The Brutal Zohran Mamdani Backlash Exposes a Much Bigger Problem
30m 53s
The episode covers a range of urgent and controversial topics. Quince is highlighted as an ethical, affordable brand offering premium clothing and home goods, praised for quality and value. A major news story centers on Zoran Mamdani, NYC mayor, who faced violent protest after attending a vigil for October 7 victims, with critics accusing him of supporting genocide while others defend his stance on Palestinian rights. The situation reveals deep societal fractures over how to respond to both Israeli and Palestinian suffering. Meanwhile, Kimberly Guilfoyle’s alleged financial dealings with Eric Dieters—a polarizing political figure—spark accusations of quid pro quo, raising ethical and transparency concerns. Trump's use of taxpayer funds for political ads is under fire, with lawsuits filed by the DNC and Common Cause alleging violations of public funding laws, despite the White House’s claims of neutrality. In a separate development, a series of suspicious killings in Lansing, Michigan, involving homeless victims, has led to a potential serial killer investigation, with authorities examining patterns and suspect links. France’s nuclear missile test sent a strong geopolitical signal, sparking Russia’s retaliation and highlighting rising Cold War-style tensions. In Finland, unexplained home intrusions and human waste sightings have prompted investigations into possible Russian sabotage. The episode concludes with a call to civic engagement, emphasizing that awareness of these issues must translate into action, especially in the face of systemic dysfunction and political abuse.
And then there's more we got to dive into in just a minute.
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You've got this Zoran Mamdani October 7 situation exposing a lot and dividing the internet.
This Kimberly Guilfoyle $100,000 credit card bill scandal is insane.
I award our first ever cringey weirdo of the day.
You also have the cops now reportedly responding after that disturbing FGTV video.
And you've got 5,000 dollars in the bank.
5 people dead as police now think they might have a serial killer on the loose.
We're talking about all of that and even more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show.
You daily dive into the news starting with this.
So somehow Mamdani attending a peaceful vigil for October 7 victims turned into full on chaos
with pro-Palestinian protesters shouting about how Zoran is a traitor and a sellout who is responsible for the genocide.
And yeah, we're talking about the Zoran Mamdani, one of the loudest critics of Israeli politics.
The same guy who just recently planted an olive tree with Palestinian families at Gracie Mansion
and a few months ago declined to participate in New York City.
And we're talking about this in New York's Israel Day parade and saying that decision was a political stance against Israel's genocide of Palestinians.
Saying he's proud to be the mayor of a city with the largest Jewish population in the country.
But solidarity with a government that's committing genocide.
That is a very different thing than a question of solidarity with people of a specific faith.
And with that, again, we're talking about the same guy who has repeatedly called Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal and threatened to arrest him.
But this, this was the energy that he was met with when he held a candle to remember the people who died on October 7th.
- I'm sorry I can't get to you, but you're going to have to do 12.
- I even remember there was a stand-in in McMurdo.
- Mom, don't your hands all red!
- 700,000 days!
- 700,000 days!
- New York, your hands all red!
- You don't want your people out!
- Traitors, traitors, come on out!
- Some of the other chains reportedly including Zoran, What Do You Say?, How Many Kids Did You Kill?
today, as well as Zoran, You Can't Hide, We Charge You With Genocide.
And while Mamdani didn't respond to the protesters,
you just had him kind of standing there looking stony-faced.
And reportedly he was standing there
for more than an hour as he was shouted at.
And generally you're seeing most people going,
"This is, this is pretty outrageous stuff to yell at this mayor."
Right, a mayor who faces relentless criticism
from some people who conflate his anti-Israel
and anti-Netanyahu stance with anti-Semitism.
And that's why, and what we've seen,
is that throughout his time as mayor,
he's made a real effort to work on his relationship
with the Jewish community in New York City.
By celebrating holidays with Jewish New Yorkers,
meeting with Jewish leaders,
and going to events like this vigil.
An event that was actually organized
by a pro-peace Israeli group
to mourn the 1,200 lives that were lost
when Hamas attacked a music festival in Israel.
You also had Brad Lander, the Democratic nominee
for New York's 10th congressional district attending,
with him also telling reporters that he was sad
that the testimony reading was overpowered by the protest
and calling it a, quote, "flattening of empathy."
Adding, "From where I sit, Mamdani is a very strong supporter
of Palestinian freedom and human rights.
I don't know what world leaders have done more."
Because as we know, and as I've covered on the show,
Israel, since that music festival,
has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians,
which is why you have many saying that there aren't
two sides here, that it's a genocide.
So then with that, you also have people
who see honoring the Israeli victims
as ignoring the Palestinian victims
or downplaying Palestinian pain.
And actually, in a press conference today,
Mamdani was asked about the protesters
and being called a traitor, and here's what he said.
- And do you feel misunderstood?
- You know, I was proud to attend last night's vigil,
as I did last year,
to listen to testimonies from family members
of those who were killed on October 7th,
those who've been killed in the three years since.
And all of them united in a vision for peace
and an end to the genocide in Gaza.
And when we're speaking of that genocide,
we're speaking of one that has killed
more than 74,000 Palestinians in the last three years.
As for those protesting me, I am the mayor of New York City,
and this is where I signed up for it.
- And so as these videos from the vigil have gone viral,
you have people having a lot of different reactions to this.
And you had some big names that have often been connected
to them, like Hassan. - Yeah.
- And then you have John Piker sort of supporting
the protesters, or at least saying that he understands
where they're coming from.
- If you want it to be frictionless,
if the only alternative that people see
to Zoran's inability to address them
is public demonstrations,
then people are gonna do public demonstrations.
These people don't have the opportunity
to speak to Zoran behind closed doors
in these ultra-exclusive private affairs.
- And you also had him writing in a tweet,
he tried to participate in the most appropriate
October 7th vigil, and saying,
this protest would occur nonetheless,
but would be less valid if he had offered material concessions
to the anti-Zionist groups he made promises to while running,
like disbanding the SRG and stopping illegal land sales
and synagogues.
And then with that, you had others tweeting things like,
he has absolutely no incentive to deliver on the demands
of the Palestine movement,
if we don't relentlessly make those demands.
And so for sure, there is that side of the response.
But then also, a lot of the discourse that you're seeing
is people saying that these protesters,
they're focusing their energy on the wrong person.
Some calling this specifically performative activism,
saying we don't heed that sort of thing.
And you've also had people say,
people like Mehdi Hassan,
a journalist and podcaster who's been very outspoken
about Palestine, weighing in and writing on Twitter,
if you're protesting and blaming Chex Notes' Zoran Mamdani
for the Gaza genocide, you may, you just may,
need to check yourself into a mental health facility.
You had others saying performative leftism is so pathetic
and common sense and intellectualism are literally dead.
And you had all of that then getting piled on
to the conversation we often see happening
about how the left sometimes gets in its own way.
And then with all this, you had Mamdani continuing
to find himself in this damned if you do,
damned if you don't situation
when it comes to speaking out on the issue.
It does seem like literally anything that he says
or does about this,
it gets a loud negative reaction from someone, right?
I mean, earlier that same day,
you had Mamdani making a statement about October 7th
that wasn't received well at all by the pro-Israel side.
Or with that statement reading,
this day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers,
saying it marks three years
since the horrific war crimes of October 7th.
And adding on that day, Hamas killed more than 1100 Israelis
and abducted 251 others, saying we grieve alongside
our many friends and neighbors
who still carry that unthinkable loss.
Saying that suffering did not begin or end that day.
It instead continued through the Israelis
and Israeli government's devastating ongoing genocide
in Gaza in which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians,
including more than 21,000 children.
With him then going on to call out the occupation
and apartheid and finishing with to honor the dead,
we must fight for a world in which every person can live
with freedom, safety, and dignity.
And so you had some people getting angry
that he dedicated most of the statement
to speaking up for Palestine,
saying that he should have focused
on just the October 7th victims.
And so for example,
you had the views Alyssa Fara Griffin responding,
"I don't understand why the mayor couldn't simply give Jews
"one day to mourn the largest mass killing of Jews
"since the Holocaust.
"And you had Representative Dan Goldman,
"a New York Democrat,
"calling the statement egregious and insulting,
"telling Politico there are 364 days of the year
"to focus on that.
"This is a day that should just be focused
"on what was by all agreement a horrific terror attack.
"What the mayor's statement did today
"was to blame Israelis for the attack
"that they suffered three years ago."
And so you have a lot of discourse
coming out of just that one statement.
And I will say this renewed backlash
over comments perceived as antisemitic,
it comes after Mamdani's recent announcement
of a major new municipal strategy to combat antisemitism.
- We are increasing hate crime prevention funding
by $26 million.
Or more than 800% from last year.
This plan makes a $6.4 million investment
in community-based organizations preventing hate violence,
more than doubling last year's funding.
But our responsibility goes beyond protection.
Jewish New Yorkers should feel cherished and celebrated
in the most Jewish city in America.
That's why we are investing millions
in Jewish cultural centers and nonprofits.
- And so again, this is someone who's repeatedly said
and tried to prove that he is not antisemitic,
just anti the Israeli administration.
And with his new strategy and the,
the statement and all of it,
you can see Mamdani trying to make both sides happy
and acknowledge everyone's pain.
But then also in doing that,
it seems like he's making people on both sides mad.
And so for now, we'll have to see where this goes.
And if the criticisms get louder or they calm down,
or if they have any sort of impact,
or whether in a way somehow on the ground
or in future voting.
Right, but then to jump from that
to something that's a little bit different,
let's test out a new little segment
called cringy weirdo of the day.
Didn't feel quite like douchebag of the day territory
with just how much everything is on fire
and the scale at which it is.
The thing that I saw today that made me go,
I think they need to take away social media
and or microphones away from people
that work at a lot of these AI companies.
Because in a now deleted tweet,
you have this guy that works for factory AI saying,
my wife, can you read our baby a book?
Me, I can just play an audio book for my phone.
My wife, but then it won't be in your voice.
Me, I can train a voice model.
Parenting hits different when you work in AI.
Y'all call me David Seville the way I wanna yell Alvin.
Though I am kind of glad that he tweeted this
because I think more people need to understand what,
Weirdos are at these companies.
People that day in, day out give us more examples of them being just disconnected from the human experience.
And he's since deleted the tweets since most of the world was dunking on him and he's now trying to play it off as a joke.
But it is also important to remember that it wasn't too long ago that OpenAI's Sam Altman, he shared a similar story.
Sharing what he called a cool use case.
Connect your family calendars, tell it what your kids are into, and every morning on the drive to school it generates a podcast.
One kid's soccer game that afternoon, another kid's birthday coming up, a little news.
A briefing on your children, read aloud before you drop them off.
And so like I said to Sam then, as I'm saying to Alvin now, how about you just talk and interact with your kids?
How about you have a basic human experience as a parent?
You don't need to agentify every aspect of your life, especially the most important ones.
The robot dogs with guns on their head may one day line us up and shoot us all down.
But for now, Alvin, Sam, any of these AI bros, maybe use the AI to help you with your schedule so you can interact with your. Read a book, create a memory.
That you can then later play over and over in your head when the robots use us as energy sources, like in the Matrix.
Y'all really aren't doing anything effective to combat the these-are-lizard-people accusations.
In an ideal world, the advancement of technology should allow us to have more of those real moments.
Not replace you in them so you can, what, raise shareholder value?
And it's this sort of shit that has me, like, extra concerned about AI maximalists.
Because if there is a lesson in these constant weird things that we see now, day in, day out, it is that they are thinking of humanity last.
And that's your concern?
That's your concern, all of us, because we are living in a time where an increasingly few number of people are going to be the people that usher in whatever is next.
Right, so altogether, that should concern everyone.
But hey, that said, there's a lot more we gotta dive into in just a minute.
But first, a quick break with a sponsor.
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And then diving right back into the news, we've got to talk about this Kimberly Guilfoyle credit card bill situation.
Because you've got this new Wall Street Journal report that's highlighting her weird quid pro quo relationship with Trump donor and loyalist Eric Dieters.
And some quick background, Kimberly Guilfoyle, she's a U.S. Ambassador to Greece, confirmed to that position last year.
And she's also the former fiance of Donald Trump Jr.
They reportedly started dating.
During Trump's first term.
And she quickly became one of the most outspoken defenders, turning herself into a bit of a MAGA icon.
Which is also funny because before that, she was with Gavin Newsom.
And she has taken several different swings at capitalizing on all of this new situation.
Launching a hair care line, fragrance products, an alcohol brand, and a med spa.
Before then turning back to politics by launching a consulting firm and looking for work in PR.
But then, you know, she and Don Jr.'s engagement was called off back in 2024.
Though she then was still nominated for the position of Ambassador to Greece and set to be confirmed in July of 2025.
We are going to get back to that.
But then, we have Eric Dieters.
Right, and this guy is a diehard Trumper and he's a radio talk show host who has unsuccessfully run for Congress and Governor and he used to be a lawyer.
And also I say used to be very intentionally there because he was suspended by the Kentucky Bar Association twice.
With the state Supreme Court ruling not to reinstate him back in 2021 because, as the Chief Justice put it,
"Dieter's practice of law is not governed by constitution or rule of law or procedure, saying it is anarchy."
Also in 2020, he was banned from entering a courthouse in Ohio after threatening to burn it down on social media.
And the suspensions from the Kentucky Bar Association cited,
"aggressive litigation strategies, false statements and court proceedings, and filing frivolous claims."
So in response to all that, he reportedly called the members of the Association "jokes of human excrement."
And so he says he retired as a lawyer telling the Journal,
"These rules that are written by big law to hurt people like me, screw them. I am a legal outlaw."
So a match made in hell with these two.
And their connection, it started back in 2020 when Dieters launched an event called Freedom Fest in Kentucky in response to COVID-19 medical mandates.
And he reportedly paid Guilfoyle $300,000 to speak there along with several hundred thousand dollars to Don Jr.
and Eric Trump.
And then actually that's on top of the $125,000 to one of Trump's political action committees in 2022.
And then you had him reconnecting with Guilfoyle in 2024, trying to get her to help on a couple of serious matters in his own life.
But the big one being that he wanted the Justice Department to seek the extradition of an Ohio doctor who ran off to Pakistan after being charged with defrauding insurers by performing unnecessary spinal surgeries, including on children.
And Dieters, he's advising lawyers representing hundreds of former patients who were suing the doctor for medical malpractice, negligence and fraud.
And so he was hoping that Guilfoyle could push the right people in the Justice Department to get the doctor extradited from Pakistan as well.
As open an investigation of the doctor's medical malpractice insurer, who's butting heads with Dieters.
Or with him refusing payment and accusing him of abusive litigation, blackmail attempts and threats of violence and murder.
And Dieters, he reportedly told Guilfoyle that he would pay her a million bucks if she could get him on Tucker Carlson's podcast so that he could bring national attention to the case.
With her then reportedly agreeing, even making a few inquiries with Carlson's team, though that didn't end up going anywhere.
Anyway, Carlson telling the Journal that he'd never even heard of Dieters and he doesn't keep up with Guilfoyle saying,
"A million dollars for a podcast appearance? Isn't she the ambassador to Greece? This is completely nuts."
I never even thought we'd come to a point where I readily agree with Tucker Carlson to ball people on something.
But anyway, Dieters also reportedly asked Guilfoyle to get the lyrics of a song he wrote with a local guitarist to Kid Rock.
He also asked her to set up a meeting with the incoming IRS commissioner, Billy Long, to discuss a probe into Dieters' tax deductions.
Specifically, the IRS was looking into a deduction that Dieters claimed in 2020 related to the sale of his interest in the family business, which he said was politically motivated.
In their conversations, they became more frequent after Guilfoyle was nominated for the ambassador position, with her reportedly promising to lobby top Trump officials like FBI Director Cash Patel
and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Except, key thing, she very much did not want her arrangements with Dieters to make it to the public eye.
You had her telling him repeatedly, "Do not put any of their deals in writing."
And you had one alleged text from her reading, "Eric, I really wish you would stop papering all these things.
It's really dangerous and not helpful to you or me, while you could just call me on signal."
You know, the text, "A definitely innocent person sends to another innocent person."
But then also, in January 2025, you have Dieters saying that she reprimanded him again about talking to a producer on her podcast about their deals, providing another text reading.
It's unbelievable, when you have a private arrangement with you, that you would now cc a producer talking about money.
What a nightmare. You'll literally cost me my ambassadorship. Stop writing.
No key thing, her concern with him writing things down, that did not stop her from asking for favors.
And in the weeks leading up to her confirmation, she started asking Dieters for additional payments.
With Dieters saying that she asked him to draft a letter saying that he owed her two $50,000 back payments for consulting services and telling the journal,
she was worried about legality and she was worried about the appearances of it.
And so he didn't. June of 2025, he wrote that his consulting company owed her $50,000.
He said, "I have paid you $300,000 over the years. As of this memo, I have not received one favor. I am not naive or a sucker. I need results."
Except, he started getting itchy for his own favors, right?
That same month, he reportedly sent her a photo of a printed memo saying,
"I have paid you $300,000 over the years. I need results."
And so then once again, Guilfoyle reportedly chewed him out for putting things into writing, though she also managed to get a response back from Long regarding Dieters' IRS situation.
And so maybe that's why she felt comfortable coming to him with another request just days before her confirmation.
"I have paid you $300,000 over the years. I have not received one favor. I need results."
And so maybe that's why she felt comfortable coming to him with another request just days before her confirmation.
And if this sounds familiar, it's because we actually talked about this a few weeks ago, because instead of Trump addressing the affordability crisis, dear leader, he was actually taking your hard-earned money to fund ads promoting himself.
With you at my side, we will demolish the deep state, we will expel the warmongers from our government, we will drive out the globalists, we will cast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists, we will throw off the sick political class that hates our country.
And since we talked about that, two top senators have said that the commercials were paid for through a $20 million contract.
himself personally instructed his budget director
to use our taxpayer dollars for ads praising him
and his presidency.
Ads that have received massive backlash,
not just from Democrats, but even Republicans
who argued that it violates a decades-old ban
on using federal funds for publicity or propaganda.
And that also explicitly including any ads
that are purely partisan or designed to aid
a political party or candidates.
But you have the White House defending the ads,
claiming that they're just PSAs
that are clearly not political,
because Trump, he's not on the ballot
and they don't contain a specific call to action.
Right, arguing, or I think the better term here
would be bullshitting, that as a result,
they don't actually violate the propaganda law.
And in addition to, of course,
you being able to see through that,
you had experts hitting back at that explanation.
Right, pointing out that these particular spots
are different from other administration's PSAs
because they aren't designed to help Americans
access any specific programs.
And it actually appears like
there's widespread public backlash.
You had a Reuters/Ipsos poll finding that 86% of Americans
thought that it was inappropriate to use taxpayer funds
for ads featuring the president around an election.
And a key thing is that included
80% of registered Republicans.
And while I don't think it's gonna change
the voting patterns of his most loyal,
supporters who even thought that this was too far,
it did actually seem like all the backlash
was getting to Trump because on Monday,
he announced on Truth Social that he would pay
for the ads himself through his super PAC, MAGA Inc.
Though you still then had him defending the ads,
claiming that they are a rather standard thing to do
and a positive promotion for our great USA
that he's paying for with USA money.
But then the next day, White House officials said
that the PAC wouldn't actually be reimbursing the government
for the money it had already spent on commercials,
confirming that Trump's promise
would only apply moving forward.
And that's very significant because that commercial
has already cost you $12 million to run,
starting to add impact.
And it's already been reported that Trump's already created
at least 13 spots using our taxpayer dollars.
And seemingly most of them haven't even been aired yet.
With this, including one called God Made Trump,
another recapping the UFC fight that he hosted
at the White House and multiple that seemingly brag
about his various accomplishments as president
or what he calls accomplishments.
And then seemingly just to dig the knife in a little deeper,
literally the same day the White House said
that it wouldn't be paying the government back
for the millions it already spent,
Trump released a new commercial touting his military capture
of Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro.
- This is one of the most,
the most stunning, effective and powerful displays
of American military might and competence
in American history.
- And I think people need to understand
that this is not a president that just talks
and does letters and press conferences.
And you know, if he says he's serious about something,
he means it.
- And then with that, you had Senate Democratic leader,
Chuck Schumer doing his favorite thing, using words,
slamming Trump, arguing that his plan to pay for future ads
was still illegal because federal law bans candidates
and office holders from directing the spending of super PACs.
And so with that, you had Schumer calling for an investigation
into Trump's actions.
Adding, "Trump must return this money to the American people
and there must be a full investigation
into this gross waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars."
With that, then bringing us to the most recent updates,
which are that you now have both the DNC
and the nonpartisan watchdog, Common Cause,
filing separate lawsuits against Trump for these ads.
And in addition to the DNC arguing in their suit
that the spots are a clear violation
of the congressional ban,
you also have them saying that Trump has nationalized
the midterm election, made himself the center
of a two-day midterm convention,
and repeatedly directed voters to pretend
that I am on the ballot.
Also noting that the ads were rolled out
as Republicans have been plummeting in the polls.
With that, then, also,
echoed in the suit from Common Cause,
which noted that the ads focus on issues and positions
that Trump and Republican candidates
have repeatedly pushed in the midterms.
And adding, "So despite the White House's insistence,
to the contrary, common sense demands
what any viewer understands.
These ads are not public service announcements.
They are personal publicity and political propaganda
through and through."
Alleging that Trump also acted illegally
by using money that Congress specifically appropriated
for border security.
All while the group's Senior Vice President
of Policy and Litigation told reporters
that his organization doesn't actually trust
that Trump's gonna use outside money for future ads.
Right in pointing to the fact that the Maduro spot
was released on Tuesday after Trump said
that his PAC would pay for the ads
and arguing that it's proof
that the government sponsored commercials
were still being scheduled.
And with that, you have both suits asking federal judges
to step in and stop the use of federal funds
to pay for these commercials.
And actually Common Cause also asked the judge
to block the administration
from airing any more taxpayer funded ads
and require them to try to recover the money
that hasn't been spent yet.
Though I will say, as far as from what we can tell,
neither of these lawsuits would actually force Trump
to reimburse the government for the money he's already spent.
And so for now, my feeling is kind of just
throw this onto the Trump pile, right?
Insane things outside of the norm
that will hopefully be addressed sometime in the future.
'Cause it sure as hell isn't happening
with the setup that's there now.
Of course, part of that change, it starts,
well, for some of you now, but definitely by November 3rd.
Friendly reminder, you're gonna get fucking tired
of me doing this.
Here are the dates for early voting
when it starts for your state.
Feel free to take a screenshot, but yeah,
get out there and vote early, however you can,
day of, whatever, make a plan, go to vote.org.
'Cause none of this knowing about all the dumpster fires
and getting angry about all the dumpster fires
matters if you do not take action.
Disregard the polls and vote up and down your ballot.
Right, and then from that,
there's three more things we gotta dive into
before I let you go.
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- And then diving right back into the news
for your final block today,
there's some more news you need to know
and some things you might've missed.
Because first up, you now have the police
getting involved in that FGTV duddy situation
that we talked about yesterday.
Right after he had a lot of people getting scared
that he was gonna harm his family.
Because of course, you have all of this
coming after a recent video where he said
he didn't trust his wife and kids, he called them demons.
Also, he was talking about clones, witches,
and a bunch of other wild stuff.
And he actually made a separate video
addressing the comments that he was getting there,
but it also seems like it only made people more concerned.
And that's because at first,
it sounded like he was gonna pull back
on everything he said in the first post.
- Anything that you heard me say yesterday, come on.
You know that that's not a way that I think of my family.
I love my children and my wife with all my life.
There is no strife.
I feel all right 'cause of Jesus Christ.
- But then, things took a turn
- But one thing's for sure.
A lot of y'all, what you think is mental health problems
is actually demonic.
I don't care who does it and believe,
I've never been better in my entire life.
That's Jesus Christ for you.
And if you know your word, you get through any storm.
- It's with that, apparently people were so worried
that they actually started calling the police.
- The cops were outside.
They talked to me.
They came to check on me.
Thank you guys for
calling 'cause of everything that happened.
But I am good.
And it went well.
We prayed together.
- You then, that is wife following up
with the post about it as well.
- We're all okay.
My kids are okay.
I'm okay.
My husband's okay.
Even my dogs are okay.
I have been getting calls from the local police department.
You don't need to keep calling the police department anymore.
They spoke to my husband.
Everything is good.
- But even with that,
you had a lot of people still genuinely concerned.
And then you of course had others continuing to say
that this could be religious psychosis, drugs, or both.
But at least for now,
you have the family publicly saying
things are under control,
though there's really not much anyone else can do.
Also in very different news,
there is reportedly a potential serial killer
in Lansing, Michigan,
and they've already killed five people so far.
But this all apparently starting about a year ago
when police found Gino Chouinard with injuries to his face.
While he was taken to the hospital,
he died almost two weeks later.
And then between July and September of this year,
the murders just kept coming.
Dennis Doombeck, Robert Smith, Daniel Lusk, Louis Woodruff.
They were all attacked
and eventually died from their injuries as well.
And all of those cases happened
within the same mile long stretch of a river trail
in Lansing.
And apparently all these victims were homeless,
which made them particularly vulnerable to violence.
And you have the police saying
that they believe
were lying down or asleep when they were attacked.
Right, and then one of the key things
is that all but one who was stabbed to death
died from injuries to or around their heads
like the first victim.
And see then at people with this saying what it looks like
is if they are connected,
then there could potentially be a single offender with this.
Now with that, I'll say they've actually already charged
someone in the stabbing case,
but the police chief said whether or not that guy
is responsible for all of this,
that's challenging to say right now.
And adding that they're trying to approach this
in the right manner so they don't unjustly pin the guy
with other crimes just because
he's their main suspect right now.
So while things, they're up in the air right now,
we have experts hopeful that with all these murders
happening in such a close proximity
that the patterns will be easier to see,
helping them close these cases as soon as possible.
And then for your final bit of news today,
as you've got rumors building
of a pending Russian attack on NATO,
France, they just tested a sea-based nuclear missile
to deliver a loud and clear message to Russia.
While watching the launch, you had Emmanuel Macron saying,
"To be free, one must be feared,
"and to be feared, one must be powerful."
And he called it a message for quote,
"Wherever it must be received."
So while France's defense ministry did not name Russia,
come on, right, and then as far as
Russia, they immediately got on the phone
with reporters to complain,
with the Kremlin calling it a loud and clear message,
accusing Europe of being obsessed with militarizing
and said that Europe is building its whole identity
around confronting Russia.
A strategy that they actually called a dead end,
and their closing line was,
"Problems should be solved through dialogue,
"not demonstrative missile launches."
Which is, to put it lightly, a wild thing to say
when you are the one who's been invading Ukraine for years,
who's test-fired nuclear-capable missiles,
and who even fired one at Ukraine as a warning once.
It's giving big, bad wolves angry,
the three little pigs switched from straw to brick.
And also, speaking of Russia being
"mature," right now, about 20 Finnish lawmakers
say that someone keeps breaking into their homes.
While there's no forced entry, nothing stolen,
one of them found human waste
that someone had left in his hotel.
You've got Finland investigating it
as a suspected Russian intimidation campaign.
So, you know, super normal, well-adjusted behavior.
With that, my friends, you beautiful bastards,
is the end of your Thursday show.
Though, there is more for you to watch,
just to click away, either right here
or in the links in the description.
If you like my little crash-out section today,
you'll love the "Crashing Out" podcast,
if you went on the "The Pope vs. AI" and a lot more.
Really, whatever you do, I just wanna say,
thank you for watching, thank you for liking,
thank you for subscribing, and being a part
of these daily dives into the news.
I love yo faces, and I'll see you right back here next time,
which will probably be Monday.
Please, world, do not do anything
where I have to make a show over the weekend.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Quince offers affordable, high-quality, ethically made clothing and home products that prioritize comfort, style, and sustainability.
Zoran Mamdani, a New York City mayor, faced intense backlash after attending a peaceful October 7 vigil, where protesters accused him of supporting Palestinian genocide, despite his history of advocating for Palestinian rights.
The controversy over Mamdani’s comments exposed deep divisions in public discourse, with critics accusing him of antisemitism while others argue he is unfairly targeted for speaking out against Israeli policies.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, U.S. Ambassador to Greece, reportedly engaged in a quid pro quo relationship with Eric Dieters, a controversial political figure, involving $300,000 payments and requests for favors, raising concerns about conflict of interest and improper influence.
President Trump is under legal and political scrutiny for spending taxpayer dollars on political ads, including a viral commercial about capturing Venezuela’s president, which critics say violates federal laws against partisan propaganda.
A potential serial killer is under investigation in Lansing, Michigan, with five homeless victims killed in close proximity, prompting concerns about a pattern of targeted violence.
France conducted a sea-based nuclear missile test as a show of strength, prompting Russia to condemn it as an act of militarization, highlighting growing tensions in Europe.
A wave of unexplained break-ins in Finland has raised suspicion of a Russian intimidation campaign, adding to global concerns about geopolitical aggression and espionage.
Summary:
The episode covers a range of urgent and controversial topics. Quince is highlighted as an ethical, affordable brand offering premium clothing and home goods, praised for quality and value. A major news story centers on Zoran Mamdani, NYC mayor, who faced violent protest after attending a vigil for October 7 victims, with critics accusing him of supporting genocide while others defend his stance on Palestinian rights.
The situation reveals deep societal fractures over how to respond to both Israeli and Palestinian suffering. Meanwhile, Kimberly Guilfoyle’s alleged financial dealings with Eric Dieters—a polarizing political figure—spark accusations of quid pro quo, raising ethical and transparency concerns. Trump's use of taxpayer funds for political ads is under fire, with lawsuits filed by the DNC and Common Cause alleging violations of public funding laws, despite the White House’s claims of neutrality.
In a separate development, a series of suspicious killings in Lansing, Michigan, involving homeless victims, has led to a potential serial killer investigation, with authorities examining patterns and suspect links. France’s nuclear missile test sent a strong geopolitical signal, sparking Russia’s retaliation and highlighting rising Cold War-style tensions. In Finland, unexplained home intrusions and human waste sightings have prompted investigations into possible Russian sabotage.
The episode concludes with a call to civic engagement, emphasizing that awareness of these issues must translate into action, especially in the face of systemic dysfunction and political abuse.
FAQs
Quince offers affordable, high-quality clothing and home products made from premium materials. Their items are stylish, comfortable, and designed to make you look put together without effort. Everything is 50–80% cheaper than similar luxury brands, with ethical production practices and free returns.
You can save 50 to 80% on Quince products compared to similar luxury brands. This is because Quince works directly with ethical factories, cutting out middlemen and focusing on quality over brand markups.
Quince offers a wide range of products including organic cotton tees, Mongolian cashmere sweaters, denim, tailored chinos, cotton silk sweaters, and performance tanks. They also have hotel-quality bedding, bath essentials, cookware, luggage, and travel items.
Yes, Quince is now available in Canada and the UK, in addition to the United States.
The cringey weirdo of the day is a person working at an AI company who joked about using AI to read books to their kids instead of talking to them. The segment highlights how some AI professionals seem disconnected from real human experiences, especially in parenting and daily life.
Zoran Mamdani, a New York City mayor, attended a peaceful vigil honoring victims of the October 7 Hamas attack. He was met with protests where protesters accused him of being a traitor and responsible for a 'genocide,' despite his public support for Palestinian rights and criticism of Israeli government actions.
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