Looking For Good News? Look Somewhere Else

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Looking For Good News? Look Somewhere Else
Release Date: January 16, 2025
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction to Current Crisis: Wildfires in Southern California (02:40 - 05:23)

The episode kicks off with a pressing discussion on the escalating wildfire threat in Southern California. Host Joe Getty paints a vivid picture of the region's preparedness, highlighting the extensive deployment of fire trucks and resources:

"Almost every block has fire trucks here in this canyon." (03:10)

Key Points:

• Fire Preparedness: LA County Fire Department, led by Fire Chief Anthony Moroney, has mobilized a significant number of fire trucks in anticipation of Santa Ana wind events.
• Community Impact: Families are on edge, having prepared extensively for potential infernos, yet the uncertainty of fire behavior remains a constant threat.

2. The Harsh Reality of Fire Damage and Insurance Challenges (05:23 - 08:43)

Ryan and Joe delve into the devastating effects of wildfires on homeowners, emphasizing the prolonged financial and emotional toll:

"If you lost everything, the worst of it is not over. You're still in the middle of it." (03:21)

Key Points:

• Rebuilding Delays: Reconstructing homes post-wildfire can take two to three years, leaving affected individuals in limbo.
• Insurance Struggles: California's stringent regulations have driven many insurance companies out of the state, exacerbating premium hikes and leaving homeowners with limited options.

Joe Getty comments on the escalating costs:

"Costs are up 70%. You can raise your premiums 10%. We're leaving was the answer right?" (07:40)

• Government Measures: Governor Gavin Newsom has attempted to mitigate these issues by removing certain permits and environmental regulations to accelerate rebuilding efforts.
• Legislative Impact: A recent rule change allows insurers to pass a portion of wildfire-related costs directly to homeowners, leading to skyrocketing insurance premiums across California.

3. Political and Social Commentary: Insurance and Regulatory Policies (08:43 - 15:28)

The hosts discuss the broader implications of California's insurance policies and their effects on both consumers and the insurance industry.

Notable Quote:

"California's problems are entirely of its own making." (07:48)

Key Points:

• Regulatory Environment: California's aggressive stance on insurance regulation aims to protect consumers but has inadvertently driven many insurers out of the market.
• Economic Consequences: The departure of major insurance firms exacerbates the housing crisis and leaves homeowners vulnerable to financial strain.
• Public Sentiment: Ryan expresses frustration with the perceived unfairness of insurance practices, highlighting personal experiences with premium hikes and coverage issues.

4. Middle East Peace Deal Amidst Ongoing Conflict (15:28 - 32:56)

A substantial portion of the episode is dedicated to the tenuous peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

Notable Quotes:

"Imagine somebody kidnaps your kid, you make a deal with them, and as you're making the deal, they say to you, I'm going to kidnap your kid again." (27:06) – Ryan

"Hamas is claiming victory." (27:44) – Joe Getty

Key Points:

• Ceasefire Negotiations: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has placed a proposed ceasefire deal on hold due to last-minute objections from Hamas, which has threatened further attacks.
• Leadership Dynamics: The recent death of Hamas's former leader has complicated the peace talks, with the acting leader expressing defiance and continued aggression.
• International Relations: Discussions touch upon the potential normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, influenced by shifting geopolitical strategies and mutual interests against Iran.
• Public Perception: The hosts critique the Biden administration's stance on the ceasefire, labeling it as ill-timed and ineffective given the hostile statements from Hamas leadership.

5. Higher Education Under Fire: DEI and Campus Culture Wars (32:56 - 47:23)

The conversation shifts to the internal struggles within American colleges and universities, focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and the backlash against them.

Notable Quotes:

"Only 20% of university faculty say a conservative would fit in well in their department." (45:08) – Joe Getty

"If you're a liberal professor afraid to espouse your views on campus, you have no testicles and/or ovaries." (45:08) – Ryan

Key Points:

• Declining Confidence: Confidence in higher education among Republicans has plummeted from 56% a decade ago to just 11%, while Democrats maintain modest confidence levels.
• Faculty Concerns: A recent report highlights that nearly half of conservative faculty feel unable to voice their opinions without repercussions, leading to increased self-censorship and a stifled academic environment.
• Campus Initiatives: Universities are increasingly seen as battlegrounds for ideological conflicts, with DEI programs often at the center of contention.
• Civic Education Resurgence: Despite the turmoil, there is a positive trend towards reviving civic education programs aimed at fostering open dialogue and understanding of American government and politics.

6. Business and Technology Updates (38:46 - 50:14)

The hosts briefly touch upon recent developments in the business and tech sectors.

Key Points:

• Amazon's Policy Shift: Amazon is phasing out its "try before you buy" option, a move speculated to be driven by cost concerns and exploitation of the service.
• Odoo's Integrated Software Solution: Introduction of Odoo as a comprehensive platform for business management, offering connected software solutions at a fraction of the cost compared to multiple disparate programs.

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Conclusion

Looking For Good News? Look Somewhere Else presents a blend of urgent current events, political analysis, and cultural critique. Armstrong and Getty navigate through the complexities of natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and the evolving landscape of higher education with incisive commentary and sharp insights. Despite the heavy topics, the episode underscores the challenges individuals and institutions face in adapting to rapidly changing circumstances.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "Almost every block has fire trucks here in this canyon." – Joe Getty (03:10)
• "If you lost everything, the worst of it is not over. You're still in the middle of it." – Ryan (03:21)
• "California's problems are entirely of its own making." – Joe Getty (07:48)
• "Imagine somebody kidnaps your kid, you make a deal with them, and as you're making the deal, they say to you, I'm going to kidnap your kid again." – Ryan (27:06)
• "Only 20% of university faculty say a conservative would fit in well in their department." – Joe Getty (45:08)
• "If you're a liberal professor afraid to espouse your views on campus, you have no testicles and/or ovaries." – Ryan (45:08)

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Note: This summary omits advertisements and promotional segments to focus solely on the episode's content.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Joe Getty]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio.

[Jack Armstrong]

Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty. With that fire danger looming. Families in Southern California are shell shocked and worried a new inferno could break out. They've got everything prepared. You can see the monumental amount of resources.

[Ryan]

A fire truck here, one tucked in there, another one in that driveway.

[Joe Getty]

Five, six and on down. Almost every block has fire trucks here in this canyon. We spoke with LA County Fire Chief Anthony Moroney. There is another Santa Ana wind event.

[Ryan]

Forecast for next week. Yes, yes, the LA County Fire Department's going to be ready. So the fires continue and hopefully the worst of it is over in terms of creating more damage. If you're, if you lost everything, the worst of it is not over. You're, it's still in the middle of the worst of it and you might be in the worst of it for a very long time. Then you got the weird situations we were talking about a little bit ago about neighborhoods. We know a few people like this where everything is gone except for your house for whatever reason and how weird that would be if you're the one house in the block that survived or you're, you're, you're the part of the homes where the fire stopped for some reason but everything next to it in the neighborhood is gone. And so you're surrounded by, you know, it looks like Gaza. Your local gas station and grocery stores burnt down. Your kids school is gone. I mean it's not near the same neighborhood you used to live in, even though your house is still there. I'd be, that'd be wild. How many years before that comes back.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and you're living in a burnout hellscape and I don't know what the air quality is going to be. And then there is going to be eventually never ending clearing of rubble. I mean, oh my God, 18 hours a day and then never ending infrastructure repair and construction. Like you're living in the middle of a brand new subdivision. Yeah, yeah, just, just, it's unthinkable.

[Ryan]

And the rebuilding, of course, no matter.

[Joe Getty]

Your imagination, you cannot fully imagine the, just the suffering and the annoyance and the stress.

[Ryan]

A lot of pressure already on the government to streamline making that easier. And Gavin Newsom's done away with a lot of the permits and environmental regulations and everything like that. Reason magazine tweeted out yesterday. They're the libertarian Outfit. If removing permit and review processes will help California communities remain recover faster and stronger after the wildfires, wouldn't their permanent removal help the state deal with its housing shortages?

[Joe Getty]

Of course.

[Ryan]

Pretty impossible to counter that thought. Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it's. It's ridiculous. California's problems are entirely of its own making.

[Ryan]

Oftentimes, things are so. Bill Burr, comedian, was on Jimmy Kimmel last night. This gets into a topic we've covered quite a bit, but we'll cover it again. In case you don't understand it yet, how is Bill Burr, the father, the husband, in an emergency situation? I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know.

[Ryan]

I'm all right. I'm all right. When big stuff happens, I get ridiculously calm. My Achilles heel. Stop that. Sorry. We need six, not seven. I don't know why we got seven. Six. Yes.

[Joe Getty]

And they're talking about looting. But CNN and Fox News are not.

[Ryan]

Gonna bring up the insurance companies that are just gonna keep everybody's premiums and.

[Joe Getty]

Still give themselves a bonus. Yes. Free Lu. I love how they acted surprised. Why did that happen?

[Ryan]

I have no idea.

[Joe Getty]

He wrote on the bullets why it happened.

[Ryan]

Oh, we're back to Luigi.

[Joe Getty]

Okay.

[Ryan]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

I never left Luigi.

[Ryan]

Wow. The hilarity ensues around Luigi the murderer. Wow. And the crowd thought it was funny. A crowd just now.

[Joe Getty]

Of course, they might have been shocked. Sometimes people laugh when they're shocked.

[Ryan]

But Kimmel thought it was hilarious. Bill Burr obviously thinks it's good material for his crowd. I like. I'm a Bill. Bill Burr fan. But again, just so everybody understands it. And I. I have been screwed by a number of insurance companies, and I'm sure I will be again in my life. It has always seemed to me that you pay your whole life, and then when you need them, they either drop you or raise the rates enough to cover how much they just gave you that. I mean, that's been like, mostly my experiences. So I'm not right, you know, all about helping out the insurance companies, but in California, they passed a law that you were not allowed to raise your premiums, even though with inflation and all kinds of other things happening throughout the pandemic in the last four years, it costs so much more to fix your house. There was just no mathematical way they could continue to be in business in California if it cost, you know, one and a half times what it used to cost to fix your house. They can't charge the same premium. Obviously. It doesn't work.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, costs are up 70%. You can raise your premiums 10%. We're leaving was the answer right? Appropriately right.

[Ryan]

It's the biggest market in America, might even be statistically the world. California for insurance companies. And all the big companies left because it didn't make mathematical sense anymore. Free Luigi. Yeah, talk about looters. Talk about the insurance company, says Bill Burr. I just wish more people understood that so we could come to some sort of. Okay, the insurance companies, I hate them too. But let's. Let's figure out what they should be doing in a fair world where they're allowed to function well and the things.

[Joe Getty]

That they do that are indefensible, then regulations can. Reasonable regulations can be put in place and are in place to prevent that sort of screwing. Actually, in terms of consumer friendliness, California is very much insurance wise to the point of absurdity. Driving all the companies out of the state for political purposes. It's just not realistic.

[Ryan]

As usual, that free Luigi thing and. And the reaction of Jimmy Kimmel. I'm trying to think. Has there been anything like that that I can think of in my life?

[Joe Getty]

A cold blooded murder of husband and father celebrated because people don't like his company. I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know.

[Ryan]

That's troubling.

[Joe Getty]

Bill Burr is a comedian who primarily, you know, performs for youngish people and is irreverent and says things he might not necessarily believe to get a rise. I get what comedy is, but seriously now, if we were to accept that any industry that had a history of activity that most consumers resent their executives. Open season for their murder.

[Ryan]

Airlines, shoot the. Shoot the guy. Run. Southwest, shoot him in the street. Yeah. I hate the way they treated me all these years. United Airlines, whatever.

[Joe Getty]

Hospitals or, you know, doctors, companies, rent.

[Ryan]

A car company, whatever. Whatever company you don't like. The phone company.

[Joe Getty]

Pharmaceutical. You think of dozens of them.

[Ryan]

Your electric bill. Yeah. Obviously there's endless list of companies you're not really pleased with. You don't get to murder them.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. There are a lot of good people trying to do better within those companies. And you might murder one of them. Plus, murder is wrong anyway.

[Ryan]

Well, once you start down that road. We've had this discussion ever since the murder. Once you start down that road, it's all over.

[Joe Getty]

It's all over. Civilization, you mean?

[Ryan]

Yes.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it's crazy wild west you're living in. I don't know. Where's Lawless? The Sudan. So a couple of factoids for you. Borrowers whose homes burned down are still on the hook for monthly mortgage payments in the long run. Even though there is not a house there. But many will get temporary relief. Homeowners usually have the option to pause mortgage payments for as much as a year if they are impacted by a natural disaster. Have you heard anybody even take a wild guess as to the average time till the rebuilding of the average home in Los Angeles?

[Ryan]

I haven't, I haven't even heard of Speculation. But like you tell me off the top of your head, off the top of my head, if I just lost my house, I'm thinking it's two or three years before I live in a home on that spot again. What do you think?

[Joe Getty]

That's a minimum? Yeah, minimum. Bare minimum. I mean, there are only so many contractors, right?

[Ryan]

It'd be so long from now I wouldn't even really be thinking about it because I. I'd know that for years I'm living somewhere else. So I gotta figure out what that is. With the schooling and my work and everything else, I would agree.

[Joe Getty]

I can't even imagine what it's going to be like to sort this out. And just as an aside, I also.

[Ryan]

Don'T know about you, but I would be looking into some sort of situation where I'm going to try to buy a new house somewhere else and start my life. And then when that gets built, sell it or something. I mean, what, are you going to put your life on a hold then? Go back there?

[Joe Getty]

I guess a lot of people will, right? I can't imagine how you deal with it, honestly. It varies, obviously, person to person, but it's. To call it disruptive is not nearly enough. Some of the most famous real estate in the world burnt to the ground. There, There was that mansion, that hilltop mansion that cost $50 million to build over a dozen years, whatever it was. And it sold for 83 million or something like that, I can't remember. It's got a name, Jimmy. The house. I don't know. I don't name my houses. I should though. It's. It's classy. But that place is ruined. It's done, it's burnt. All sorts of 10, 20, 70 million dollar houses are just gone.

[Ryan]

Tony, I heard a story from somebody yesterday. I didn't know this was a thing. Somebody whose friend, their house survived. The firefighters got there, came in, took all the furniture out of the living room that was made out of wood and threw it in their pool and then hosed down the walls with some sort of fire retardant and went to the next house. And then the house, the house survived the flames. Coming by isn't that interesting. I didn't know that was a thing.

[Joe Getty]

Well, that's the best case, and that's going to be a horrendous set of repairs. And in the context of the other 275 houses in your little development there are gone and they're trying to hire contractors to repair people and the rest of it, I can't even imagine.

[Ryan]

No.

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, forbearance is what they call pausing your mortgage payments for a certain amount of time. Mortgage companies are required to offer it on the. Roughly 40% of mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Loans backed by the FHA and the VA have similar guidance. Loans that do not have federal backing, like Jumbo Mortgages, may also be eligible for forbearance. That depends on mortgage companies that service these loans.

[Ryan]

But if you were not eligible for this. So you gotta. You gotta keep making your house payment for that three to five years we were talking about while you're living renting a place.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Yeah. Well. And. And residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed might also be eligible for property tax relief. But paying a mortgage and property tax on a pile of ash. Wife. Oi. One more somewhat sobering headline. Perhaps Southwest's pilots would like to listen to this. Sobriety seems to be a bit of a challenge.

[Ryan]

Wow. That's unfair.

[Joe Getty]

A little noticed rule change last year by California's insurance regulator will likely shift a large chunk of the cost of the LA wildfires to homeowners across the state. Pushed by insurers, the change puts California homeowners on the hook to pay directly toward the cost of rebuilding from very large disasters, even though fatter insurance bill. I'm sorry. Through fatter insurance bills, whether they were exposed to the LA fire or not. Dave Jones, former California insurance commissioner, who was not a crook, unlike the current cabal, says that would be a huge wake up call for Californians because they have no idea that the rules have changed. The new policy affects the backstop for California's Fair plan, which is the insurer of last resort because so many thousands and thousands and thousands of homeowners in Cal Unicornia can't get coverage because the aforementioned bad rules. So the rule change means insurance companies can bill their customers if they're forced to bail out the plan, which has an estimated $200 million in cash and $2.5 million billion dollars in reassurance, which is not going to be nearly enough to cover their share of the losses from the fires. That could be double or triple.

[Ryan]

So all of our insurance is going.

[Joe Getty]

To go up Skyrocket. Probably nice, I know. Looking for good news somewhere else. We'll keep looking and get back to you.

[Ryan]

The Ceasefire deal. Decent chance it falls apart. If you haven't heard the latest, explain that among other things on the way. Armstrong and Getty it's playoff time and it's now or never.

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

Oh, I must be in the front room. Light beer from Miller. Everything you always wanted in a beer. And less good seats. Hey buddy. He missed the tag. He missed the tag. The great Bob Euchre has passed, ladies and gentlemen. Ball player, actor, commentator and funny man.

[Ryan]

Hmm. You gotta be a certain age to remember when he used to go on Carson back in the day when I was a kid. Loved his appearances. Yeah, he was a major league baseball player turned comedian. Really hilarious guy.

[Joe Getty]

Well, he was a. He was a very mediocre player and he made a career of it.

[Ryan]

Making jokes about it.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, really self great self deprecating humor. He was in the movie Major League. Just doing his act again.

[Ryan]

Right? Thoroughly like tell his stories about how I wasn't a very fast runner. So when I'd run I'd move my hand up like this and knock my hat off to look like it was going faster.

[Joe Getty]

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[Ryan]

Sure.

[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

You can't say damn on the air.

[Joe Getty]

Don't worry, nobody's listening.

[Ryan]

Anyway.

[Joe Getty]

The great Bob Euchre is passed. Jack, more disappointing news. A famous cartoonist who is syndicated by the Washington Post has made a career out of portraying Republicans as Nazis and perverts and sickos and the rest of it has been arrested for child porn charges.

[Ryan]

Who?

[Joe Getty]

In the Sacramento, California area.

[Ryan]

Oh, my God.

[Joe Getty]

149 year old Darren Bell, who again had. I was just looking at a collection of his cartoons, portrayed Trump as Hitler, among other things. Uh, he was. There was a tip to the child sex abuse national center for Missing and Exploited Children child sex abuse material line and he was arrested with 134 videos and many, many images, etc. He's not been tried.

[Ryan]

That is so disgusting.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it is, it is.

[Ryan]

First of all, it's disgusting and twisted and I think those people's brains are broken and can't be fixed. But how do you think you're going to get away with it? You really think that nobody's going to get into your computer somehow and find you? I just can't imagine that.

[Joe Getty]

I guess the compulsion is that strong.

[Ryan]

Oh, that's horrifying. That is horrifying.

[Joe Getty]

Looking for a logical explanation? Yeah, I can't even imagine. Uh, it's an affliction, I think, and a sickness. Uh, so. Coming up, a quick review of America's college campuses. It feels like we're kind of winning the war against Woke and dei. Oh, my Lord, we have miles to go before we sleep.

[Ryan]

The WaPo has announced their new slogan. Remember, it used to be democracy dies in darkness. I do think this is a better direction for them. And we gotta check in on the Middle east peace deal, which may be falling apart.

[Joe Getty]

I.

[Ryan]

God dang it. I've spent so much time reading about this, I left out maybe the key. Probably the key why Israel is pursuing this. Because I've been saying all morning long, I don't understand why they would make this deal. Well, there is a good reason for them to make this deal.

[Joe Getty]

Who gets the most credit? A very silly discussion between Trump and Biden. How's this likely to come out? Is it a good deal? And what about the hostages? So many questions will have some answers if you can't stick around. Grab the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Ryan]

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[Ryan]

There's some question about whether Hamas knows where each one of these hostages are, how long it may take to get them all together. There are 33 in this first group. We're not sure how many are alive beyond that. It'll be a joyous occasion when those 33 get reunited, but it's going to be pretty tense about all of the rest. Yeah, that's pretty up in the air. Question how many hostages are alive and what kind of condition are they in? Is a heck of a thing. That was David Sanger of the New York Times talking about the peace deal before this happened last night. So the acting leader of Hamas, you might remember the former leader of Hamas, threw a chunk of wood at a drone and then got his head blown off. You remember that whole story.

[Joe Getty]

He has passed.

[Ryan]

Yes, Jack, a timely death, actually untimely. It would have been better if he died before October 7, but that guy is dead. And so this is the current acting leader. Hamas releases this video last night after the news breaks of a peace deal.

[Joe Getty]

We also got a statement overnight from the de facto leader of Hamas who.

[Jack Armstrong]

Released this about the deal.

[Joe Getty]

What happened on October 7, a miracle, a military achievement and a security achievement carried out by Al Qassam Brigade will remain a source of pride for our people and our resistance that will be passed down from generation to generation after it struck a fatal blow to the enemy. That statement's important because it illustrates the type of pressure that is currently being faced by the Israeli government. Hamas is claiming victory.

[Jack Armstrong]

We saw images last night from inside.

[Joe Getty]

The Gaza Strip of Hamas gunmen freely going around and celebrating what they are calling an achievement, promising to conduct yet another October 7th attack. And it raises real questions about how this agreement is going to be accepted, especially among the right wing coalition of.

[Jack Armstrong]

The Israeli Prime Minister.

[Ryan]

So imagine somebody kidnaps your kid, you make a deal with them, and as you're making the deal, they say to you, I'm going to, as soon as I can, I'm going to kidnap your kid again. Yeah, yeah. What kind of a deal I'm making here? So apparently that took the right wingers in, the people that are to the right of Netanyahu in his government, said, no freaking way. We're on this. And that's why they have not had a vote. Now. They were supposed to vote yesterday, but now they have not had a vote on whether or not they're going to go forward with this deal.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, the deal has not been agreed to. I also wanted to point out the statement by the leader of Hamas. While I get it, in his world of extremist, quote unquote domestic politics, why he would say something like that, it also just illustrates the utter Insanity of two days after October 7th, the Biden administration saying to Israel, you gotta have a ceasefire. Good Lord. I've just. It's unspeakably dumb. Anyway, a few more details. Bibi Netanyahu announced earlier today that the long awaited ceasefire deal is on hold because of a last minute crisis which including the bragging about the pride. In October 7, Netanyahu delayed his cabinet voting accusing Hamas of a last minute blackmail attempt. There's more to this. In part that included the terror group objecting to a part of the agreement that gave Israel the right to refuse the release of certain Palestinian prisoners accused of murders. Said Netanyahu's office in a statement, quote, hamas is demanding that it determine the identity of the terrorists to be released. And that was not agreed to. And Israel said that we can't agree to that. So, you know, I'm, I'm swear I'm not saying this to pat myself on the back, but I didn't believe yesterday that it was a done deal and I sure as hell don't believe that today is a done deal. You are trying to come to an agreement with a foe that will not until the last days of mankind negotiate in good faith.

[Ryan]

Well, the mainstream media is all reporting it. I heard it on npr, I heard it on cnn, I heard it on msnbc. As Netanyahu once again scuttling a peace deal. Hamas has agreed to it, but Netanyahu once again backing away from a peace deal, that is not the way these have gone down over the last year and a half. And as you just heard from Joe there, there's reasons why he would not agree to this. And I've been trying to figure out why would you agree to it.

[Joe Getty]

I mean, I realize the media is terrible. It's worth mentioning that. Go ahead.

[Ryan]

Sorry, only Fox is the only place I've seen play that video from the Hamas leader doing the touchdown dance over this thing. They didn't even mention it on any of the other news outlets. I think that's a pretty key piece of information when your opponent is vowing more. October 7th. As soon as we can get our act together and get enough people. Oh, we'd love to murder more babies and old people and rape a bunch of college girls. That'd be fantastic. That's who you're supposed to do the peace deal with.

[Joe Getty]

Good Lord, it's Difficult to say whether that was the key point or the Hamas stating that we get to choose the. The guys you released, by the way, in Israel saying, whoa, whoa, whoa, we never agreed to that.

[Ryan]

Yeah. It doesn't have to be one of the.

[Joe Getty]

Both factors. Right, Exactly.

[Ryan]

Here's the piece that I've been missing. I knew this, but I forgot about it. Richard Engel reported it and I read about it. So in the Bob Woodward book, one of the weird turns of History, they were within days of normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel when October 7th happened. They, they, it was. All the pieces were in place. And that you talk about an historic shift in the Middle East. Why would Saudi Arabia do that? Because then they would be part of the whole US Umbrella of protection against Iran and any other foe. So Israel and Saudi Arabia were going to become friends, and then therefore, Saudi Arabia is a friend in the United States. Just changed the entire balance of power in the entire Middle East. There were days from that happening when October 7th occurred, obviously then it was off because the. The Arab street, as they call it in Saudi Arabia, was horrified at the way the Palestinians were being treated. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, apparently that's back in the works again. There's a decent chance, if Israel agrees to this, that MBS thinks, okay, this will appease my people enough. They're no longer bombing them, the food aid's getting in. We're going to normalize relations. And it's back on. Saudi Arabia is under the U.S. nuclear umbrella again, talking about Iran.

[Joe Getty]

Right. And MBS, for all of his many sins, is a practical man, and he understands a backward oil kingdom with a bunch of people running around shouting fundamentalist slogans from the year 800 ain't the way to run a country in the 21st century. He is trying desperately to modernize his country and diversify the economy, too. But he understands he's got to be plugged into the international community, and he can't do that as a fundamentalist Muslim pariah. So, yeah, he has every interest in cementing this deal.

[Ryan]

He also believes another thing from Woodward book. He fully believes Iran's gonna get a bomb.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan]

And Iran's gonna have a nuclear weapon, and we're not. And so we need to be friends with the United States and Israel, which is also a nuclear power. Though they claim they're not, right?

[Joe Getty]

Oh, they are, yeah. So, yeah. So much for the peace deal, the ceasefire. Who knows? It might never be implemented in any way. Or it might be in six hours.

[Ryan]

I don't Know, man, normalized relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Crazy. I mean, wow. Remember where the hijackers came from?

[Joe Getty]

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[Ryan]

You add to that the fact that Simplisafe so confident as a company. No long term contracts, they don't need to lock you in for two years because what if you don't like it? They think you're gonna like it. No long term contracts or cancellation fees. And right now, 50% off your new Simplisafe system when you order.

[Joe Getty]

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[Ryan]

Want to leave plenty of time for your update about the world of colleges or whatever it is you teased.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it is. There is the troubling, there is the highly amusing and there is the quite hopeful. It's kind of a Neapolitan ice cream box of collegiate madness.

[Ryan]

Neapolitan ice cream is all the different flavors.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's the chocolate, the strawberry and the vanilla. Do you still see that in stores?

[Ryan]

You want to hear that?

[Joe Getty]

A vestige of my childhood.

[Ryan]

You want to hear another amazing. I've never.

[Joe Getty]

Okay.

[Ryan]

I've never had strawberry ice cream.

[Joe Getty]

Great Scott. Were you raised on the moon?

[Ryan]

No. It's been available to me. Many, many unlike. What was the sandwich we were talking about which I'd never come across in my life?

[Joe Getty]

A hot pastrami sandwich.

[Ryan]

I never come in contact with a pastrami sandwich. I've had a lot of opportunities for strawberry ice cream. It just always sounded gross to me. So I've never tried it.

[Joe Getty]

Katie has a look on her face like she's watching a documentary on some weird tribe that's never brushed up against modernity.

[Jack Armstrong]

I basically am listening to this.

[Joe Getty]

I know the list of things Jack has never done. Eaten, gone to, whatever. It's astonishing because you've actually lived a very interesting life in ways unless you.

[Ryan]

Find eating strawberry ice cream part of the richness of life. Because I've missed out on that.

[Joe Getty]

It is part of life's rich pageant.

[Ryan]

No doubt we've got more on the way. Stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Upgrade the whole [e-mail] Unlock AI experiences with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon powered by Intel Core Ultra processors so you can work, create and boost productivity all on one device. Win the tech search for business PCs at Lenovo.com Lenovo Lenovo the new Year's Here it's the perfect time to refresh those household essentials and score some cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive. From toothpaste to dish soap, chances are you've got Colgate Palmolive products on your shopping list and in your house. Right now we're talking brands like Colgate Soft Soap, Palmolive, Irish Spring, Fabuloso, and Tom's of Maine. And right now you can get up to a $10 digital Visa prepaid card when you buy up to $30 of Colgate Palmolive products. Here's how it Spend $20 on their products get $5 spend $30 get a $10 reward. All you do is shop your favorite brands, snap a pic of your receipt and upload it to cprewards.com it's so easy. That's cprewards.com so grab what you need or maybe try something new and get rewarded just for doing your usual shopping. And start your year fresh by earning cash back rewards with Colgate Palma Rewards available while supplies last. Limits apply us only 1125 through 33125 for full terms and conditions. Visit cprewards.com now I'd like to introduce you to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful Beauty makes powerful and effective skin care simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types and its design to work as a complete skin care system, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the amazing Youth Activating Melon Serum. This next generation serum has the power of melon Leaf Stem cell technology. It's melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five stars our reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just 49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping and a 60 day money back guarantee. All that available@meaningful beauty.com this is Ashley Iconetti from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. Did you know that Future Health can help make weight loss resolutions come true? Future Health makes access to to qualified doctors that know GLP1s easier than ever.

[Ryan]

And for less than $3 a day. Get started with a quick 3 minute.

[Jack Armstrong]

Survey at try FH.com try FH.com try fh.com Future Health is not a health care services provider.

[Ryan]

Meds are prescribed at providers discretion.

[Jack Armstrong]

Results may vary. Sponsored by Future Health Some business news.

[Joe Getty]

Amazon announced it is phasing out its try before you buy option. That's too bad. I'm going to miss buying underwear that 10 people have already tried.

[Ryan]

Oh that's interesting because I remember watching Jeff Bezos on Charlie Rose back when he had hair talking about this is one of the great things about Amazon. You know, you're not sure your size. Buy a pair of shoes, you know, a size bigger that size and try them on. You send back the ones that don't fit. I mean that was part of their whole why you should start buying through online. He must think that it's caught on enough that they don't need to do that anymore. And, and it must be a net negative somewhere or bad people are exploiting.

[Joe Getty]

It in a way that is too.

[Ryan]

Costly like so many other trying underwear.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's right. Normally don't we have introductory music? Michael, it's a Campus Madness update. I forgot to warn you. Don't, don't worry about it. It's just a digest of stories about colleges and universities right now. We're going to zoom through it. The good, the bad and the ugly. As I've often said, you have to remember in the war against woke, the war against dei, the neo Marxism, the the racializing everything. We're not at the beginning of the end, we're at the end of the beginning. The war has just begun. Some examples again. The good, bad and the ugly. This is really quite a story. Columbia University, you remember them with the madness and the occupation and the pro terrorism and anti Jew and blocking Jews from going to classes and just all that stuff. Well, they've cleaned up their act. No, they have not even a little bit. As the kids return to school this year, the Columbia Literary Society Alpha Delta Delta Phi set up a two day event, Hindi's Hinds House, named after a five year old Gazan girl who died in the conflict. It's tragic. Obviously nobody likes that. Except for Hamas. They like that. Um, but it is a two day festival celebrating the campus protests of last year. They've set up a museum of themselves celebrating Hamas and the protests on the Columbia University campus. They have a table with the wrenches, hammers, rope ropes and wire cutters used by the anti Israel protesters to break in and occupy Columbia's Hamilton hall last April with a sign, do not get your fingerprints on these because of course the man might crack down. Very strange. From the Wall Street Journal headline, the higher education is in trouble. Among other things, schools should curtail DEI and stop taking political sides. They're quite right. But they cite some astonishing statistics. Confidence in America's colleges and universities has declined modestly among Democrats, but it has collapsed among Republicans. A decade ago, a mere decade ago, 56% of Republicans expressed high confidence in higher education. Now only. And only 11% expressed little or no. It was 56 to 11. It is now 20 to 50.

[Ryan]

I'm a little or no.

[Joe Getty]

Me too. Yeah. Only 20% of Republicans express high confidence in higher education and 50% have little or no confidence.

[Ryan]

What is it for Democrats? Do you have that?

[Joe Getty]

Oh goodness, I'm not sure they gave that specific number.

[Ryan]

Remember I told the story as this is Halloween before last, so it's probably gone further this direction now. But I was out walking with other parents for Halloween. These are all college educated, super liberal town people and I was shocked by most of them saying, yeah, my kid's not going to college unless there's some specific reason. I thought, wow, if this crowds turned against college, it's really something.

[Joe Getty]

And then this. Do you have an insatiable desire to read about alchemical hermaphrodites, gender fluid angels, Ethiopian eunuchs, trans saints, sex workers and gender queer monks?

[Ryan]

Man, I want to come. I'm going to go see Ethiopian Eunuchs this weekend.

[Joe Getty]

They're doing a special MLK show they're they're opening for. For John Mayer or. Would you like to contemplate how these medieval texts speak to the historical, theoretical and political concerns that animate contemporary trans studies? Well, if you'd like to, you can take at Boston University the upcoming course Medieval Trans Studies. Boy, the kids can't read, write, nor do engineering.

[Ryan]

It's interesting in Gladiator 2, the slave holder of the gladiator. This time around, Denzel Washington is clearly flaming gay. Like really, really gay. And the two emperors are both kind of trans. Ish. And I thought okay. I mean I know that sort of thing went on in Greek and Roman life, but I imagine they got a kick out of alerting the world. See, this was always happening. It's always been this way, not new.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. We'll touch on this briefly. A Columbia University professor who called the Hamas October 7th rape, murder, child murder, burning people, live attack on Israel. Awesome. Will teach an upcoming course on Zionism at beautiful Columbia University this term. So that's great, that's just super. That's enough said. But this from our friends at fire, the foundation for Individual Rights and Expression that fight on both sides of the aisle. They want to make sure there's free expression and free speech. They've got a new report that finds half of faculty say mandatory DEI statement pledges and hiring are rarely or never acceptable. But only half. One of the headlines is five. Is it? Nearly half of conservative faculty report they feel unable to voice their opinions because of how others might react. Half on campus. It's only a fifth of liberal faculty. And more than a third of faculty say they self censor their written work because of social pressure, which is quadrupled. Triple the number of scientists who said the same thing at the height of McCarthyism.

[Ryan]

Wow. If you're a liberal professor afraid to espouse your views on campus, you have no testicles and or ovaries. Really? What are you afraid is going to happen?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, no kidding. 87% of faculty find it difficult to have an open and honest conversation on campus about at least one hot button political topic. One in seven reported being disciplined or threatened just for their opinions. 35% report toning down their written work to avoid controversy. And where there was one more headline that I really liked. Only 20% of university faculty say a conservative would fit in well in their department. Only 20% in a 5050 country.

[Ryan]

And how could you possibly, as a liberal not progressive, think that that's good?

[Joe Getty]

They're cultists and they're so self righteous they're convinced that they're good and anybody who disagrees with them is evil. It is a dichotomous view of the world, the second use of the day of the term Manichean. Everything's one or the other in the world.

[Ryan]

Everything.

[Joe Getty]

You're either good or evil. And if you're progressive, you're good. If you're not you're evil. People actually believe this crap. Life and politics isn't a series of trade offs and people who have different opinions and see the world differently. It doesn't take all kinds in the world of these people. It just takes one kind, their kind. The rest should die anyway. Another quick headline or two. Civic education is making a much needed comeback on a number of different campuses. So there is hope. Colleges from Arizona, Texas to Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina and Ohio are starting up American government, politics and civic education programs. It's making a resurgence. There is hope. And even the University of San Francisco has severed ties with one of your racist anti racists whose accredited online class Understanding the roots of racism and bias, Anti blackness and its links to whiteness, white racism, privilege and power. This lunatic. They've severed ties with us. There's hope. We just got to keep fighting.

[Ryan]

I wonder we reach the high point of the craziness and for for my lifetime that's over.

[Joe Getty]

I hope so.

[Ryan]

Oh yeah, it was a nutty time, wasn't? Hey, if you missed a segment or an hour, get the podcast Armstrong and Yeti on demand. You should just subscribe Armstrong and Getty the New Year means new health goals not just for your body, but your finances too. But did you know financial health is directly related to identity protection? You need Lifelock because your personal info is in endless places that are outside of your control. It only takes one mistake, and not even your mistake to expose you to identity theft and lost funds. Lifelock monitors hundreds of millions of data points per second and alerts you to threats you could miss on your own. If your identity is stolen, LifeLock's US.

[Joe Getty]

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[Ryan]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Upgrade the whole [e-mail] Unlock AI experiences with the ThinkPad X1 carbon powered by Intel Core Ultra processors so you can work, create and boost productivity all on one device. Win the tech search for business PCs at Lenovo.com Lenovo Lenovo the new Year's here. It's the perfect time to refresh those household essentials and score some cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive from toothpaste to dish soap, chances are you've got Colgate Palmolive products on your shopping list and in your house. Right now we're talking brands like Colgate Soft Soap, Palmolive, Irish Spring, Fabuloso, and Tom's of Maine. And right now you can get up to a $10 digital Visa prepaid card when you buy up to $30 of Colgate Palmolive products. Here's how it Spend $20 on their products get $5 spend $30 get a $10 reward. All you do is shop your favorite brands, snap a pic of your receipt, and upload it to cprewards.com it's so easy. That's cprewards.com so grab what you need. Or maybe try something new and get rewarded just for doing your usual shopping. And start your year fresh by earning cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive rewards available while supplies last, Limit Supply US only 1125 through 331.25 for full terms and conditions, visit cprewards.com Imagine relying on.

[Joe Getty]

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