very interesting [ __ ] going on here, guys. Um all right, so uh back to this uh article because I I went on a bit of a tangent when I got to the red rabbits. Um so this is back to the free press article with the former DSA member. Do not be fooled by defenders who claim the utopianism of DSA's platform is merely a far-flung aspiration, a vision plan for some Ursat's new Jerusalem far over the horizon. It takes concrete shape in policy today when DSA demanded um okay the police thing. We already went we don't have to go read this whole thing.

[01:13:14]So, this is about the real world consequences and him saying like, "Okay, we're not going to increase the number of police." Not everyone um Oh, wait. I think I finished this, right? I finished this. Yeah, I finished this. Sorry, I'm I'm hallucinating because I was so distracted by that. But yeah, I I finished this whole article.

[01:13:32]Okay, so we're good on that. Um great.

[01:13:36]Amazing. We can move on to other things.

[01:13:38]And again, I'm not I I wouldn't take time on um this if I thought this was only New York specific. I think what is happening in New York right now and the DSA as we're seeing it happening in other places, Colorado, etc., I think we're going to see this more and more.

[01:13:53]And I just think it it's a coincidence that I live in New York City, ran in New York City, and that the launching the the the hardest most impressive launching pad for the DSA um is happening with Sora and Mom Donnie in New York. So again, I I I don't try to bore you guys with things that I I really think are only staying within the city. Um unless I think they can be blueprints for things that are going to be happening outside the city. Um all right. And uh let's see.

[01:14:26]So this is going to be the of the state. Okay.

[01:14:32]And then I'm going to do enemy of the state in this in a second, but I wanted to get into the wacko mailbag real quick. Um, again, if you want to send me an email to without a country [email protected].

[01:14:42]Wacko Kirsty um or Kirsty just sent me uh an email. I think you sent it a couple weeks ago about a a woman Tori Schaefer running for state senator um in a local office. You know, we do try to highlight people. I know there are so many local offices and we can't highlight everybody. Um, but every now and then I like to toss a name obviously out into the ether and this is someone who is running for state senator in Missouri. I believe the number one thing that bugs me about these local offices is I guess because you wouldn't most likely be going to the URL unless you were famili living in the state where the person was running. But like if I just go vote to vote tory.com, which is where I am now, Tori Tori, um it just says Tori Schaefer, state representative. But like had I not been sent like a complimentary email, it's like I it's very unclear, unless I go scroll down and look at the fine print where she's even running. So I don't know. It's just like a recommendation for me. if you want to if you want to try to get national attention, I would put the state um that you're running in like higher on the thing like for me like I had New York like that I was running for mayor of New York City like specifically on the thing and again I'm nitpicking here um but I just think like you know for a show like this where like I don't live in Missouri um if it's like kind of unclear because you want to be able to get this um national press and I think we're going to see national press coming for people a lot more and more. Um, but this says, "Maybe not for state senator, but for other roles." Uh, and so, uh, Kirsty says, "Hey there, Karen. I wanted to bring to your attention an amazing candidate. I thought you might be interested in showcasing to the Wacko community." So, again, if you're in Missouri, heads up. Uh, I think a lot of the issues she is platforming uh, are in line with the work I do. I haven't fully gone over her policy, so I can't co-sign that, but, you know, maybe. I have known Tori for over a decade. We were state uh officers in the Fsbian Society of Ohio together and watching her become the woman activist lawyer and now political figure that she is has become such a pleasure. She really fights for women and the little guy and I know she would fight so hard for her constituents if elected. I included the real she recently posted. So if you want to, you know, watch that yourself, you can. Um highlighting some of her successes.

[01:17:05]Thank you for continuing to fight the good fight. So, I just wanted to highlight her because, you know, uh someone who listens to the show did take the time to run in and not only um seems to be a fan of her policy, but knows her personally. So, again, it's Tori Schaefer, uh S C H A Fe running for state representative in Missouri, and it's vote Tori ti.com.

[01:17:27]If you are local and want to check out her campaign, canvas for it, uh help any way you can. Um the primary election day for Tori is August 4th. So that is, you know, coming up and early voting already started. Early voting for you guys um is July 21st through August 3rd. And we're going to see there's a whole new uh group of people that have primaries in the early days of August. So that there'll be a whole new slew of that including uh Dr. Abdul Sed uh who I um you know that's a campaign that has been getting a lot of uh of spotlighting that I donated to. Um okay cool. Uh again a reminder for the Patreon if you want to donate it's uh patreon.comwith without a country. All hail Christopher fungi. Hello to my capitalist pigs and my cuties. And now let's get into the enemy of the state.

[01:18:25]Uh I saw the enemy of the state is going to be just a a piece of historical information about the DNC like basically rigging it to rigging elections to like [ __ ] over Bernie Sanders. It was just something that uh a far-left uh political account that I follow uh today uh brought up, you know, as this is the 10 year or so anniversary.

[01:18:54]And I thought it would be interesting to kind of go back in time um to talk about this. Um so this article is from July 23rd, 2016. And that's not an accident.

[01:19:07]We're doing like a little enemy of this state historical lesson today on without a country and it's from NPR and it says leaked Democratic party emails show members tried to undercut Sanders and this is by Makita Peters with just one weekend and again get in a time machine and bring yourself back to this time in history. With just one weekend to go before Hillary Clinton is expected to accept her party's nomination for president, Wikileaks on Friday released almost 20,000 emails sent and received by Democratic National Committee staff members from January 2015 to May 2016, leaving journalists scouring for information potentially damaging to the party. Wikileaks officials say the emails come from the accounts of seven key figures in the DNC. among them, communications director uh Lewis Miranda, 10,770 emails, uh national uh finance director Jordan Kaplan, 3,797 emails, and finance chief of staff Scott Comr. Um it's probably Luis Miranda, too. Wait, Luis Miranda. But um sorry, I'm just making sure this is not another person that I think it is.

[01:20:39]Wait, so is this because Luis Miranda is Lyn Mel Miranda's dad who does work in politics, but is this the same Luis Miranda? That's what I'm confused about.

[01:20:53]How common of a name is that? Is that the same Luis Miranda?

[01:20:58]Was he ever the communications director of the DNC?

[01:21:02]Uh, sorry, one second.

[01:21:05]Everything is so incestuous, guys.

[01:21:07]Community. I know his dad is a big wig.

[01:21:10]Um, but I just didn't know if this is the same one.

[01:21:19]Yeah, it is. That's what I was thinking.

[01:21:22][ __ ] Interesting. Interesting. Yeah.

[01:21:26]Luis Miranda is a prominent political strategist, public affairs consultant, and the father of Hamilton creator and actor Lin Miranda. is best known in politics for serving as the communications director for the Democratic National Committee from 2015 to 2016. I [ __ ] knew it was the same Luis Miranda. God damn it.

[01:21:43]>> Yeah, I just I just pulled up an article saying that he was announced on September 17th, 2015.

[01:21:48]>> Yeah, because I was because I was like reading it and then I was then then just something clicked and I was like, wait, this is this is that you know that Yeah.

[01:21:56]Uh well, Wikileaks they didn't didn't they get like something legal happened to them or they didn't get funding? What the hell happened to Wikileaks, Mike?

[01:22:05]Do we remember?

[01:22:08]>> That was Julian Assange's thing. He got >> and went to jail.

[01:22:11]>> Yeah.

[01:22:12]>> Or was it jail or was it was he the one who was um living in an embassy?

[01:22:21]>> He's free and no longer in jail. He finalized a plea deal with the Justice Department in 2024, uh which plead guilty to a single felony charge of conspiracy.

[01:22:29]Sentenced 62 months. He had already served in a British prison securing his release.

[01:22:34]>> He was he was the embassy you're talking about. He was in an Ecuadorian embassy from 2012 to 2019 to avoid extradition um to Sweden over now dropped sexual assault allegations.

[01:22:47]>> Oo.

[01:22:48]>> Oh my god. Everything is there's so much there's so many layers to every single [ __ ] thing. But yeah, no, everything is really and again I I I know Lin Manuel Miranda personally um from you know I'm I'm not saying I know him as like a close friend but like I know him enough that we follow each other on social media. I've you know spoken to him on many occasions. I I worked for the uh talent management company that represents him. Right. So I was the assistant to the owner of that. I was the assistant to his manager uh as I've talked about before like while he was creating Hamilton. So, I' I've known him for many many years. I saw him not too long ago and then he was in the Dawson's Creek uh pilot reading that I went to see to raise money for, you know, cancer research and everything for uh for James B Vanderbeek and he ended up replacing James Vanderbeek because James was so sick at that time. Um and I and I like posted something about it and then he like followed me on he was like already following me on something else and then he started following me on Instagram.

[01:23:47]Um, so he like again I I do think that he is a a good person, but it's always interesting, you know, prominent people's connections and how you can trace them. Anyway, uh the leak released via tw uh Twitter links to a web page that allows readers to search the DM DNC email database. Wikileaks says the release was part one of our new Hillary leaks series, a hint of more information to come. The emails include communication with journalists and discussions about the news media and incentives provided to party donors who will be attending next week's Democratic convention, as well as details about their backgrounds, including in some cases criminal histories. Uh, many of the emails discussed how to undermine Clinton's rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and overall revealed some negativity toward him. There were also emails about when the Sanders campaign improperly accessed Clinton campaign's prop uh propri proprietary voter information that was housed at the DNC.

[01:24:52]And then there's even a a a tweet from Trump at this time July 23rd, 2016 that says leaked emails of DNC show plans to destroy Bernie Sanders, mock his heritage, and much more online from Wikileaks. really vicious rigged says the uh and and I I think it's like things like that that you know possibly you know helped uh you know it's like helped people gain some amount of trust you know to a certain extent in Donald Trump right because we're in 2016 like that's the year baby um says the Associated Press the emails show that after the fur uh furer over the voter records was resolved hostility simmerred from top DNC officials over the Sanders campaign. In midMay, emails with Miranda, his deputy Mark Penbach Penbach questioned whether the DNC should use the voter record furer to raise doubts about the Sanders campaign. Wondering if there's a good Bernie narrative for a story, which is that Bernie never had his act together, that his campaign was a mess, Pinbach wrote, Miranda spurned the idea, although he agreed with Powenbach's take. True, but the chair has been advised not to engage, so we'll have to leave it alone. In response to the leak, Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said Saturday that the emails show what many of us have known for some time, that there were certainly people at the DNC who were actively helping the Clinton effort and trying to hurt Bernie Sanders campaign, which again, I don't think is like, you know, I think is a thing that is happening not only to Bernie Sanders, but you know, I guess that just proving that it did happen to Bernie Sanders. You know, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump tweeted Friday, "The Wikileaks email released today was so bad to Sanders that it will make it impossible for him to support her unless he is a fraud."

[01:26:45]Um, meantime, well, and that's also kind of good for him, right? Because that that's just going to weaken uh the endorsements that whoever, you know, he he kind of at this point is like, "Well, it's going to I'm going against Hillary.

[01:26:58]that's just going to weaken um any endorsements that she gets and make her weaker as an opponent, which ultimately, as we know, living in the future, did work. Meanwhile, DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz says the breach was a serious incident and a private contractor has been hired to sweep the organization's network uh had moved as quickly as possible to kick out the intruders and secure our network.

[01:27:23]Fascinating stuff.

[01:27:26]So maybe Hamilton only exists because of the Clintons. Let's just like launch crazy conspiracy theories here on Without a Country. Um, no, that's not what we do. When did Hamilton debut though?

[01:27:46]2015.

[01:27:50]What an interesting what an interesting year. Um Gosh. Okay. All right. Let's get into um main stories today. As I said, the first was I was so actually happy because this is, you know, one of my um favorite topics to talk about is all this scamming and lying and deceit in the wellness industry. And I think it, you know, it's something I get served daily is a ton of like wellness stuff. And I think I particularly am sensitive to it because so many people who listen to either GWF or this show more GWF I would say uh you know they're constantly asking me asking me about things or recommending things which in my opinion are absolute wellness garbage fraudulent no medical backing uh you know things. Like I'm sorry like we can talk about dry brushing all [ __ ] day.

[01:28:45]There's absolutely no scientific proof that it's anything but someone sending you an overpriced brush. It can actually like be damaging to your skin. Like, you know, the o the [ __ ] oil in your belly but like a lot of nonsense that's going on. And some of it at best is just you wasting your money and doing nothing for you. and some at worst is actually physically hurting you, working against um stuff that has proven um medical uh positive medical effects. Um so yeah, the actual article is it's a video um but I did watch the video. It's and it's just all about how um so many AI wellness influencers are being served to us now and they're mostly coming out of China. The name of the article is the fake uh influencers selling wellness on your feed. The New York Times found hundreds of AI generated doctors healers >> and wellness influencers on social media touting the health benefits of supplements to American consumers. Many of these hyperrealistic looking ads promise medical miracles and appear to be targeting older women while making misleading health claims for profit. And this specific article um concentrates on, you know, generally what's happening and also on an older woman who uh was having a lot of like immune issues and they sold her and and she was convinced by these ads to buy this thing called moringa that actually then made her health worse. you know, buying moringa off Tik Tok shop or whatever she did, most like likely Facebook um you know, based on her age and then there was a Salmonella outbreak because just like the regulations around a lot of this [ __ ] in the wellness community, it's not highly regulated, which is why all this scamming goes on. And um so again, I I kind of just like uh summarized the video, but it's basically the wellness industry is very loosely regulated and it targets uh American consumers specifically with disinformation about their health to sell supplements or whatever, you know, insert something capitalistic here. And you know, we have to number one train ourselves, as we've been talking about a lot, how to properly identify when something is AI.

[01:31:06]It's not always super obvious, you know, so don't make fun of people because I've even had tons of young people send me stuff that's AI. I've been tricked momentarily by stuff that's AI. But in these specific wellness ads, some of the things that you want to be looking for are there's a lot of times an American flag p placed somewhere in the background and a lot of times the well the wellness influencer or sometimes they're using like a Chinese medicine doctor. Again, all fake AI generated people. Um, but a lot of times the background will also be like some kind of idealic uh suburban background and they also will often present as doctors or eastern medical gurus um because I think they're catching on that a lot of Americans now have disrupt distrust in the traditional um medical industry. So they're like, "Oh, maybe they'll trust an Eastern medical guru, right?" And again, I'm very into Eastern medicine, but like not Eastern medicine sold to you via Tik Tok shop. You have to It's going to be harder to find if you don't live in a major city, but in a city like New York, literally go to Chinatown and see uh an herbalist or something if that's something you're into. I don't recommend only using an herbalist. I would I would definitely recommend tying Eastern medicine to Western medicine.

[01:32:20]And also tell your western medicine doctor what kind of herbs you're taking because sometimes those herbs can um stop the effectiveness of the western medicine you're getting. Extremely important, you know. Um because in my experience, western doctors aren't like anti-theastern medicine, but they but they need to you you need to be communicative with all the people that you're working with. Um, and again, I think it's more important to tell the western doctor the eastern stuff you're taking rather than the east eastern doctor the western stuff you're taking.

[01:32:51]But just communicate in general, you know, don't hide things from doctors.

[01:32:55]Um, and a lot of times these uh doctors or easter uh eastern medical gurus in these AI videos will have like a fake diploma on the wall behind them. And the interesting thing that they go over in this uh video from the New York Times is that ads like this are already illegal on television. But because the internet still remains a bit of wild wild west, they are not regulated. These these ads are not regulated in the same way on the internet, which makes it even more dangerous um to be taking medical advice from the internet. Uh, another thing that we just saw this week, there was an article. We're not going over it on the show today. We don't have time, but there was another uh article about Chat GBT and how some a man was getting um medical advice from Chhat GBT and Chat GBT basically told him something that was very serious, was not serious at all, causing him a lot of medical issues and now that he's trying to sue Chat GBT. um you know it might be the starting point for a medical issue and again I feel for people because it's a great free resource for so many people seeking legal or medical advice but again as it states on the website AI is uh not human but like humans it can make mistakes so you do need to double check and you know we're all this all ties back to capitalism that um a lot of influencers who just make their money you know online have seen how lucrative these AI uh wellness representatives can be and specifically which audiences a lot of times women um who are most susceptible um to them are and they create they create these AI influencers and then link to it you know whatever the the product is that they're getting a percentage of and they don't care if they're making you healthy or not they don't care if they're affecting your wellness negatively. They don't care if they're selling you a $60 uh, you know, bottle of pills that's absolute nonsense at best and harmful at worst. They just want to make money. And this is big [ __ ] business, right? So, these influencers are creating AI representatives, posting them online, linking products to them, and just the same as the beauty industry does, they're targeting uh health and sometimes also beauty insecurities because some of these things are just like, you know, is your skin aging? Oh, it's something on the inside that's rotting you. And just and again like some of my my my friends who I consider to be smart well- read people the kinds of wellness things that they present to me that are absolute [ __ ] are really horrifying. So please, please, please, this is specifically um you know a point of interest to me because the the target is really women um for the most part and especially women as we are aging and it is so harmful what they are doing. And they also interview the head of this AI um marketing firm out of China who we already know, you know, China serves a different kind of Tik Tok to um American users than it does to Chinese users.

[01:36:08]Like they're serving helpful, good, productive content to Chinese people and absolute nonsense to American people. Um and this is who is selling you these wellness pro products. And again, while I am a fan of Chinese medicine, I'm not a fan of Chinese medicine that's being halked to us by an AIC Chinese marketing firm. I'm a fir I'm a fan of going to an herbalist in the Chinatown in your major city or in your minor. I don't want to call it a minor city, in your smaller city. Um, so just just very very alarming. Um, you know, again, they they specifically this video did talk about uh moringa. You can look that up for yourself. The CDC has a full page dedicated to the Sal Manila outbreak linked to moringa capsules. July 17, 2026, uh the recall was issued and this was a big issue among health officials again right here cdc.gov.

[01:37:06]And then I looked into some older stories kind of about this and the New York Times had done an article not terribly terribly long ago. Whoa, Alfred, what are you doing, buddy? Um, about this. So, we knew it was coming.

[01:37:23]This is something they've covered before, but I feel like people just, you know, put their hands on their ears and go la. But this article is from March 9th of this year, 2026 from the New York Times. An Amish avatar and an AI monk are pitching supplements on social media. influencers have long hawkked supplements on platforms like Instagram on and Tik Tok. Increasingly, the influencers are fake. This is by Ken Best Beninger and Tiffany Sue. Uh Milanskia is not your typical Amishwoman. She both and and again, this is this is even if you're not someone crotchicking time. Even if that that's Alfred's wellness. Even if you are not specifically interested in wellness or even if that's not something that you're, you know, you're sitting at home being like, "Well, I'm not someone who would ever buy um a wellness product. I barely, you know, I use bar of soap on my face still." More power to you. But more likely than not, and you know, if this is how you can be a feminist in your own life, whether you're a man or you're a woman, someone in your life is very into wellness. I think in 2026 the likelihood that you don't know anyone in your life is into wellness is is very small. And this does tie into our general distrust in mainstream stuff because right we have not only developed a distrust in mainstream politics we've also developed a distrust in mainstream medicine. And I think a lot of that is tied to the co, you know, to people's feelings around COVID, but in general to, uh, you know, just the health industry at large in America. Um, you know, insurance fraud, free Luigi mentality, a lot of people are trying to turn to other things. But to think that fraud is then not going to start seeping into wellness uh a a an industry that is historically filled with fraud. You when when we talk about uh you know where is fraud most prominent outside of the places that we know to be fraudulent I would say wellness and new age spirituality. Ding ding ding. And that's why even though these are two areas that I'm very interested in, I am so so so so wary of anyone in um either of these industries. You are just you are just so cute. You're just so cute. I'm distracted by your cuteness. Um so Milanskia is not your typical Amish woman. She boasts more than 300,000 followers on Instagram and warns them about the perils of storebought foods.

[01:39:57]She touts the benefits of removing industrial waste from the liver with a drink mix her followers can buy on Amazon. With her modest white hair covering and wire rim spectacles, Milanskia is earnest, charming, and quite convincing. She is also not real.

[01:40:15]She is one of a handful of synthetic influencers created with artificial intelligence who are promoting an untested dietary sub supplement modern antidote which sells for just under $50 a jar. There is no disclosure on her account that everything about her is AI generated. And even in this most recent uh New York Times investigation, they found that even though uh that is supposed to have the marking on social media when something is AI generated, they found that many many many of these wellness influencers did not have the AI generated marking because the technology is moving faster than the control of the technology.

[01:40:58]Behind Meansia is a genuine human being uh Jose Maria Sylvestini who is part of a growing vanguard of entrepreneurs taking advantage of rapid advances in AI to promote their brands using people who don't actually exist. Right? Why pay for a spokeswoman when you can create one for free using AI? It is in many respects a marketer's dream. Now virtually anyone can produce highly realistic videos featuring f featuring earthats. That's crazy that we saw that word two times today by the way especially in um you know different uh publications. So the first was in the pre uh free press reminder German word meaning substitute uh v videos featuring personalities carefully calibrated to appeal to any target audience and do it for a small fraction of the cost of a flesh and blood pitchment. and this is what they're doing, right? So, it's like they're like, "Oh, this particular supplement, there's a couple audiences who we could go for it, but obviously like the the spokesperson has to resonate with the audience, you know?

[01:42:03]So, for white women, we're going to do a good-looking white woman. But for older people, we're going to do maybe a 65-year-old uh hot, you know, silver fox who looks great for his age, and he's going to pitch it to you." And then they just keep tweaking it because you can just replace the head on these people and do the same pitch over and over and over again for like little to nothing depending if you're using paid version or not. You're probably for this um amount of video you'd have to be getting the paid version of chat GBT but I mean still nothing compared to actually paying a human being to do it. AI is a gamecher said Mr. Silva Streiny28 who is running the company from Shanghai while he completes a master's program. Every piece of the business is being AI.

[01:42:50]But the technological leap is also raising alarm that consumers could be duped by deep fakes. A February study in the British Journal of Psychology found that people overestimated their ability to recognize AI generated faces leaving them vulnerable to fraud and deception.

[01:43:06]That risk is intensifying as the technology improves. I would say you know people all know about the fingers and stuff. I would say in all these gener AI generated wellness ads that I took in today, I would say there's a shininess in the eyes um that doesn't exist in regular people. That being said, I also edit a lot of clips for my podcasts. And one thing I do, I don't use AI. I just use like the little like um you know uh editing manual editing software to do it. But I also add a tiny bit of shine to the eyes because it just does as a viewer, it makes you want to engage more when there's a little a shininess in the eyes and they're not matte. So, it's not a foolproof because I'm not AI in the videos that I'm, you know, showing you, but that that was there was a shininess in the eyes of the AI uh spokespeople that does not exist in real people. Um, while AI once had obvious giveaways like hands with extra fingers, the newest videos look confoundingly authentic and often viewers are not told otherwise. In videos, Milanskia visits what appears to be a fully stocked Costco store. Milks cows and bakes bread. I will say I saw I saw one that took place in a Costco park parking lot that looked alarmingly real.

[01:44:22]Her wrinkles look realistic. Shadows fall where they should. I thought Amish weren't allowed to use electricity. One confused Instagram user commented, "Timothy Caulfield, research director at the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta, said the use of AI had grown in the wellness space, a crowded but lucrative market where consumers rely on perceptions of authenticity and identity to make buying decisions. One Instagram account with 125,000 followers run by a self-described hustler in Miami features an AI generated Buddhist monk with an English accent who says he lives in Tibet promoting fiber supplements and sour bitters. That content too is not labeled as being AI generated. And I would say for the Amish, I mean we've seen Amish people on television shows, you know, as well. I think if other people are behind the camera like they can appear on social media and then they can appear on TV and please correct me if I'm wrong they just themselves cannot use it I believe but I mean I'm sure everyone is you know you know every religion tweaks things um to to what they need really um with AI Mr. Caulfield said, "Brands can experiment inexpensively with a huge variety of avatars until one works. It is so tremendously efficient." He said, "You can curate an image that perfectly fits the vibe you're trying to produce."

[01:45:44]Multiple states have passed laws requiring disclosure of AI content, including one in California that requires AI companies to watermark it and another that demands social media companies detect and label it. In December, Governor Kathy Hokll of New York signed the nation's first legislation explicitly requiring the disclosure of synthetic performers in advertisements. Again, she just halted um data centers for a while in New York.

[01:46:09]So, she's actually really kind of on the cutting edge with when it comes to uh AI legislation in many ways. Unlike other legislation, that law places a burden on the creators of deep fake content, not just social media and AI companies. but it doesn't take effect until June, and it's not yet clear whether a December executive order from President Trump proposing a regulatory framework for the technology would preempt it and other state uh level regulations. Mr. Silva Streiny said he was aware of the New York regulation and was working with his legal team to ensure his brand would be compliant with the law when it went into effect.

[01:46:49]Uh at a time when people are increasingly uneasy about the technologies ubiquity, Mr. Silva Streiny has proved unusually open about his use of synthetic avatars. Another brand, Rosabella, which is the people who made the moringa that the Times uh New York Times was talking about this week that made the old woman really sick. So again, there you go. Another brand, Rosabella, has used a wide array of AI avatars on Tik Tok to promote its moringa supplement supplement. Some of the videos were tagged by the platform as AI generated, but other videos pro uh probably generated by AI like one featuring an older woman promoting Moringa's age reversing secrets are not labeled nor are posts in Spanish featuring featuring naturopaths and nutritionists who have different faces but share the same voice lauding the benefits of moringa for gut health.

[01:47:46]Last month, the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued recall notices for Rosabella's moringa powder capsules after a drugresistant Salmonella outbreak that led to multiple hospitalizations was linked to the product. Ambrosia Brands, the parent company of Rosabella, did not respond to requests for comment. Early adopters of AI realized that there really is a lot of money to be made in different ways, said Cameron Wilson, who runs the digitals, one of a handful of modeling agencies representing only virtual talent. The problem is that most of them seem to be deceptive ways. For Mr. Silva Streiny, the appeal of AI avatars was the opportunity to inject new ideas into marketing his brand. Rather than make the videos himself, he relies on more than three dozen independent creators to coax people to buy his product using what appear to be personal accounts. In exchange for a retainer, commissions on sales, and the chance to win incentive bonuses for view and sales goals, the creators are given relatively free reign to dream up their own ideas for selling the powder. In addition to Milanskia, other synthetic avatars selling the supplement include a few almost identical looking muscular middle-aged men who post similar videos to Instagram and Facebook and accounts on Tik Tok, Facebook, and Instagram featuring a wholesome farmer with a bushy white beard who goes by the moniker farmer honest. Still, Mr. Silva Streiny said the account promoting his supplement with the highest conversion rate or number of sales per view features an actual human being, a bearded former bodybuilder in Canada. A chemistry major at Williams College, Mr. Silva Streiny said he had developed a recipe centered on sulforophane, an antioxidant found in broccoli and kale, and hired a lab in California to help manufacture it at scale. Mr. Silva Streini used AI to design the supplements logo, packaging, and website, saving him tens of thousands of dollars and months of development time compared with his first entrepreneurial endeavor, a wellness drink. As soon as he can afford it, he said he plans to conduct a clinical study of his product to see if it has any effect on microplastics in the body as he claims, "I want to put my money where my mouth is," he said. In reviews on Amazon, some moderate an antidote customers said the supplement helped them feel better with one claiming it resulted in a clearer mind, but others raised concerns about the way it was marketed. One labeled it as an AI scam and another worried that the Farmer Honest account was fear-mongering to generate sales. I mean, everything's fear-mongering to generate sales. But I also wonder that the people who saw the positive effects I mean like was there you know a sugar pill effect going on here uh in in in every study some someone responds to the sugar pill you know we take it seriously and are always thinking about how to evolve as norms develop around this Mr. Silva said of consumers who react negatively to AI avatars so far Mr. Mr. Silva Streiny has sold about a thousand jars of his powder, he said, and he thinks consumers will eventually stop worrying about AI.

[01:51:04]I mean, I don't know if this is happening where you live, but in New York, something that I have noticed is that basically every like smaller bodega, smaller business selling food or like bars promoting like a special kind of night, whether it be a trivia night or watch sports here. people who have to switch in andout signage uh frequently to get customers through the door.

[01:51:27]That's exclusively AI now like on the on the poster boards um outside of business of small businesses people and it's just like unattractive to look at. My gym too. My gym keeps doing challenges like every every month.

[01:51:44]It's like kettle bell challenge or this challenge, that challenge. And I've noticed it's like it's all the same nonsense AI. Like you can really tell when something was built by a to the point now where I do prompts for things like make this not look like AI generated. It's very much an eyes sore and like it's hard like it's like it's you know especially for a place that you know has a lot of great art and has a lot of great artists like New York. It's just like kind of like it sticks out like a sore thumb. I saw so many like you know World Cup FIFA things generated by AI and I was just like this looks gnarly but at the same time it's like I know firsthand what the overhead looks like at you know running a small business. It's [ __ ] insane. And so, as much as I hate the way it looks, like I understand that these businesses, you know, these small businesses need to get customers through the door through promotions and and new things and, you know, constantly changing things. And so, I certainly don't blame them for using it. Um, yeah, it's it's hard because it's like AI is run by like capitalist pigs basically, but it's also, you know, giving re resources to small businesses to compete with corporations on some levels. So, I'm again, I'm kind of torn about it. Um, people's unease about it, I think, will fade more and more away.

[01:53:07]He said very soon it's going to just become so commonplace that it's just more content. uh my you know my favorite word content really what life is all about and just to kind of uh close out this segment because it just again it's something that I'm so invested in and and just see such intelligent people getting tricked by all the time um especially women is there's also this article that I found from the Guardian again over a year old it's from uh January 2025 January 8th 2025. But there's an article from The Guardian that says, "Are you falling for wellness misinformation online? Here's how to tell. Social media is rife with alarming advice and warnings. Experts share red flags to avoid."

[01:53:56]Um, wait. Okay. So, wellness advice abounds on social media. Warnings about toxic foods, assertions that parasites are driving your sugar cravings, or claims about solving the root cause of bodily complaints with unproven re remedies. Wellness. Woo appears in many domains like nutrition, dermatology, parenting, and psychology, says Dr. Jonathan Ste, clinical psychologist, and author of a new book about mental health misinformation. Don't even get me started on mental health and misinformation. Mind the science. Common themes include distrust in mainstream medicine, the flawed belief that natural is always best, and an over reliance on anecdotal evidence. For instance, I believe smearing beef towel on my face cured my acne, so it will also cure yours. While some health myths are harmless, think okra water, the commumul commumulative effect of bad advice flourishing online poses real risks to our well-being and scientific literacy.

[01:54:56]A My Fitness Pal survey found that 80% of millennial and Gen Z Tik Tok users get at least some health advice from social media, even though only about 2% of it aligns with public health guidelines.

[01:55:10]Bad numbers. It's not just influencers fueling the problem. Debunked misinformation about vaccines and fluoride are now echoed by figures like RFK Jr. poised for positions of federal health authority. Fun to read this and knowing what we're living in. Here's what experts say about how to avoid health and wellness misinformation online. Number one, we talk about this a lot on this show, assess a source's credibility. Even though those of us who are trained and have had experience distinguishing between misinformation and actual information can fall for disinformation.

[01:55:43]uh says or FA Zakur Hussein, a researcher at the University of Wateroo who helped create UBLAB misinformation analysis system, a system to track m information on social media, doing the Lord's work, uh to ensure what you're seeing is true. Start with verifying the content creator's credentials. Just because someone lists letters after their name, love that, doesn't automatically make them credible, says Danielle Shine, a registered dietician and PhD candidate researching nutrition misinformation on social media. It's actually so funny to say just because someone has letters behind their name doesn't make them reliable and then to list the letters behind her name. But, you know, irony, baby. Unfortunately, there are many noncredible nutrition and health related certifications that can be. Yeah. And that's another thing. Just because someone says, "I am this this certified." Look up what the certific is timeconuming, but it's your [ __ ] life we're talking about here. Um, one of my one of my favorite things is when someone says, "Well, they're blah blah blah certified." And it's like a certification you've never [ __ ] heard of before. Look up the certification.

[01:56:47]Look who put together the certification.

[01:56:50]Uh many times when it's a certification you've never heard of, what I have found in wellness and new and in new age spirituality, it's it's some [ __ ] certification that was made up by other people who wanted or had some vested interest in the certification. And it's like if I made up a certification certification, you know, that men are bad guys. Like I mean like what are we talking about here? You can just make up [ __ ] anything and print out a goddamn certificate from your computer that AI can also make for you.

[01:57:17]You know, this gets me hot, guys. this uh and not in the good way. Um unfortunately there are many non-credible nutrition and health related certifications that can be obtained via questionable online courses. Uh says Shine unlike the title registered dietician which implies specialized education training certification and lensure. The term nutritionist isn't legally re uh regulated in the UK and most US states.

[01:57:43]That means anyone can use it regardless of their qualifications or expertise.

[01:57:48]certifications like FNTTP, functional nutrition therapy practitioner, NTP, nutritional therapy practitioner, or CFNC, certified functional nutrition counselor, may give the impression of expertise, says Shine, but lack the validation and credibility associated with degreebased credentials.

[01:58:08]Conversely, degree related letters such as B for bachelor's, M for masters, and PhD for advanced research training and expertise in a specific relevant area of study are signs of basic credibility.

[01:58:20]Look for sources with degreebased education from universities accredited uh yeah like not the university of what is it Phoenix online from universities accredited by recognized bodies like the liaison committee on medical education for medical schools. Medical doctors creating online content with cited sources are generally reliable, especially regarding their specific specialization like endocrinologists for hormone related conditions, psychologists for mental health, gastroent um entrologists for digestive health, and OBGYNS for information related to women's health. Several experts engaged in the laborintensive and somewhat thankless process of debunking misinformation on social media, including Shine, Dr. Andrea Love, Timothy Cawfield, Dr. Katie Suetta, and Dr. Jen Gunter, who um I think I know Jen Gunter, I believe I believe she was on GWF, if not associated with someone, but I I know Dr. Jen Gutner um and and her work uh quite well. been following Jen Gutner's um work for like 10 years, I think. However, even qualified professionals may unethically spread pseudocience for fame, influence, and you guessed it, financial gain. It's never a bad idea to follow the SIFT method. Number one, slow down. Two, investigate claims. Three, find supporting research using reliable sites like PubMed. And uh four, trace claims back to their original contacts.

[01:59:51]And again, I know this feels like a lot of work, but you really can do it in like five minutes, and you can pretty quickly figure out uh what's going on.

[02:00:00]And sorry, now we just lost focus because I moved, but what the [ __ ] Um, all right. Wait, did I I'm I'm out of focus on your thing, too. Right, Michael? Lost you.

[02:00:14]One second. Sorry. I'm gonna just try to make myself get in focus real quickly.

[02:00:22]What's happening?

[02:00:25]There we go. Okay. I'm at the camera hub, everybody.

[02:00:30]Um, all right.

[02:00:34]It's uh it's useful to understand that various types of scientific the various types of scientific study randomized controls trials are best at illustrating a sense of uh causation. metaanalysis studies engage with all the research on a certain topic and can provide some of the best available evidence for any claim. If you are still uncertain, consider reaching out to a trusted health care professional for a second opinion. And if you have a primary physician, if you are sadly enough in the US fortunate enough to have that or wherever you are in the world, um most doctors have like a portal now and you don't have to make an appointment to ask them a question. So, if you are interested and you've done the research on a specific supplement or something, before ordering a $50 uh canister of it, I would just shoot my uh health care provider an email and say, "Hey, is this like real stuff or is this hogwash?"

[02:01:28]Like, I run stuff by my uh endocrinologist all the time. And I'm like, "Do you think this has real benefits or, you know, is this something that is just being touted online as nonsensical?" Understand the psychological traits that make us likely to believe misinformation. According to C, some factors make people more likely to believe or be susceptible to misinformation. These include personality traits like openness to experience and conspiracy mentality, which is a proclivity to endorse conspiracies. Another is narcissism, which contributes to a lack of intellectual humility, says Ste. People are often drawn to statements that align with what they already believe. This phenomenon is called confirmation bias.

[02:02:14]We're all familiar with that, I hope.

[02:02:16]It's really rare for health misinformation not to contain a grain of truth, says Dr. Michelle Wong, a Sydneybased chemistry PhD and full-time skincare science educator who debunks misinformation online. Health misinformation is often oversimplified to satisfying absolutes and quick easy solutions. Such statements leave out complexities and nuances like the size and rigor of a study or whether an issue only applies to certain populations.

[02:02:46]Oversimplified claims hook us by exploiting our psychology and lay person's understanding of science, triggering our instinct to protect ourselves and others. Wong explains, "If we see something shocking and scary, our first instinct is to share it with family and friends to keep them safe. As a result, falsehoods spread easily, going viral and creating opportunities for repeated exposure that further reinforce our sense of their veracity.

[02:03:13]It's easy to trust pseudocientific claims shared by influencers with whom we've developed parasocial trusts, especially via uh video formats like Tik Tok and Instagram reels." And I do want to point this out just because so many people on Instagram and Tik Tok are based in LA, which is like the home of wellness nonsense. And I see so many like comedians and influencers and stuff who I love just talking about stuff. And I'm like, where? Like and sharing products and I'm like, where the like where where are you getting this from?

[02:03:46]Where are you getting this from? Humans are social creatures. Note, we just tend to trust people who seem to have our best interests at heart. And again, it doesn't mean that if someone's sharing this that they have some kind of uh, you know, dark deep dark, you know, financial investment in what they they could genuinely have been tricked themselves into buying nonsense. But please, please, please don't continue it by sharing it without doing your due diligence first. If you're worried your algorithm is showing you too much nonsense, reset your Tik Tok or Instagram recommendations.

[02:04:19]Assess influencers purposes when it comes to sharing information. Some influencers share misinformation out of a genuine if misguided belief that it's true like I was just talking about.

[02:04:29]Others profit from ad partnerships or sales of related products. You know, so many times now someone will be starting something and you know the minute I'm like this is an ad, I just, you know, scroll down, look in the caption and I'm like it'll say hashtag ad or they'll have added some other company and immediately I'm not interested because I can't trust this information anymore because it's paid. Um, if an influencer's income depends on sales, that might not always mean their advice is incorrect, but they are probably biased. Notice when influencers are selling non-evidence-based products like books endorsing restrictive diet or supplements that lack safety and efficacy testing. If a research study is quoted, check that it is legitimate and really relates the specific product rather than just some of its elements.

[02:05:13]employ critical thinking when an influencer makes unfounded claims about large-scale secret conspiracies.

[02:05:19]Politically motivated conspiracy theories that seow distrust in public institutions and government governments and hospitals might be the most insidious type of health information says Zakir Hussein. Public health has undeniably been undermined by corporate uh malf how do we say that word again?

[02:05:38]Mal malfence >> malfeasants. I was like I've said it thousands of times on the show and I still can't pronounce it. Malfeasants mismanagement and underfunding. Systemic issues like profit driven negligence and regulatory failures deserve critique.

[02:05:56]But when um influencers go down conspiratorial rabbit holes such as suggesting the government uses fluoride to inhibit free thinking, it may speak more to their desire to be perceived as compelling vigilantes than real uh problems. And then also just because like that kind of stuff gets a ton of clicks, we know. And then lastly, identify the rhetorical tactics people use to spread misinformation. Watch how influencers handle criticism. One misinformation giveaway is the shill gambit, which Shine describes as a deflection strategy to avoid genuine debate. Rather than engaging with valid questions or evidence-based criticism, influencers dismiss critics, often qualified professionals, by accusing them of being paid by big pharma or big food, says Shine. This shifts the focus from their claims to the person presenting the evidence.

[02:06:49]leveraging fears of corporate influence influence and undermining the valid validity of information presented even when that information is sound.

[02:07:03]Shine notes that avoiding tough questions, deflecting valid critique or blocking dissenting voices can signal an inability to defend claims.

[02:07:14]Qualified professionals, by contrast, typically maintain respectful evidence-based discussions. Other tactics include manipulative emotional appeals, often about threats to children or babies, offering one-sizefits-all health hacks, and insisting that illnesses have one root cause when most chronic diseases are caused by an interplay of multiple factors like genetics, lifestyle, environment, and other social determinants.

[02:07:41]Misinformation is rife and often appealing, but we were all we are all capable of spotting false wellness claims by maintaining a skeptical science-based perspective as we scroll.

[02:07:53]If you see something that is very alarming or sensational or I'm going to add too good to be true, usually it really only takes a quick Google search to see if it's true, says Zakir Hussein.

[02:08:05]All right, so that that ends our wellness segment, but I thought that was just so related to everything that we do on this show. It's so interesting how like this capitalism and and wellness scamming is immediately tied to our distrust in politics. Um, and again, you know, as usual, we're paying the price and other people are making a ton of money by lying to us. Um, all right.

[02:08:31]Let's move on to our second our co- main story. We've been, you know, we've been hinting at it for weeks now. And again, it's not like 100% official, but it it really, you know, all signs point to Kla Harris, you know, being the Democratic nominee for president for 2028, which just truly, you know, makes me think, has the Democratic party have the have the established Democrats learned nothing? And the answer seems to be no, they haven't learned anything, right?

[02:09:05]You know, I'm online, you know, online today, I see New York magazine uh or I guess not online today, but uh they post this is from July 20th. Um but on I think it was actually came into my algorithm today um organically. Uh but um it says uh like it or not, Kla Harris is the front runner. This is by David Freellander again for New York Magazine.

[02:09:33]I don't know what the [ __ ] polling they're doing based on this. But we we we better start thinking of ideas and thinking of it fast.

[02:09:43]We're on a different article. Mike, did you or you can't you can't get into it?

[02:09:46]I'm guessing. Um she is friends and allies say content to just wait for now to campaign whereas asked, see how the midterms play out and let those white house aspirants uh champing chomping at the political bit launch their candidacies first. But oh, she's pulling a Cuomo. Uh make no mistake, Kla Harris is very much looking like a presidential contender in waiting. She's been listening to the American people and really trying to figure out what's impacting them and how can she can be of service to them. I mean, I feel like the only way this can work out for her is if she comes in swinging with a really heavy anti-Israel stance, which I don't think the established Democrats are going to go for. I think that's the only way that Kla Harris wins, said Minion Moore, a longtime Democratic strategist who ran the Democratic National Convention that nominated Harris in 2024. I mean, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that right now we need leaders that can take us in a different direction and bring us back together as a party. It is a prospect that has filled many senior Democratic officials and big money donors with dread. Even though Harris would come into the race with some sizable advantages, she has led in every national poll of prospective candidates, usually by double digits, early front runners tend to do well. Joe Biden led in almost all polling two years before he won in 2020.

[02:11:19]When he did come in second, it was usually behind Mo Michelle Obama or Hillary Clinton, neither of whom showed much interest in running. And Clinton led easily by this point in the 2016 race. She walks in as a frontr runner.

[02:11:33]It is fairly obvious she has followed wherever she goes, said one former aid.

[02:11:37]And I don't want to upset any narratives that any of the other candidates are pushing, but she comes in with 99% name ID and everyone else is going to have to raise money and buy it. It remains an article of faith among Harris's tight-knit group of advisers that the 2024 race wasn't winnable. Her polling lead was a mirage and did not square with what the campaign's internal polls were showing. The compressed timeline after Biden dropped out of the race left her without enough time to appear on her as her own person. A particularly big problem when much of the public had tired of the president and multiple former campaign staffers brought up the two assassination attempts against Trump as evidence that Harris's loss was all but pre-ordained. Harris has been doing some repair work. The former vice president reportedly reached out to the New York City Mayor Zoran Mdani and has been meeting with activists from the uncommitted movement. That could also play into why he was unwilling to say that he would endorse AOC if he's already in cahoots with Kla Harris, which I would think that would be Zoron endorsing Kamla would be very interest a very interesting move that I think that um most of the DSA would not be happy with. I don't think that's happening again unless she concocts some crazy anti-Israel meaning crazy meaning not mean not that it is crazy meaning that it is like uh vastly different from what she ran with previously basically like a big change in her stance on Israel um which which urged Democrats to leave their primary ballots blank in 2024 in protest of the war in Gaza. The meetings come as support for Israel has uh cratered among Democrats and a number of pro Palestine candidates have won competitive primaries where Middle East policy was front and center. She is looking for where the wave is going and is determined to ride it. Um I guess that's a nice way of saying she'll do literally whatever to become the first female president, said one supporter who had recently spoken with her and came away convinced that Harris is running in 2028. Her mindset mindset is that I should have won and I am going to do it my way because my way would have won and this is you know exactly the kind of thought process we want from a president and it was all these consultants that were telling me to take this position or that position and it was their fault and I agree with that to a certain extent because I think one of my major takeaways from my campaign was that because I was so new I felt like I almost had to really listen to adviserss you know I felt like you know to take it seriously and to treat people's uh money with the seriousness that it should be treated. Um but you know just because someone has experience you know doing something doesn't mean that they have um good experience doing something. And I really if I run again, I'm just going hard doing exact like not that I didn't do everything I that I wanted to do. But I feel like some places I was um like tamed um that I don't think it was necessary to to like tame me, right? But there was this like line that I was towing because I was also pushing it, you know, against people, you know, all the people who were for a large portion unsure if it was some [ __ ] bitter publicity stunt that I was doing, which no, obviously not. The conventional wisdom holds that Harris was hurt in 2024 by the Trump administration's they them ad about her support for taxpayer funded gender affirmation surgery for prisoners. And we know that to be true. former camp that that that ad did hurt her. Uh former campaign staffers disagree. I don't disagree and point to the advanced Republican field operation in part funded by Elon Musk as the more decisive factor, possibly more decisive, but that they them ad did not help. Um compared with most Democrats, Harris lost ground with young people and voters of color.

[02:15:42]And in her time out of politics, she has focused on connecting with those constituencies. Her book tour has taken her to college towns and majority black cities in the south like New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi. She has fundraised for state parties in Nevada, Georgia, and North and South Carolina, states where voters of color dominate the primary electorate. The conventional again, only when we need votes are we talking to the uh people of color constituents. Love to see it. Not the conventional wisdom has also held that any 2028 contender especially any who worked at a senior level of the government will have to explain that they knew of Biden's mental decline and when they knew it Harris Harris aids now and when they knew it period sorry Harris aids now doubt that this will play much of a role in the upcoming primary contest though not when Trump is running roughshod over much of what Dem Democrats hold dear people are looking forward said Laura Turski, a New Hampshire state representative who has not endorsed Harris, but did meet with her earlier this year. I don't think she's bogged down in yesterday. Look how quickly voters forgot about Trump's first term, added another Democratic official. People have short attention spans and short memories. And for all criticisms, they could be directed at that could be directed at Biden today.

[02:17:02]Who knows what they think 12 or 16 months from now. However, any contest with Harris in it could get messy regardless. Voters of color and women are the backbone of the Democratic party. Harris is both. On top of being the former vice president and polling leader, and any attempt to knock her down a peg will risk getting into the thorny issues of race and gender. Well, that's America's f two of our favorite topics. A number of staffers for potential 2028 candidates pointed to the recent uh recent Texas Senate primary uh in which James Talerico ultimately prevailed over Jasmine Crockett but did so at the risk of alienating key Democratic constituencies in the process. This is part of the reason why when you ask Democratic donors and party operatives about the possibility of Kamla 2.0, 0. The response is usually a heavy sigh followed by a long pause.

[02:17:56]Yes, she can claim that she was done poorly by the Biden administration and by Biden's late exit. And yes, she is next in line. But despite Harris leading in the polls, she is really rarely topping much much above 30% of the vote, a warning sign for someone with universal name ID. It is so emotional for me. I just love her so much, said Liz Manella, a former deputy finance chair for the Democratic Party. I just worry. I think she has learned a lot from the mistakes she made, or I should say the campaign made in 24, and I would love it, but can she go back to all of those people again and raise money? Will it all be just an autopsy of 2024? We have to be honest about what kind of candidates work and where they work. And and I also think when it comes to the Republican party, they they they got to know J. D. Vance is not a strong choice.

[02:18:50]So I really hope that well I mean not for our the Democrat's sake. I I don't hope they're cooking up someone, but I think they have to be cooking up someone else. I don't know, though. Um and so a race with her in it could get complicated, bogging down the party in questions about identity that it would rather not face and concerns about the past instead of the future. And there are other worries, too. Can Harris avoid getting pulled too far to the left as she was in 2020 to disastrous effect in 2024? Her outreach to the uncommitted movement, which encouraged voters to reject candidates who are not vocal in describing the Israel Gaza war as a genocide, has party stalwarts worried she is once again giving in to the loudest voices on the left. Can she put together a proper campaign team, something she was unable to really do in either of her runs for the White House?

[02:19:42]And can a candidate known for caution and incre in incrementalism give voice to Democrats desire to tear down the system after Trump? Democrats are angry. And Kla Harris, who has been in government in one form or another from the time she graduated law school to the day she and Biden handed over the reigns to Donald Trump, doesn't really do angry. As much as the Democratic Party has been royd by debates over the direction of the party since the last presidential election, with occasional skirmishes in a civil war breaking out between the populace and the so-called abundance moderate abundance moderate faction, most of the donors who will fund the party in the 2028 election just want to win. And for them, Harris, after blowing through $2 billion dollar in a losing effort in 2024, has a higher bar to clear to show she is a viable candidate. I am not saying it's fair.

[02:20:38]She was really dealt a bad hand in 2024, but she just has a much higher threshold to meet for donors to get interested in her as a serious candidate, said one top New York-based donor who has all but ruled out giving Harris uh giving to Harris after donating lavishly two years ago. Donors don't want someone who is breaking any barriers or who can change the national dynamic or uh conversation.

[02:21:06]We just want someone who can win back the White House, and I just don't see it happening with her. It's a sentiment expressed across the spectrum of big money donors and those who work for them. Harris lost a winnable race after Democrats poured money into her coffers, and she will have to show she's learned the lessons of the past if they are going to contribute in the future. I hope she runs," said Alex Hoffman, a Democratic strategist who advises several major party donors, because then she will lose and we will never have to hear from her again. She will never win an election at a national scale. Never.

[02:21:43]And it's interesting because I know a lot of people are saying AOC, but like the polls just aren't showing it. They say AOC is like um coming in at about 10%. I think possibly because it's like something that doesn't feel real yet.

[02:21:57]and maybe if it feel if it felt real um the polling would be different. Um I know some people definitely still think that she isn't ready to be president. A lot of people still concerned about how young and quote inexperienced she is. Um but again, you know, we voted for Donald Trump, so he didn't have any political experience. So again, it's kind of hard to make that argument, right? Um, and then the companion piece to this is an is an uh a piece from uh USA Today by Daniel Alllet, and it says, "Actually, no, Kla Harris doesn't have a shot in 2028." This is an opinion piece, an op-ed. Everyone in the Democratic party can see Kla Harris can't win. almost nobody is willing to say it out loud, which is almost exactly um you know what started to happen with Joe Biden when people really figured out what was happening. There's an idea taking hold on the left that former Vice President Kla Harris is a viable choice for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. She isn't. And even if somehow uh she somehow won it, she'd be a certain loser in the general election. a recent New York Magazine piece. So, this is literally the act the actual um opposition piece to what I just read you. So, a recent New York magazine piece by David Freedellander was headlined, like it or not, Kla Harris is the front runner. Her advisers now treated as an article of faith that the compressed campaign cost her the chance to define herself in 2024. If anything, it did her a favor. The 107 days between President Joe Biden's exit and ele and election day, the same 107 days she titled her memoir after, meant no real primary and less time having to defend an unpopular administration. She got to run as a blank slate instead of a scrutinized nominee. The thing her team calls a handicap was actually her cover.

[02:23:58]She's leading early primary polls by a wide margin. One recent survey had her at 36%, more than triple her nearest rival, but that's mainly about name recognition. Prediction markets, where people put real money on the outcome instead of just answering a pollster's phone call, have her far lower.

[02:24:17]In Freedellander's conversation with Democratic insiders, the stale metaphors arrive early, which is never a good sign. quote, "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that right now we need leaders that can take us in different directions," says Minion Moore, a Democratic operative. Then this from an unnamed supporter convinced that Harris is running. Quote, "She is looking for where the wave is going and is determined to ride it, which we just read." That's Harris's whole problem in one sentence. Donald Trump didn't ride any waves, yet he created his own. Uh neither did Barack Obama. They were the waves. voters can tell the difference between someone who generates energy and someone searching for a current to ride, right? It's a difference between like, if you want to compare it to like social media, I feel like it's the difference between someone who is only doing like following trend videos rather than someone who is just kind of putting out whatever the [ __ ] they want. And I would argue that you kind of have to do both.

[02:25:12]like every now and then just to jog the algor algorithm a little bit. I'll do a trend video if it doesn't want if I genuinely think it's like fun and it doesn't want to make me like pull my hair out. But overall, it's kind of like the basic [ __ ] influencers who are always doing uh trends and basic [ __ ] I'm using as gender neutral there. The same supporter her mind the same supporter says her mindset is that I should have one and I am going to do it my way. Uh I was it was all these consultants it was their fault. What was her way exactly? Nobody says, but it's clear that the border, the economy, and taxpayer funded gender surgery for inmates hurt Democrats badly. And Harris doubling down on all of it, even as the race slipped away, hurt her specifically. Her former staffers blamed the money and the ground game instead.

[02:25:59]Of course they do. People are looking forward, says Laura Turski, a New Hampshire state rep, who's met Harris but hasn't endorsed her. I don't think she's bogged down from yesterday. Okay.

[02:26:08]So, again, same quote from the other one. Look how quickly voters forgot about Trump's first term. Um, uh, says an unnamed Democratic official. Uh, and in other words, they're betting Americans forget how the Biden Harris years actually went. But voters didn't return to Trump because they forgot who he was. They went back because they remembered the economy was better and the border was under control. Harris's fascist dictatorship routine didn't square with people's memories of a Trump term that had in fact been just fine.

[02:26:40]One anonymous former aid bragged that Harris comes in with 99% name ID and everyone else is going to have to raise money and buy it. True, but total name recognition just means there's no room left to grow. And the former vice president's favorability has sat underwater since the day she left office. what Democratic voters actually want in 2028. If Trump's rise taught Democrats anything, it's that voters will forgive plenty of rough edges for the real thing. which is why candidates like Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Senator John Federman of Pennsylvania, and Representative AOC of New York have drawn the party's energy in recent years, which is like very interesting to bring these people into the conversation because like Jasmine Crockett and John Federman are done for all intents and purposes. Um, it's why Democrats are gravitating towards candidates who come across as raw and unfiltered rather than manufactured and stagemanaged.

[02:27:40]The problem with Harris isn't that she's too moderate or too left. She can lurch left as easily as she's lurched everywhere lurched everywhere else. Her problem is that she isn't anything in particular. Not authentic, not much of a populist. Certainly not working class and not even a committed democratic socialist. She'll be whoever the base needs, and the quotes above prove it.

[02:28:02]Losing nominees rarely get a second act.

[02:28:05]Harris might be the exception for a simple reason. She's still technically first in line in the Democratic party until she says otherwise. As a black Asian woman, she's even more protected.

[02:28:16]Democrats handed her the nomination in 2024 rather than be seen passing over the first minority woman vice president for another white man. The same thinking that made her impossible to skip in 2024 makes her nearly impossible to skip past now unless she rules herself out first.

[02:28:34]I disagree with that. I don't think that the reason we can't pass over her now is because she's a black Asian woman. I think that's actually preposterous in the mag and I don't think the people on the left believe that in the m I I think they understand how important it is that we win and they're willing to there's almost a part of me that's like could like James Tarico like slide into this.

[02:28:59]You know, in the magazine story, Freedellander admits a contest against Harris could get messy because women and voters of color anchor the Democratic coalition, and being seen defending those groups matter to the party's identity as much as winning does. When he asked Democratic donors and operatives what they make of a commla 2.0, a couple were candid. I hope she runs because then she will lose and she will never have to hear from her again.

[02:29:25]We heard that from the strategist Alex Hoffman. She'll never win an election on a national scale. Never. But most gave Freelander a particularly damning response. A heavy sigh followed by a long pause. Everyone knows exactly what that pause means, but nobody can say it out loud. I guess my favorite thing about this op-ed that it was that is that it was mostly a regurgitation.

[02:29:47]Um, which is so funny because I think like if there is one like the biggest uh knock against Kla Harris's campaign uh was that it was kind of a regurgitation of Joe Biden's campaign. So I think that that is pretty [ __ ] ironic that this this is the oped this guy chose to go in balls swinging. Um I do >> to be fair it is one of those things where it's like well you know how do you let them hang themselves? just let him talk, you know? And it's like if you're if you're if you're cherry-picking like little things in this article where like, you know, like I that's a really good point for every single person that I talked to went, "Yeah, I mean, I guess, >> right, but if you're writing an op-ed, like I need more than just regurgitation of the New York Magazine article. I need a little bit more about like I just need a little bit more about why not and if not and and it like if not her then pitch me someone [ __ ] else. I just thought it was not a great op-ed.

[02:30:46]>> Well, I like that line about the uh if you're at 99% um name recognition there's so little like there there's almost no room to grow and >> she's not good. You know what I mean?

[02:30:59]Well, I also think that like just from campaigning and from watching campaigns pretty closely over the past couple of years, um I do think like there is a lot to be gained in making an introduction of yourself. And if you make an introduction with about a year, you could do a little less probably not for president. You need about a year I would say to campaign if you're kind of a new name for president. You can become like absolutely belove beloved in a year. I mean we saw Zor mom Donnie do it you know in what like nine ten months like you know it is it is possible and I do agree that I think there's some problem in being fully known already right because like even if we introduce like a good thing that we didn't already know you're like did you just make that up because like why wouldn't we have known that previously about you and just so you know just so everyone knows Daniel Alllet is a USA Today's conserv conservative op uh opinion editor So, um, and they want to make it clear, our journalists adhere to the USA Today network principles of ethical conduct for newsrooms. All right. Um, moving on to girl, just want to go over a couple things. Um, you know, as the at the end of the show, obviously still extremely invested in this Nolan Wells case, right? the rep the uh results of the preliminary autopsy which is not the one that was funded by the state. It was the independent one funded by his family and I think like Colin C Kaepernick um perhaps as well. Um this one came in and it's like pretty inconclusive.

[02:32:36]That being said, if it was pure drowning seems like it would be pretty conclusive, me thinks. Um uh this is actually from the New York Post and uh it says Nolan Wells preliminary autopsy results reveal seven unanswered questions after teen vanished on trip with friends by Alex Diaz and Anthony Blair. The independent autopsy of Nolan Wells is sparking even more questions after the preliminary findings were released today. Though the NAACP had conceded that the teen's tragic death may have been an accident, Wells's parents had flown their 18-year-old son's body over 800 miles to Washington DC for an independent autopsy following an initial post-mortem in Mississippi, where he was last seen alive during a Fourth of July trip to Horn Island with friends. And again, speaking of misinformation online, just be very careful what you intake about this.

[02:33:31]There's a lot of innocent information online because uh it's, you know, a hot button topic. Um uh will uh the college football player who was found dead on July 6th, 2 days after he's vanished, had a 12 by 8 in red discoloration to the back of his head, according to the autopsy performed by Dr. Roger Mitchell, president of the National Medical Association. And I liked this article because there was like drawings that can help, you know, someone who's not familiar with autopsy uh protocol. Like it makes it easier to follow along. The red discoloration in the soft tissue of the back of Wells's head could indicate head trauma. However, decomposition and a lack of associated injuries mean the findings were inconclusive. The report states Wells's cause and manner of death were listed as undetermined pending investigation with the date of death also unknown. The doctor also highlighted seven unanswered questions in his autopsy report. These include what were the circumstances that led to wells entering the water? What position was the body in when found? And was there any water in the airway which would indicate drown drowning found civil rights attorney Ben Crump claimed that Wells's body was found face down and fully clothed despite photos from the day showing him shirtless wearing swimming trunks. The path pathologist added that he still wants to know if there is any evidence of injuries to the front of the neck or throat or evidence of a brain bleed. damage to the throat couldn't be ruled out as a cause of a contributory factor to Wells's death because it had been removed during the initial autopsy.

[02:35:20]Uh Dr. Mitchell wrote and like that's a problem like part of his throat was removed. So they're like, "Yo, we couldn't test this in this independent autopsy because like part of him was missing." Oh my god, Alfred, you look so funny here. Uh, finally, the pathologist highlighted the need to discover the composition of Wells's stomach contents and the toxicology report findings. With the removal of the stomach as well as other organs before the second autopsy, examining Wells's stomach contents was unable to be carried out, the doctor said.

[02:35:49]Despite the unanswered questions, the NAACP conceded that it couldn't rule out that Wells's death may have been an accident. If it was truly an accident, then the families will have the necessary answers that any family deserves in this situation. NAACP President Derek Johnson said while kicking off the press conference. And while you know an accident would be less interesting in quotes, truly it's what I'm hoping for. We don't want this to to be that his that he got in a fight. We don't want that. They got in a fight and his one of his friends killed him e either purposefully or by and when I say accident I mean accidental drowning. But still there is like you know the question of like why the [ __ ] was everything from his phone missing like missing from that day for a teenager that his mom says was constantly you know on uh on social media chronicling the things that he did especially on a holiday like Fourth of July, right? Um if it was truly an act uh let's see.

[02:36:47]Police have said nothing points to foul play. Well, of course they do. At least yet. And they suspect Wells likely drowned after his friends left the island without him. Uh Dr. Michael Ben, former chief medical examiner of New York City, told the Post after reviewing Wells's preliminary autopsy results that there's nothing dependent on foul play, but added that investigators are still awaiting crucial details from a toxicology report. The teen's body was positively identified on July 7th using dental records. Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lind Jr. told the Post at the time that results from the official post-mortem could take weeks while they wait uh await the findings from the toxicology tests. Wells had been drinking alcohol on the day he disappeared but seemed completely fine.

[02:37:34]His self-described best friend claimed.

[02:37:36]Everybody's drinking, you know, Warren Hudson told conservative YouTuber Brandon Tatum. I mean, it's Fourth of July. Everyone's just trying to enjoy themselves and you know it's a big party basically. I talked to Nolan and you know Nolan was drinking. Everybody was drinking. Most uh of everybody and I mean Nolan seemed completely fine every time I talked to him. He explained Wells was laid to rest in a closed casket Monday at a packed hometown funeral exactly 2 weeks after his body was found in the water just off the barrier island. We will miss everything about him and his quiet nature, the corny jokes, his gentle smile, and the way he made everyone around feel loved, comfortable, and at ease. Christine Wanssley told Mourners Through Tears.

[02:38:19]And Christine Wanssley, that's his mom.

[02:38:21]She is on Instagram if you want to follow her. She does like update pretty frequently. Again, of course, she faces um you know uh uh criticism for that too because you know you know women grieving not in the way that they you know society thinks they should be grieving.

[02:38:37]One of my favorite topics. I'll have more on that at a later date for you. Um but uh it's very interesting to uh check in with what she's doing. She makes videos and I know she appreciates like people sharing memories and stuff uh of Nolan, but also like we have to keep in mind this is not just a a a woman in mourning. This is not just a mother in mourning. This is also a woman who is like very concerned that her child died under criminal circumstances. And so when you can't trust the authorities who are doing the investigation, who are doing the autopsy in the Mississippi police who are ready who were ready to just, you know, uh, brush the their hands of the whole situation and say, "Oh, it was an accident. Case closed."

[02:39:22]You know, um, because she pushed for more answers, she does, I think, need to stay active and engaged on social media.

[02:39:30]And I think part of her mourning is getting justice for her son. nothing is going to bring Nolan back. Uh but you know if he died under criminal circumstances, if he was murdered um or even if he died accidentally like via ma manslaughter like you know if something other than just like a true accident like where he fell off a boat and drowned or something like that's part of her she wants to know that and you know she deserves to get vindication not only for her son but for so many other people who this similar thing has happened to and will happen to in the future.

[02:40:06]future, you know, and like you'd be a fool not to not to think it a bit sus that someone who, you know, the only, you know, it wasn't the only black friend cuz he had there was another individual who was black, but one of the only black people in this predominantly uh white group of friends who uh in a in a state like Mississippi, like she would like we would be we would be like calling her dumb, you know, if she didn't look into it further. Like just like societyy's never happy. So like let this [ __ ] mom grieve the way she wants to. I'm so sick of people being gatekeepers of grief, okay? Just let people experience grief however the [ __ ] they need to experience grief. It's a rough road. Um and of course, another thing that everyone was talking about this week is that Nancy Grace has officially entered the chat. um she did a one-hour piece um on uh Nolan Wells and good on her. I I'm glad that more people are really keeping this story alive. I do think it's so important. Um you know, she really focused on the fact that she thinks someone's lying, which I think, you know, there's just conflicting opinions. you know, especially with, you know, the extensive um reports that that one girl that Nolan, you know, supposedly was talking to on the island by himself, like flirting with or whatever, she seems to be someone who's been giving a lot of information and you know, really was one of the first people to come forward seemingly because she had nothing to hide, right? And um you know so Nancy Grace had repeatedly pointed during this you know one-hour uh segment um you know she was pointing to towards mutually exclusive witness accounts. The basic issue is that different versions of Nol Nolan's last known movements cannot all be true. Right? We just we hear different things from different people.

[02:42:00]Um, one account suggests he voluntarily stayed on Horn Island after meeting a young woman there, while other statements and evidence appear to conflict with that narrative. And obviously, so then she comes to the conclusion, someone's lying. And then the second part, which we talked about previously, was is the cell phone um um which we know was not on Nolan's person.

[02:42:21]You know, his dad, it was in the house of one of the friends, right? Um, so the family had said that Nolan intentionally left his phone on the boat so it wouldn't get wet after the phone was returned. Content from July 4th had been reportedly deleted. We know as young people, and I'm not even that young. I'm 40 years old, right? Uh, what? Like, so you so you leave the so you leave the the phone on the the boat while maybe you're swimming or something. I can understand that. But if then you decide as they said that um oh I'm going to stay back and talk to this girl and other people are going to leave on the boat. What young person or what any person in 2026 is saying yeah leave on the boat that has my phone on it?

[02:43:07]This is we're a culture of people who get panicky if we don't know where our phone is for five minutes. You're telling me an 18-year-old is just saying, "Yeah, I'm gonna stay on the boat and this must be the hottest girl to ever exist if he's uh leaving his phone on the boat to talk to this girl."

[02:43:24]No, you would go to the boat and be like, "Oh, let me get my let me just grab my phone real quick because I am going to stay back." Doesn't make sense.

[02:43:31]And then and then the and then the content being deleted. That I mean certainly doesn't make sense. Um, it says different location services, particularly Life 360 versus Snapchat, appeared to show conflicting locations while Nolan was missing. Nancy Grace was especially skeptical of those discrepancies, saying she had a big problem with the Life 360 and phone data not matching as described by the family.

[02:43:53]She argued that those inconsistencies weren't a thorough forensic examination of the device. Um, and then, you know, the central question, why did everyone else leave? Right? Uh, if Nolan was part of the group that arrived together, how did every other member of the group leave the island while Nolan remained behind? Nancy Grace stressed that investigators need a detailed minute-by-minute reconstruction of exactly who left, who believed Nolan was staying, what conversations occurred, and who last saw him alive. And it almost feels like it's too late for this. Right? Because as we're saying, all these people should have been interviewed. All these friends that were on uh the boat trip that went to Horn Island with Nolan should have been immediately as soon as this [ __ ] h went down questioned and questioned separately so they couldn't all come to an agreement of the story that they were telling together. And then there's the mystery girl um and uh you know that the the young woman that he that he met on Horde Island um which I guess is not that same girl.

[02:45:00]There was like another girl. So I guess there's this this this mystery girl who he stayed to chat with is not the girl that originally was giving information.

[02:45:13]And who who that is, that's a little unclear because I thought we had found her, but apparently now Nancy Grace is saying this is a different mystery girl.

[02:45:20]Um, and Nancy Grace brought on experts to a panel. Um, she had Dr. Kendall Crowns, a chief medical examiner, on to discuss what a body can and can cannot reveal in a suspected drowning. Uh she had Todd Terrell of the United Cage and Navy who participated in the search to explain the currents around Horn Island, which is something that I had independently looked in into myself, um like what the currents were like. Uh John Mobley, a trial attorney to discuss investigative issues and Caitlyn Becker of the New York Post for reporting on the case and then a psychotherapist to discuss group dynamics and witness behavior.

[02:46:00]Uh she challenged the assumption of drowning.

[02:46:04]Um, you know, and she's not and and some people were kind of saying like Nancy Grace said that Nolan was murdered. She she didn't say Nolan was murdered. She just said she she said drowning is still a possibility, but investigators have not yet established that drowning is what happened. Um and and so her argument was that the investigation should not become fixed on one explanation before everything is ex examined, which of course that position has become even more relevant after the family's independent autopsy uh came up as undetermined, right? And she questioned whether authorities moved too quickly. They definitely did. Um, they just kind of said accidental dental drowning before an autopsy, a before forensics, phone forensics, before toxicology, before any of this was complete. They were just like, "Oh, a kid drowned. Okay, case closed." Um, and so she did it. Nancy Grace didn't introduce any dramatic new theories. uh she just pointed out this list of these multiple unresolved uh questions so that the public I think is really aware what is going on. Um and I think she raises some really good questions, some questions that we should continue to raise until we get answers that make sense to us.

[02:47:32]Um all right, and let's see. I mean, and I guess we'll close with this aid to Israel. um article which is again was something I was excited to present to you but now seems to not be as exciting. Um but this is from the Associated Press. More than half of House Democrats vote to cut Israel aid in growing split. This was from July 15th updated at 10:30. So like kind of like right as we were wrapping up last week, right? Uh more than half of the House Democrats voted last Wednesday night to strip $3.3 billion dollars in US aid from Israel. The most substantial signal yet that once rocksolid bipartisan support for the country's disintegrating um popup ad, sorry, disintegrating in the aftermath of its war in Gaza that has killed thousands of Palestinians.

[02:48:30]The vote tally 104 to 314 was not enough to attach the amendment to a broader national security spending bill, but stands as a stark accounting of the shifting attitudes that are dividing the Democratic party and the nation over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war strategy. And we kind of started the episode today talking about Netanyahu and we're going to end the episode talking about Netanyahu, right?

[02:48:54]Um, the House's Democratic leadership split over the issue in what was largely seen as a test vote ahead of the US midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. More than 100 Democrats voted for the amendment to strip the foreign military aid money and almost as many voted against. Most Republicans voted to preserve the Israel aid. House Democratic Leader Hakee Jeff, who announced he opposed the measure that would zero out the aid, nevertheless said that for the good of Israel and the Palestinian people, American policy in the Middle East must change. Jeffree said in a letter to colleagues ahead of a private caucus meeting this week, where he spoke on the issue that he believes there are more decisive ways to achieve the urgent change necessary when it comes to the far right Netanyahu government. The deepening divide over Israel threatens to upend the Democratic Party as it faces an energized left flank that is promoting self-proclaimed Democratic socialists in a handful of marquee house races, particularly last month in New York. While more traditional Democrats have stood with US support for Israel, a growing number have distanced themselves from Netanyahu's strategy.

[02:50:05]And um yeah, we kind of know everything else that happened in these, but it's it's just a it's just a reminder that the lawmakers are really under under pressure as the midterms near. And if we keep getting election results that say Israel is going to be the deciding factor, the establishment Democrats have to [ __ ] change um their stance on Israel and they they have to figure out other ways um to fund raise other than than Apac and God knows what's going on really behind the scenes. Um you know, but it's not like the DSA is just winning across the board. We also see in places like Arizona, there's like a lot of MAGA heavy, specifically in Arizona, um, you know, MAGA heavy, like, you know, there's an article from the New York Times that says six takeaways from Arizona's tense Trump dominated primaries. Republican nominated Republicans nominated a former NFL kicker in a top house battleground, a Trump loyal list for governor, and an election uh denier for the state's top election post. Um and and yeah, and and these and these preferred candidates of Donald Trump basically comfortably won these primaries. It says as President Trump's preferred candidates comfortably won primaries, Democratic voters sided with a moderate incumbent over a left-wing challenger. Um and so it's not like, you know, DSA is just winning across the board. And again, we've talked about that. just like when they do they're heavily highlighted. Uh but we still got to have all hands on deck. Um and again, you know, we still see people uh with name recognition who with but no real uh prior government experience um you know seeing success uh whether it be on the right or on the left. You know, Jay Freely, a former journeyman NFL kicker who was endorsed by Donald Trump, won the Republican primary in a battleground uh house district that includes Scottsdale, Arizona, and a chunk of Phoenix. Mr. Feelely, who says he was inspired to run for office by the 2024 assassination attempt against Mr. Trump in Butler, PA, had planned to run in a deep red district southeast of Phoenix. But Mr. Trump asked Mr. Fely to switch to the first congressional district, which experts in both parties say could host the most expensive House race in the country in November.

[02:52:43]Representative David Schwikert, a Republican who currently represents the district, decided to give it up to run for governor.

[02:52:52]Um, yeah. And then a Trump loyalist dominated uh in the primary for governor, Representative Andy Biggs. Uh uh there was another guy uh Mark Lamb running for uh former a Trump endorsed former sheriff running to replace Mr. Bigs. He had like a sex scandal and everyone was like no we don't even care anymore. like um so and a Democratic incumbent uh glided past a Democratic socialist.

[02:53:33]Some Democratic Socialists emboldened by recent upset primary victories in New York and Colorado had hoped for another uh over Representative Greg Stanton, a moderate fourthterm Democrat whose district includes Tempe and Mesa. But on Tuesday, Mr. Stanton handily defeated his left-wing challenger Kai Newkerk, a firsttime candidate who identified as a Democratic socialist. So again, it's just like just as much as we want to celebrate our victories, we want to keep our eyes on the prize and see what's really happening in all of these elections. It's interesting. Kai Newkerk actually doesn't fit the bill of who the DSA usually puts forward. He's a white guy. Um, and what's his age? He looks young. She looks young enough. He's 45. Okay. So, he's a little older than people we've been seeing win. And he's not um and he's white, which is a little bit different than the DSA has really seen success with. And again, just in a country obsessed with identity politics, I do think it is important to point these things out because they have to do with the strategy. All right. So, all eyes on that. Again, a lot of primaries um still coming up uh in early August.

[02:54:53]We'll be taking a look at those. We'll hear lots of campaigning. We'll see lots of campaigning. Anything interesting happening in your area, please give me um send me an email without [email protected].

[02:55:05]And I do ask if you send me an article.

[02:55:07]Some people just forward me articles. I like tell me don't just forward me a thousand articles because I see the same articles you say. I have the same subscriptions you say. I'm a I'm subscribed to the New York Times and the Washington Post. I get all these articles. Say why you think this is like a without a country article. Like what is the part of it that stood out? What's the part that you want to be um discussed on the show? Uh you know, something like that. Like a little bit like that that's just just forwarding me articles is is overwhelming and not helpful because I see those same things and I can do that research myself. Um, but again, thank you so much for uh being a part of this show and uh I appreciate however you engage with the show, whether it's following us on social media, being subscribing to our YouTube, um following me, running for office, canvasing in your area, supporting a local candidate, um being a Patreon subscriber. All these things are so helpful and I really appreciate them.

[02:56:02]And of course, if you want to come to Gash, see me in Los Angeles, uh, Sunday, October 25th at Gash in Los Angeles at the comedy store that I love so much.

[02:56:14]And Mike, where can people find you and support you?

[02:56:18]>> I am going to be on the mic at the Armored League tomorrow night. Uh, that is July uh, 23rd. You can get tickets.

[02:56:27]There's still some standing room available at the armoredleague.com, but not much. head over.

[02:56:32]>> Amazing. So successful, guys. Thank you so much for joining us. Remember, the truth is in there. And we'll talk to you next Wednesday. Bye. Peace.

[02:57:09]Running from the man. Yeah, the mad man's coming. Yeah, the man's coming for me tonight.

[02:57:15]I spend the last week running from the heat. But the beat's coming alive.

[02:57:21]Let's get lost tonight.

[02:57:25]Heat. Heat.

[02:57:37]Heat.

[02:57:50]Heat.