A K-shaped economic recovery is a pattern where different sectors of the economy recover at vastly different rates, with some sectors (like technology and AI) experiencing rapid growth while others (like traditional retail and manufacturing) decline, creating a 'K' shape on a graph. This uneven recovery means that while some individuals and industries thrive, others struggle, and it often reflects broader structural changes in the economy such as technological disruption, globalization, or shifts in consumer behavior.
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HSRPMAdded:
You move like lightning on my skin. A sacred equation dreaming of sin. My touch is a promise from a liar. Cold as ice that cries out for fire. Reflections of words that teach me not to feel. Pray in this nightmare won't show me what's real. Reach out to take your hand. Maybe you'll understand. But you pull away in horror at the coldest of steel. Silver.
>> Okay, we're up.
Electric paradise.
Electric paradise. My future is the past. I see. This is life. Why can't I feel the Okay, we're going to be coming to Chicago. Hold on.
I can't tell if Chicago are we are you hearing them? Are we good or are we getting close? I haven't I I feel like I was blasting.
>> We're live now. We're live.
>> Really? You're kidding me. Really? I don't believe you. I don't believe you.
I don't believe you. I don't I'm not going to believe it.
>> Devin said they muted us.
>> I'm kidding. They Oh, that's very sweet.
Um, hi Johnny Million. How are you?
>> Good to see you.
>> Hi. I'm really good. Nice to be back in the >> I was telling Hal earlier that I still smell like the cologne of one of the band members from Moxar.
>> Yeah, I guess you know you're a big fan of theirs. You went full groupy.
>> I did. Yeah, you got >> smell like him. If you love them, you got to smell like them.
>> That's right. Get the stank of your favorite band all over you. Pardon my voice today. Um, after this show I get to rest my voice, but you know.
>> But in the meantime, >> yeah, >> it's Prime Jesse Ventura.
>> It's You think so? Yeah, it's not bad. I I ain't got time to >> You know, you would have to try.
>> Fantastic. That's absolutely true. Yeah.
>> Let me tell you something. When I was the mayor, I once flew through the Denver airport and I if I don't know if you know, there's a me there's a giant mural of the the the new world order that's there. And if you go up there, you if you climb into the recycling bin at the base of it, there's a ladder that goes down 8 miles inside the earth and you can take a look at the alien remains and all that. Um yeah. Um we've we've got a ton to talk about. Um you have a happy ending today, which is great.
Phil's going to be joining us. Um they had a hell of they had a hell of a week in Ukraine because uh Putin was using what's going on >> or not going on depending on how you look at it in Iran. Um as their Yeah, I think you're right. I think I should just do the whole show like this.
>> Dagnabbit. Yeah. um that uh they've basically been using this as an as a as cover to attack civilian targets inside Ukraine.
Surprise, surprise.
Meanwhile, though, I think it there was a lot of jockeying for what would be the biggest news this week. Um uh and it's it's a difficult one. I mean, coming in, you know, right under the wire was uh um Pam Bondi coming in for testimony, not under oath, not on camera, you know, all the things that make you give you trust in in a situation like that where all the maggots at home, they can all feel great about the finally the transparency and that they're going to she's going to go after the deep state and the elites aren't going to live on a different level than us. the, you know, the elites won't, you know, have a different set of rules for them and for us. Not now that Pam Bondi's on the scene, right? Meanwhile, even after she quits slash is fired, >> right?
>> She Yeah. She comes in to testify over the Epstein files, which I mean, granted, your run-of-the-mill MAGA America first Republican doesn't really care much about, obviously, um that she comes in to to do, you know, give testimony on that, won't do it under oath primarily, has DOJ lawyers acting as her personal lawyers in this >> basically jumping in. Yeah, that that feels normal.
>> Yeah. Yeah. It feels natural. It feels uh you know the this is exactly what they voted for, right? If you you're promises made, promises kept, right? Um I do think that um she and she pushed back on some of the reporting, you know, and and I wouldn't say reporting, well, the sources that were inside the room, Congress people who were there who said she basically spent the entire time throwing Todd Blanch under the bus.
We do. Um, you look fine to me. Um, >> we did for a second. It could have been just me.
>> It could have. I think so.
But in this um Oh, okay. YouTube.
Okay. Thank you. Um, so overall, excuse me, the uh, you know, the Democrats that came out of there said that, you know, she she laid it all on, uh, Todd Blanch's desk, basically blamed him for all the failings. Not well, that's not fair. Not all all of the failings. She also blamed Cash Patel for some of them, which is delicious and nutritious and hilarious.
And so, um, they This committee is certainly looking forward to being able to interview Todd Blanchin and Cash Patel. Now, what I would say is that depending on how long these guys can punt and stay away from them, um I wouldn't hold my breath, especially over the summer, but let's just say the House and maybe even the Senate are taken over by the Democrats. Um that adds a a an extraordinary new bent on top of >> Oh, yeah. the yeah the the forthcoming uh trials and hearings that could come from this. But um she does have um and was just recently treated for um thyroid cancer.
She had that she had a like a a bandage across her neck where she'd had surgery recently um over that. So uh I wish her a speedy recovery and a long and healthy prison term. Um, Robert Garcia though was the um p was the main kind of Democrat, you know, kind of fielding questions. And when he came out, he he basically said that the DOJ lawyers were there acting as Donald Trump's personal lawyers, insisting on where she should and and I guess must declare executive privilege on things. Mhm.
>> Um, you know, she did have a um uh I'll I'll look for it, but she did have a uh an opening statement that that leaked um and a lot of it was just saying a lot of a lot more of nothing to see here. You know, we like I've done everything you could ask me to do. Um there's nothing to see here. That's the end of it. um which of course is in and of itself perjury is clearly a lie. and her her one out was sort of giving her room for an I don't recall or I didn't see that which is that she quote did not oversee every detail >> which um >> yeah is is it's like one of those um it's like the perfection default when somebody goes nobody's perfect in an argument >> when we're not arguing about perfection we're arguing about your responsibility in a situation >> right that's not what we're talking uh >> nobody in charge of an entire thing would know every detail. That's not what you were asked. But if you >> that's not an answer. If you're asked, did you delegate a you know have a thousand FBI agents looking through the files to remove Donald Trump's name?
>> So yeah, >> that's a good question.
>> Yeah. And her answer was, I didn't oversee every detail. Um or you'll have to ask Todd.
>> That's uh Both of those are are um obfuscations at best and lying through omission at worst um in those situations. Um and I um she says she acknowledged that there were redaction errors. She blamed Blanch for that. She said um that the DOJ had quote produced everything required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. That is a lie. That's a flat lie. There is um there has been stuff that has come out since and there are still things that the um congressional members have gone and looked at that would not qualify as as you having a reason to be redacted that they already saw that the public could see but they went they had to go to one of these skiffs basically in the DOJ to look at it. um they saw things that should be released under the law and have not yet and they are moving to have those things released and in some cases in the case of Massie and Roana for example and others they have actually released that information they can't release the documents because the DOJ has them but they have been the ones that >> and we have all the documents >> oh we have them that's right we have them memorized we don't need to infotain infotainment.com ladies and gentlemen um set >> them up or knock him down.
>> The other person, and we got to take a break, but the other person that she threw under the bus was the head of the Bureau of Prisons. Um because it was apparently that person in Blanch who worked out moving Maxwell to a club Fed and not her and that. Yeah. So, >> Blanch's the name of one of the Golden Girls.
>> Yes. Yes, it is.
>> That's what I'm hearing, >> right?
>> Yeah. And um CSL is right. I it appears that there's only uh the vertical.
>> Oh yeah, there's only vertical.
>> Yeah, that's all I'm finding.
>> Oh, I see. Okay, I'll fix that in the break. We'll take a break right now and we'll be back right after. This is the Housewalk Radio program, Mega Worldwide.
>> Oh, no. I lied.
>> It's the horizontal, not the vertical.
The vertical is not up.
>> No, they're they're both there, but it looks like the horizontal was late to the show.
>> I see. Okay. It's I see it.
>> There are more people watching vertical because of that. But I'm going if you guys want to talk to me in the chat, I'm going horizontal.
>> Okay. And I don't hear Chicago, but I think we're they they uh >> they said that you muted them.
>> Oh, I um I did not um hold on. I'll see.
Hold on. How about this?
>> Week nights.
>> I removed them from the green room.
>> They were They were out. They were fine.
And I don't know what happened, but >> All right.
>> Yeah, >> the chat in here. Both are good. People like it. It was late peg.
>> The reality.
>> All right, guys. Coming up in 40 seconds.
>> You know, he does the >> Deon says everything's good and Arsenal is beating um that weird Paris team in the UEFA Championships.
>> Very exciting.
>> Lot of people are excited about that.
>> All right. I insist.
>> Lisa, Mrs. Million is actually covering for somebody at work today because they took the day off to watch that match, which is why I'm blocking it at all.
>> I see.
He's one of them Europeans >> with their with their silly >> with their silly game where you can't use your hands.
>> About to come back.
>> Yeah.
>> Cool.
>> WCPT from TuneIn.
>> Welcome back to the Hal Sparks radio program, Mega Worldwide.
Um the the other thing jockeying for a piece of bad news in the Trump world besides Pam Bondi's pathetic attempt to basically plead the fifth on behalf of the entire executive cabinet um around the Epstein files and um and obviously Epstein's escape and current life, you know, in a hollowedout mountain someplace um was that a judge has reopened the 10 billion IRS lawsuit um claim of whatever that Trump was doing the case. Um a federal judge in Miami on Friday ordered Trump's legal team to address grievous allegations that a settlement ending his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. This is the thing that created the slush fund was, and this is lovely, premised on deception that they lied to in even their rebuttal or in their registration.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS that was premised on deception. I know. Crazy.
>> I know what you're saying.
>> Um and they um they a bipartisan coalition of 35 former federal judges urged her earlier this week to investigate whether the court had quote been the victim of fraud. So is that I forget is that number 37?
>> What's the current like Trump fraud number? right now because he was convicted of 35 counts.
>> Oh, convicted of fraud. Yeah. It's got to be up to 40.
>> Yeah. If he got if you know, so the quote unquote settlement where he arranged to basically, you know, pay off his private army of J6ers through this legal fund that exists in the DOJ.
um that has uh been ruled illegal and that his entire lawsuit against the IRS was based on uh deception, premised on deception, and that the IRS and the and the United States government has been the victim of fraud, not only in how it was handled where Trump arranged for his own payout via his, you know, you know, basically telling the DOJ what he wants.
Um but on top of that that um the the court had been a victim of fraud in the filing of the case in the first place.
So um they uh there's a June 12th hearing on whether to extend the order and whether Trump concluded with his own government to settle the lawsuit and avoid judicial examination so that he wouldn't actually have to go through the trial. And this is kind of like in many ways um the same plan they used on CBS and others where they would, you know, uh file a lawsuit that's so big and everybody's afraid because he's president that they won't be able to win. So they just settle out of fear.
>> And you know, in the case of obviously the IRS, he used that sort of internal manipulation. They were afraid. They were just helping him avoid the actual trial. And I think the the the message in all of this is if the president sues you or Cash Patel or Melania or any of these idiots, if they sue you, counters sue them. And um and the magic word is discovery.
you will uh >> that's one >> they will withdraw rather than give discovery and you will win your costs back plus interest because it's basically a slap lawsuit.
Um, and so the the the moronic nature of this very thing where Trump even said, "I'm I'm, you know, suing myself." And it's funny how I, you know, I get to, you know, arrange for the settlement myself is actually the legal basis for this judge to call this whole thing phony in the first place.
The reality is is that Trump and all of his cronies are and his family are enriching themselves on their way out the door. Now, how far out the door they actually are is anybody's guess because I'm uh and you know there there may be an update to this. I'll have to look. But I haven't I don't think Trump has been seen in public since Wednesday um the day after he went to the hospital.
And it he's had big like alleged meetings. We've heard of this alleged uh he was going to go to Camp David for a big meeting there with, you know, the cabinet was going to gather to talk about Iran and just try to add a level of gravitas to this ridiculous recycled garbage that they're selling the American people that there's actually some sort of, you know, deal being made.
There is not. When this happened weeks ago, you guys will recall it was on a Friday. markets reacted like it was real. You know, oil prices went down, market went up in response. And I I just honestly was dumbfounded that anybody in the media leapt at this like it was real because by all the measures every word coming out of the negotiations both sides like what the Iranians were actually showing as what they were expecting what the 14point plan we sent them >> like right >> well the and it's the US media in particular the the like Al Jazera and BBC seem to see right through it and they're the only ones, >> right? Well, they're also um in Al Jazzer to some degree is presenting sort of the Iranian side. Um the reality Yeah. the reality is is um both sides are, you know, I've said this for a while, but I've never felt a a stronger kinship with the Iranian people because we're both ruled by arrogant psychos right now and um with dreams of ruin the world. and and the Iranians with their 10-point plan and Trump with his 14-point plan and the irreconcilable aspect of at least four points of either plan non-starters singularly each one of them are uh are dead ends that for the Iranians their uranium and enrichment is non-negotiable it is sacred according to the Ayatollah the clerics the IRGC, those are the people that are basically running it, especially the IRGC right now. Um, that's a non-starter for the US. Them having uranium, enriched uranium, is a non-starter because it is the single raise on detra that Trump has put forward, which by the way has been the reasoning for 47 years according to him.
He's felt this way for a decade, but somehow ran on no new wars, no regime change wars, you know, no wars in the Middle East in his last round. instead of going, you know what, we're going to have to finish Iran. Like, if that was really if you're really coming Yeah. If you're going to finish it, then why didn't you run on it? Still an unanswered question both from him and the general maggotry who are tacitly and softly for this. Why didn't he say, "But I am going to get rid of Iran's nuclear program once and for all." Because he's acting like that was a promise kept, right? He's almost the primary one. If you asked him what his singular most important thing after the failure of the tariffs, after um prices have not gone down, after inflation, which was diminishing under Biden, has started to rise again, and was never going to enter deflationary or disinflationary um directions, which would mean how that's how prices actually lower. It was never going to go down. They were just not going to rise at a at a slower pace.
That's what inflation would be. 2%. That means they go up 2% every year. That's the That's what you're hoping for. The idea that we would go to like negative 5% and call back some of the price rises is just dumb.
The stock market is its rage right now is built largely on AI and tech and technology firms that create things like chips and and companies like Dell, which Trump gave a giant contract to because the head of Dell seeded, you know, like $6 billion into his Trump accounts fund in exchange for a multiund 00 billion government contract over the next decade which drove their stock price up once it went public 30% in a day.
That's what's driving the stock market up. There is what what's happening right now is there's what's called a K-shaped recovery, meaning that there's kind of like a a a line, a vertical line, and coming off that is one line that's going way up. And that way up one is all the tech stocks, the new industry which are basically they're so new AI particularly and the you know in the tech growth stock from that that it's got nowhere to go but up because it's all investment and new returns a brand new industry.
Everything else is going down. And so you've got this the bottom leg of the K is all the other stocks. So there's this split. the overall index goes up, but the the other stocks that most people that reflect life are going down. And it's and and meanwhile, since the beginning of the year, the average American has paid $450 more in gasoline just because of this war. And that money is not coming back.
>> That money quite literally was burned.
It was set fire to in the engines of everybody's car just getting where they needed to go. And that's not the the idea >> tariff fund.
>> Yeah, you're not that's not that's not happening. That's unless I mean I don't know if Johnny Million has a giant wholesale um you know print ondemand business or something where you have your own, you know, line of keychains bigger than your keys. It's a it's a trendy thing that you sell and it's huge, you know, like >> bigger things are bigger than your >> It's like a is a rubber chicken with a like a you know attached to your keys if you'll recall. Um my high school days.
Um let's we got to take a break. We'll be back right after this. It's House Sparks radio program mega worldwide. Hit the like. Share the show. If we had a you know if we had a million subscribers I could take a day off. Um we'll be back right after this.
Yeah, >> poor little.
>> Yeah. Oh, there's something in the Discord. Beg your pardon.
Where are we? Oh, Hal Vickery. Oh my god. I probably won't be able to listen for the next three weeks. So, there's a contribution covering that that must happen. Oh, bless you. He's It's his ah that's so sweet, Halvickery. Thank you so much for that.
>> Um, yeah.
Hopefully you can still >> Angela CP Mills is also she's worried that you're burning the candle at both ends >> and trying to light the middle.
>> Yep.
>> Yep. It's uh it's true.
I've got a basically got uh a silent 24 hours ahead of me after the show. So hopefully that'll you know >> your cast is going to be thrilled.
You can't tell me to get down off of anything, >> right? Yeah, that's useless.
>> I'm going to get a squirt gun. I like that better when he yelled.
Yeah.
See, where's this? Oh, yeah.
This So, and and I there's so much news.
I feel like again, I always feel like I'm missing something. Chicago, we don't hear you guys, so let us know when we're back. Guest muted themselves. Okay, good. All right, I see. Okay. Um yeah, >> paralyzed veterans.
>> 30 seconds.
>> They need to serve my country while parachuting with Michael.
Turn on my little extra fan.
>> As you do.
>> My Lenovo runs hot.
>> Yeah.
Yeah.
>> It's got a big boy fan on it.
>> Mhm.
I I think I can hear it through the thing. Is it?
>> I bet you can.
>> Is that it?
>> That's it.
>> Turn that fan on a little higher.
Yeah.
>> Oh, don't worry. I'm gonna I'll run to the restroom >> back >> at some point.
>> Well, thank you. Thanks very much.
Welcome back, everybody. Um, I want to thank our uh um Hal Vickery for the lovely super chat and and Angela who's worried about my voice. I understand and I will rest it. I promise after the show today. Um DC al uh 2257 also says for some quality honeylemon tea. Thank you.
Um and yeah and um Angela also said uh a K-shaped recovery is just like what happened in 2008. Look out people.
That's exactly right. That is that is a huge part of the problem. And um and Lisa Miam, thank you as well. She says sparklers assemble um in their iikido politics. Absolutely. Um on your left, Steve. And um so beg you pardon the um one of the big stories that's that's working its way out too is is that um uh Bernie Sanders and AOC are sort of pushing maybe even positioning for 2028 a an anti- AI um like um storyline largely around not AI itself but data centers and the the idea that the Kevin Olirri of the world are enriching themselves building these data centers which if you watch Friday II with uh our dear friend Rob Glenn from Root Design Chicago um and I you know by now are a bunch of uh um balloon juice um and that these these AI factories as Trump calls them are in are currently putting themselves out of business that by the time ground is broken on these data centers, the technology needed in 2 years when they're completed is already sort of strategically going to be a third of what they have they've bricked out. So if you're building this, you know, whatever Meta thinks they're building this Manhattan size data center, it will be um obsolete that size and that draw of energy and all that stuff within the time it takes to build the thing. That's how stupid these guys are.
The amazing thing about the oligarchy around AI right now that I find particularly hilarious is that they are unlike any other oligarchs of old in the process of putting themselves out of a job. If you look look no further than how uh OpenAI has Codeex, which is its coding um program that you get when you use one of their paid for tiers. There's also Claude Code. There's also Gemini's Omni, which is a a video system that they have, but also their coding setup.
All of these tools can literally be used by people that use them to create their own nextgen AI that will not require the use of a giant company's AI. It is it is unlike autos, steel plants, all you know industrial farming, all the things before which it it basically locked people in to something that they will need. Um AI is nothing like that and it will move to the edge faster than any technology and become you know based on renewable power closer to home smart enough for almost any application. And the idea of having AGI or ASI advanced super intelligence or artificial general intelligence is stupid. It's it's it's a pointless, feudal hunt to find a an AI that tricks you into thinking it's alive when it ain't because the very people who are looking for it have no friends and don't interact well with human beings and these will be the very people saying it's alive. So meanwhile, what's the real threat?
What's really going on in the rest of the world with AI that we should be concerned about? One of the big stories that people are currently missing is that China is uh all the things you're afraid the American military is going to do under Pete Keg breath, the Chinese military is already doing. Chinese scientists have created a quote kill them all algorithm for drone warfare where one soldier will control a hundred drones and those drones would operate on a permanent kill order identifying friends, foe or terrain and once they are set upon their task they will kill until they run out of battery effectively and then the next wave will come and the next wave and they have China literally at this point has no limits on the creation of this system.
The United States, even if you think we have some sort of underground MK Ultra version of this that we're secretly building, at least we we have to build it in secret because the American people will revolt about it. They our own representatives will say no. our own civilian military leadership will have to curtail it. In China, it is expected and it is one of the primary skill points they are building. The North Koreans are also building a similar system based on the same algorithm as are the Iranians. And that brings us to deal or no deal in the current state of the Iran war. And back to where we were talking about before where the idea that there's going to be a deal is an absurdity there. There is no deal to be had. The this idea that we're going to have another 60-day ceasefire with a memorandum of understanding that leads to basically the opening of the straight of Hormuse, which is all Trump wants. the whole forget they you know Iran can't have a nuclear weapon at this point. Trump will take the opening of the straight of Hormuse or the illusion of opening it, which means we open our side, but we still try to hold back the Iranians or some nonsense >> or pretend we're doing that while we let them sneak through, which is the other thing that's probably going on to to lower the cost of oil. That getting closer to the midterms, this 60-day ceasefire they're talking about is not a deal. It is certainly not a deal to end their uranium enrichment um plans or their the creation of a you know they're having a nuclear weapon or civilian nuclear power which you know or any nuclear dust as Trump calls it.
So it it's a non-starter pardon it is can can we just at least settle on that? Can we stop pretending that anything Trump says is legitimate in any way?
>> Yeah.
>> Because it's all a farce. All of it. All the negotiations are a farce. All the back and forth. Yeah. every piece of paper they're allegedly sending back and forth, both of them have non-starters sent to the other side as as like angry, dismissive bluffs. Uh, you know, and there is no way that Trump will accept the 10 must-have points the Iranians want. And there is no way the Iranians will accept the must-have 14 points that we have sent them. Period. End of story.
be and this is why other presidents have not started this because once you start it it ends in regime change. There is no situation where you can if a president of the United States on behalf of or in cohort with the Gulf countries and Israel decides to open the Pandora's box, the can of worms that is Iran and goes after this in a military way without a peace deal, without buyin from the Europeans and the UN. If you once you do this militarily, there is no way to end this without eliminating the regime.
There just isn't.
That, by the way, that doesn't make it worse. That doesn't involve them getting a nuclear weapon by hook or by crook from Pakistan, China, or Russia and threatening everybody with it while they build more. That there's just those are your only options. This is why other presidents haven't started down this road and have, you know, why Obama's, you know, went through the hard work of creating the JCPOA, having the Europeans buy in, having leverage from the Russians, which was a big part of it, that not only did they not support Iran, um, they came out in favor of the JACPOA during that negotiation.
That doesn't exist anymore. The only other group that could do this is China.
China is not coming out. They are trying to leverage Iran to take some kind of a deal, but they are not playing an active part in it because most of what the interaction they have with Iran is under the table. Um, especially the fact that they provide all of the engines for Shahed drones. All of those two-stroke engines, which you can use in a moped, are also are sold to Iran as consumer motors and they are used in all of their suicide drones, their kamicazi drones, period.
So, can we just stop taking the bait?
Can we can we meet prom like I just want anyone in the media to just roll their eyes no matter what the market says >> no matter what no matter I don't care if the oil markets buy it or not that does just because everyone else is stupid doesn't mean you have to be too this is moronic it is a farce and it and there is no end in sight to this ridiculousness we are headed towards and oil crisis that was manufactured, I believe, more than even Israel trying to get the United States to attack Iran because strategically they want to expand greater Israel and all the yada yada. The real reason for this, the Gulf States, one of the reasons why Saudi Arabia signed off on this, that was the last call. Netanyahu called Trump seven times trying to get him to do this. But one call from NBS, made it a go. Why?
Because oil is on the decline. Ladies and gentlemen, I said when we were going into this, when when Trump was running and and against Harris that no matter who was president, we were entering into an oil glut, which is true. We produce more oil when the straight of Hormuse isn't locked up. That we produce more worldwide. We produce more oil than is necessary by about three million barrels already.
As we as Trump drill baby drills and as he opens Venezuela and if you take the sanctions off of Russia and if we ever normalize any of these places, we will be producing oil at 6 to 8 million barrels a day, more than we use worldwide. And that will continue to grow with the electrification of cars in Europe first, then the United States and Canada and Mexico. That's the way things are headed. That's the 10-year trajectory. Everybody knows it, including the Saudis, including the Oman and the UAE. That's why the UAE left OPEC plus so they can take advantage of this last chance to sell sell oil at the highest price they can get it for because they know it's on its way out.
You do not, if you're the head of Saudi Arabia and you're an oil rich country, start turning your country into a finsac and tourist country if you think oil has a future.
And the only way you're going to drive oil prices up temporarily so you can unload what you do have and and pull in as much cash for it as possible is if you artificially upend supply.
and the closing of the straight of Hormuse automatically takes 20% of oil out of the equation.
Saudis have a pipeline. The Omanis have another way of getting it out of there.
So, they know that temporarily they can sell it at a higher premium even if they're selling less of it.
That's the fact that this is a lastditch effort to sell oil at its highest price before it becomes a boutique fuel source.
>> Period. It will be used to make jet fuel and it will be used for tankers, the very boats that carry cargo. But the the vast majority of oil in the world is used for consumer cars right now. And that is on the way out. It does not matter. They know this. They cannot put the toothpaste back in the tube.
This is yet another war over oil.
And Trump is too stupid to see that they are again in the process of putting themselves out of business because the other side of this is demand destruction. And that you'll hear this phrase a lot. Stephanie Rule uses a lot and that anybody who's looking at the oil charts looks at how oil how high the price of oil and gas can get before people go screw this. I'm getting an electric car. We've been there before and we are rapidly approaching it. if we haven't already passed it. There's an argument we already have in the last couple of weeks and the trust factor of people the idea that you don't think these guys if they get an opportunity to do this again in some other arena some other format format of you know farcical ending of Venezuelan stuff they they you know a fake embargo that slows down oil so they can raise the price again by artificially constricting supply and and therefore driving up demand and the cost for it. You got another thing coming.
The the world is moving on. Technology is moving on so fast that oil is going to be a boutique fuel of the past. And this is how they're going to make their last itch money.
That's what this drag is about. And the maintenance of the of oil prices and the pump and dump is about dragging this out as long as possible before the collapse.
Um and CO was a great example of what happens to the oil companies when the price of oil collapses.
Um they end up with tankers full of oil they can't even sell. We'll be back right after this is Mark's radio program mega worldwide.
>> I think you're going to get to use your amazing sound effect.
>> I got to turn my microphone off when I go to the bathroom. Oh yeah, don't forget.
And sometimes you do, but I appreciate you don't. Oh wait, wait. Johnny.
Johnny. Johnny. That's Johnny. Johnny.
No. Johnny. Oh no. Oh dear. Oh, that's Johnny. Oh god, he's relaxed. This is terrible when he relaxes. Johnny, you're still wearing your You still have your lavalier on.
>> Captain's log. Um, that's Don't yell that when you're Oh, no. Here it comes.
Johnny, I I just I don't think this is healthy. I think this is not I can't It's not right. I'm beginning to wonder if at this point I think you have two butts. It's not even possible at this point.
It's not there. There's I don't know. I don't even know if that's physically that sounds wrong and like Oh, okay.
You're still going. You came back >> at this point. I'm convinced.
>> Yeah, I have two butts. Uh, yeah. You know what sound it makes when I go to the bathroom?
>> No, I'm kidding. It's It's not It's Yeah, it goes >> facts matter >> because facts matter. You're listening to WCPT820.
>> Now, let's get back with Hellspark's radio program, Mega Worldwide.
>> So, um this is uh it it's always like I feel like when I'm doing shows right now, it's like a race between my voice giving out and all that. So you guys better have a lot of questions for Phil when he comes in so that Johnny can just spend time asking him questions about stuff and >> yeah just to um so uh the the problem that we currently have um let's the let's talk about Donald Trump the dealmaker shall we for a moment. Can we can we also just stop? Can we also just First of all, he didn't write the book.
It was ghostritten. It's nonsense. He doesn't follow any of the tenants of it.
He doesn't make deals. He strongarmms people with mafia money or US taxpayer dollars. And if he he doesn't have enough money to strongarm you, he just walks away. That's how it works. He chickens out and leaves. If it doesn't scare you and he can't blackmail, cajol or extort you into taking his deal and allowing him to buy your piece of property and turn it into something garish with his five European read Russian LLC's shoring up his stuff because I you know Chicago can we can we just stop pretending that Trump Tower in Chicago is actually a Trump Tower? It's a branding exercise. He's the minority owner in it and his loan in that building is leveraged at a higher interest rate than all the other owners.
They all thought when when he when interest rates were going down during his last term and they were about pre-COVID they were about you know 2%ish they could get. They all decided okay time to refinance. This is too good. If it if it costs us, you know, $10 million because it drops below 1%. Cool. We'll do it again. But two 2% too good to pass up. Trump was under the impression he could bully Powell, his appointee, remember, into getting negative interest rates so that the banks would basically pay him to borrow money. And then he would renegotiate all the loans on his properties in a way that banks paid his interest to him, which is, by the way, insane. And no surprise, it didn't work.
So he loses about $100,000 a month on interest in Trump Tower because he didn't renegotiate at 2% like everybody else did because he's stupid. and he doesn't know how anything works. And the idea that he's a dealmaker when he was not making it, that was not him making a deal. Think about that situation. You own a a a fifth of a stake in a building. You could renegotiate your 4% or 6% interest rate down to 2%. But you think you can bully the Fed into going negative, which no one believes you can do and would be terrible by the way for the consumer, for the rest of the economy, for everyone else. It would be bad for America. But you think you can do it. So you hold out and you don't re renegotiate a 2%.
And then COVID hits and because you're a screw-up, a lifelong screw-up, you will always screw up. And that tears $20 trillion out of the economy, which by the way, you and the Congress attempt to fill with $6 trillion worth of stimulus.
Let me state that again for all the money printer go burr morons who think we have we had too much money in the economy. The reason they say that is because they didn't like it going directly to taxpayers. They didn't like the stimulus. They wanted it to go to industry and to to like make people artificially lower their prices so they could still sap it from the American people. They didn't want money to go to renters. They didn't want money to go to people who were out of work. They wanted it to go to their buddies. So they were they sent this lie out that we had monetary inflation caused by too much money in circulation. There is no way in on God's green earth that you patch a $20 trillion hole in the economy with $6 trillion. It didn't work. It doesn't work. It never will work. You the It's insane to think that's what happened.
Meanwhile, Trump believed that he in the middle of that could use that money to help him refinance these situations. And he did not. And he ends up being the sucker in the Trump Tower in Chicago.
Every time you drive by the Trump building in Chicago, I want you to remember that he pays $100,000 more every month in interest rates because he thought he could bully the Fed just because of that.
>> Really did. That's honestly the only reason he still believes that Worsh, his new guy, who he's convinced is going to help him, might have to raise rates right before the election because of the direction that inflation is going and wages are going and talk about a K a K-shaped economy.
Um, inflation's still going up, wages are tracking lower.
So that's a separation that is the responsibility of the Fed specifically.
>> I hate to do this, but I don't really know what a K-shaped economy is. I see people talk about it all the time.
>> If you look at a graph, like an L-shaped is a graph before you put any things on it. Think of the back of it, the vertical as the back of the K. And off of it comes two lines right from the middle. One going down and one going up, making a K, >> making literally a letter K. The ones that are going up are the ones that that benefit or affect the wealthy their >> the you know how far their dollar goes how well their investments are going the kind of investments >> is on our backs.
>> Yes. And the downside is where the rest of the stocks that you and I actually interact with you know um the the retail stocks as it were those are all going down by comparison. And along with that, wages go down while the Kasich part of it inflation goes up. Now, because of tax breaks on and loopholes that the Trump big BS bill was full of, the inflation does not hit giant purchases the way it hits smaller ones. So, if you're buying a, you know, if you're buying a used car, you're buying, you know, if you're, you know, buying a house, any of those kind of things, a single family dwelling, or you're buying just consumer goods that you need, the cost of those goes up at right now at about 3.8%.
But so does the cost of allegedly a yacht, but because Trump gave everybody a break on, well, this is not really a yacht. It's an entertainment vehicle for me to do business. So, I take people out on my yacht to impress them that I'm good at business. So, the government should give me a tax break on it. I can write off I can depreciate it from day one. Remember that Trump's big thing.
You can depreciate business equipment from day one. That includes yachts, airplanes, that kind of stuff from day one and the full amount. So, you could write it off in the in the year you did it. So, if you have an enormous tax bill, allegedly, you can eliminate a huge part of that by buying yourself a toy and calling it a business expense, and the 3.8% that you're going to pay on it doesn't materialize because you you're literally getting this sort of tax-free, you're getting, you know, the elimination of the tax by about 35% over time. whatever you're paying, you know, the the 8% or the 6% you might be paying, it vanishes over over a decade.
So, you're basically eliminating what the current inflationary rise knowing that, you know, it'll come at a later time. And if you have if it causes a downturn, you can write that off, too.
So, again, this is this is not a man who is making deals at all. Um, one of the big examples of Trump going over there was like he brought all these CEOs with him to try and get their business in China. Okay, first of all, the population numbers and the economic numbers coming out of China are a lie.
I've been there, spent a good deal of time there. They do not have 1.4, 1.5, even 1.2 billion people. They do not.
They There is no way they have a number over 800 million. A lot of people, including the Russians and the Japanese, believe it's closer to 600 million. It's a fabrication.
It's a lie. Their internal numbers that they use to value their currency are fake and they can manipulate them at will. They do not have a Fed that has to measure the value of their currency against other markers at all. They don't have that.
So, um, the the businesses that Trump took over there, if they're not going to build something over there with cheap labor, which is what they used to do, there is not a consumer base over there that can buy their stuff. There's a consumer collapse inside China for Chinese goods. So, the idea that there's going to be these billion two people that want Apple iPhones when there are four knockoff iPhones already in circulation that the government insists you buy.
It's absurd. When they are producing so many cars that they park them in parking lots and the grass grows up around them, they're not going to be buying Chevys.
It doesn't work that way. It's never going to work that way. And when it came to the one area where they thought they could do something, which is the H200 chips from Nvidia, China said, "Thanks, but no thanks. We're going to make our own." And so where did where did Nvidia go? They went to Taiwan. Justin Wong was in Taiwan u last week trying to uh sell those chips for the military usage of Taiwan, which is the opposite of the deal that Trump was trying to make of basically giving Taiwan away because Taiwan would have a consumer base. We got to take a break. We'll be back right after this with Philip Hitner and Johnny Million fielding your questions. We'll be back.
Yeah, >> facts matter. You turn.
>> Okay. So, I believe this is the quest to the question. Yes, there he is. Then I put him in the guest number twos.
>> There he is. Excellent. Hey, Phil.
>> You and you and Johnny get to yap a lot in this hour because my voice is wrecked.
>> Yeah, I can hear. Boy, what was it? Nerd Halen or something or >> Nope. It was >> It happens.
>> Yeah, it was um mainly it was uh singing immigrant song a half step down was the key and then I Yeah, don't do it.
Singing it singing it in in the original key.
>> I don't mean I don't mean to laugh, but what are you nuts?
>> Yeah, in the No, the the funny part is in the original key. The way he sings it.
>> It's one of the most difficult. I immigrant song is crazy. What do you >> No, you don't understand.
It's easy to sing in the original key.
>> The way he sings it. If you sing it a half step down, it moves into a position in my vocal cords which is painful. It's like singing AC/DC. If you bring it half step down, it's terrible. Yeah.
>> Yeah. as a as a layman and not a singer.
I mean, even as it is as an amazing amazing vocal uh >> achievement. So, normally, especially these days, >> I'll take your word for it. I'll take your word for it. But >> I I still think it's I still think it's I mean, >> yeah, >> it's a masterpiece. Absolutely masterpiece.
>> And it's only >> Okay. All right. I'll try and I'll try.
You know me, I can be >> Yeah. verbose.
Yeah. So, >> yeah, >> there's lots, you know, going on. So, >> yeah, >> we can >> Yeah. And if you all are looking to ask questions, go to the horizontal version of the YouTube chat.
>> That's where I am.
>> Yummy.
>> And and and I'm sure Johnny can make more like >> Oh, yeah.
>> Always.
>> Although I haven't really read the news today. U I've been busy with the show.
Oh boy. Oh boy.
>> Okay.
>> Oh boy.
>> Um.
>> Okay. I can >> Yeah. No, I was making a >> I read the news today. Oh boy.
>> Oh boy.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. I'm going to have to wash this jacket. Hell.
>> Yeah.
>> That's all I smell.
>> Is that egg? Somebody named Dirk Ballsac, the guy wearing the Enough's Enough T-shirt that night.
>> Oh, yeah.
>> He's going to be the next big thing.
>> Yeah, as you do.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay.
Yeah.
Hope everyone's good in Chicago.
>> Things all right.
>> Yep.
>> WCPT.
>> Oh, yes. They have themselves >> cooking.
>> Yep. And they have themselves muted.
>> Yeah.
>> Fair enough. Fair enough.
Ran into Ken Harbaugh here about uh five days ago, six days ago. and uh going to see if I can get on Lincoln project.
You know, I always have that Lincoln >> I have that Lincoln quote at the end of every show. So, >> here we go. Coming back.
>> You're listening to the House Sparks radio program mega worldwide.
>> I've had people walk on me before, but not when I was being so charming.
>> Video streaming at housesparks.com. I don't care for you or for the pup sludge you're tling out >> space little pimpstick.
>> Um >> welcome back. Welcome back to the show.
Um we're going to Yeah. Yeah. See how it just goes right at that window. I sound like RFK Jr. Yeah. Welcome to the show.
Uh um believe look, if I give you notes about your health, you should actually do it. What I would suggest right now is taking some horse paste and inject it in any hole you have. All right. Snakes.
I'll put all those snakes down. All right. Um I uh before we go to questions that are going to come from our chat room, Phil, um first of all, glad you're here. Glad you're okay. You know, one of the big turns this week was Trump has a group of pastors that you may have seen around him that pray on him every so often trying to get the Epstein demon out >> and and doing a a piss poor job of it.
Honestly, one of them is this uh um is Mark Burns. He's a black pastor that's been one of the group. He's like one of the few. And he came out this week and prayed for Odessa and prayed for their air defenses to be successful against Russia and said, and this is a quote from him that he goes, "Russian propaganda is very real. I've said many times before that I'm against supporting Ukraine because I believed this propaganda. I didn't even think there was propaganda in America at all, but it is true." This guy woke up to that that um Russian propaganda convinced him that Ukraine was the bad guy for a long time.
And he is now praying for and he's still on Trump's board. He hasn't been kicked out yet, but he is he goes if we don't support Ukraine now providing the weapons you need, providing the security guarantees you need, Russia will continue to fight. And if they take Kiev, they'll take Muldova, then Poland, then the Baltic states. They're trying to restore the USSR. Like he's fully recognized the reality. Took him long enough. But hey, you know, again, this is one of those situations where uh this we've been trying to decide which sound effect is is like the best one for the year.
I can't play the one that uh that a lot of us think um from uh risky business that a lot of us believe. BUT >> WELCOME TO THE PARTY, PAL.
>> That's the one that maybe the quote of the year when it comes to Ukraine and Russia.
>> Yeah. Well, uh I think there is I think there's a something happening. Uh there's a shift in the atmosphere.
>> Yeah.
>> Um it I think it's down to a lot of different things.
I think it's um the impetence of of Russia. Uh I think it's the resilience of Ukraine is being put in the spotlight. Uh I mean it always has been there, but I think it's being put in the spotlight. I think the attacks on Kiev recently have have um you know brought some focus back onto the story. Um you know I mean and put you know the the Kremlin Lavrov is openly threatening uh Western diplomats in >> Kev.
>> Uh I there's some question as to how um much they've responded. I think the Europeans have been pretty stalwart. I have a sneaking suspicion despite what the US Embassy says uh that they've probably gone down to a uh you know a bare minimum essential staff status. Uh I've been I used to work for the State Department when I was I mean officially I was working for Voice of America >> when I was bureau chief for Voice of America in uh Islamabad and Kabell. Um but Voice of America was part of uh the broadcast which of course Trump is destroyed. Um but it VA ultimately was responsible for for um or was uh uh uh not responsible but um was uh the State Department was responsible for VA that we were beholden to VA that we were beholden to the state. we were part of that and so I would receive uh communicates from the embassy and whenever there was like an alert and sometimes it would include like we strongly advise that non-essential personnel you know leave or shelter in spa in place don't come to the embassy that sort of thing they're the states state department is very very protective of its people and so I I wouldn't be terribly surprised if even though um Rubio and the State Department have said that the American embassy is working at full capacity or whether ignoring these threats from the Russian foreign minister. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if a few Americans have left uh the embassy. Regardless, regardless uh you know where we are all waiting I mean tonight's I would I would I I think frankly Hal after I get off the air with you um it'll be 9:00 in the evening here. Uh the sun will have more or less set and I would bet you within three or four hours we'll start getting attacks. Mhm.
>> Uh we've been getting for the last two days, we've been getting uh repeated air raid sirens during the day, which in the past has indicated that the Russians are probing for where the current location of Ukrainian air defense around Kiev is. Um so I the this has been happening for the last 36 hours, 48 hours or so. Um the president himself has come out and said we can expect this again. Um so you know I think probably sometime this evening uh we're going to get we're going to get a shell.
>> The um excuse me the guy let me see if I can throw this up on screen. Um well that's the wrong screen. Sorry be your pardon. Um um one of the phrases you tertiary display is this one right here. There you go. The one of the things this guy said was >> yeah him I love him I love Odessa it's absolutely beautiful Odessa and the Black Sea are very powerful part of Europe which is interesting what happens here affects the entire region death to the Russian occupiers that's all right >> that is yeah that is a huge turn for a guy from you know who was primarily involved in this you know from a you know the Trump like religious side of things who was praying basically for Russia's success up till now. Um, obviously those prayers weren't working, thank God, but hopefully they're more successful on this side. Um, >> well, we've been hearing we've been hearing rumors of a possible >> plan for some sort of amphibious landing uh that the Russians would try to do to try to take Odessa. We do know that, and again, I can we can attest to this more easily because the press has has better freedom of access here in Ukraine than they do in Russia. But we know from Ukrainian sources that they are building up defenses outside of Odessa. I've been to a look, I've been to Odessa many times during this war. If they try an amphibious landing, >> they have better come with 100,000 men, 50,000 men, some something.
It's got to be it's going to have to be an enormous amount of men because they will have to because they'll also have Keron in their rear.
So they would then have to they they'd have to try and attack. I mean, I don't I don't know what they're planning, but they can't leave Keron in their rear because there are too many Ukrainian forces there. And the defenses in Odessa are really formidable. And they can't win this war without taking Odessa because in order for Russia h to have to meet its strategic goals that they clearly have defined as their strategic victory goals. What what have you regain control of the northshore of the Black Sea so that you can have a warm water port in Sevastapole. You cannot do that if you if Ukraine is still in control of Odessa >> because Odessa will always be able to threaten the Black Sea fleet and they can't and they have to take Kiev uh and change the government in Kiev to one that is far more pro Moscow. That's not going to happen. And even if they think that they can bomb this place or attack this place into submission, that's never happened. a pure air campaign and and living here. I know that a lot of people, the residents of Kiev are like, "Every bomb you drop just makes us angrier. We're we're more adverse to you. We we hate you more." So, you know, and and there's been a lot of talk recently of kind of why would Putin suddenly have this fixation on doing real damage to Kiev? Well, it's because they're losing on the battlefield.
They're losing ground and um they're not they're not going to meet their strategic goals. He has to find a way to sell what he has done to the Russian people and you know maybe destroying huge you know tracks of Kiev. You can't destroy Kiev completely as we've discussed in the past because there are some really important historical um uh locations within Kiev that are essential to Russian identity and Russian identity as empire. Um so they can hit some things they can hit arbitrarily and just like neighborhoods and civilian parts. Um, uh, I have I have people that are talking to me about, you know, like, uh, their concerns that Ukraine is putting, you know, air defense systems inside the center of Kiev, which then makes them a target. And what if a Russian missile trying to strike in an anti-air uh, battery hits a an apartment building? I have a friend who lives very close to the uh military intelligence building uh which is openly known where it is a secret. Uh and uh she was telling me, you know, she's concerned because what if they try to hit that and they instead hit her uh or even if like they hit it, she's so close to it that all of her windows are going to be blown in and there's going to be glass everywhere and all the rest of it. So, you know, look, everybody's very deeply concerned here, but there's a air of cautious optimism because people do think there's success because this indicates desperation for the Russians.
>> Excellent. So, >> hey Johnny, how about you take some questions from the chat when we come back? I'm going to use Bert Reynolds voice the rest of the show.
>> Nice.
We'll be back right after this.
Hey, I get it. You've been doom scrolling since 2016 and your therapist.
>> We do have a few questions.
>> I love you, Johnny Million, and I want to have your babies.
>> I love you, too. Weird random voice.
It's That's Bert Reynolds.
>> It's Bert Reynolds.
>> Yeah, it's Bert Reynolds. You can hear it.
>> Yeah, I can now.
>> What's What's one of his iconic lines from like uh >> I'm Bert Reynolds, you twit.
>> And what did he say in Cannonball Runs?
Oh, you're small. Is that him?
>> No, that's that's uh Dean Martin.
Reynolds.
>> Yeah.
>> Oh, Nor McDonald.
>> Nor McDonald as uh Bert Reynolds on Jeopardy.
>> Oh, classic.
Oh dear.
>> My name is Turd Ferguson.
>> My name is Turd Ferguson.
>> There it is.
>> Yeah, >> the real Turd Ferguson. Please stand up.
>> WCPT820, Chicago's progressive talk, where facts matter.
>> My name is Turd Ferguson. Now back to Hal Sparks on Chicago's Progressive Talk WCPT.
>> Okay. Hey, Johnny.
>> Hey, John. Go for it.
>> Am I just taking right right in with the questions?
>> Yeah, I think that'd be best.
>> Let's do this. All right, Bert, what what did you say before?
>> Go for it, dummy.
>> There we go. Thank you, Bert. Um, so this is from Joseph Winnie. Ask Phil if the Swedish jets are there.
>> They are. They are the Grippins. Um, and actually they escorted uh, President Fidimir Zalinski to a meeting with the Squeeze.
um he was in his presidential jet and there's video footage of Griffin's flying escort with the Ukrainian flag on it. So I think they they've got 16 this year and while Zalinsky was in Sweden uh they promised him 22 more. Now why is the Griffin important? The Griffin is important for two different reasons.
Um well three it's a multi- firstly it's a a I believe a fourth generation jet that is multi-roll so it can attack air to air surf air air to surface um it's got a lot of different different functions secondly it is the Swedes are incredible about this because they know that if they ever got into an open conflict with Russia that their airfields which they have limited airfields would be taken out real quick. So they designed the Griffin to be able to take off from like civilian highways and things like that. So the what this means for the Ukrainians is that they can hide these jets pretty much anywhere and then just roll them out onto a highway, block traffic for, you know, a few, you know, whatever whatever the the space is that they need. But they don't need like a hardened tarmac. They don't need a lot of distance and then these things can fly off of and come out of nowhere and attack Russia. And then the third thing is they're capable of of carrying as I said it's multi-roll and one of the roles is that they've got this munition that can fly some estimates are like you know 200 some odd miles uh into Russia.
So they could roll this thing out in the middle of nowhere near the Russian lines, fly, you know, get to altitude, launch this missile deep into Russia, and then fly back and land wherever they want without without the Russians having the time to track them, you know, or target them. So they're really, really great jets. They're actually probably some of the best things that that Ukraine has gotten, and they're going to put pressure on Russia. So yes, some are here now, more are coming and that's going to be an additional game changer.
As I say, I think there's one of the things that I'm sensing the people that I'm talking to here in Ukraine is that this summer and lots of actually Ukrainian military leaders are openly saying this. This is this is the summer.
this is the this is the time to push the advantage that Ukraine has kind of gained um through not only their own inventiveness but Russian uh you know deficiencies but um the they're I think the Ukrainians are going to really push the Russians this year this summer in the next four months or so. Um, but as my I'm speaking to my Ukrainian friends and colleagues, that also means that Russia is likely to lash out. So, on both sides of the of the lines uh both in Ukraine and in in Russia, I think we're going to we're going to see a really active hot war this this in the coming months. But it also, I think, indicates, and again, I'm not the only one saying this, it indicates desperation from Moscow. I think they know I think they know that they're running out of time. So, this may be the last summer of really intense fighting. Who knows what happens afterwards? I'm not going to try and look into a a a crystal ball, but I think it's pretty obvious that Russia is desperate and um and it's going to be it's going to be a hot summer. It's going to be a really active summer.
>> I like how you put that.
>> Got another question.
>> I sure do. Got one from Jan Morgan. Can you ask Phil if the bomb that hit Romania is a new threat by Russia on NATO countries? Ah.
Yeah, I don't know. I really don't know about that one. I I think that might have been that might have been Russian error. Uh they don't want I don't think that if they're going to provoke NATO, they're going to provoke them in the Baltics is my opinion. I don't think you go for Romania. Uh the Romanians are staunchly anti-Russian already and they're very pro- NATO. Um, you know, you you know, Hungary with the change there with Orban, that's probably not a good point, pressure point for them to promote NATO. I mean, Poland, god forbid, they should actually do what they did in Romania and hit Poland. The Poles are are chomping at the bit to to get involved and attack Russia. They despise Russia and they have a huge military.
So again, >> give me a reason.
>> Yeah, just give me a reason. Just please, please, please, you know, um, uh, I don't I don't I don't think Muldova would be the flash point. Again, I it's I think it's the Baltics. I think we have to keep our eyes on the Baltics if if Russia wants to expand this war and pro try and provoke or try to put pressure on NATO because what happens if America under Trump says I'm not I'm not I'm not going to adhere to article 5 because some teeny little country like Estonia got a drone strike and killed you know 12 people in an apartment building or hit a military base or something like that and then that will call that I mean, Putin's ent one of Putin's primary objectives is to divide and conquer, and he's all about breaking up NATO in the transatlantic alliance.
So, I don't I wouldn't be surprised, but I don't think it's going to be Romania.
I think that was a error.
>> It was a drone. And it looks like carelessness that can be a benefit for them if it tests NATO and European will.
Putin, who is a [ __ ] says a peaceful resolution to the war is close, but only because he says Russia is winning because he's a [ __ ] He sounds more like Trump every day.
>> Well, all right, Bert, you you go tell it to Sally Fields and get her on board and we'll be okay with you, I'm sure.
from Bert's lips to Sally Fields ears.
All right, I've got I can see that Bert is typing, but I'm gonna march ahead.
We've got a little bit before the next break. This is from There we go.
Uh, please ask Phil to expand on the nuclear power plants in Ukraine being brought online with diesel generators.
Well, in particular, we're talking about the Zaparisia power plant and um it's the largest power uh nuclear power plant in Europe. Uh it's been occupied by the Russians since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Um there's deep concern about the competency of the scientists and the engineers that are working there. Um, we of late we have heard increasing stories of the Russians using it as a military base, which you know, I mean, the the Ukrainians aren't going to strike at it.
um they're not they don't want to poison their own land.
>> But launching any kind of military ordinance from anywhere, you know, what if uh what if a drone that's launched out of the Zaparia nuclear power plant uh you know loses control, breaks signal and veers off and hits one of one of the cooling plants or anything. Now, we're in this situation in no small part because the Russians blew up the primary source of coolant, which was the Kakovka reservoir. And the Kokovka dam was blown by the Russians, blown up, destroyed uh by the Russians.
Uh was it two years ago now? Two and a half years. And you know they did that for a variety of reasons but one was to flood the city of Kerawad um because that was that was a frontline position and what they did when they blew the the dam and the reservoir was depleted uh that was their source of coolant and so that's why there has been this constant need to find a a replacement to u keep the reactors which are actually they're they're they're in an inert state and again I'm not a nuclear scientist or an engineer so I don't know these things completely but it's my understanding that you can you can't fully turn off these reactors because you've got to do something with the nuclear rods the uranium 2242 um you have to you kind of have to keep a coolant going through you can't completely shut them off so they're in an inert state currently. Um, but you know, unless they're kept cool, uh, normally when they're when they're operating, they run off their own electricity.
So that that's what keeps them cool. So the fact that they're having to draw in diesel um, uh, you know, uh, uh, generators to maintain the coolant and keep them at this inert state should be cause for concern for everybody. I mean the whole situ situation with the Zepharia power plant is just a absolute mess. So, you know, we're keeping a close eye on it and it's I know that the international community is keeping a close eye on it. Um but it it >> we're heading into a break here.
>> Yeah.
>> All right.
>> You're watching the Sparks radio program and >> we'll be back right after these messages. While we're in the break, hit the like and subscribe if you haven't. I don't ask much and I don't ask often.
>> You're watching the Hal Sparks Radio.
>> Driving at home with back right after these messages. You're watching the House Sparks Radio.
Does AI have enough Dom Deloise to make one of those?
>> No.
>> Oh god, no.
>> They've got to have enough Christopher Walkin though.
>> Oh yeah, >> you would think.
Or just Jar. This is WCPT820, where facts matter.
>> Damian Purdue of Think Theory Radio, Saturdays at 6 p.m.
>> It only has the rights to >> Sparks radio program, Mega Worldwide.
>> Wow. Coming right back.
>> It only has the rights to Bert.
>> Uh, that's a shame. All right. So, >> we need Okay. So, really, if we're going to do this, how you need to get naked and lie on a bare skin rug.
>> Yeah.
>> If we're really going to do bird.
>> Yeah, that's really the way to do it.
>> Again.
>> Again. Yes, >> I know. It gets so boring after so many times.
>> All right, let's do questions. I've got a question from uh Ed 3D Tech. Can you ask Philip about M14 and H2 fire control? And is something happening down there?
>> I'm sorry, Ed. You're going to have to be more open that up a little bit. What are you What are you spec What are you talking about generally?
Um, I'm I'm not I'm not I think you're probably referring I think you're probably referring to some units and I I learned lots of units in Ukraine. So, uh, what were what was it again? H2 >> H2 fire control.
>> H2 fire control.
Uh, is that part of the uh >> the roads are under fire control?
What was that part?
>> Just looking it up here.
>> Oh. Oh, it's this drone. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know much about it, frankly, but I do know >> has effectively brought large stretches of the M14 highway under fire control, meaning Russia can no longer move along this key landbridge route to Crimea without a high and continuous risk of being struck, >> primarily by Ukrainian drones and long range fires.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Right. So, okay. You're talking about the highway and the and the and the land bridge.
>> Um, yes. I mean that's a that's a huge that's a that's a significant uh achievement for the Ukrainians. Um I mean it's going to make you know Crimea one of the problems with Crimea it is it's not self sustainable it doesn't have this is another reason by the way for the reservoir which links us back to the Zaparisia is that the water s Crimea is dry it's it's uh doesn't have fresh water um you know it's surrounded by the sea and um this the the main water source was the Kakovka reservoir. So they had a they had a um they had a slle they had a canal uh that would come from the reservoir and go down into Crimea to sustain Crimea and that's part of this section this land bridge. So, you know, the the Russians need the land bridge not only to sustain their military, but also because this that was a major route for water to come into the peninsula.
So, um you know, militarily for the Russians, that's very bad news because they won't be able to sustain their troops in Crimea. Although the Crimean Peninsula has become far less militarily important because the drone the sea drones that Ukraine has has driven the Black Sea fleet kind of into a bottleneck in the far eastern shore. Um but yeah, I mean that's the whole reason they took they wanted to take Gombas was ultimately they want to connect Crimea with the land bridge because the the the sea bridge the the the bridge across the the uh straight is not going to do it.
So sorry that I we didn't communicate well enough there but I think we got the answer.
>> No, we nailed it. And people in the chat >> for Russia the occupied segment from me eastward has been the core For Russia, the occupied segment from Melatopole eastward has been the core of the land bridge that connects mainland Russia to Crimea and forward forces in southern Ukraine carrying ammunition, fuel, and troop rotations. Losing secure use of this route forces Russia to rely more on the Kirch bridge and longer, more vulnerable detours, increasing strain on its logistics.
All right. Thank you, Bandit.
>> Bandit.
>> All right. I do have psychology. Just say something bad about my mother.
>> I do have a followup from Ed. He said also, "Is this true? Ukraine now has a drone range of 3,500 kilometers now."
>> Yes. And it's going to get bigger. I I I I can't say much more. Um but I know people uh here uh who are working on various drone programs. Yeah. Uh the range is going to extend significantly and and also referring back to our previous part of our conversation, the Griffins are going to do. Look, it's the reason why I think this summer is a really milestone summer is because I think that there is a there's a lot that's about to shift in the momentum of who is who is in control of this war.
Who who's dancing to whose t tune? And for a long time, Ukraine has been dancing to Moscow's tune, admittedly, because they've been in a mostly uh defensive posture, but that's going to change. And I I think this summer I think we're going to look in years coming I think we're going to look back and see that this was a a a moment when the the the fulcrum shifts and the and the balance of power and who who is in control of this conflict is going to change to the west and Ukraine and the Europeans are going to do it. Sadly, I'm still highly questionable about America's um you know, participation and its and its and its um you know, kind of even even with this this guy, you know, saying I pray for our best and all the rest of it. I hope I'm wrong. I hope that I hope that you know, Trump sees that suddenly it might actually be in his benefit that Ukraine succeeds even though he has his he's compromised by the Kremlin in my opinion. But that's a that's a longer discussion. Regardless, I think we we are at a moment in time when things are going to shift significantly. And um I think Ukraine's going to get the wind of their sails and sadly I think Russia is going to respond with impotent rage. Uh which means that a lot of innocent Ukrainians might die.
So it's not a great story. It's not all it's not all it's not all, you know, roses and champagne, but um yeah, it's it this is going to be a uh I think the next, you know, four months or so are going to be very active.
>> I'd like to kick his ass just once.
>> Failure to communicate. Go ahead. Sorry.
Is there anyone to stop it if Putin wants to use tactical nukes?
>> Oh, the nukes. Um, I mean, look, the second he uses a nuke, >> yeah, >> it's a >> Yeah, China. Um, but also it's a it's a bell that can't be unrun. he if he if he blows up something with a nuke. Um and I mean you know even you know even these these kind of like nonsensical threats that kind of echo out from Russia that they might hit something in Europe. I mean I I even saw what is it professor John Marshimer I think it's John is his first name but Marshimer recently you know saying like oh oh we got to be scared of Russia using their nukes.
think no they're not going to use use their nukes because the second they do they're done. the second they use a nuke and and and and you know if they attack a European city with a nuke, you know, if they attack anywhere with it, if they use a nuclear weapon, there's a no-fly zone the next day. There are troops that are there are Polish troops rolling in here, there are I mean, it's it's a it's a nukes are only good as a threat. Using them is a sign of desperation and and impotence. So >> I'm honestly more worried about >> Trump doing >> I'm more worried about Trump doing permission.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean maybe um and then I also as I have mentioned many times before and I'll make it very brief. He can't nuke Kev. Kev is integral to the story of Russia. He can't he can destroy neighborhoods. He can bomb the be Jesus out of the city.
There are certain things that he cannot hit and he cannot annihilate which is what a a nuclear weapon would do the city of Kiev because there's too much here that is tied deeply into the sense of the the sense of identity that Russians have as an empire their birthplace in Kevin Ruth's uh the Vikings that came down the riverways and you know initiated Kevin and then eventually became bagmen for the Mongol hordes. in the in in Moscow.
He can't destroy Kiev. He has to conquer it. He can he can flatten huge swads of it, but he can't he can't wipe it off the map. So, he's not going to use a nuke here. He could use a nuke on the front lines, a tactical nuke, as I think the the question was actually if he hits the front lines. That's still the use of a nuclear weapon and the international community will go just I mean you can't you can't not you can't unring that bell as they say. So I'm not worried about nukes. Nukes are only being used to scare everybody and it's the only reason why this war didn't end a lot earlier is because people are foolishly afraid of Moscow using nukes. They're not going to do it.
And if they do, they lose.
>> All right. So, I've got one from Thank you, Phil. I've got one from Cindy C.
Ask Phil if he thinks there will be some kind of Seal Team Six attack to get the nuclear plant back under UK control since the Russians are flying drones over from there.
I mean, they have the capacity. The Ukrainians could do it. Um they have some darn fine uh uh special forces uh and their marines uh even without a naval force.
Their marines are really quite good and impressive. They've done amphibious assaults on um the naval port in Sebastapole um in Crimea. Uh they're they're capable of it. Would they run that risk? I don't know. I I really it's Zaparisia is a a very difficult place to cross at. There's an island in the middle of the river there. Um you could go north and then try and sweep down or south and sweep north.
a covert operation, a special forces operation to regain control of of the the power plant, I think would be an extremely risky operation. Not to say that they wouldn't do it. Maybe if they also had the momentum in other areas of the front line that were distract distracting Russia and drawing resources away from the power plant. That's possible, too. I I don't know. I I think you're you're really rolling the dice with that one. And Ukraine and Kiev and the Zalinski administration are well aware um that how damaging it would be if something were to happen at Zaparisia. I mean it would be really really bad for um for Ukraine. And of course with the history of Chernobyl, as folks are mentioning in the chat, you know, Ukrainians are well aware of what happens when nuclear power plants go arai and radioactive materials spread all over the place. I don't know. It's not impossible, but I think it would be only done under certain circumstances.
And even in the best of circumstances, I think it would be a really risky thing to try and and pull off. But then so is Operation Spiderweb and other things that the Ukrainians have done. Never underestimate the Ukrainians, you know.
Who knows? We'll see. It gives me palpitations.
>> All right. I think we're going to head to a break right now and uh I'm going to head to the restroom. So hopefully Bert can tell me to turn my lavalier off.
And with that, Chicago, >> please join me.
>> Alex >> out Chicago.
>> If you think of every Please, Johnny. Come on, Johnny. Dear God, turn off your mic.
It's weird to hear Bert get that desperate. His voice goes up into a new register.
>> Please, Johnny. Come on, Johnny. Dear God, turn off your mic.
>> Oh, okay. Boy, I thought he was in to do something else.
You sound more like Stan from uh South Park at that register.
>> Sunday's WCPT.
>> You're listening to WCPT820 because facts matter.
>> I am happy you are happy. Let us be happy together. Whether the weather is cloudy or sunny, I will always be a funny bunny. I am lucky, you are lucky.
Let us get lucky together. Whether the weather is cloudy or breezy, I'll be there to say, "Hey, come on. Let's take it easy." Cuz isn't it nice to have the friends that you do? And isn't it nice that the sky is so blue? And isn't it nice to say I love you? Chuga choo choo.
Woo!
I am smiling. You are smiling. Let us smile together. Whether the weather is cloudy or stormy, I will still be there in the morning. I'll be right by your side in the morning. I'll make you breakfast in the morning. I hope that you like cereal.
>> Yay!
Hooray! Yay.
>> All right. All right. So, we're back.
All right. Should I do my happy ending, Bert?
All right. I'm going to kick right into my happy ending. My favorite good news story of this week was when um I saw that the federal judge has ruled that Trump's name has to be removed from the Kennedy Center.
I think he's also put a stop on the um the quote unquote like rehabilitation of the place like they're they're not going to be able to remodel it at least at least not yet. So that made me very happy. That's my happy ending. And I'm still grabbing some questions here.
Bert, do you have a happy ending?
>> Okay, in just a second I'm gonna do another question unless Phil's got a happy ending.
Go.
>> All right. Not a happy one. Yeah.
>> We got an ending.
>> All right. So, this is from Can't Stop Lion. If the war turns in Ukraine's favor, do the North Koreans stop sending troops and weapons?
>> Oh, I don't I don't think that's a factor for Pyongyang. I don't think they they're considering that at all. They'll do it. If Putin wants more you know uh bodies uh to get shot at u from from North Korea I mean North Korea isn't sending their best soldiers anyhow. So um >> they're not sending their best and brightest.
>> They're not sending their best and their brightest. No, I mean it's a huge >> and you know it's not the first time.
Yeah. Pyongyang. Look, every year Pongyang send sends slave labor to Russia. So, you know, they're they're tied it to him. I don't I don't think so. I think soldiers are come. Won't matter. Won't make a difference.
>> Anyhow, >> this one I I'm not too sure. It's from Alioop. Please ask Phil, what's the status on the whole Chernobyl's new safe confinement? H yeah, I I think this was in reference to the the drone that that apparently or was it a missile uh that was shot at Chernobyl or you know Winry or something like that and it struck one of the it struck the the the sarcophagus.
Um it's my understanding it's been repaired. Um, it's it I mean it's certainly not This is a while ago too. I I think this is six months ago. I want to say that that happened. Six to eight months ago or something like that. Um, if there if it was still open or if it was, you know, uh, getting worse, um, Kev would not be keeping it a secret. The people people would know. So I it's my understanding it's been it's been sealed. I mean I've been to Pryyot. I've been to the I've been to the sarcophagus. It's >> that thing is that thing is and that and that was before the renovations happened and the the other layer got put on. And even back then in 2001 when I went to Chernobyl, it was the sarcophagus is I mean it's insanely formidable. So, I'm not worried about it.
>> Yay.
All right, I've got one more question.
Oh, maybe two.
>> Uh, I'm going to jump this one in. Chris Doug wants to know, >> Trump still plans to answer people's concerns about the economy by >> Trump still plans to answer people's concerns about the economy by covering the horse statues in DC with 24 karat gold leafing. My happy ending is that I get to rest my voice after the show.
>> And Chris Stug would like to know, "What does Phil think about Candace Owen's plane trip to St. Petersburg?"
>> Shocker.
>> Yeah, >> they're all they're all they're all fellow travelers with the Russian.
They're all I I mean, even Candace Owens, who's now, you know, found this new path forward. No, it's it's Tucker going to Moscow. It's it's this um romanticiz romantization romantization romantization of of Russia, this false image of what Russia is. Uh and she'll be led around by, you know, a minder and uh they'll tell they'll sell the whole narrative that >> she's not smart enough.
>> There we go. Fair enough. Thank you, Bert.
>> Thanks.
>> Um, uh, she's not knowledgeable enough enough about Russia. You look, I've studied Russia for 30 years and I still am working on it. You know, this is not something for noviceses. And she's she's just gonna she'll be there. They'll feed her a bunch of lies. They'll take her around and tell her stories and all the rest of it. and she'll regurgitate Russian propaganda talking points.
>> Yeah.
>> And Yeah. I mean, it's just it's it'll be what it'll be cuz these these idiots don't understand that Russia is using them for their own information warfare purposes, >> right?
>> And or or their fellow travelers. They actually believe the the which isn't even sincere, the white Christian uh nationalist narrative that the Russians sell to Americans because they know they'll find fertile ground. They don't even believe it themselves. It's a game.
It's all a game and they're just they're being they're being useful idiots and she's going to be another one.
>> Yeah, for real. So, this is from Lucky Dragons twin. Uh, Russia's invasion of Afghanistan in the 70s and 80s lasted eight years. Do you think this might go longer or perhaps shorter?
>> Well, I think if Russia could fight past 8 years, it would. Um, this is more important to them than Afghanistan. I mean, Afghanistan was all about trying to reach the Indian Ocean. That was the purpose of Afghanistan. The Russians wanted to expand through Afghanistan, through the Pakistani frontier to a port, a deep sea water, warm water port called Guad. The intrinsic to Russian's entire international doctrine and their their aims, their strategic goals has always been to find warm water ports. And there's one at this Pakistan, this this currently is held by Pakistan called Guad. That's what they were fighting for in Afghanistan. But because it was so far away and abstract to the most the most of the population of of Russia within the Soviet Union, it was actually stopped because of of public opinion and protests and things like that. That's far away. Ukraine is intrinsic to their sense of identity as empire and they have and Ukraine and Russia have intermixed for centuries and it is what the Russians it's very close to home.
They know what it's about. They understand what happens if Ukraine becomes truly sovereign and independent.
So there's the I think there's the willingness to fight for as long as it takes to subdue their colony. I don't think they have the capacity to fight for 8 years here. It was a much lower level fight in Afghanistan.
This is a much larger battle. They're they're spending a lot more money.
They're far more isolated than they were in the Afghan war.
So ultimately, I think it's unlikely, but not for a lack of of intent or will on the Russians part. They just can't do it. They can't spend eight years here.
Not at the not at this level of open conflict. So I doubt it.
>> So I've got one last one here from Miss Lesie. Does Phil speak both Russian and Ukrainian?
>> I speak Russian badly, but I speak Russian. Um, I I I pick I'm picking up a little bit of Ukrainian here, there, and the other place. Uh, there's a there's kind of a a mix of the languages called Sajuk, which I think maybe I might be approaching that because I do mix in my Ukrainian with my Russian, what little Ukrainian I know, but I'm not fluent in Ukrainian by any stretch of the imagination. As a as a matter of fact, oh, if I have a happy ending, here's my happy ending. I got a great burger joint that just opened right next to me.
Fantastic smash burger.
>> Just just had a burger.
>> What's it called?
>> A great Ukrainian burger. It's It's called Epic Burger. They do fantastic smash burgers. I had for for dinner tonight. I had a smash burger and a cold IPA. And there were a group of Ukrainians sitting at the table next to me and a couple of an American and a Brit sitting over there. Um and uh you know uh it's uh I'm sorry I forgot now I forgotten what the question because I've got so my mouth started watering about >> speaking different languages.
>> Oh about speaking different languages.
Yes. There was a Ukrainian a group of Ukrainians and a an American who was a a a son of a Ukrainian and who spoke fluent Ukrainian. So, we got into this conversation about it and the Ukrainians were like, "Look, we are trying to move away from speaking the Russian language, but we know that just by looking at you or the second you open your mouth and we hear your accent, we know that you're a foreigner. So, you we don't mind that you speak Russian, but there is a growing movement here within Ukraine to try and get Ukrainians to move away from speaking Russian." And you know, I if I can get away with speaking English, which a lot of people in Kiev especially speak English, I actually have stopped speaking Russian. I I I tried to kind of like improve my Russian speaking here, but I'm it's so offensive now and I kind of feel guilty uh that unless I absolutely have to speak Russian to get something done, I I really prefer to speak English because it's just I mean it's like, you know, speaking speaking German in occupied France.
>> Right.
Exactly. Now, it looks like Bert has been typing for a while, so I'm wondering if there's going to be a big here.
>> I just I got something I could talk about. No, we don't have time for it.
>> This has been a very special episode of the Hal Sparks Cannonball Run Mega Worldwide. Tune in next week when Hal's voice will make its triumphant return.
Until then, like and subscribe. Don't forget Philip Bitner has a show called On the Edge and Johnny Million >> and I'll be streaming immediately after this show.
>> I I want to see Bird on his bare skin rug.
>> Yeah, you do.
>> Thanks everybody.
>> I hope I filled the space.
>> Absolutely did. That was Phil.
>> All right. Yes.
Say something bad about my mother.
>> Say something bad about my mother.
>> Very nice.
>> All right, B. Go rest your voice.
>> His ass just once.
>> All right. I hope >> Have a good to see you.
>> Good talking to you, too, Phil. You look great.
>> All right. Hey, take care, guys.
We'll see you.
>> Bye-bye. Bye-bye.
>> That's Little Enis Pette.
>> That's Little Enis Pette.
I'd >> like to kick his ass just once. Just once.
>> That's little Enus Pette.
Little Enus.
Paul Williams.
Paul Williams.
>> I remember Paul Williams in Cannibal Run.
No.
And Smokey and the Bandit.
I gotcha. Paul Williams seems like a nice guy. Bye everybody.
Thanks for tuning in, folks.
See you Monday.
The screen glows bright with a crooked smile.
We're still out.
All venom, no style.
Promises made. They rot in the air. A handshake, a lie, a blank, cold stare.
Puppets dance. The strings are tight.
Shadows whisper in the dead of night.
This is some [ __ ] We see through it.
This is some [ __ ] Can't undo it.
Say we won't quit.
This is some [ __ ] Paper thin truth that crumble like ash.
Golden thrones built on stolen cash. We raise our fists. We break the mold.
Your house of cards is getting old.
Static hums. The wires ignite.
Truths are bomb. We're ready to fight.
This is some [ __ ] We see through it.
This is some [ __ ] Can't undo it.
Say it loud.
We won't quit.
This is some [ __ ] Heat.
Heat. Oh [ __ ]
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