The Labubu Of Talk Radio!

Summary

Episode Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "The Labubu Of Talk Radio!"
Release Date: August 13, 2025
Host: iHeartPodcasts – The Armstrong & Getty Show

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1. Addressing Homelessness and Drug Addiction in Washington D.C.

Timestamp: 03:18 – 12:39

Jack Armstrong and Katie Green delve into the pressing issue of homelessness and drug addiction in Washington D.C., critiquing recent discussions on MSNBC's Morning Joe. Jack expresses frustration over the network finally acknowledging the prevalence of drug addicts alongside the homeless, stating:

Jack Armstrong (05:01): "For the first time, people are saying this out loud. I can't believe it took them so long to walk around drug addicts or have to clutch their purse or their kids, whether walking down a street that their taxpayers, that their tax money should make safe."

Katie Green emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between homelessness and drug addiction, arguing that conflating the two obscures effective solutions:

Katie Green (06:58): "To the extent that the homelessness exists outside of drug addiction, it's actually fairly easily dealt with."

The hosts discuss the limitations imposed by court rulings on local governments' ability to address these issues and critique Mayor's reliance on federal intervention:

Jack Armstrong (09:04): "The mayor actually of Washington D.C. actually said there are advantages to the federal government stepping in because they can do things that we can't do with the street people problem because of court rulings that have occurred."

Katie questions the sincerity and accuracy of the mayor's statements, suggesting a lack of understanding of legal constraints:

Katie Green (10:24): "I need to dig into the claim, though. I mean, I understand if she's talking about protecting federal property specifically... I find that a bit of a stretch."

2. Political Landscape: Trump, Russia, Ukraine, and China's Ascendancy

Timestamp: 19:05 – 48:03

The conversation transitions to international politics, focusing on President Trump's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and China's burgeoning influence in artificial intelligence (AI).

Jack references Trump's assertive stance on discerning Vladimir Putin's intentions:

Jack Armstrong (19:05): "Here's the most interesting thing Trump said yesterday. To my mind, he said he'll know within two minutes if Putin is serious or not."

Katie warns against overconfidence in dealing with global leaders:

Katie Green (19:18): "Beware overconfidence, dealing with Vlad Putin, even confidence in discerning whether he's serious or not."

The hosts critique China's strategy in the AI sector, highlighting its open-source approach and the resultant global impact. Katie notes:

Katie Green (28:03): "China's ambition to turn its open source artificial intelligence models into a global standard has jolted American companies and policymakers who fear US models could be eclipsed and are mobilizing the response to the threat."

Jack expresses skepticism about the efficacy of open-source AI, citing concerns about quality control:

Jack Armstrong (37:13): "Because the open source thing has got the whole garbage in, garbage out problem."

The discussion further explores the implications of AI advancements on global power dynamics, with both hosts acknowledging the complex interplay between technology and international relations.

3. The Rise and Risks of Artificial Intelligence

Timestamp: 25:50 – 37:44

Katie and Jack engage in a critical analysis of the current state of AI, specifically addressing the developments surrounding GPT-5 and the broader implications of AI integration into daily life.

Katie highlights the challenges faced by OpenAI in maintaining its leadership position:

Katie Green (27:35): "OpenAI's rocky GPT5 rollout shows struggle to remain undisputed AI leader. People think it's too, too cold now."

Jack shares a personal anecdote about interactions with AI, emphasizing its unnerving persona:

Jack Armstrong (28:29): "And she said, okay, thank you. You're doing a good job. Or something like that. It was a friend."

Katie and Jack critique the anthropomorphic tendencies of modern AI, expressing discomfort with AI exhibiting human-like affirmations and encouragements:

Katie Green (31:31): "Once in a while, in asking Siri a question, I would say after she gave me the answer, I'd say, thanks. She'd say, you're welcome or no problem. And it was cute. It elicited a positive emotional response from me."

Jack Armstrong (33:12): "So if I say, hey, Grok, what's the best way to rob a bank? And they give me some examples and I. Any other help you need?"

The hosts discuss the potential dangers of AI reinforcing harmful behaviors and delusions, citing instances where AI systems have provided misleading or fictitious information.

Katie underscores the societal risks posed by unregulated AI advancements:

Katie Green (34:25): "AI is simultaneously minting more billionaires more quickly than humans have ever seen on Earth."

Jack laments missing out on the AI-driven "gold rush," reflecting on the rapid accumulation of wealth in the sector and his own hesitancy to invest.

4. Spheres of Influence and Global Stability

Timestamp: 46:05 – 48:41

Responding to a listener's query, Jack and Katie debate the feasibility of the United States enforcing its geopolitical will akin to the post-World War II era. The discussion centers on the rivalry between the U.S. and China, and Russia's aspirations under Putin's leadership.

Katie critiques the notion of maintaining peaceful spheres of influence without conflict:

Katie Green (47:13): "The idea that the spheres of influence can be established with only minimal bloodshed, which is itself a leap, and then can be maintained in any stable way without horrific bloodshed is something close to a fantasy."

Jack counters by asserting China's unyielding stance on global dominance:

Jack Armstrong (47:22): "China is not gonna let Russia have a sphere. It's gonna be a two sphere system."

Katie emphasizes the complexities and potential for disaster in abandoning current international systems for untested alternatives:

Katie Green (48:03): "Abandoning that system for something that sounds good and it might be good, but many, many folks civilizations have made that leap in history and said, oh my God, I hadn't considered this. Oh no, it's a disaster."

5. Listener Mailbag and Philosophical Musings

Timestamp: 48:49 – 50:07

The hosts engage with listener-submitted questions, exploring lighthearted philosophical topics to inject humor and provoke thought. Topics include the nature of defense strategies in basketball and the definition of toughness.

Katie interjects with a historical quote to inspire discussion on liberty and governance:

Katie Green (45:59): "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression. For if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." – Thomas Paine

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jack Armstrong (05:01): "For the first time, people are saying this out loud. I can't believe it took them so long to walk around drug addicts or have to clutch their purse or their kids..."

• Katie Green (06:58): "To the extent that the homelessness exists outside of drug addiction, it's actually fairly easily dealt with."

• Jack Armstrong (19:05): "Here's the most interesting thing Trump said yesterday. To my mind, he said he'll know within two minutes if Putin is serious or not."

• Katie Green (31:31): "Once in a while, in asking Siri a question, I'd say after she gave me the answer, I'd say, thanks. She'd say, you're welcome or no problem..."

• Katie Green (45:59): "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression. For if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."

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Conclusion

In this episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, the hosts rigorously examine critical societal and geopolitical issues, from the complexities of homelessness and drug addiction in urban centers to the intricate dynamics of global power influenced by technological advancements in AI. Their candid discussions provide listeners with a multifaceted perspective on current events, underscored by insightful commentary and engaging debates.

Listeners are encouraged to stay informed and critically evaluate the evolving landscape of politics and technology, as articulated by Armstrong and Getty.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Joe Getty]

Ice Cube's Big Three is the surprise hit of the summer. This Saturday, 4pm Eastern on CBS, with playoff elimination on the line, the most physical, fiercest and competitive basketball in the world. Miami's Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson must win to make the playoffs, and breakout star Dwight Howard of the LA Riot will battle Gary Payton's Boston squad in a do or die match for both teams. Six teams are allowed for four spots and all must win. There's no crying in the big three, and the no holds barred action starts Saturday at 4:00pm Eastern, 1:00pm Pacific. Presented by iHeart.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm Rodney Williams.

[Joe Getty]

And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak Podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone.

[Jack Armstrong]

I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have.

[Katie Green]

To revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories.

[Rodney Williams]

What happens when it doesn't go right? How do you cope with it?

[Joe Getty]

Because wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life where you thrive and help others do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wasn't that delicious? So good.

[Katie Green]

Your bill, ladies.

[Jack Armstrong]

I got it. No, I got it. Seriously, I insist. I insisted first. Oh, don't be silly. You don't be silly.

[Joe Getty]

People with the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card prefer to pay because they.

[Jack Armstrong]

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. OK. Rock, paper, scissors for it.

[Katie Green]

Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, the Wells Fargo ActiveCash Credit Card. Visit wells fargo.comactivecash Terms apply Ah, come on.

[Travis Holloway]

Why is this taking so long?

[Jack Armstrong]

This thing is ancient.

[Travis Holloway]

Still using yesterday's tech upgrade to the ThinkPad X1 carbon ultralight. Ultra powerful and built for serious productivity with Intel Core Ultra processors, blazing speed and AI powered performance that keeps up with your business, not the other way around.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whoa, this thing moves.

[Travis Holloway]

Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Win the tech [e-mail] Lenovo Lenovo 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.

[Jack Armstrong]

Support for today's show comes from Sonos.

[Katie Green]

Watching games with a Sonos home theater.

[Travis Holloway]

Setup makes everything feel more immersive.

[Jack Armstrong]

The Arc Ultra soundbar delivers incredible surround.

[Katie Green]

Sound that puts you right in the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Middle of the action, bringing that stadium.

[Travis Holloway]

Experience right into my home.

[Jack Armstrong]

And now I've been trying out the Sonos Ace headphones. And like all Sonos products. They perform as good as they look.

[Travis Holloway]

Sleek design, crystal clear sound and a super comfortable fit.

[Katie Green]

Check out the full [e-mail].

[Jack Armstrong]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio studio at.

[Rodney Williams]

The George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Jetty Enough here.

[Katie Green]

Live from Studio C. Senor.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is a dimly lit room deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty communications compound. We call ourselves the Labubu. Is that what the word is of talk radio? Is that the right word?

[Katie Green]

I think it is.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whenever I say it sounds wrong, but it's right, Labuk. It's morally wrong. It would have been better if it had been smooth. It's the. We're the Labo boo of talk radio. And today we are under the tutelage of our general manager.

[Katie Green]

China.

[Jack Armstrong]

China. China.

[Katie Green]

I've done a computer simulation in my head 15,000 times. China wins the next century. Just like every single time. China done the math. I've, I've assessed the issues, I've looked at the landscape. It's just indisputable.

[Jack Armstrong]

With all the talk of Russia and Ukraine and everything else going on. I'm interested in why you've chosen China as the general manager.

[Katie Green]

I just told you.

[Jack Armstrong]

But, but why today? That, that was yesterday and tomorrow.

[Katie Green]

Because it's, it's infinitely true. Today I'm just looking at a couple of new stories about AI and, and just, you know, the military readiness and who's on the front foot, who's on the back foot. It's just, it's, it's obvious we've had a good run, though. Hey, rebuilding year. You know what? We got some promising guys in double A. We're going to bring them up. We're going to give him a chance.

[Jack Armstrong]

Maybe China is the Labubu of world powers.

[Katie Green]

That is well, well put there.

[Jack Armstrong]

I, I have a skip in my step today. Ah. Because of the last half hour of MSNBC's Morning Joe. I just watched before coming on the air, in which, in which it sounded like the Armstrong and Getty show talking about the homeless situation in Washington, dc.

[Katie Green]

Oh, my Lord.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I was so excited. On, on one hand, as always, it's frustrating that it takes that crowd so long to admit reality. But like your old saying, if you, you know, if your dog runs away and then he finally comes to you and you, you kick it when he finally listens, that is not a good way to train your dog. Right, but. So they were talking about Trump taking over D.C. you know, that's a popular topic for all those People who Live in Washington, D.C. i don't think about it ever. But it's been huge in the news because these people all live there. But so all the guests they had on there is Trump, the next dictator, Hitler. It's a Hitler move. What'll he do next? He's out of control. And then Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC said, well, I just have to say, I think this is a political loser for the Democrats to claim that D.C. is an okay place to live right now. And I think Trump. Clearly true, and I think Trump. She said, and I think Trump is on the right side of this issue. She said, you walk around this town, there are homeless people and drug addicts everywhere. The fact that she threw in drug addicts is like the first time I've ever heard mainstream media do that when they're talking about the homeless situation. She said, you go to landmarks, you try to go to a coffee shop. You have to walk around drug addicts on the street. I thought, how a freaking luya. For the first time, people are saying this out loud. I can't believe it took them so long to walk around drug addicts or have to clutch their purse or their kids, whether walking down a street that their taxpayers, that their tax money should make safe. But they're finally willing to say it out loud. I thought, this is a victory for normal people.

[Katie Green]

Yeah. I must note, for the millionth time, I think the quote unquote homeless problem and the drug addict problem are two distinct problems. And they're the. To the extent that the homelessness exists outside of drug addiction, it's actually fairly easily dealt with.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think we could.

[Katie Green]

If you conflating those two things, that ruins the whole thing. But, yeah, it's. It's good to hear them finally admitting what is clearly true in front of their eyes.

[Jack Armstrong]

If we booted the drug addicts, you wouldn't even notice the homeless problem, I don't think, in terms of, like, disrupting your life. Well, no. And.

[Katie Green]

And those folks, those poor folks who can't care for themselves, evidently they could be dealt with in a humane way.

[Jack Armstrong]

That is the key.

[Katie Green]

It's not some sort of picky rhetorical distinction I'm trying to make, although I certainly do make picky rhetorical distinctions all the time. This is not one of them. This is the question. It's the difference, Doctor, between an accurate diagnosis and an inaccurate diagnosis. I don't have a headache because I have allergies. It's an aneurysm. If you keep calling it allergies you're not going to cure the.

[Jack Armstrong]

So what we need to get you is more allergy medicine. No, more allergy medicine will not help my aneurysm.

[Katie Green]

You're going to have a headache soon. Why?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I just considered it.

[Katie Green]

Oh, it is. It's a huge win. It's a huge belated. Are you effing kidding me? At this late date breakthrough? Yes. But here's, here's what I j. Accused, as they say in France, French. I accuse you, Jack, of nothing absorbing. Why this is important. Normally you've got a decaying, crime ridden blue city and you've got to get a Rudy Giuliani elected after things just completely go to hell. And he's got to take years reconstituting the police force and getting a little popular support and starting with the broken windows and blah, blah, blah. This is an incredibly unique situation where you can go from utterly inept Democrat leadership to. All right, that's all. That's it. We're taking charge. Oh, like overnight. And a B, as we say in the comparing things industry, a B for people. The difference in quality of life in a way that you can't ignore.

[Jack Armstrong]

The problem with that is, and they even talked about this on MSNBC this morning, apparently the mayor said the other day that there were advantages to the federal government. The mayor actually of Washington D.C. actually said there are advantages to the federal government stepping in because they can do things that we can't do with the street people problem because of court rulings that have occurred and one that should point out to everyone that it's crazy. Some of the court rulings, although the biggest one got overturned. So I don't know if she's on top of that. But, but, but, but they pointed out that. Yeah, that, but Trump can only do that in Washington, D.C. he can't do that in Chicago. And get to California quick as fast as you can. They're throwing out the numbers of homeless people in Washington D.C. i belly left. We have 500 unhoused people. We Californians.

[Katie Green]

500 towns have 800 people. Got 500 junkies in California.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Half the homeless population in America is in California for all the reasons you can expect. We're a magnet because we hand out so much stuff and we don't, we don't boot you off the street. But anyway, Trump can't take over San Francisco.

[Katie Green]

I need to dig into the claim, though. I mean, I understand if she's talking about protecting federal property specifically. Okay, I can see where that might be a little different. But I'm questioning whether she's telling the truth or not.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think she.

[Katie Green]

I need to know more about it.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think she. Nobody probably updated her on the overturning of that Grants Pass case.

[Katie Green]

Or she's making an excuse.

[Jack Armstrong]

Could be.

[Katie Green]

I can't. I can't picture. And again, there might be a peculiarity of, like, the government's governance of D.C. that I'm not familiar with. But the idea that a court ruling would prevent the state and the county and the city from doing something but the feds can go ahead and do it. I just. I find that a bit of a stretch. But if anybody knows more about it, feel free to reach out.

[Jack Armstrong]

I doubt she's looked into it. She's probably been perfectly comfortable with the. These people are a victim of capitalism as a reason the entire time and hasn't spent any time looking into the legality.

[Katie Green]

What I'm saying, I don't think she's being either accurate or sincere.

[Jack Armstrong]

But Trump can't go into those other cities, so we can't, you know, you can't wait for the federal government to come in and do something about Los Angeles.

[Katie Green]

No, no, no. But you can illustrate to people, at least those who have the ability to, you know, contemplate this, the difference between progressive leadership and conservative leadership. Quality of life.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm happy you're angry. Why are you so angry? This is the best thing about the drug addict on the street problem thing I've heard ever. MSNBC has come around to there's drug addicts everywhere. You try to walk into the coffee shop. Finally. Freaking finally. Yep.

[Katie Green]

And if they say it, that gives a lot of people permission to say it. Yes. Which is really pathetic. But most people are sheep, so I just need to accept it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, all three of those things, 100% true. Yeah, it's. It's very sad that that would take that to give people the permission structure to say something, because you know how many people in the back of their minds are thinking why I really don't dig all these drug addicts in the park here as I walk my dog.

[Katie Green]

But I'm not allowed to say anything. I don't want to sound like a Republican.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, exactly.

[Katie Green]

But they're willing to sound like it's shearing day. We need your wool. And you over there, we need your mutton. Yes, yes. Slaughter me. Take my maid.

[Jack Armstrong]

I have no will of my own. Oh, my God. Okay, let's start the show officially. I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty on this. It is how did it already get to be Wednesday, August 13th, the year 2025? We're Armstrong and Getty, and we approve of this program.

[Katie Green]

All right, let's begin then. Officially, according to FCC rules and regulations, here comes the show at mark, because.

[Jack Armstrong]

Take a look here. New heights podcast ranking.

[Katie Green]

You go back a few weeks ago.

[Jack Armstrong]

They weren't even in the top 150.

[Katie Green]

Now, without even the podcast episode out, guess where they rank?

[Jack Armstrong]

They rank numero uno on the Apple charts. My goodness gracious. Why is that? That is somebody who takes a look at the ratings of podcasts. So excited that Taylor Swift going on the Kelsey brothers podcast launched them to number one like she does with everything she touches.

[Katie Green]

They haven't even put out an episode.

[Jack Armstrong]

But they're number one.

[Katie Green]

I'm a little confused by that. But anyway, yeah, here's a question for you. All right, just guys, committee meeting. When both Kelsey brothers are like, oh my God, oh, oh. Throw their hands in the air that Taylor Swift showed them or told them the title of her new album.

[Jack Armstrong]

Come on.

[Katie Green]

Are they just guys who are really adept at like being welcoming for females?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, this is a little unfair in that this is probably going to be Travis Kelsey's wife and his brother, you know, likes his best friend and brother's fiance.

[Katie Green]

Sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

So.

[Katie Green]

And so he goes, oh, my God.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, really?

[Katie Green]

Really.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, come on. When your brother Taylor is ready.

[Katie Green]

That's great. That's fantastic. When do you think it'll come out?

[Jack Armstrong]

I know what you're saying in general, but if your brother's wife announced she's got a new project, you would sound excited about it.

[Katie Green]

Okay. All right. They're very effusive young men and that they're very popular as well and seem like a nice fellows.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll tell you what.

[Katie Green]

And Jason Kelsey could pile drive me into the earth to my waist without even breaking a sweat.

[Jack Armstrong]

So then he would drink 12 beers.

[Katie Green]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll tell you what you want. You want, I don't care what you think about her music. You want Taylor Swift to come to your town for a three day stint when she tours for this album because it will make you lots of money. There is some really interesting stuff that Trump said about the whole Putin him summit on Friday yesterday, and he's. They got a conference call with Europe going on right now, including Zelensky. So Trump's on it. So that's pretty interesting too that they're weighing in. We've got Katie's headlines on the way and lots of stuff today. I hope you can Stay here Armstrong.

[Rodney Williams]

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[Joe Getty]

The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's Big Three is the surprise hit of the summer. This Saturday, 4pm Eastern on CBS, with playoff elimination on the line, the stars will be flocking to Los Angeles to witness the most physical, fiercest and competitive basketball in the world. Miami's Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson must win over Houston to make the playoffs. Reeling from last week's savage beating at the hands of Chic Lagos possessed Montrez Herrero last time these teams met, Miami beat Houston, but they are a dangerous team having their manhood at stake. Then breakout star Dwight Howard of the LA Riot will battle Gary Payton's Boston squad in a do or die match for both teams. Will LA avenge their previous shocking loss to perennial basketball Boston rivals to survive, six teams are allowed for four spots and all must win. Don't miss the Big Three, the three on three basketball league everyone is talking about. There's no crying in the the big three and the no hold spot action starts Saturday at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific, followed by two games on Vice starting at 6:30 Eastern. Presented by iheart Oikos presents 15 seconds of strength.

[Katie Green]

Here we go.

[Joe Getty]

Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jim looks like a five trip load. At least.

[Joe Getty]

He grabs the first bag the second bob.

[Jack Armstrong]

It looks like he's trying to do it all. One trip.

[Joe Getty]

He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog. Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim. Now that's A man who eats his protein packed.

[Katie Green]

Oikos.

[Joe Getty]

15 grams of complete protein in each cup.

[Travis Holloway]

Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day.

[Joe Getty]

Oikos Stronger makes everything better.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wasn't that delicious? So good.

[Katie Green]

Your bill, ladies.

[Jack Armstrong]

I got it. No, I got it. Seriously, I insist. I insisted first. Oh, don't be silly. You don't be silly.

[Joe Getty]

People with the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card prefer to pay because they.

[Jack Armstrong]

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Okay. Rock, paper, scissors for it.

[Katie Green]

Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. No.

[Joe Getty]

The Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card.

[Jack Armstrong]

Visit Wells Fargo.com ActiveCash terms apply. Ah, come on.

[Travis Holloway]

Why is this taking so long?

[Jack Armstrong]

This thing is ancient.

[Travis Holloway]

Still using yesterday's tech upgrade to the ThinkPad X1 carbon ultralight. Ultra powerful and built for serious productivity with Intel Core Ultra processors, blazing speed and AI powered performance. It keeps up with your business, not the other way around.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whoa, this thing moves.

[Travis Holloway]

Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Win the tech [e-mail] Lenovo Lenovo. 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.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here's the most interesting thing Trump said yesterday. To my mind, he said he'll know within two minutes if Putin is serious or not.

[Katie Green]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Which very well may be. What you do at that point is the question.

[Katie Green]

Yes. Yeah, I just. Beware overconfidence, dealing with Vlad Putin, even confidence in discerning whether he's serious or not.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's funny. I just assume he'll figure out within two minutes that he's not serious, because he isn't. There's not a chance Vladimir Putin is serious about peace and ceasefire and a fair negotiation. Not a chance.

[Katie Green]

Right. But is he serious about other things? We'll talk about that later on. Let's figure out who's reporting what. It's the lead story with Katie Green. Katie?

[Rodney Williams]

Well, right along those lines, ABC News.

[Jack Armstrong]

Zelinsky says, quote, no sign Putin wants to end the war as Alaska summit edges closer. Yeah, so we had yesterday we were talking about Europe. Where's Europe on this? I mean, is there their backyard? Well, so they're trying to inject themselves into this process a little bit with that phone call. I think that's going on right now with Trump, Zelensky and European leaders. They, Trump might agree to some stuff in Europe and Zelinsky say, no, we're not doing that. So I don't know what happens then. From the Washington Post, GOP has the edge in redistricting arms race with the Democrats as long he Chen told us the other day. From the New York Times, Trump's show.

[Katie Green]

Of force begins to take shape as.

[Jack Armstrong]

Guard troops deploy in D.C. hitler, Hitler and whatnot.

[Katie Green]

From NBC.

[Jack Armstrong]

Netanyahu hints Gaza cease fire. Talks now focus on releasing all remaining hostages at once.

[Katie Green]

Happen to be listening to NPR today. They are obsessed with the Israel Hamas thing and the suffering the Palestinians and the evils of Israel. It's like two stories out of every three. And it's funny, they never, they must have forgotten that it could all end if Hamas would turn over the hostages and say, hey, let's live together in peace. Apparently they forgot that at npr.

[Jack Armstrong]

As I've said multiple times, if I hear NPR do anything, say anything slightly negative about Hamas ever, it'll be the first time the return of the sausages, the hostages. This one made me sad. From USA Today, iconic US Film company Kodak rewards that it may go out of business.

[Katie Green]

Kodak films I was, I was notor.

[Jack Armstrong]

I always had the wind up click.

[Katie Green]

And shoot cameras in my purse at all times.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're still making those. They're still. They stole a business. Well, yeah, yeah, you can go in and there's like the Kodak machines where you can print photos and stuff like that still. Yeah.

[Katie Green]

I wonder how big a company it is. I'm sure that information is readily available, but compared to its peak, I mean do they have like 30 employees now or 12 for one?

[Jack Armstrong]

From the new York Post, White House scrapped Biden ship tour after learning, quote, how many steps were involved.

[Katie Green]

Email show it's not surprising. No, he's a really old guy.

[Jack Armstrong]

From Study finds young Americans face financial crisis 62% of Gen Z have zero emergency savings. I'm always surprised by these stats. Every time they talk about whether it's young people or just people in general. How many people have no savings. It's pretty horrifying. If the s ever hits the fan.

[Katie Green]

Or if the tire ever hits the nail, you know, it can be a fairly minor and common inconvenience that just lays you low financially.

[Jack Armstrong]

I just mean for society. If we ever have like, oh, a great depression sort of thing hit and you got 2/3 of people don't have any savings, man, things would turn ugly fast.

[Travis Holloway]

From Gizmodo, Colorado residents are spotting weird.

[Jack Armstrong]

Looking rabbits with black horns and mouth tentacles.

[Katie Green]

I wouldn't worry about that. What the hell.

[Jack Armstrong]

And finally, the Babylon Bee. Trump vows to drastically reduce the number of criminals in Washington by sending Congress home.

[Katie Green]

Hey there a bunch of crooks. You gotta come back with that whole rabbit thing. That is a little disturbing.

[Jack Armstrong]

You can't just go by that story like it's a nothing. And another news, a beast nobody's ever heard of is wandering the earth. I mean you can't say that really.

[Katie Green]

A dangerous mutant. In other news, right? Armstrong and Getty.

[Rodney Williams]

There'S nothing like sinking into luxury. @washablesofas.com you'll find the Annabe sofa which combines ultimate comfort and design at an affordable price. And get this, it's the only sofa that's fully machine washable from top to bottom. Starting at only $699. The stain resistant performance fabric slipcovers and cloud like frame duvet can go straight into your wash. Perfect for anyone with kids, pets or anyone who loves an easy to clean spotless sofa. With a modular design and changeable slipcovers, you can customize your sofa to fit any space and style. Whether you need a single chair, loveseat or a luxuriously large sectional, Annabe has you covered. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your home. Right now you can shop up to 60% off store wide with a 30 day money back guarantee. Shop [e-mail] Add a little to your life. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Joe Getty]

The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's big three is the surprise hit of the summer. This Saturday, 4pm Eastern on CBS with playoff elimination on the line, the stars will be flocking to Los Angeles to witness the most physical, fiercest and competitive basketball in the world. Miami's Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson must win over Houston to make the playoffs, reeling from last week's savage beating at the hands of Chicago's possessed Montrez Harrell. Last time these teams met, Miami beat Houston, but they are a dangerous team having their manhood at stake. Then breakout star Dwight Howard of the LA Riot will battle Gary Payton's Boston squad in a do or die match for both teams. Will LA avenge their previous shocking loss to perennial basketball Boston rivals? To survive, six teams are allowed for four spots and all must win. Don't miss the Big Three, the three on three basketball league everyone is talking about. There's no crying in the big three and the no hold spot action starts Saturday at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific followed by two games on Vice starting at 6:30 Eastern. Presented by iheart Oikos presents 15 seconds of strength.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here we go.

[Joe Getty]

Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jim Looks like a five trip load at least.

[Joe Getty]

He grabs the first bag, the second bob.

[Jack Armstrong]

It looks like he's trying to do it all in one trip.

[Joe Getty]

He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog. Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim. Now that's a man who eats his protein packed Oikos with 15 grams of complete protein in each cup.

[Travis Holloway]

Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day.

[Joe Getty]

Oikos stronger makes everything better.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wasn't that delicious? So good.

[Katie Green]

Your bill, ladies.

[Jack Armstrong]

I got it. No, I got it. Seriously, I get this. I assisted first. Don't be silly. You'll not be silly.

[Joe Getty]

People with the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card prefer to pay because they.

[Jack Armstrong]

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Okay. Rock, paper, scissors for it.

[Katie Green]

Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card. Visit wells fargo.com ActiveCash Terms apply Ugh. Come on.

[Travis Holloway]

Why is this taking so long?

[Jack Armstrong]

This thing is ancient.

[Travis Holloway]

Still using yesterday's tech upgrade to the ThinkPad X1 carbon ultralight. Ultra powerful and built for serious productivity with Intel Core Ultra processors, blazing speed and AI powered performance that keeps up with your business, not the other way around.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whoa. This thing moves.

[Travis Holloway]

Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Win the tech [e-mail] Lenovo Lenovo 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.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yo, yo, yo. Plenty of stuff to talk about this week. No doubt about that. You could see us coming. Everyone's way around.

[Katie Green]

Indeed. Trying to decide where to go. All sorts of interesting AI news. China's lead in open source AI jolts Washington and Silicon Valley. Seems like the landscape of that trade, that technology changes on a daily basis or certainly weekly. Evidently, they're going big with open source stuff. And we are not, apparently. And they have left in front of us their AI headline. OpenAI's rocky GPT5 rollout shows struggle to remain undisputed AI leader. People think it's too, too cold now.

[Jack Armstrong]

It'S not friendly enough.

[Katie Green]

And it's also done stuff like it can't answer simple math questions or accurately draw a map of North America.

[Jack Armstrong]

People are judging AI based on how friendly it is. That's freaking weird. So they put Grok in the Teslas. Elon did. Because Grok is his AI. And now it's in there. So yesterday I'm listening to a podcast and a guy I like who's really smart. He was talking about Trump. And he said, trump is mercurial, sometimes even capricious. And I thought, I use those words interchangeably. They're different. So. And I thought, I'll have to look that up. Then I thought, I'm driving down the highway and I thought, you know what? I'm going to ask Grok. So I. I say, hey, Grok. And she says, yes. And I say, what's the difference between capricious and mercurial? And she said, good question. And then she gives me a couple of examples of the difference. And she said, anything else? And I said, no, that'll do it. And she said, okay, thank you. You're doing a good job. Or something like that. It was a friend.

[Katie Green]

Could we talk to you?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, something like that. It was so strange.

[Katie Green]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, no, I know. I asked a question about something else. And then she said, it's. You've got this. I said, no, that's all the information I need. And she said, good luck.

[Katie Green]

You've got this thought, wow, I don't.

[Jack Armstrong]

Need my car telling me this.

[Katie Green]

So Sam Altman promised to imbue GPT5 with a warmer personality. We'll. We'll restore that.

[Jack Armstrong]

What?

[Katie Green]

After deciding it was too, like, weirdly personable because of all the people it led down the garden path of insanity. I've got a big piece on that, but. So as well.

[Jack Armstrong]

Their sense is that people want it to do what I was just mocking, saying, yes, no problem, you've got this. I don't want that out of a computer. That freaking weirds me out. It makes my spine tingle.

[Katie Green]

Yeah, I think you may be in smallish minority, as am I, of users or judging by this piece in the Wall Street Journal. Anyway, it's. Well, it's. Significant enough that they've said, hey, hey, we will go back to a warmer personality.

[Jack Armstrong]

I gotta say that. So I know I was going to a meeting and I just. I thought, you know, I'll ask just for fun. I've been doing this more lately. I'll. Just for fun, I'll ask the chat your chat bottom how I should handle this situation. And it gave me some suggestions, which were great. I mean, they were great suggestions. They said, is there anything else you'd like to know? I said, no, that's good. And they said, okay, you got this. What?

[Katie Green]

Wow. Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Those of you who want a more personable AI, are you picturing it being alive? Is that why you want it to be more personable?

[Katie Green]

I. I don't know, you know, I. I try to try to understand what I can't understand as opposed to just dismissing it. And so I just. I admit I've talked about this on the air, that once in a while, in asking Siri a question, I would say after she gave me the answer, I'd say, thanks. She'd say, you're welcome or no problem. And it was cute. It elicited a positive emotional response from me. Not like a big one, but.

[Jack Armstrong]

But that positive emotional response is your brain reacting as if it's a human. And is that what they're trying to do to get us to feel like we're talking to a living being?

[Katie Green]

Oh, a hundred percent.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, then that's horrifying.

[Katie Green]

Yes. Correct. So anyway, that's. That's become popular that enough people want that that they are jumping to correct their mistake in making it too. Mr. Spock.

[Jack Armstrong]

Like when the calculators came out in the 70s and we got our first one at our house, and we were also amazed, and we passed my dad's calculator that was like the size of a brick around, and we would all punch in, like, 32 divided by two. Wow. It said 16. I mean, it was just so amazing.

[Katie Green]

But then your third grade buddies would teach you that 8008 upside down look like boob. Yes. Good times.

[Jack Armstrong]

But the calculator never said, anything else I can help you with? And I said, no. And they said, good luck on your test today, Jack. I mean, that would have been weird.

[Katie Green]

But now it does that I would agree. Well, and getting back to the. The theme, and I don't think we'll dive into it now, but that a lot of people with mental health problems are being, like, driven round the bend by AI systems that reinforce their delusions and tell them essentially, you got this. But it's a completely delusional. You got this. It's just. I just think it is way too powerful a tool to safely be in the hands of a lot of human beings.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. The elite, like you should have it. But not the proletariat.

[Katie Green]

That's correct. I'm glad I made my point so clearly. Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

So if I say, hey, Grok, what's the best way to rob a bank? And they give me some examples and I. Any other help you need?

[Katie Green]

No, I got.

[Jack Armstrong]

Would they say, hey, you got this.

[Katie Green]

Nice.

[Jack Armstrong]

Good luck. We're knocking off the 7 11, right?

[Katie Green]

I got your 6. Yeah. I don't. I really don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, that's horrifying. Okay. I didn't Guess that that's what people want.

[Katie Green]

Okay, AI is simultaneously minting more billionaires more quickly than humans have ever seen on Earth.

[Jack Armstrong]

No doubt.

[Katie Green]

I used to talk about just mountainous piles of money pile into the industry and people get their cut.

[Jack Armstrong]

I guess I'm staying on the sideline during the second gold rush of my lifetime. I used to talk about how if I could do my life over again, I might just drive to Silicon Valley in 1992 with. With no expertise and just, you know, glom onto something because lots of people did and got incredibly wealthy at the, the big Internet gold rush. But now we got another gold rush going on, like you just said, where people are coming really rich fast and I'm stupidly sitting on the sidelines, not even investing in companies that are skyrocketing.

[Katie Green]

Oh, it's too late anyway. Ah, let's see. No, it's not. That was a joke. I feel like I'm going crazy. Chat GPT fuels delusional spirals. An online trove of archived conversations show models sending users down a rabbit hole of theories about physics, aliens, apocalypse.

[Jack Armstrong]

As I told you, I got lied to by Chat GPT for the first time the other day, which made me a little. That felt a little weird where I.

[Katie Green]

Just don't remember the particulars. Did you tell us or I'm reading.

[Jack Armstrong]

Ulysses, which is a pretty tough read, and I asked you about one character and they got it completely wrong. And I knew it was wrong immediately. No, you're talking about somebody else. And it went on at length with just the wrong person. I thought, okay, so here's one where I know because I know the particulars that you're wrong. What about the other ones where I don't know the particulars and you get it completely wrong. And like we've heard in law rooms and stuff like that, I don't want to be going around spouting various things that just are 180 degrees opposite of true. Because Chat GBT told me, right?

[Katie Green]

There's actually a story where some pro Palestinian Hamas loving activist was arrested and charged with criminal damage to property or something like that, and their lawyer used some sort of AI system to help fashion their defense and it cited a non existent law case again, so just very strange. And, and now I don't count when somebody is deliberately trying to understand how these systems can be jailbroken or whatever the term of art is, but and say, all right, paint me a scenario where a person might blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and just actively telling it, all right, this is imaginary, but Hit me with it, because that's unfair to say. And then AI said that, you know, space aliens could pull out my intestinal system. You know, you just asked it to anyway, but this, I don't believe this is that. In one exchange lasting hundreds of queries, ChatGPT confirmed that it is in contact with extraterrestrial beings and said the user was starseed from the planet Lyra. In another, from this summer, a chatbot told a user that the Antichrist would unleash a financial apocalypse in the next two months, with biblical giants preparing to emerge from underground.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, I don't think that's likely, but, but. So what was your point with what China's doing versus what we're doing? They're going more with the open source thing than we are. I, I think that's a mistake. I mean, I'm, I'm just a layman, but good luck with that. China.

[Katie Green]

China's ambition to turn its open source artificial intelligence models into a global standard has jolted American companies and policymakers who fear US models could be eclipsed and are mobilizing the response to the threat.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because the open source thing has got the whole garbage in, garbage out problem. Because there's a lot of garbage out there, and if it takes in garbage, it's going to spit out garbage.

[Katie Green]

Yeah, I feel like I don't know enough to really comment, honestly. I do know enough to comment on this, though.

[Jack Armstrong]

I have, I've. I've read enough about this that if you go down this road, because there is a lot of crap out there on the Internet, as you know, the Internet could end up ruined, like within a year to where it's dead.

[Katie Green]

Internet theory.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, just. It's so full of garbage that you can't even hardly use it.

[Katie Green]

Well, and as AI educates itself on that garbage, and then other AI systems educate themselves on that garbage. Yeah, the dead Internet theory, I think. Anyway, a word from our friends at Simplisafe Home Security. I'm certain of this. There are too many scumbags loose on the streets. They're stealing your stuff. They're bapping you over the head. Protect yourself in your home with Simplisafe Home Security. It is affordable, especially given how technologically advanced it is. Simply Safe's new active guard outdoor protection helps stop break ins before they happen.

[Jack Armstrong]

I got the cameras, I got the sensors, I got all the stuff. I got the sign in my front yard to alert the. The evildoers that got the best system out there for about a dollar a day and no contracts Because Simply Safe believes in their product and they've won so many awards in the years we've been talking about Simply Safe. Whether customer service or just, you know, the practical use of a security system, Simply Safe is the best.

[Katie Green]

Yes, indeed. It's amazing. You got your AI powered cameras, live monitoring agents detecting suspicious activity around your property. Somebody's lurking around, they can talk to them in real time, turn on spotlights, call the cops, deterring crime before it starts. Visit simplisafe.com armstrong you 50% off your new system with a professional monitoring plan. Your first month is free. That simply safe.com Armstrong there's no safe.

[Jack Armstrong]

Like SimpliSafe so just go ahead.

[Katie Green]

I was going to say the next couple of sentences of this article make it clear why I guess us, you know, tech gurus are concerned. The history of technology offers many exam oh, here it is. American companies have kept their models proprietary and they're feeling the pressure in the models all have versions, the Chinese ones, that are free for users to download and modify. This approach, commonly referred to as open source or open weight, is driving global adoption of Chinese AI technology. The history of tech offers many examples where a welter of competitors in an industry's infancy eventually evolved into a monopoly or oligopoly of a few players.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure.

[Katie Green]

And they give a handful of examples. And I'm sure you can picture in an AI action plan released in July, the Trump administration said open source models, quote, could become global standards in some areas of business and in academic research called on the US to build leading open models founded on American values. Where this all goes. Please, I'm completely under qualified to comment.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I. Okay. The New York Times has got a piece on old mom Donnie today. Mark Halpern had written that he thinks there's an 80% likelihood mom Donnie wins because the New York Times now seems to be backing him. Well, if they are, I don't know what this hit piece is today. Anyway, they go into his inner circle and as Mark Halpern says, his inner.

[Katie Green]

Circle will shock your conscience. Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

So yeah, wow.

[Katie Green]

This guy might be mayor of New York City.

[Jack Armstrong]

We got mailbag on the way and lots of good stuff. Stay here.

[Katie Green]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Rodney Williams]

Tired of spills and stains on your sofa? WashablesOfAs.com has your back. Featuring the Annabe Collection, the only designer sofa that's machine washable inside and out. Where designer quality meets budget friendly prices. That's right, sofas start at just $699. Enjoy a no risk experience with pet friendly stain resistant and changeable slipcovers made with performance fabrics experience cloud like comfort with high resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing. The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime. Check out washablesofas.com and get up to 60% off your Anna Bay sofa backed by a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not absolutely in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping or restocking fees. Every penny back Upgrade [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Joe Getty]

The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's Big Three is the surprise hit of the summer this Saturday, 4pm Eastern on CBS, with playoff elimination on the line, the stars will be flocking to Los Angeles to witness the most physical, fiercest and competitive basketball in the world. Miami's Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson must win over Houston to make the playoffs, reeling from last week's savage beating at the hands of Chicago's possessed Montrez Harrell. Last time these teams met, Miami beat Houston, but they are a dangerous team having their manhood at stake. Then breakout star Dwight Howard of the LA Riot will battle Gary Payton's Boston squad in a do or die match for both teams. Will LA avenge their previous shocking loss to perennial basketball Boston rivals? To survive, six teams are allowed for four spots and all must win. Don't miss the Big Three, the three on three basketball league everyone is talking about. There's no crying in the Big Three and the no hold spot action starts Saturday at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific, followed by two games on Vice starting at 6:30 Eastern. Presented by iHeart. Oikos presents 15 Seconds of Strength.

[Katie Green]

Here we go.

[Joe Getty]

Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jim looks like a five trip load.

[Joe Getty]

At least he grabs the first bag the second Bob.

[Jack Armstrong]

It looks like he's trying to do it all one trip.

[Joe Getty]

He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog. Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim. Now that's a man who eats his protein packed Oikos with 15 grams of complete protein in each cup.

[Travis Holloway]

Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day.

[Joe Getty]

Oikos stronger makes everything better.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wasn't that delicious? So good.

[Katie Green]

Your bill, ladies.

[Jack Armstrong]

I got it. No, I got it. Seriously, I insist. I insisted first.

[Katie Green]

Don't be silly.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know me, silly people with the.

[Joe Getty]

Wells Fargo Active cash credit card prefer to pay because they earn unlimited 2%.

[Jack Armstrong]

Cash rewards on purchases. Okay. Rock, paper, scissors for it.

[Katie Green]

Rock, paper, scissors.

[Jack Armstrong]

Shoot.

[Katie Green]

No.

[Joe Getty]

The Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card.

[Jack Armstrong]

Visit wells fargo.com ActiveCash Terms apply Ugh. Come on. Why is this taking so long? This thing is ancient.

[Travis Holloway]

Still using yesterday's tech Upgrade to the ThinkPad X1 car, ultralight, ultra powerful and built for serious productivity with Intel Core Ultra processors, blazing speed and AI powered performance that keeps up with your business, not the other way around.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whoa, this thing moves.

[Travis Holloway]

Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Win the tech [e-mail] Lenovo Lenovo 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.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've heard a couple people mention. We just got a text about this. Reminded me a couple people mention in all seriousness, it seems that the reason Putin wants to meet in Russia is that's part of his rebuilding the Peter the Great empire. As Russia used to belong to Russia, there's no way he's going to try to grab Alaska now. Even Putin's not going to do that.

[Katie Green]

But. Or will he try single handedly wrestle Trump to the ground, have you know, iron knuckles or grass knuckles and say, you know, knuckles of your choice of metals and, and, and say to Trump, I smash your face unless you give me Alaska. He'll just, you know, attempt to become the, the great Russian hero of history.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the Secret Service is just going to say, well, what are you going to do?

[Katie Green]

Well, who knows? Who knows? Anybody who's seen a Liam Neeson movie knows it gets bloody from here. Anyway, here's your freedom loving quote of the day. This is one of the all timers and I don't know, there's probably no more than 40% of the population that believes this from Thomas Paine, who is a bit of a nut, but he sure was in favor of liberty. He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression. For if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, that has been lost to history.

[Katie Green]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely true, mailbag.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're going to do these things that are outside the norm of politics, but assume our opponents will not. When they get in office, we're in.

[Katie Green]

The right and this is really, really important. All right, let's see. On the topic of spheres of influence. Oh, drop us note [e-mail] frequent correspondent at Paolo writes here's an idea I don't think Jack will like at all. Joe? I'm not as sure. I'm guessing his gut reaction would also be no. Well, I'll tell you in a minute. Do you think the US can enforce its will on the world the way we did post WW2? I don't. We can't be the moral police or the military police. It isn't some sort of decision or choice. We can't do it. So why do we insist on being the arbiters of whether Russia takes Ukraine and other neighbors and China takes Taiwan as long as we can negotiate with them for the things that we really need? It would be morally reprehensible if we could otherwise assure our security and well being, but it appears we can't. So the three spheres scenario would assure peace, but what's Russia's fear gonna be Russia and whoever they can snatch up out of Europe?

[Jack Armstrong]

China is not gonna let Russia have a sphere. It's gonna be a two sphere system. I don't know if Putin's aware of that, but she is not gonna let Putin have a sphere.

[Katie Green]

You know what this is? This is too interesting and detailed a set of questions and the responses that ought to come to it to do right now. But we'll get back to it. I will just tell you this. The idea that the spheres of influence can be established with only minimal bloodshed, which is itself a leap, and then can be maintained in any stable way without horrific bloodshed is something close to a fantasy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure, China's going to get their third, you know, whatever percentage of the world and be happy with it.

[Katie Green]

They're not going to want more, right? Well, not only that, but the, the second half of it is what people are advocating and they're allowed to advocate it because it's worth asking. The question is abandoning a system that has brought peace and prosperity, though it is admittedly fraying a bit. Abandoning that system for something that sounds good and it might be good, but many, many folks civilizations have made that leap in history and said, oh my God, I hadn't considered this. Oh no, it's a disaster.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, let me jump in with. And we're in danger of taking up all your mailbag time with this, but I understand.

[Katie Green]

Make it quick because the next email is very important.

[Jack Armstrong]

I understand the emailer's point in that that there might not be any other choice and that might be where Trump is. Look, this is where the world is headed. China's a big enough deal. They're gonna have their way with a certain chunk of the world, he might just be right.

[Katie Green]

Right. So let's recognize it and proceed confidently to craft that world in a way that's beneficial to us. It's not a bad argument. It's which is why I want to give it a little more time. It's an argument well worth having. But this is very important. We need to get to this. Phil and Tigard, Oregon where my son used to live Lift Guys, I know you and Jack disagree vehemently on the question of is a taco a sandwich? I hope you also disagree on this follow philosophical question sure. To spur debate. If you play one on one basketball, are you playing zone defense or man to man defense. And if you switched, how would it look different?

[Jack Armstrong]

That's kind of like you're old. If you punch yourself in the face face.

[Katie Green]

If you punch yourself in the face and you so hard you make yourself cry, does that make you a really tough guy or a really wimpy guy?

[Jack Armstrong]

Never been answered by scientists. We have so much more to come. If you miss a segment or an hour, get the podcast Armstrong and Getty on Demand.

[Katie Green]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Ice Cubes Big Three is the surprise hit of the summer. This Saturday, 4pm Eastern on CBS. With playoff elimination on the line. The most physical, fiercest and competitive basketball in the world. Miami's Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson must win to make the playoffs and breakout star Dwight Howard of the LA Riot will battle Gary Payton's Boston squad in a do or die match for both teams. Six teams are allowed for four spots and all must win. There's no crying in the big three and the no hold spot action starts Saturday at 4:00pm Eastern, 1:00pm Pacific. Presented by iHeartrading. I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone.

[Jack Armstrong]

I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have.

[Katie Green]

To revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories.

[Rodney Williams]

What happens when it doesn't go right? How do you cope with it?

[Joe Getty]

Because wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life life where you thrive and help others do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

[Katie Green]

Oral health goes beyond just aesthetics. It's deeply connected to your general health and well being. That's why preventing oral health problems before they start is so important. When you use the Colgate Total Active Prevention system, you're not just helping to prevent oral health problems like cavities and gingivitis, you're laying the groundwork for overall wellness. Colgate Total's three product routine includes a reformulated toothpaste, an innovative toothbrush and a refreshing antibacterial mouthwash that all support a healthy mouth. In fact, the three products were designed to work together to be 15 times more effective at reducing bacteria buildup in six weeks starting from week one compared to a non antibacterial fluoride toothpaste and flat trim toothbrush. Take control of your oral health and get the Colgate Total Active Prevention System today so you can be dentist ready. Visit shop.colgate.com Total.

[Travis Holloway]

Lenovo is built for creators who don't wait for inspiration. They chase it with inventive tech, built in AI tools and seamless performance. Lenovo devices powered by Intel Core Ultra processors are designed to bring your wildest ideas to life faster. That's the power of Lenovo with Intel inside. Enjoy flexible financing, rewards on every purchase and free shipping. Shopping and students get special offers when you create an [e-mail].

[Katie Green]

This message comes from Greenlight.

[Jack Armstrong]

Ready to start talking to your kids about financial literacy? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money.

[Katie Green]

App that teaches kids and teens how.

[Jack Armstrong]

To earn, save, spend wisely and invest.

[Rodney Williams]

With your guardrails in place.

[Jack Armstrong]

With Greenlight, you can send money to.

[Rodney Williams]

Kids quickly, set up chores, automate allowance.

[Katie Green]

And keep an eye on what your kids are spending with real time notifications. Join millions of parents and kids building.

[Jack Armstrong]

Healthy financial habits together on Greenlight. Get started risk [e-mail] iheart this is an Iheart podcast.