The Ole Miss Doorbell Camera Scandal That Split America
32m 5s
A viral video of Black students at the University of Mississippi making monkey noises has ignited national outrage and a deep online divide, with the university calling the behavior "deeply troubling" and launching an investigation. Students have responded with apologies, but backlash persists, with critics accusing the incident of racial insensitivity and others calling it a dramatic return to "woe" culture. Meanwhile, investigations into ICE’s hiring practices reveal troubling histories of agents with anti-immigrant views and violent conduct, including a fatal shooting of a Colombian immigrant. Background checks are found lacking, and multiple agents have been found with prior misconduct. In politics, internal party struggles intensify as Democrats question leadership under Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, while Republicans select far-right figure Jim Jordan to lead the minority, sparking criticism for lacking legislative record and being tied to Trump. OpenAI faces a RICO lawsuit in Georgia over a massive data center project, accused of secret meetings and silencing public officials. On the global front, Russia is suffering devastating military losses in Ukraine, and Western nations face increasing threats from Iran-linked proxy attacks, including a planned assault on a U.S. military base in the UK, prompting emergency alerts and arrests. The situation underscores widespread concerns over accountability, transparency, and the integrity of institutions across public safety, education, and governance.
Playing homes basically paying a lot of money for the privilege of wondering what expensive thing is going to break next. Is it a furnace, a pipe, an electrical outlet, or, in our case, a water heater that flooded the garage and damaged the walls? In an FYI, regular homeowners insurance often doesn't cover breakdowns caused by everyday wear and tear. And that's where today's sponsor home-serve comes in. Right home-serve offers protection plans for different home systems so you can choose the coverage that makes sense for your house and your budget. And then if something covered by your plan breaks, you can call their 24/7 repair hotline to start the repair process instead of panning, googling, plumber near me at two o'clock in the morning. And they'll help schedule a local experience contractor to handle the cover repair. And that's the part I love, right? When something goes wrong, you already know who your first call is. Because with home repairs, it's usually less if and more when, and/or how many at the same time. And home-serve has been helping homeowners for more than 20 years and serves millions of customers across North America. Or because home repairs, they're annoying enough before you add, okay, now who do I call to the situation? Join the millions of customers who trust home-serve, right, for 50% less your first year, go to home-serve.com/defranko, that's home-serve.com/defranko or scan that code for 50% less. Savings compared to renewal price, bulletin, California, and Florida. You've got two Ole Miss students getting caught on camera, making monkey noises outside of a black student's apartment in the video and fall out of divided America. The ice hiring problem was just exposed being worse than you think, which is really saying something. We dive into the backlash and chaos of both sides of the leadership fights for Democrats and Republicans it's playing out right now. My open AI and county leaders here in Georgia just got hit with a mafia-style RICO record-tearing lawsuit over a $30 billion E.I. data center. We just launched six new fantastic T's over at BeautifulBest.com, just in time for that Thanksgiving dinner. We're talking about all that and even more. On today's brand new, Philip DeFranco show, you daily dive into the new starting with this. This Ole Miss ring camera, scandal, it has completely blown up and really depending where you go online, this is either a very serious problem that needs to be addressed or evidence of the ridiculous return of woe. Right in case you missed it, what we're talking about is this video that went viral online earlier this week. So that clip was initially posted on TikTok by a black woman saying that she lived in the apartment as she tagged the university asked for a response and it's gotten some 13 million views just on that individual clip, not even considering where else it's been shared and uploaded. But then you also got a little more context on Facebook where Tasha Bolton posted the clip again saying that her daughter lives in the apartment with two other roommates and all three are students at the University of Mississippi or Ole Miss. She said that all three are black women and the two girls in the video are upstairs neighbors. And you attach to adding, this is absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. Saying college is supposed to be a place where young adults can learn, grow and feel safe. And she would honestly say that the video had already been shared with the university and now they're demanding answers. And specifically, what is going to be done to address this type of behavior and what sort of accountability is going to happen? And so with this, you had immediate backlash out there and we saw several responses within the university. Including one, from the vice chancellor for student affairs, Sean Voda Meade describing the behavior in the video as, quote, "deeply troubling, hurtful and unacceptable." And saying the whole thing, it's being investigated by the Office of Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct and Equal Opportunity and Regulatory Compliance. And with that, saying that the university can only share so much publicly because of student privacy laws and they're taking the situation seriously. But also in the face of this university promise to support both the people immediately impacted in communities on campus, you had many black students feeling unwelcoming and unsafe according to the president of the black student union, which was also echoed by the several students who had responded to the situation, both in interviews and online. But they are frustrated and want to know what accountability is going to look like here. And to that end, you actually had one of the girls in the video, Elena Coons, releasing a statement apologizing after this whole thing blew up, saying she actually didn't know who lived there and had never met the woman when she walked by the ring camera that day and that she, quote, "would have never intentionally made those noises or gestures toward a person of color and adding. I have apologized to the women and I pray they will forgive me. I can never truly understand the pain. I have caused them and it was never my intention." And adding, "These girls deserve to feel seen and understood and what I did is not a reflection of who I am trying to become." But they're then going on to say that both her and her family have gotten death threats and that she's grateful to the authorities for ensuring their safety. And while she's planning on cooperating with the university's investigation, she's asking for privacy, signing off in a statement with Elena Coons, 18 years old freshman University of Mississippi. And like with almost every aspect of the story, you had mixed reactions there, some accepting that, though others, they're having another wave of backlash from that. Or with some saying things like that, making it a point to say that she is 18 years old and mentioning how her family received death threats is how white women continue to make themselves victims when they cause everyone else harm. And then also after her apology went viral, the news broke that Elena was withdrawing from the university this year as well, which was then met with another mixed response. And that, even from the three women directly involved in their parents. "Do you think her withdrawing from the university was the right move, nicks, yes, for her peace and safety? I feel like it was a good option for her." "Hey, this year, you went to school, you see, I was like, of course, hard-life, that's a fun thing to add to. That's somebody child. So that bothers me, because I don't like seeing kids. You know, you just started. It's babies. They're 18." And then also as a situation has just kept snowballing and growing and growing more and more stuff, getting uncovered. And so we're learning things like Elena Coons' grandfather was reportedly involved in a scandal last January at his car dealership where an employee said to print it out a racial slur on a sticker and put it on a customer's car. And that car reportedly belonged to a woman of color. So when you had that, then getting added to this whole clusterfuck, you had the discourse online just reaching new heights. With that, including all types of responses, right people both defending and condemning Elena. Also, you had some applauding the other girl in the video, Lauren Mayfield, for not yet apologizing. Some have even created a gift sent go for her, which is raised at least as recording $11,000 so far to "cover lost income or opportunities and anything else required so she does not have to fold." And so with that, they also included a condition that she doesn't apologize or "bend the knee." And with that, as we're mentioning that we haven't yet gotten any comment from Lauren about the situation one way or another. The notably, the three women from the apartment did say that while Elena apologized and said that they were doing it to a bunch of doors and didn't mean any harm, they claimed that Lauren doubled down on the monkey gestures and kept doing them when they went out to confront Lauren and Elena after they passed the ring camera that day. So true, maybe that gives them go organizers don't need to worry about her, quote, "bending the knee." And then also with this, you had a lot of people saying this whole situation, getting any coverage at all or at least at this level, is ridiculous and some have called it a return to woe. And among the people leading the charge there, pushing that narrative, people like Matt Walsh, for example, saying, "It's like we've fallen into a time warp back to 2021." And saying, "This is moral hysteria. It wouldn't even be remotely justified if the girls really did make a racist gesture, but they didn't." This is the kind of stuff we saw during peak woe at its most feverish and delusional. And you even had Elon Musk calling this quote, "What they are programmed to do in response to end woe witnesses mean about ABC's coverage of this versus Irna Zorutska's situation." Right, she was the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was killed on that train in North Carolina by the Carlos de Juan Brown, Jr., a man who was later deemed incompetent to stand trial in both state and federal charges. And at least on parts of the internet, that's been this running theme and the criticism, comparing the coverage of this situation to that of crimes that appear to be committed by people of color against white people. The big one that you have there is the recent viral video from York College in Pennsylvania where it looked like a mob was attacking a blonde girl. But then there, you have a whole other debate unfolding, right? Some arguing, "Hey, you're not wrong. The York situation didn't get as much national attention, but noting that it was covered by NBC News, the New York Post, TMZ, and the Post-Malennial." And that's as you have many of those people also arguing, "Those girls as well deserve justice." And actually, both arrests have been made and charges have been filed. You then have people arguing back saying, "Yeah, we know that three people have been arrested and slapped with charges ranging from felony riot, a misdemeanor simple assault, the fine trust pass and harassment, but there were probably more that should be." So just generally speaking, it's an absolute mess and war zone online that's playing out in very different ways depending on where you go. So in the meantime, as we wait to see how things continue, I really would love to know your thoughts in those comments down below. But then, jumping from that to other news, you've got ice right now, insisting that it only hires the best of the best. But every time we find out who its agents actually are, they always seem to be the worst of the worst. I mean, just take exhibit eight today. David Brunette just seems to get uglier and uglier the more we learn about. But because not only does he have a troubling work history, mental health issues, and domestic violence allegations from two X-wives, he also appears to have what was described as a record of deep-seated anti-immigrant hostility, especially against Colombians. And so then, with that, I have to mention that this is the guy who shot and killed a Colombian immigrant this year in Maine. I mean, for a number of people, this wasn't surprising because in 2021, he granted a sister in emails for her relationship with a Colombian man, writing, "He can take his non-citizen ass back to his country and enjoy his third world luxury, saying he does not emulate what it means to be an American, but rather, he emulates what it's like to be entitled and think he has a seat at a table that is no room for his or your ignorance." And then, continuing with the man's quote, "Bloodline knows nothing about what it takes to earn and then cherish the freedom America offers." And with that, I should note, though, it shouldn't really matter that the man he was raging about was a PhD student in education at the time with legal status and multiple children. Literally, what appeared to be the epitome of someone cherishing the freedom and opportunity offered by this country. Yeah, also with this, you had Brunette's sister saying that her brother had previously stated that certain races of people should not live in the United States. And you had her adding, "He conveyed to me that he protected himself in Afghanistan by racially profiling the people there and adding, 'If he could dehumanize the people, he could be more self-protective and less empathetic.'" You even had his own mom telling the times he is dangerous and should not have weapons, believe his victims, not him. And actually speaking of his victims, let's get to one that he killed as an ice agent. Johann Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a 25-year-old father from Colombia who was working two jobs, built a life for his infant daughter, who he called his beautiful princess. And as he was leaving his apartment building, ice agents tried to stop his car and the agency claims that he tried to flee with Brunette shooting him out of fear for public safety. But of course, you've got that account disputed, and here's the big thing. They didn't even get the right guy. But according to Senator Angus King, DHS admitted to him that they were looking for someone else. But then also with this, remember, this is just exhibit A. We are constantly getting more stories very much like this, especially since late last month when activists hacked into DHS and published the identities of some 1,500 ice officers in agents, hired since Trump took office. Because now, the Washington Post has looked into about 300 of them and found at least 19 with serious red flags before hire. And I mean, we're talking about guys involved in use of force incidents, five more named in lawsuits that were settled in at least six, who had been fired, desertified, or forced to resign from their previous jobs. As for example, there was this Detroit cop who suspended for days in a handcuff detainee and reprimanded for deliberately turning off his in-car camera while at a scene. Then in 2021, he shot and killed a teenage boy who was fleeing by shooting him in the bag after the kid got out of a car that he was drag racing. With the cop claiming that the victim raised a gun and there was a pistol that was found near the car, but the family denied that he had a gun and eventually got $2.5 million from the police.
Incident, you had an Idaho cop who would later be hired by ICE, helping force open a man's front door and dragging him outside as his young daughter watching his wife screamed all over a speeding ticket. "Hasor!" "No! No! I thought it was over here!" "Stop resisting! I can't taste it!" "Stop! Help! Help!" For with the cops there, also settling for half a million dollars after a judge ruled that they unlawfully entered the house without a warrant. And unfortunately, you just have example after example, a cop who tackled someone and smashed their head into a sidewalk, another who was fired for threatening his supervisor, a third who stole nearly $3,000 worth of wine while on the job. And for many of these guys, their histories aren't something you need to unearth with an extensive background check, like you can just fucking google these guys. I mean, some of them, they went viral online for their conduct, outraging millions of people before even getting picked up by ICE. For example, this police sergeant in Mississippi who detained and handcuffed a guy just for holding a sign outside of City Hall that said, "God bless the homeless vets!" The little did he know that guy was a first amendment advocate, so he sued the police department and the cop had to be deposed about his knowledge of constitutional rights. He resigned as a cop on Tuesday, last December, and then ICE hired him the following Monday. And again, a key thing here is that the Washington Post just looked at a sample of a few hundred agents, and they have hired thousands of new recruits, often without doing basic background checks. And while Trump be admitted in his 60 minutes interview that going too far on the deportations may have heard him in the midterms, there's no indication that he's slowing down. If anything, him elevating Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff, it signals that they might ramp things up, as numerous sources in DHS told CBS News. Plus, you had DHS secretary Mark Wayne Mullen tweeting out three words right after the elections, deportations will continue, and even ICE added on another post last Friday, you thought we were slowing down? And all of this in the face of even some conservative pundits who normally support Trump, suggesting he needs to chill the hell out on the immigration front. "This Mark Wayne Mullen guy couldn't have been worse. He's worse than known. I mean, if we're me, Mullen's would be in the Bahamas right now, taking the sunt. It's time to just ask the American people what they want and what they don't want in terms of enforcement moving forward." There was a with that you have many saying it's not even an immigration front, it's a public harassment campaign. But for now, we have to wait to see how it plays out. And then, there's even more we gotta dive into in just a minute after a quick break with our sponsor. You know, the holiday season is expensive enough without your phone bill trying to participate. Gifts, travel, food, there are already so many places and things we are money to disappear too. Which is why it's a great time for today's sponsor, Mint Mobile offering three, six or twelve months of premium wireless for fifteen bucks a month, even unlimited and there's no catch here, right? There isn't a store to visit, there's a sales person to dodge or some afternoon you need to sacrifice. Mint Mobile is completely online and with ESIM you can activate from home in minutes. You can even bring your current unlocked phone, keep your number and avoid sending everyone the dreaded new phone who disk text. And saving money does not mean sacrifice and coverage. Mint runs on the nation's largest 5G network, reaching 98% of Americans with 5G and you can choose 6, 17, 23 gigabytes or unlimited data depending on how aggressively your phone is attached to your hand. Personally and I would say unfortunately I'm an unlimited guy. Every plan I will say also includes unlimited talk and text plus free call into Mexico, Canada and the UK. And hey, if switching still makes your nervous, plans come with a seven day unconditional money back guarantee. So maybe the holiday gift this year is finally paying less for the phone service you were already using. And say, what are you waiting for? To get your new wireless plan for fifteen bucks a month, just go to MintMobile.com/defranco or scan that QR code. But then, Devon Rypeck, end of the news, y'all, okay, we are one week into this blue new bliss for a lot of people. And while the newbies, you know, they're not going to be until January, you already had a group of House Democrats killing the vibe by missing a key vote to advance impeachment proceedings against Pete Heggset. It's now among other things with this. You've got this growing movement of politicians, celebrities and activists saying, we need fresh leadership in the party now. And then part because yesterday you had the House voting 211 to 204 to send the impeachment resolution to committee, effectively killing the effort that was spearheaded by GOP representative Thomas Massie. And also, unfortunately, Massie was the only Republican who voted with the Democrats on this. Well, yeah, you're seeing headlines like House GOP sinks Heggsetth impeachment and Republican lead House rejects Heggsetth impeachment effort. You also have a lot of people asking, well, where the fuck were a bunch of the Democrats? Because yesterday afternoon, you had the House Democrats Twitter account posting in all caps, Pete Heggsetth out now. But when it actually came time to vote, 11 House Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi and Hailey Stevens, didn't even show up. So those Democratic absences were larger than the seven vote margin. And you would several members blaming their absences on traffic. And so in a moment where them generally, they need to really prove themselves in a moment where Akim Jeffries is needed to be seen as a strong leader, it wasn't a great vote. Already, you're seeing a ton of huge reactions on Twitter with a lot of anger specifically directed at Akim Jeffries, or because he's expected to be Speaker of the House come January and as a leader, it's his job to ensure that the Dems have a necessary number of votes. And you have people noting that at the exact time there's backlash to the coronation of Akim Jeffries as Speaker, he fucks up the impeachment of Heggsetth by not whipping votes. There's a lot of frustration specifically over the Heggsetth situation, but it's also coming as a lot of people have been saying, hey, we don't want Jeffries to speak for the House and we don't want Chuck Schumer as Senate Majority Leader. And there's a vast number of reasons people have been thrown out by kind of the top ones or people arguing that Schumer and Jeffries, they're too cozy with corporate donors, they're too pro-Israel. And just generally, they are not up to the task of fighting Trump, you know, saying it's time for a change, which is also why since the election, you've seen an increasing number of Democrats, a mix of kind of newly elected people, like Malak Kioros and Adam Hemowee and existing leaders in the party like AOC and Bernie Sanders speaking out about this. We've been seeing this play out in a number of different ways, some seem to hint that they want new blood, but based off of certain factors, you're probably going to still get mainstream people like Jeffries. And it's as others are kind of more obviously reluctant to back Jeffries with Schumer's and others just outright calling for different leadership. I don't think it's about the individual, it's about the agenda and the agenda that actually reflects the priorities of the American people. And we're not withholding votes what we're doing, it's saying we're undecided. Do you think it's time for Chuck Schumer to go? I mean, listen, what happens in the Senate, and that's a whole other chamber. Of course, you know, I think that this is a sentiment that is seen in a lot of places. But in my view, the time is now for change, and I will not be supporting Chuck. Senator Schumer has led Abelie in the past, but this is a moment for a refresh. This isn't just playing out in Washington, right? Everyone from Normies, to people in Hollywood, or speaking out, you have celebrities like for example, Mark Ruffalo and Lever and Cox speaking out. At times it feels like there's some notable momentum with House members and members elect also reportedly getting inundated with anti-Jeffries calls. But of course, not everyone's on the same page. On the other side of this, you have people saying, "Hey, Jeffries and Schumer, they helped lead us to these historic midterms, and therefore they deserve to be the leaders." And you've had folks like Senator Ruben Gaiego and Representative and Diet Coke Efficient Auto-Devy Dingell making their opinions very clear. I'm absolutely supporting leader Jeffries. I came Jeffries delivered the largest majority in this Congress in decades. When the manager takes to the World Series, you give them another contract. And this has been a really good election cycle for us. While AOC, she did exactly back Schumer, she did seem to accept that Jeffries will be the speaker. They say one candidate in this race, Hakeem Jeffries, and I think that everyone is far more concerned about what that leadership means, what it is promising, what it seeks to deliver. And so that's part of what's going on with the internal debate, but then the other key piece here is, "Well, what are the alternative options?" Right, who would actually replace Schumer and Jeffries? In there, you actually have El Saye and others advocating for Maryland Senator Chris Van Holland to run for Senate Majority Leader. As far as Van Holland is 67 years old, he's held public office since 1991, and while he's not too much younger than Schumer, who is 75 years old, he sort of represents the newer generation in part. And at least that he has been very critical of the Democratic establishment, especially when it comes to its approach to Donald Trump and the U.S. relationship with Israel. And while as a recording, Van Holland is not officially pursuing the role yet, he does seem to be considering it, saying that he's in listening mode right now, and so we're going to have to keep an eye on that. And then as far as on the House side, no one's really emerged yet as a clear alternative, but you have a lot of people on Twitter seem to be rooting for Massachusetts representative Iyana Pressley. And among other things, you even got to make Iyana Pressley speaker at thehousechange.org petition that's been going around. And actually have some speculating that she might have hinted at a run yesterday by posting this vague tweet, saying Republicans have been flooding the zone with lawlessness, cruelty, and corruption, and adding Democrats have a mandate to match their energy boldly and unapologetically. I think it's not enough to be the adults in the room. We have to prove that we are the fighters in the room. But at least as of just filming this, Pressley running for Speaker of the House is just a rumor or maybe a wish for some is more accurate. As far as how things move forward, you still have a good number of people pretty confident that it's going to be Schumer and Jeffries moving forward. Actually, they themselves seem to be publicly optimistic about that happening. I'm confident I will be elected majority leader. I'm going to continue to make the case in my conversations with every single member of the caucus interested in talking about both the track record that has gotten us here, but more importantly, what we hope to do for the American people. But then also, you know, while you have Democrats still sorting out the future of their party, you've got Republicans now selecting the leaders for when they assume the minority. They have managed to piss off both the moderate and far right factions. Because yesterday House Republicans voted 106-73 in a split decision to elect Representative Jim Jordan over Representative Steve Scalise to be the next minority leader. And that decision is super significant for a number of reasons, including that Scalise is currently the number two Republican in the House and has been in leadership since 2014. Meanwhile, with Jordan, he's been vying for power within the party for years and he's widely been seen as a far right, firebrand, and uber Trump loyalist. And so his selection over Scalise has been seen as yes, the Republicans want fresh leadership for their shattered party, but also they still want someone that has ties to Trump. And then also, just generally, he's a fairly controversial pit. He co-founded the hard right House Freedom Caucus that has regularly defied leadership and hampered the Republicans' ability to pass its agenda in the House. He also played a key role in trying to help overturn the 2020. election and has been accused of weaponizing the judiciary committee to go after Trump's perceived political enemies. Also looking into his past, he's faced multiple allegations from former wrestlers at Ohio State University where Jordan Works is an assistant wrestling coach who claimed that he knew but ignored rampant sexual assault by the team doctor who was accused of sexually abusing at least 177 male students. So Jordan has denied the claims and then there's also his record in the house or rather lack thereof. Because it turns out throughout his 20 years in Congress, Jordan has never actually once had a bill that he was lead sponsor on get signed into law. Whereas the guardian put it, Jordan has become more known for his combative presence from the bench rather than his legislative skill. But then also at the same time, over in the Senate, you would Republican seeming to go the exact opposite way. They chose current majority leader John Thune, a moderate who is a more tense relationship with Trump to continue leading the party come January. And while Thune ran unopposed, his election was not totally seamless because he had a number of Senate Republicans wanting to delay the vote, writing a letter saying that it would be political malpractice to make any decisions before they could do a full post mortem and discuss how to recover from just beating they received these midterms. It seemingly sorting out the fall of the Republican party was pretty simple because they then decided to move forward with the vote after just a few hours of closed-door meetings. So that's not to say that everyone felt like they had done enough work. The Senate or Ron Johnson, for example, walked out before voting began and told reporters, "When you have this kind of defeat, you'd like to at least give people an opportunity to think about it." And at that point, both of these selections, they've created major divisions, especially with Jordan. Right on one side, you have people praising the joy of saying that he is the right person to rebuild the conference and push back against the incoming Democratic party. And you've had a number of different House members describing him as a fighter. He's an honest broker. He's a good man. He's a fighter. And I think that that's the signal that is being sent here that they're ready. We are ready to dig in for the fight. And I think Jim is going to do a great job with that. You're not going to find a better fighter and a better communicator. And Jim Jordan came to be known by the American people because he's known to be a fighter. You also had some cheer in this on as a huge transition of power that is going to usher in, major change. With for example, Benny Johnson, heaping praise on Jordan and arguing, the House and some massive change from the old guard to the new, extremely promising. I just mentioned some of the new, some of the new guard celebrating this. But then on the other side of this, you've got a ton of people saying Jordan's a horrible choice. With many noting things that we hit on, like he's never passed his legislation before, but also you have someone the far right saying that he hasn't actually done enough for their cause as chair of the Judiciary Committee. But really, most of the critiques, it's people arguing that this choice, it just shows that House Republicans totally failed to learn from their election losses. Saying this election, there was a clear rejection of Trump and the far right. So why the hell would the GOP tap a Trump ally to help lead the party? And also, if a lot of people are arguing that Jordan is just really out of touch with what Americans really want and people are circulating recent clips of him talking about affordability, the Iran War, and Epstein. What about his promise in 2024 that if he was reelected, gas would be under $2 a gallon because of his policies? Well, gas prices were coming down until we had to deal with this situation. But you know, that's life. We want low gas prices. We want Iran not to have nuclear capability and we want this thing resolved as soon as possible. And if that means prices go up for a short time, I think Americans understand we can live with that. So you say we should be willing to live with higher prices? Has DOJ handled the Epstein file as well? Well, they were under a lot of pressure. I think they're doing the best they can. I think it's tough in the way that 99% of the things they did right. But then again, on the flip side of this, you basically the opposite situation playing out with Thune. Or with people on the right wing of the party accusing Republicans of keeping a leader who was in power when the party lost the upper chamber by a way bigger margin than anyone could have expected. So in keeping him in his position, it actually just dooms the party to the same failures we saw in this cycle. And others have accused Thune of being an ineffective leader blaming him for Republican agenda items that have stalled in the Senate. And it included people like Benny Johnson as well as Dana Lynch. But this is the equivalent of a man who just tanked a company stock, like he's a CEO. He's a company stock. It's down 80% and he walks back into the board of directors and says you need to rehire me for another four year stand to CEO. And it just seems insane to me as to you and everyone watching that you would actually put the guy who's responsible, partly responsible for some of the major losses that we've seen because what people were talking about in action from Congress, they were talking about an action in Senate. You don't put back the guy, make him the minority leader, the guy who was involved and at the head of all of this. And actually, also, we saw many flipping the push back against Jordan on its head saying that no, the election was actually a rejection of moderate Republicanism, not Trump and the far right. Accusing Thune of being this rhino working against Trump and claiming that the American people, they actually want the party to embrace the ideals of the further right. So all in all, like this is going to be a wild front to follow for the next two years. So I will say at the meantime, these choices do make sense to me. Like I wouldn't pick them, but I do think that they potentially make sense. Right in the house, they're just so outnumbered that I think that they want to elect someone that is really about just clip farming. Are we Jim Jordan getting the spotlight and the ability to be kind of just the biggest crime bully in the world to try to cut Facebook clips to turn people against Democrats? Right, he's trying to turn every valid investigation and trying to hold corruption accountable into some sort of evil witch hunt. And as far as Thune in the Senate being seen as kind of more of a moderate person for these political time, that might end up being very key because unless the Democrats are going to abolish the filibuster, there is going to have to be a few people coming from the Republicans if anything is to get passed. And even that is assuming that Donald Trump just doesn't veto anything that he does not universally love. But again, who knows how things are going to play out because the ground is shifting. No one really expected we'd be here even a month ago, or at least not fully like this. And then there's a few more things that we got to dive into today, but really quick, another break with one of our sponsors. There are a few times in life where we can get you in three weeks from Tuesday. It feels like good news, especially when something hurts, feels wrong, or just needs to be dealt with now, which is why I'm happy to remind you that today's sponsor, ZockDock exists. And I've talked about it, but my buddy is a Kaley situation, it really drove that home for me. Or because he didn't need a doctor eventually, he needed the right kind of doctor fast. And that's where ZockDock made the whole process way less painful. You can search and compare high quality in network. Doctors read real patient reviews, check detailed profiles, and see actual appointment availability. And then last part matters a lot when the question isn't, who's good, or rather who's good and can actually see me. And instead of calling office after office after office and waiting for someone to call you back, you can see openings and book online. And ZockDock has more than 150,000 providers across 200 plus specialties and all 50 states. And the appointments are often available within 24 to 72 hours with some same day options. And well, hopefully I don't need that kind of speed very often. When I do, I really don't want to be starting from scratch. And that's why I use ZockDock. So, hey, head to zock.com/fillers, scan that code, get started, and check that appointment off here to do less at zoc.com/fill. And then, I've been right back into the news. There's a few things we've got to hit on before we go. So, the first one is secret code names, mandatory MDAs, and backroom government meetings. Because OpenAI is currently facing a 44-page lawsuit alleging that they teamed up with local politicians to illegally force a $30 billion project into rural Effingham County, Georgia. It's called Project Camelia, and it's a colossal, multi-billion-dollar data center campus eating up nearly 1,500 acres of land and demanding an insane 3.2 gigawatts of power. Which is enough electricity to power roughly 2.5 million homes for a place with a population of under 100,000. So, you had residents waiting not realizing this monstrosity was getting dropped into their backyard. And they filed their lawsuit alleging that local officials in OpenAI operated as a corrupt criminal enterprise under Georgia State Rico Act. And the lawsuit claims that officials use secret code names held off-schedule meetings behind closed doors and pushed through zoning changes and tax incentives without required public hearings. At one point, economic chief publicly insisted the county wasn't even recruiting data centers while allegedly texting OpenAI multiple times a week. And one of the ways that allegedly got away with this was by getting public officials to sign insane NDAs, which to make right off the bat, it feels wrong that this was even a thing that existed. And while you had OpenAI and the developers arguing, "Hey, these NDAs are standard commercial practice to prevent insider trading and project poaching." You've got people asking, "How is a company able to silence the people who represent the interest of the people, the public, from the public?" And as for the power situation, they claim that it's actually a non-issue since OpenAI will allegedly pay for its own power grid upgrades. But as far as the lawsuit, who knows how it's going to go? Rico cases are usually very hard to keep alive and court, let alone prove, except in Georgia. In Georgia, it's actually almost the opposite, with critics claiming it's too expensive. But either way, and maybe at the very least, if this does fail, it still could have the benefit of letting the public know that in Georgia and really all across the United States, AI companies are silencing officials in doing backroom deals. And then also, today you've got the news that the U.S. is now heading to Moscow to ask Vladimir Putin to give his blessing to allow Europe to join future peace talks over Ukraine. The Jared Kushner, from Sun and Law and Steve Whitkoff, from his friend, they're going to meet with Putin to ask him to let Europeans back into the negotiations. And it's Putin that wanted Europe out of the talks in the first place, and for whatever reason, Trump went along with it, because it's part of his larger strategy to create division between Europe and North America because they both become substantially weaker alone than together. So these peace talks have been going absolutely nowhere for the past two years, primarily because Putin has had this delusion that he can just wear Ukraine down. And while Russia, you know, they have numbers, is it really Ukraine that's getting worn down? Right, Russia, they suffered over 16,000 casualties in the first week of November, which is the war's highest weekly toll. That means they're losing an average of 2,300 soldiers every day, or in other terms, they're losing an entire motorized rifle regiment every 24 hours. In October, they lost over 54,000 soldiers. The amount of losses that Russia's taking at the moment is actually nearing sub-theater averages for World War One. And actually, there's a wild stat during World War Two. The USSR was averaging six casualties per mile across the front every day. And right now, Russia's averaging three casualties per mile. So they're taking losses at 50% of the intensity of World War Two. The Ukraine's drone forces alone, they're reportedly eliminating 700 soldiers every day at this point. And so, no doubt, Ukraine is fighting for its life and existence. If anyone's getting worn down right now, I'm not sure if it's just Ukraine. And then also, in the news, you just had a senior U.S. Army soldier get arrested for being a Russian spy. And while we don't know exactly who it is yet, this all happened in the UK, because the soldier who's been described as a 41-year-old man, he was stationed at a base within NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps headquarters about 100 miles northwest of London. And reportedly, MI5 caught him trying to steal information from this base and deliver it to Russia. Because its whole M.O. is the housed troops that can be mobilized at a moment's notice in case of a Russian incursion. So given we're talking about a senior officer, he likely had a. access to classified mobilization plans that Russia would love to get its hands on. There, you've got official stressing that no information actually made it back to the Kremlin, which if true, means that the guy was probably under surveillance for a while. And while they're also saying that the investigation is not linked to any other ongoing counterterrorism operations, it does come as the UK's accused Russia of ramping up proxy attacks on its soil, including arson and assassination. Now to mention that Putin hates NATO, right? And you've had him billing the whole alliance as a coalition meant to undermine Russia. And then also in the news, a convoy of vans loaded with fuel drums and makeshift shrapnel, he came shockingly close to breach in a UK airbase, housing American troops. And if a federal prosecutor's alleging that the entire operation was being directed straight out of Tehran, and actually that's just one of nearly 20 alleged planned attacks across Europe and the United States that officials claim is part of a growing terror campaign. And the feds, they've made their own efforts to combat this and they just charged three people with alleged ties to Iran's revolutionary guard, right? And there were allegedly more than just distant masterminds. Reportedly back in April, they were going after a London synagogue. And prosecutors alleged the handlers watch the attack live on a big screen over Apple's FaceTime, literally coaching the operative to throw incendiary devices. And what's really crazy is that one of the suspects is in US custody already, and apparently helped direct these attacks from a jail cell. And then there's a September plot against R.A. Fairford in the UK, right at installation home to US service members and strategic bombers. And you've got the indictment claiming that the network organized a convoy of vans loaded with those fuel barrels and makeshift metal shrapnel to storm the perimeter. But then the plan collapsed after the vehicles hit security roadblocks and an alert local farmer heading home late at night, noticed something suspicious and down the police. And what Tehran is categorically denying any role calling the claims baseless. Even if you believe them, even if Iran isn't actually involved, it's just further proof that this war was this unforced error and it gives those sympathetic fuel to act on it. Which is also why you've got officials warning that proxy warfare, it's not confined to the Middle East anymore. It's showing up at Western doorsteps. And as for the suspects, you've got two still at large, but if they're caught, they're facing decades of charges of best and probably closer to life behind bars of found guilty. And then it's gonna be it for your Wednesday show. And as always, thank you for watching, like and being subscribed and sharing these daily dives into the news. I've got another good video that you should check out today 'cause I know you're never a hundred percent filled in. But whatever you do, hey, my name's Philip DeFranco, you've just been filled in. I love your faces and I'll see you right back here tomorrow.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Home-serve offers repair protection plans for home systems, providing 24/7 access to local contractors and helping homeowners avoid costly and stressful emergency repairs.
A viral video of Black students at Ole Miss showing monkey gestures has sparked national controversy, with the university condemning the behavior and launching an investigation, while some students apologize and others demand accountability.
The incident has ignited a polarized online debate, with critics accusing the response of being part of a "return to woe" and comparing it to past racial incidents, while others defend the students and call for justice.
ICE agent David Brunette has a history of anti-immigrant hostility, domestic violence allegations, and a record of misconduct, including shooting and killing a Colombian immigrant, raising serious concerns about ICE’s hiring practices.
A Washington Post investigation reveals at least 19 ICE agents with serious red flags, many with prior misconduct, and highlights a pattern of hiring without proper background checks, fueling public outrage.
Political tensions are rising within both parties, with Democrats questioning leadership under Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, and Republicans selecting Jim Jordan as minority leader despite allegations of being a far-right extremist.
OpenAI faces a RICO lawsuit in Georgia over a $30 billion data center project, alleging secret meetings, NDAs, and lack of public hearings that silenced local officials and violated democratic processes.
The U.S. is pushing for European involvement in Ukraine peace talks with Putin, while Russia suffers massive military losses and Western nations face growing threats from Iran-backed proxy attacks.
Summary:
A viral video of Black students at the University of Mississippi making monkey noises has ignited national outrage and a deep online divide, with the university calling the behavior "deeply troubling" and launching an investigation. Students have responded with apologies, but backlash persists, with critics accusing the incident of racial insensitivity and others calling it a dramatic return to "woe" culture. Meanwhile, investigations into ICE’s hiring practices reveal troubling histories of agents with anti-immigrant views and violent conduct, including a fatal shooting of a Colombian immigrant.
Background checks are found lacking, and multiple agents have been found with prior misconduct. In politics, internal party struggles intensify as Democrats question leadership under Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, while Republicans select far-right figure Jim Jordan to lead the minority, sparking criticism for lacking legislative record and being tied to Trump. OpenAI faces a RICO lawsuit in Georgia over a massive data center project, accused of secret meetings and silencing public officials.
S. military base in the UK, prompting emergency alerts and arrests. The situation underscores widespread concerns over accountability, transparency, and the integrity of institutions across public safety, education, and governance.
FAQs
No, regular homeowners insurance typically does not cover failures due to normal wear and tear. This is where specialized protection plans come in.
Home-Serve offers protection plans for home systems like water heaters and furnaces. If a covered item breaks, you can call their 24/7 hotline to schedule a local repair instead of searching for a plumber.
Customers can save 50% off their first year of coverage with Home-Serve, making it a cost-effective option compared to renewal prices.
A video showing students making monkey gestures at a black student went viral, causing backlash. The university called the behavior 'deeply troubling' and launched an investigation, while the involved student apologized and later withdrew from the university.
Critics argue that the incident reflects racial tension in college settings and question whether the university provided adequate accountability, especially given the student’s family receiving death threats.
Yes, investigations have revealed at least 19 ICE agents with serious red flags, including a history of domestic violence, anti-immigrant hostility, and use of force incidents, some of which were tied to violent deaths.
Chat with AI
Loading...
Pro features
Go deeper with this episode
Unlock creator-grade tools that turn any transcript into show notes and subtitle files.