They're Bleeping Bleeping Rats With Hooves!

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "They're Bleeping Bleeping Rats With Hooves!"
Release Date: April 23, 2025
Host: Armstrong & Getty
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction

In the April 23, 2025 episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a variety of pressing socio-political issues, interspersed with their characteristic humor and sharp commentary. The episode titled "They're Bleeping Bleeping Rats With Hooves!" addresses topics ranging from political polarization and educational reforms to environmental concerns and current events.

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1. Trump’s Influence and Political Polarization

The episode opens with Jack Armstrong discussing the enduring influence of Donald J. Trump in American politics. Jack reflects on the polarized reactions to Trump, highlighting how his actions and statements continue to spark intense debates:

"Whether it's Pete Hegseth at the Defense Department or the stock market fluctuations, Donald J. Trump remains at the epicenter of national discourse." ([03:25])

Jack emphasizes the dichotomy in public opinion, where supporters view Trump as infallible, while critics see him as a destabilizing force:

"You're either screeching 24 hours a day, the Trumpist Satan... Or Trump is always right in every way." ([04:15])

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2. Neo-Marxism in Education and DEI Policies

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the perceived infiltration of Neo-Marxist ideology in American education systems. Joe Getty introduces the concept by referencing a recent opinion piece by an admired stoicism author who dismisses claims of Neo-Marxism in education as baseless. This sparks a fervent rebuttal from the hosts:

"I'm not sure I can read your stuff anymore. You're blind to how education is being hijacked by woke doctrine." ([07:10])

Jack expands on the topic, detailing how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are being challenged by the Trump administration, leading to widespread conflicts between federal directives and state responses:

"President Trump's letter to states demanding certification against illegal DEI programs has ignited fierce resistance, especially from blue states like New York." ([15:00])

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3. Harvard Lawsuit and Executive Power

The hosts shift focus to Harvard University's lawsuit against the federal government, which froze $2.2 billion in research funds. Jack criticizes the administration's interference in academic autonomy:

"Denying Harvard its tax-exempt status is a mistake that overextends executive power and sets a dangerous precedent." ([19:50])

He argues for a balanced approach where Congress limits executive overreach, ensuring fair-handed policies for both political sides.

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4. Matt Taibbi's Perspective

Referencing Matt Taibbi, a respected journalist, Joe Getty acknowledges Taibbi's balanced critique of both Trump's administration and academic institutions:

"Matt Taibbi praises Trump when he's right and loudly admits when he's wrong, providing an honest critique of university overreach." ([21:14])

This segment underscores the complexity of holding leaders accountable while recognizing their contributions.

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5. Supreme Court Case on Gender in Education

A pivotal moment in the episode is the discussion of the Supreme Court hearing on the Montgomery County Gender Bending Kids Case. Jack elaborates on the case where parents argue against the school district's refusal to allow them to opt their children out of progressive gender education:

"In Mahmoud vs. Taylor, religious parents claim Maryland's policy infringes on their rights to educate their children according to their faith." ([27:03])

Katie Green adds context, highlighting the broader implications for parental rights and educational content standards:

"This could be a landmark case determining the extent of state involvement in shaping children's understanding of gender and sexuality." ([28:00])

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6. Hedgehogs Disappearing in the UK

Injecting a lighter yet concerning topic, the hosts discuss the alarming decline of hedgehog populations in the UK. Jack shares a personal anecdote to illustrate the issue humorously:

"Years ago in Northern California, I met someone who described hedgehogs as 'bleeping rats with hooves,' highlighting the disconnect between their adorable appearance and actual impact." ([27:10])

They lament the environmental challenges facing these creatures, emphasizing the importance of habitat restoration.

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7. Current News Highlights

The episode also touches on various current events, including:

• Immigration Policies: Jack previews an upcoming segment on immigration, referencing the story of Maryland's Kilmar Abrego Garcia and its implications on public perception.

• FBI Scams Targeting Seniors: A report on seniors losing $4.8 billion to scammers in 2024 underscores the growing issue of cyber fraud.

• Gen Z's Skepticism of College Degrees: Discussion on how AI advancements are influencing Gen Z's views on the value of traditional education.

• Food Dye Controversy: The hosts comment on the Babylon Bee's satire about renaming Fruity Pebbles to "Whitey Pebbles" following a food dye ban, critiquing policies that affect consumer products.

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8. Personal Anecdotes and Banter

Throughout the episode, Armstrong & Getty maintain their engaging rapport with personal stories and humorous exchanges. For instance, a discussion about Jack's respiratory illness seamlessly transitions into broader topics, showcasing their ability to blend personal experiences with larger societal issues:

"If you get sick, understand people are getting pretty sick from it. Is it COVID? Is it a variant? Well, we're beyond that..." ([22:38])

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9. Mailbag and Listener Comments

Engaging with their audience, the hosts address listener emails that critique various policies and societal trends. Highlights include:

• Criminalizing Homelessness: A listener named Mike argues against categorizing homelessness as a criminal lifestyle, drawing parallels with infamous criminals to illustrate his point.

• Critique of Trump’s Policies: Fred voices his disagreement with Trump, labeling his policies as socialist and criticizing high tariffs and interest rate cuts.

• Transgender Terminology: A listener proposes the term “Tran Tifa” for "transgender extremists," reflecting ongoing debates around gender identity terminology.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with a reflective quote from Eric Hoffer, encapsulating the episode's themes of passion, purpose, and the dangers of fanaticism:

"Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life. Thus, people haunted by the purposelessness of their lives try to find new content not only by dedicating themselves to a holy cause, but also by nursing a fanatical grievance." ([44:15])

Armstrong & Getty sign off by encouraging listeners to engage with their content and stay informed on the evolving political and social landscape.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jack Armstrong ([04:15]):
  "You're either screeching 24 hours a day, the Trumpist Satan... Or Trump is always right in every way."

• Joe Getty ([07:10]):
  "I'm not sure I can read your stuff anymore. You're blind to how education is being hijacked by woke doctrine."

• Jack Armstrong ([19:50]):
  "Denying Harvard its tax-exempt status is a mistake that overextends executive power and sets a dangerous precedent."

• Katie Green ([28:00]):
  "This could be a landmark case determining the extent of state involvement in shaping children's understanding of gender and sexuality."

• Eric Hoffer ([44:15]):
  "Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life..."

---

Final Thoughts

Armstrong & Getty's April 23rd episode offers a comprehensive exploration of contemporary issues, marked by incisive analysis and engaging dialogue. The hosts balance serious discourse with levity, making complex topics accessible and thought-provoking for their audience.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Katie Green]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have supervision, enhanced hearing, extraordinary reflexes to be, dare we say, superhuman? Well, Roku's new Pro series TV can't do any of that for you, but with a 4K screen, side firing speakers and a blazing fast refresh rate, it'll.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure feel like it.

[Katie Green]

Elevate your entertainment using all your favorite apps like iHeart and Play all your music, radio and podcasts. With the new Roku Pro series, your senses aren't better. Your TV is.

[Joe Getty]

Broadcasting live from the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty Armstrong and Getty and now here's Arms Draw and.

[Joe Getty]

Get it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Live from Studio C, Senor Deep within the stinking bowels of the Armstrong and Getty and Formation complex, this is the Armstrong and Getty show live. Yes, not Best of We're back live this Wednesday, April 23, the year of our Lord 2020. This morning, under the tutelage of temporary General manager Clarity, Jack is out at least part of today, so I get to do one of my theme general managers instead of a specific general manager. Specific human being, I should say. I've been thinking about as I look over a bunch of different stories and groups of stories that I really want to talk about today. And if there is a theme emerging, it is this. And as usual, Donald J. Is more or less at the center of it. But whether it's Pete Hegseth at the Defense Department that's getting a lot of attention among the chattering classes, the tariff slash, trade ups and downs, stock market skyrocketing yesterday after going in the toilet the previous day, etc. Etc. Getting kind of used to it, aren't we? The the immigration stuff and a couple of different other topics. Oh, you know, bums and junkies on the streets, school choice, and in particular the battle with the major universities. Clarity is a little hard to find because. And we're all used to this at this point. You're either screeching 24 hours a day, the Trumpist Satan. If Satan got together with a female Hitler and they had an unholy evil baby, that's Trump. Or Trump is always right in every way. Even when any reasonable human being would say, whoops, that was a misstep, he probably shouldn't have done that. Whereas the truth is usually in between, and it's much more interesting. And so we're going to try to bring you clarity about a handful of different topics and we'll figure out in what order in a moment or two, because they're all so interesting. Obviously, if you know the show I Joe Getty Amazing on a Jihad against the Neo Marxist Woke indoctrination our kids are getting from the time they step into pre kindergarten, as it turns out. I've been saying K through PhD for the longest time. There is a story out of. Is it Maryland? Oh, look, it doesn't matter. It's one of your blue eastern states that have lost their minds where they are indoctrinating the tiny little kids, the pre K kids, into the woke doctrine at age 3 and 4 in a preschool. I know, it's an obscenity. It is. It is absolutely worth having a jihad against this stuff. I came across an author that generally I like and admire a little bit. He's. What's his face? It doesn't matter. He's the guy who's always writing about stoicism. He's put out like 11 books about the stoic philosophy and stuff, and it's really good. And I like the stoic philosophy. I'm a fan. But this guy had a piece in, I think, the New York Times Think piece where he claimed that any claim of neo Marxism in education these days is just a stupid knee jerk, you know, kind of cliche of the right and there's nothing to see here. And I thought, oh, my God, brother, I'm not sure I can read your stuff anymore. You're blind. You have these ideas that dominate education. You're supposed to be teaching how to add and subtract and they've got the rainbow and the genderbred person and explaining how, you know, people of color aren't allowed to add in America because of slavery or some nonsense. This guy's trying to claim that this stuff is just some sort of paranoid dream of the right. And it's just very disappointing. Whether he's deliberately blinded or he's of that point of view, I don't know. But we are definitely still at the stage of this battle where we're drawing people's attention to the issues at hand, which is fine. More than willing to do that. But the battle will be long and it will be chaotic, and there will be times that perhaps our side, I'm assuming you're more or less on the same side ideologically. If you're not, that's fine. Feel free to drop us a note explaining where we're wrong. But those of us who are on the side of a much more traditional read and write arithmetic education and not indoctrination into neo Marxist garbage, there are going to be missteps and courts that say, no, you can't do that in that way, because Trump is trying to do what we're talking about in a very Trumpian way, suddenly and dramatically and stirring things up and stirring up a bunch of dust and, and then trying to get a settlement within the chaos, which is his negotiating style. And there will be moments where that's not gonna work and probably wasn't a great idea. I mean, for instance, trying to deny Harvard its tax exempt status. You may be shocked by this, but I think that's a mistake and we'll get into a little detail about that later. The reason being, just very, very briefly, it grants the executive branch, the president specifically think Obama and the Tea Party organizations, it grants the administration way too much power to say to the irs, yes, that group and that group and that college deny their tax exempt status, their 401C3 or 501C3, whatever it is, this is why I hire an accountant, deny them their status because they are not under kingly favor and the left has abused the hell out of that. And so I find myself on the side of Congress needs to do its job and limit that sort of abuse of executive power because if we permit it on the right, the left is going to just do it like crazy. And I know there's a certain point of view that's like, you know, they take the low road all the time and there are virtually no repercussions. So we're going to take the low road until we win. I don't think it's time for that yet. I think we kick Congress in its behind, get them to limit executive power in a way that it's fair handed for both sides and keep appointing reasonable conservative judges, not conservative politically, that always come to an outcome. I like conservative as in they understand the three branches of government and what their jobs are and don't overreach. So anyway, that will be one of the topics to address today that I hope you'll find interesting. Matt Taibbi, one of my favorite authors, even when I don't, when I don't agree with him just because he's, he's able to. Getting back to the whole the Trump delusion syndrome or, or you know, people who believe he's right every single second of the day. Taibbi will praise Trump lavishly when he's right and he'll say loudly when he thinks he's wrong. And his piece recently about the divorce between the federal bureaucracy and big time colleges is, you know, long, long, long overdue. And he is absolutely honest in pointing out that while some of the things the Trump administration is doing to try to reign in the colleges might Be a little over certain lines and maybe we need to reel it in a little bit. He is absolutely brutal and honestly describing how perverse and one sided universities in the United States have become. So we'll get to that, among other things. Anyway, glad you're here. Thank you for tuning in. Jack will be joining us as possible as he has got the respiratory butt kicker du jour. Just nasty. Katie. Here we go with a little on air medical diagnosis, one of our specialties. You said it sounds kind of similar to what your mom and pop had, right?

[Unnamed Contributor]

Almost to a T. I mean, they were sore throat, a bunch of crap in their lungs, coughing a lot, and that's basically what Jack's been talking about. And theirs lasted for weeks.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, that's not good.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Was it ever named?

[Unnamed Contributor]

No. They went from acute bronchitis to possible pneumonia, back to bronchitis to upper respiratory infection.

[Jack Armstrong]

Ah, yes. Yeah. Uri, the all purpose term for you got some sort of microbe and it's. It's making it hard to breathe. Yeah.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And the wheezing and the coughing just. They're still coughing a little bit and it's been over a month.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, gosh. Yeah, I've had a version of that. The whole you felt good for five, six weeks and weeks and you're still coughing deal.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And just, you know, just a little hint, and I will certainly not harass our co host since he's not here to defend himself. Some people on Earth are hypochondriacs, and the minute they have a sniffle, they act like they're dying. Some people are much more stoic. Back to stoicism. Probably misuse of the term. But anyway, if. Perhaps they are the sort who come from a family of Iowa farmers where you show up and do the work no matter how bad you feel, and you don't complain. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah much. Perhaps you don't take illnesses seriously enough. I would suggest if you get this one, you understand people are getting pretty sick from it. Mm. What's interesting is nobody's even asking the question. Is it Covid? Is it is a variant? Is it Covid? Which is good. I guess we're beyond that until Dr. Fauci goes to work at the Wuhan lab again. Anyway. All right, let's begin the show officially, according to FCC rules and regulations. Here we go. The show starts at Mark. I was born in Brooklyn, the same place where Donald Trump's family comes from. His father and my grandfather were builders together in Brooklyn. Really? Yeah. Even when he was much younger, you knew that he was going to go places. That's Chuck Schumer singing the praises of Donald J. Trump. That was from The Apprentice in 2006, which I don't want to horrify anybody was 19 years ago. Wait a minute, let me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was never a great guy at Math. Carry the three or good Lord, 2006 was 19 years ago. What are you gonna do? Time marches on, doesn't it? All right, Katie has her headlines coming up. We've got all sorts of good stuff to squeeze in this hour. Hope you can stay with us.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie Green]

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[Joe Getty]

There's an efficient way to get caught up on a lot of news. It's called the seven from the Washington Post. It's a newsletter and podcast. Whether you're reading or hit play, you get seven stories you need to know and you can consume it all in just a few minutes. The 7 is out every weekday morning by 7:00am Eastern. I'm Hannah Jewell, I'm one of the writers and I host the show. Find the seven Podcast wherever you're listening. The newsletter link is waiting for you in the show notes.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Unnamed Contributor]

Hey, everybody. So when you get asked, what is Odoo? What comes to mind? Well, I'll tell you. Odoo is a bit of everything. Odoo is a suite of business management software that some people say is like fertilizer because of the way it promotes growth. But you know, some people also say that Odoo is like a magic beanstalk because it grows with your company and is also magically affordable.

Oh. But then again, you could look at Odoo in terms of how its individual software programs are a lot like building blocks. Whatever your business needs, manufacturing, accounting, HR programs, you can build a custom software suite that's perfect for your company. So what is Odoo? Well, Odoo is a bit of everything. Odoo is a fertilizer. Magic beanstalk. Building blocks for business. Yeah, that's it.

Which means that Odoo is exactly what every business needs. Learn more and sign up [e-mail] that's O-O-O.com.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hedgehogs are disappearing in the UK. Live team coverage coming up a little bit later on. Among other stories we'll be covering today, I just saw that. That aud. Are they really. Well, that's disturbing, I think. Are hedgehogs. I don't know. We'll talk about it when we talk about it. Let's figure out who's reporting what. It'll leave plenty of time. It's the lead story with Katie Green. Katie, well, she's just like. I mean, I become aware spending time in South Carolina that armadillos, while a fascinating looking beast, and Texans can certainly relate to this, are incredibly destructive. They dig up your lawn, then they dig under your foundation. Oh, really? Stuff. They're, they're. Oh yeah. They're destructive little bastards. And I just. The hedgehog is a cute little roly poly, furry looking thing, right? Yes, but, but do the Brits. Oh, my gosh. Sorry. An aside. So years ago when I just moved to Northern California, I was playing golf with Mike. I, I'm not even sure Mike's still with us, but a wonderful guy. And, and I was trying to connect with them and it was the first time we played golf together and some deer capered by on the very pretty golf course. We were playing and I said, oh, my God, they're so graceful, aren't they? And he said, what? They're bleeping, bleeping rats with hooves that eat all my flowers. I was like, oh, well, all right. That game didn't work. All right. Not graceful. Rats with hooves. So I don't know. The Brits think hedgehogs is rats with fur. I don't. Well, rats have for. You know what I'm saying? Anyway, I don't know.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Anyway.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, Joe? And then he shot a deer right in front of me out of pure meanness. No, he didn't. No. I'm sorry.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Katie, back to you from msnbc. Education department plans to restart debt collections for defaulted student loan borrowers.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. Having inexplicably been suspended for years and years and years because of COVID from.

[Unnamed Contributor]

The New York Times. China has an army of robots on its side in the tariff war.

[Jack Armstrong]

I actually glanced at that story. Go ahead.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Oh, no, it's just they're mentioning major investments in factory equipment and artificial intelligence giving them the edge over us.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I came across a really, really interesting throw a piece about how we lost our manufacturing edge and they talked about the automotive industry a lot. And I. How do I express this briefly? One of the overarching themes is timing, and nobody talks about that. If you have a gigantic mature industry 15 years later or 25 years later, upstarts are going to be able to move much more swiftly and creatively than the giant established conglomerates with labor agreements, with big unions and that sort of thing. Part of it is just timing, but anyway, back to you.

[Unnamed Contributor]

More on that later from the Washington Times. Under Trump, border catch and Release has dropped 99.99% from.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're soft on immigration. Oh, whoops. No, no. Actually, he's so good at immigration, there's nobody to round up. Yeah, yeah. More on that to come, including really interesting perspective on what the left was saying when their guys were in office. Completely different. Oh, there's a shock.

[Unnamed Contributor]

From ABC. According to the FBI, seniors lost $4.8 billion to scammers in 2024 alone.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, my gosh. Oh, this is such a problem. And this is not as cold as it sounds. Is the only way to get beyond this to have folks who are not hip to the whole Internet scammer. Everybody's trying to steal all the time culture of ours when they pass away. That's the only way we're going to get beyond this. I don't know, Katie. I don't know if you've ever heard this story. I was talking to some FBI agents at a thing I did years ago and they were talking about a woman had been scammed out of like half her life savings by a smooth talking telephone. You know, scammer guy. This is back when it was mostly on phones and they were investigating it, talking to her. She was fully aware of what had happened to her. They are sitting in the living room, the phone range. And after a while they wandered into the kitchen to see what she was doing. She was getting scammed again. She was falling for it again.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Oh my gosh.

[Jack Armstrong]

So what do you do? I don't know.

[Unnamed Contributor]

From the New York Post Gen Z grads say their college degrees are a waste of time and money as AI has infiltrated the workplace.

[Jack Armstrong]

A lot of truth to that.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And finally, the Babylon Bee after the food dye ban Fruity Pebbles to be changed to Whitey Pebbles.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whitey Pebbles. Have you ever seen the compare and contrast between various popular products in the US and in Canada that spanned some of these dyes ages ago? Yes, they look fine. Jack always said. Oh, they're just not quite as lurid. They look less like tropical fish and more like colors that actually occur in nature. I'm not super up on the the food dye science. It can't be doing us any good.

[Unnamed Contributor]

No.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right. So much to talk about. My goodness, the list is long. Can't wait to get started. Glad you're here. If you miss a segment, grab the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie Green]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have supervision, enhanced hearing, extraordinary reflexes? To be, dare we say, superhuman? Well, Roku's new Pro Series TV can't do any of that for you. But with a 4K screen, side firing speakers, and a blazing fast refresh rate, it'll sure feel like it. Elevate your entertainment using all your favorite apps like iHeart. And Play all your music, radio and podcasts with the new Roku Pro series. Your senses aren't better. Your TV is.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm Molly Roberts. And I'm Drew Goins.

[Joe Getty]

Each Friday on Impromptu, we talk through.

[Jack Armstrong]

The questions we can't stop thinking about. Do we need to rethink how much we drink?

[Joe Getty]

Why are companies really asking workers to come back to the office?

[Jack Armstrong]

Does boycotting a business actually work? Should we quit social media? We're here when the news gets personal and the headlines hit home.

[Joe Getty]

Join Molly and me every Friday on.

[Jack Armstrong]

Impromptu from Washington Post Opinions. Find Impromptu Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joe Getty]

Deciding on what to listen to is Hard Using Xumo to stream music from iHeart 90s radio is easy. Or play I heart country or hip hop beats, your choice. All for free. Stream easy with Zumo Play. Get live and on demand entertainment with no logins, no signups, no accounts, no hassle. This April binge these classics. The Whole Nine Yards starring Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry adaptation with Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep and the Fisher King with Robin Williams. All streaming free on Zumo Play. Go to play.xumo.com now. Life is hard. Zumo is easy.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Hey, everybody. So when you get asked, what is Odoo? What comes to mind? Well, I'll tell you. Odoo is a bit of everything. Odoo is a suite of business management software that some people say is like fertilizer because the way it promotes growth. But you know, some people also say that Odoo is like a magic beanstalk because it grows with your company and is also magically affordable.

Ooh. But then again, you could look at Odoo in terms of how its individual software programs are a lot like building blocks. Whatever your business needs, manufacturing, accounting, HR programs, you can build a custom software suite that's perfect for your company. So what is Odoo? Well, Odoo is a bit of everything. Odoo is a fertilizer, magic beanstalk. Building blocks for business. Yeah, that's it.

Which means that Odoo is exactly what every business needs. Learn more and sign up [e-mail] that's o-o o.com.

For the last 18 months. Israel is still today under attack. Missile fire has resumed from Israel's enemies that surround them. These are people that are trying to wipe Israel off the map. They are fighting for their very survival here in America. Can you imagine what it would be like to live in constant fear like this? Well, for the people of Israel, it is very real. It's their reality every single day. Please join me, show your support for the people of Israel and help protect them in this time of attack and uncertainty. And one of the best ways you can do it is by giving to our friends at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. And listen, they're providing humanitarian assistance. They're also providing security essentials. Please give a special Passover gift especially and help protect the people of Israel. Call now and donate 888-488 ifcj 888488 ifcj online is one word, supportifcj.org, that's supportifcj.org today, the UK announced plans to.

[Jack Armstrong]

Improve its environment and hopes to restore.

[Katie Green]

At least 1.2 million acres of wildlife.

[Jack Armstrong]

Habitat to protect rare species like hedgehogs and red squirrels.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Because if those die out, it could mean the end of the traditional English breakfast.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Ends up being a shot at British food, which is admittedly, yeah, way down, way down the ladder of world cuisines towering only above the Scots, from what I understand. Not that I'm much of a world traveler. So there's your hedgehog story. Not a lot of detail to it. Katie, perhaps you could dig into the whole vanishing hedgehog crisis in Britain.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Oh, I'm all over it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Excellent. There you go. Live team coverage coming up. So first, a scene setter. This is the practically unwatchable NBC Nightly News. Stephanie gosk. More than 200 educational institutions signing a statement protesting the Trump administration's efforts to reshape higher education in the U.S. the statement calls the government's tactics unprecedented overreach and political interference. The statement's release coming just hours after Harvard became the first school to sue the federal government for freezing $2.2 billion in research funds. The lawsuit accuses the government of using the funding as leverage to gain control of academic decision making. Okay, just wanted to set the scene a little bit. And we'll be talking about colleges more specifically later on in the show, but I wanted to talk about elementary education at least a little bit. So here's the situation and tactics matter. Because if, say, I got a kid and the next door neighbor kid is bullying my kid, and I go over to talk it over with the kid's parents and say it's gotta end. But instead of talking it over, I just go over and punch the wife and say, how do you like it? Okay, my kid was getting bullied. That's a legitimate problem that needed to be fixed. But now I'm the bad guy. And that bullying ain't going to get fixed because everybody's going to be fixated on what I just did and this. So you can't do that.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Yeah, they're going to focus on the wife punching for sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, exactly. I couldn't decide whether I was going to kick the dog in this scenario or punch the wife. I would never raise my hand to a woman. But anyway, you get the point. You gotta be careful. Cause if you overreach, then. And anybody who's familiar with Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals knows this. They try to make you the bad guy. They try desperately. It's called a decision dilemma. It's when the, the, the protester comes up and screams right in your face through a bullhorn until you can't take it anymore, and you punch them. Then you notice that they've all got their phones out and are all videoing you in in the carefully edited version. Video of you punching them makes you into the bad guy, and they win the day. They're desperate to get you in a position to do that, so you have to be tactically smart. Anyway, one more scene setter, before we get into the substance. Up until very, very recently, a lot of America would hear DEI and they would think, oh, yeah, diversity, I'm. I'm in favor of that. Equity sounds like equality. And I've been taught to be in favor of that and inclusion. How could I be against inclusion? And. And they had everybody convinced that this neo Marxist philosophy, which is actually just a tool of takeover of institutions, because if they can pin the original sin of slavery on you, and you're thinking, I was born 125 years after it ended, doesn't matter. You're still part of the patriarchy, a white supremacy culture, blah, blah, blah, 16, 19 project, blah, blah, blah. So you're like, oh, I'll do it. You tell me to. Just tell me what you want me to do and stop calling me a racist. So a lot of America was in that attitude, and so they were winning like crazy to the point that they've taken over vast swaths of the American education complex. So that's where this starts, you know, not long ago, when a lot of people, including us, started fighting against this. And the Trump administration is right now. So the Trump administration recently sent a letter to states nationwide with the demand, certify that your schools are not engaging in illegal diversity, equity and inclusion programs or risk your federal funding because they're racially discriminatory, not to mention neo Marxist. But, um, well, not surprisingly at all, several states have pushed back like crazy. For instance, New York State. We will not give in to misleading and damaging myths about diversity. Equity and inclusion work. Okay, all right. So they've gotten away with their own absolutely misleading and damaging myth about what they're doing, but so many people bought it, now they're being called on it. Whoa, whoa, whoa. We've seen the reality of what you're doing. You're trying to tear down the. The pillars of Western civilization. This isn't about diversity. Well, they're not gonna go down without a fight. So here comes the fight. You got the general counsel in Wisconsin's Education Department. I love Wisconsin, but it's politics. Like Illinois, my home state, dominated by the urban areas, lunatic, lefty urban areas that, because of the numbers involved, you know, in a democracy, dominate the vast swaths of Wisconsin that are perfectly sane, good, reasonable, Midwestern people. Actually reminds me of California too, for that matter. But anyway, so the general counsel in Wisconsin's Education Department said that letter that the Trump administration sent might be unconstitutionally vague. New York went back. There are no federal or state laws prohibiting the principles of dei. Yes, there are. Of course there are. It's hell it did. DEI is against everything this country stands for. But they're clever. They've, they've cloaked it. They've, they've, they've put lipstick on the pig. Of that it is. And made it sound like some sort of noble undertaking. Anyway, so President Trump's attempt to reshape American education has sparked a hell of a pro. A pushback from Harvard. Talked about that a little bit. Resistance is also emerging in K through 12 schools where practices. I'm quoting now, I think this is the Wall Street Journal editorial. No, it's Matt Barnum in the Wall Street Journal. Ah, scrolling back to where I was. Sorry. So, resistance has also emerged in K through 12 schools where practices have been slow to change. And many Democratic officials are challenging Trump's edict in court. They are going to fight it. Meanwhile, Republican leaders are cheering Trump's crackdown. For instance, Tom Horner, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, said, quote, DEI has no place in education or society, and I've been working diligently to get it out of schools. So you've just got a big battle forming up. Blue states versus the Education Department, which maybe we don't dismantle quite yet because it's a great way to fight DEI, at least for now. Linda McMahon, stay in the job until Italia. So that is going to be just a battle royale for a very long time. Not surprisingly, Cal Unicornia has state attorney general suing over the cancellation of some of the spending. LA school system has not shifted its policies in response to Trump, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has said. Caught between California law, which bans discrimination on gender identity. In fact, as you know, you can't even tell if you're a teacher. You can't tell a kid's parent, hey, Johnny says he wants to be known as Jenny now and is claiming to be transgender. I think you need to be aware that you're forbidden by Gavin Newsom State to tell that. But California is, is, is doubling down too, on the DEI stuff. So, anyway, but there are a couple other notes that Are are more encouraging in the K through 12 world. For instance, the Supreme Court heard just yesterday. Oh, and guys, I was, I was so busy I forgot. If we can get as much audio as possible of the oral arguments before the Supreme Court yesterday on the Montgomery county gender bending kids case. That was the big oral argument yesterday. Montgomery County, Maryland is not letting parents opt their kids out of this super progressive, radical gender theory education stuff. For instance, imagine this is Ashley McGuire in the National Review. I'm gonna quote on and off here, but imagine if you're four year old at preschool was given a book with the intersex flag, drag queens, references to underwear. And this is part of, this is a search and find word list. Intersex flag is on the word list. Underwear, leather, xoxo and drag queen. This is from a preschool class and the parents are saying, whoa, whoa, whoa, if you're gonna do this stuff, you've gotta let me know and you've gotta let me opt out. And, and this radical Montgomery County, Maryland school district has said no, no, you're not gonna opt out anything. We're not gonna tell you what we're teaching and you don't have an option to opt out of it, no matter your religious or moral concerns. Whether you're a Catholic, a Jew, you're a Muslim, you're a devout evangelical Christian. I mean, and nevermind whether it's age appropriate or has any frigging educational value to begin with this crap. But in Mahmoud vs. Taylor, which is the name of the case, if that helps, religious parents are asking the highest court to hold the Maryland school district policy unconstitutional. They argue that the policy violates the parental rights to educate their children on sensitive matters about human sexuality according to their faith, without interference from the state. They're not even asking the school district to remove the books from the classroom or ideological sexual material from instruction, which I believe they ought to do yesterday. They're merely asking for the right to be notified and up their children out, which is a long standing precedent in our public schools with regard to sex education. And, and this stuff is just so radical compared to the, you know, testicles, ovaries, you know, uterus stuff that we' all took. But getting back to Ashley's piece in the National Review, quote, my home county has bizarrely dug in. The book list is part of a broader initiative in the district focused on Pre K through 5th grade titled Building Community with LGBTQ plus Affirming Picture Books. According to slides from that initiative, which were presented to teachers and obtained by one news outlet Teachers have been, you know what? That, that's, it's easy to pass by that PHRA1 news outlet was able to obtain slides from this district wide initiative. Like they had to go under deep cover and sneak in at night and find the locked file cabinet. Excuse me. And because they try to keep this stuff secret. I mean if that isn't a proof of guilt. Has there ever been because you hear this a fair amount when you get into this radical gender bending ideology in schools, you hear a lot of whether official policy or just teachers saying you don't have to tell your parents about this. In fact don't tell your parents about this. They might not understand it. So let's keep this between us. Name a time where it's ever appropriate for a non parental adult to say to your kid, hey, let's keep this a secret from your parents. That is sick. And that is what? That's the entire school district's official policy. The good news, the justices of the court, aside from the radical leftists, seemed very sympathetic to the parental arguments in this yesterday during the oral arguments. And we will bring you some of that audio as soon as we can get it later on in the show. But anyway, this could be a really landmark case in this topic. I went on so long about this. We don't have time for this now. I'll try to get to it later. But Ohio has like Arizona and a couple of other states. Texas is, is going big on this too. And Florida. Yeah, Florida. Serious school choice for parents to opt out of their local government school. That is not teaching the kids and or indoctrinating them into radical ideologies. Ohio is having some wonderful success with school choice programs. So we'll get to that a little bit later on. We have Mailbagger, our freedom loving quote of the day both coming up in seconds. Hope you can stick around.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie Green]

Hello, iheart listener. We have a confession to make. Both Iheart and this commercial you're listening to right now would probably sound a heck of a lot better on the new Roku Pro series tv. It's got side firing speakers that fill your room with sound, Dolby Atmos audio that puts you right in the middle of the entertainment and the ability to pair seamlessly with your home theater sound systems that already have surround sound and and booming bass. If all that sounds too good to be true, it'll sound even better on the new Roku Pro series. Your hearing isn't better, your TV is.

[Joe Getty]

We've all done it. You see a headline but don't have time to read the whole story or there's so much news you're not sure what is worth your time. I'm Colby Ekowitz, co host of Post Reports, the weekday afternoon podcast from the Washington Post. Post Reports brings you what's relevant and revealing. Breaking stories, politics, wellness, culture. Each episode goes beyond a headline for the context you need. Find Post Reports now wherever you're listening. Deciding on what to listen to is hard. Using Xumo to stream music from iHeart 90s radio is easy. Or play Iheart country or hip hop beats your choice. All for free. Stream easy with Zumo Play. Get live and on demand entertainment with no logins, no signups, no account, no hassle. This April binge these classics, the Whole Nine Yards starring Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry. Adaptation with Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep and the Fisher King with Robin Williams. All streaming free on Zumo Play. Go to play.zumo.com now. Life is hard. Zumo is easy.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Hey everybody. So when you get asked, what is Odoo? What comes to mind? Well, I'll tell you. Odoo is a bit of everything. Odoo is a suite of business management software that some people say is like fertilizer because of the way it promotes growth. But you know, some people also say that Odoo is like a magic beanstalk because it grows with your company and is also magically affordable.

Oh, but then again, you could look at Odoo in terms of how its individual software programs are a lot like building blocks. Whatever your business needs, manufacturing, accounting, HR programs, you can build a custom software suite that's perfect for your company. So what is Odoo? Well, Odoo is a bit of everything. Odoo is a fertilizer, magic beanstalk, building blocks for business. Yeah, that's it.

Which means that Odoo is exactly what every business needs. Learn more and sign up [e-mail] that's O-O-O.com.

For the last 18 months. Israel is still today under attack. Missile fire has resumed from Israel's enemies that surround them. These are people that are trying to wipe Israel off the map. They are fighting for their very survival here in America. Can you imagine what it would be like to live in constant fear like this? Well, for the people of Israel, it is very real. It's their reality every single day. Please join me. Show your support for the people of Israel and help protect them in this time of attack and uncertainty. And one of the best ways you can do it is by giving to our friends at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. And listen, they're providing humanitarian assistance. They're also providing security essentials. Please give a special Passover gift especially and help protect the people of Israel. Call now and donate 888-488-IFCJ 888-488. IFCJ online is one word, supportifcj.org that's supportifcj.org today.

[Jack Armstrong]

Coming up next hour, the immigration situation and everyone's favorite Maryland father, old Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The true story behind his status. Does that affect the way you see the situation? Probably not. There's a hint. Anyway, we'll talk about that next hour. Here's your freedom loving quote of the day from Eric Hoffer, the great American author, a couple of his classics, the True Believer, the Ordeal of Change, really wise guy. He's one of Reagan's favorite writers. Anyway, anyway, Eric Hoffer wrote the following Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life. Thus, people haunted by the purposelessness of their lives try to find a new content not only by dedicating themselves to a holy cause, but also by nursing a fanatical grievance. A mass movement offers them unlimited opportunities for both. Boy, does that not characterize some of the angry left who are vandalizing Teslas or torching the dealerships or whatever. Oh, and I want to talk about that Minnesota guy who the progressive prosecutor is not going to punish in any way for causing to rift tens of thousands of dollars of damage. Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life. Boy, that's a good one. So true. Mailbag, if you would like to weigh in correspond drop us a note. Mailbagarmstrongandgetti.com the email address mailbagarmstrongandgetti dot com kind of a hodgepodge today as we were off for the last couple of days for various reasons, partly centered around the fact that various people's kids were on spring break. Anyway, Mike writing in about the San Jose Mercury News claiming that quote, criminalizing homelessness won't fix the housing shortage or what other people say about life's the lifestyle isn't criminal. And he says we categorize all sorts of lifestyles. A criminal. Jeffrey Dahmer's lifestyle was definitely criminal. Who he hung out with, who he stalked, who he ate, definitely a criminal lifestyle. OJ Lim Simpson's lifestyle was at least one point, at one point definitely criminal. Stalking his ex, slashing and butchering her and his her companion, then lying about it as a lifestyle. Gang bangers definitely living a criminal lifestyle. Heck, the Sicilian mob had a classier lifestyle, but it was still very much a criminal lifestyle. So lounging about, not being constructive, trashing parks and regions, taking mind altering drugs in public and defecating. Yeah, that's a criminal, criminal lifestyle. It's funny how the left pretends that the, you know, the kind of the most obvious part of the bums and junkies that they're living on the streets is just an unfortunate choice and they try to separate it from all the other things that make it so obnoxious. Not to mention that the fact that there are and have always been laws against camping in the park, for obvious reasons, yes, it's a criminal lifestyle. They're breaking laws. That's how you can tell. Thank you, Mike. This note from John. Let's see. Oh, this is harshly critical of Trump. Trump's policies are socialist. High tariffs, which are taxes, are now a new easy money policy, cutting interest rates which will further drive up inflation. We've spent years railing against easy money, but now that Trump's tariff policy is a disaster, we're suddenly supposed to love it. And Powell is a major loser. What is this, third grade? Cheers. Okay, we'll take dissent here. It's fine, guys. Writes Fred, we need a term for transgender extremist. Nihilist. Transgender extremists. Tran Tifa is pretty good. Violent, radical, transgender lunatics. Tran Tifa. Moving along. Sire C Says, I saw a blurb on TV that RFK Jr. Is going to hold a presser about food dyes and additives. So how long before the leftists who've been shrieking about this for years will come out and protest their removal and come out in favor of food dyes? It'll be interesting to see if Trump derangement syndrome goes that far. Oh, man, we don't have time for this. It's a great email about how the child star of yesteryear is now the child Internet star. It's not on a sitcom anymore. The kid is on some Instagram feed or whatever. Really interesting story next hour. Stick around if you can. It's the Armstrong and Getty Show.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie Green]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have supervision, enhanced hearing, extraordinary reflexes, to be, dare we say, superhuman? Well, Roku's new pro series TV can't do any of that for you, but with a 4K screen, side firing speakers, and a blazing fast refresh rate, it'll.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure feel like it.

[Katie Green]

Elevate your entertainment using all your favorite apps like iHeart and Play. All your music, radio and podcasts with the the new Roku Pro series. Your senses aren't better. Your TV is okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

Real talk. We're all kind of hooked on our phones. It's full of shiny apps designed to keep your attention captive forever. But there's real life stuff to do other than scrolling, and I'm here to help. I'm Christina Quinn, the host of Try this, a podcast from the Washington Post. The show explores solutions for life's common problems. And this season we're learning to tame the dopamine beast and reclaim our attention in this noisy and distracting world. So let's tame the beast together. Find Try this from the Washington Post wherever you listen. I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak podcast, a real conversation about financing. Let's be honest, building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone. I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have to revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories. What happens when it doesn't go right? How do you cope with it? 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.

[Joe Getty]

Deciding on what to listen to is hard. Using Xumo to stream music from iHeart 90s radio is easy. Or play Iheart country or hip hop beats, your choice. All for free. Stream Easy with Zumo Play. Get live and on demand entertainment with no logins, no signups, no accounts counts, no hassle. This April, binge these classics. The Whole Nine Yards, starring Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry. Adaptation with Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep and the Fisher King with Robin Williams. All streaming free on Zumo Play. Go to play.zumo.com now. Life is hard. Zumo is easy.

[Unnamed Contributor]

You know, some people say that Odoo business management software is like fertilizer, the way it promotes growth and all. But other people say Odoo is like a magic beanstalk because it grows with your company money and is also magically affordable. And there's some people who would even say Odoo's individual software programs come together to build the perfect suite, like building blocks. Well, Odoo is all of these things. Fertilizer, magic beanstalk, building blocks for business. So sign up [e-mail] o d o o dot com.