Witches & Trends

Summary

Podcast Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand – Episode: Witches & Trends

Release Date: May 5, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty
Description: The official, On-Demand podcast of The Armstrong & Getty Show! Accept no substitutes!

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Introduction

In the "Witches & Trends" episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty engage in lively discussions covering a wide array of topics, from U.S. trade policies and high-profile legal trials to international affairs and societal trends. The episode balances political commentary with light-hearted banter, providing listeners with both insightful analysis and entertaining conversations.

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1. U.S.-China Trade Relations and Trump's Policies

The episode opens with a debate on the economic implications of the U.S.’s decision to reduce trade with China. The hosts discuss former President Trump's stance on decoupling from China and the resulting impact on American manufacturing and consumer goods.

• Key Discussion Points:

  • Cold Turkey Approach: The decision to cease business with China to prevent financial losses, currently estimated at $1 trillion.
  • American Manufacturing: The feasibility of reshore manufacturing to the U.S. versus relocating to other countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and India.
  • Consumer Impact: The trade-off between lower-priced goods from China and higher-quality, American-made products.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Unnamed Contributor [00:27]: "We've gone cold turkey. That means that we're not losing… $1 trillion."
  • Joe Getty [01:47]: "You have too much and you're paying too little for it."
  • Unnamed Contributor [02:07]: "But just flat out saying you have too much is not a good statement. Nobody wants to hear that, ever."

2. Trump’s Interview on Constitution and Due Process

A significant portion of the episode delves into former President Trump's recent appearance on Meet the Press, focusing on his responses to questions about upholding the Constitution and due process.

• Key Discussion Points:

  • Interview Dynamics: Trump's confrontational interaction with host Kristen Welker.
  • Constitutional Interpretation: The complexities of interpreting the Fifth Amendment and due process under Trump's administration.
  • Public Messaging: The impact of Trump's statements on public perception and constitutional adherence.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Unnamed Contributor [05:44]: "And it's just like. I feel like it's just a little gift for me as I... spend a lot of time in the old deathbed."
  • Joe Getty [07:03]: "The Fifth Amendment clearly states something. Trump either doesn't know it or won't admit it."
  • Joe Getty [08:00]: "These questions are enormously complicated… can't just say yes."

3. Legal Trials and High-Profile Cases

The hosts discuss ongoing and recent high-profile legal cases, including the criminal trial of Sean Combs and the Harvey Weinstein trial.

• Key Discussion Points:

  • Sean Combs' Trial: Combs' decision to take the case to trial rather than accept a plea bargain.
  • Harvey Weinstein Case: The procedural challenges in prosecuting allegations of sexual misconduct and rape.
  • Impact on Public Perception: How these trials influence societal attitudes towards justice and accountability.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Unnamed Contributor [12:19]: "Sean Combs trial starts today. The criminal trial, which is going to be nothing compared to the civil trial when they go after his billions of dollars."
  • Joe Getty [20:06]: "Slutty liars get raped."

4. Sports Commentary: Stephen Curry and the Warriors

A lighter segment focuses on Stephen Curry's performance and the Golden State Warriors' recent game, highlighting the excitement and fandom surrounding the team.

• Key Discussion Points:

  • Game Analysis: Curry's remarkable performance leading the Warriors to victory against Houston.
  • Fan Sentiment: The enthusiasm and emotional investment of fans in the team's success.
  • Team Dynamics: The interplay between players and their impact on game outcomes.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Unnamed Contributor [12:51]: "Oh, vintage Curry. The warriors sniffing it now."
  • Joe Getty [25:00]: "The bubble bath which retails for $34.99... That's unbelievable."

5. Technology and Health: The Yuka App

The hosts explore the functionalities and implications of the Yuka app, which scans food barcodes to assess nutritional quality and additives, influencing consumer choices.

• Key Discussion Points:

  • App Functionality: How Yuka evaluates food products based on health metrics.
  • Consumer Behavior: The influence of app ratings on purchasing decisions and perceptions of healthiness.
  • Industry Response: Reactions from food companies to apps that scrutinize their products.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Joe Getty [14:47]: "78 out of 100."
  • Joe Getty [15:58]: "33 out of 100 poor."

6. Educational Policy: Texas' Largest School Choice Bill

The episode highlights Texas' approval of a significant school choice bill, marking a milestone in the state's educational policy landscape.

• Key Discussion Points:

  • Bill Details: Allocation of $1 billion towards education savings accounts for families.
  • Eligibility: Benefits extend to children with disabilities and homeschoolers.
  • Political Implications: The bill's role in reducing the influence of teachers' unions on public education.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Joe Getty [22:09]: "Step one and a big one to undermining the stranglehold the evil teachers unions have on government schools. So good for you, Texas."

7. Public Health and Safety: San Francisco’s Drug Paraphernalia Program

The discussion shifts to San Francisco's reevaluation of its drug paraphernalia distribution programs, reflecting broader societal challenges with substance abuse.

• Key Discussion Points:

  • Program Scaling Back: Mayor Daniel Lurie's decision to reduce the distribution of items like foil pipes and plastic straws for fentanyl use.
  • Public Response: Observations of continued substance abuse in areas like the Tenderloin district.
  • Policy Shift: The move towards directing individuals towards treatment rather than facilitating drug consumption.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Joe Getty [23:25]: "Plastic straws are banned in San Francisco… Fentanyl users have been able to get them for free at taxpayers' expense."
  • Unnamed Contributor [24:59]: "Smiling glittery partygoers… the whole fentanyl world."

8. International Affairs: North Korean Laborers in Russia and Teenage Terrorism in Europe

The hosts examine recent developments in international relations and security, focusing on North Korea's provision of migrant workers to Russia and the rise of teenage terrorism in Europe.

• Key Discussion Points:

  • North Korean Workers in Russia: Tens of thousands of North Koreans supplying labor to address Russia's workforce shortages amid the ongoing conflict.
  • Teenage Terrorism in Europe: Increasing arrests of adolescents involved in extremist plots, primarily driven by Islamist ideologies.
  • Social Media Influence: The role of AI-driven algorithms in radicalizing youth through platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Joe Getty [29:14]: "North Korean laborers are pouring into Russia."
  • Joe Getty [34:03]: "The algorithms… keep you addicted to TikTok or Instagram or YouTube… we must kill the Jews and the infidels in the name of Allah."

9. Local Incidents: Bomb Threat at Lady Gaga’s Concert in Brazil

The episode covers a recent bomb threat that was thwarted at a Lady Gaga concert in Brazil, shedding light on the motivations behind such attacks.

• Key Discussion Points:

  • Threat Details: Description of the coordinated attempt involving homemade explosives targeting the LGBTQ community.
  • Law Enforcement Response: Successful apprehension of suspects, preventing potential mass casualties.
  • Underlying Motivations: The attackers sought notoriety through social media fame.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Jack Armstrong [32:38]: "Authorities in Brazil on high alert after a bomb threat at Lady Gaga's concert was averted."
  • Unnamed Contributor [33:28]: "They wanted to gain notoriety on social media."

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Conclusion

The "Witches & Trends" episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand offers a comprehensive exploration of pressing national and international issues, blending serious political discourse with engaging commentary on societal trends. From trade policies and constitutional debates to international security threats and public health initiatives, Armstrong and Getty provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of the complexities shaping today's world.

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Notable Timestamps:

• 00:27: Discussion on U.S.-China trade relations.
• 01:47: Joe Getty's commentary on consumer behavior.
• 05:44: Analysis of Trump's interview on constitutional matters.
• 12:19: Overview of Sean Combs' trial.
• 14:47: Introduction to the Yuka app.
• 22:09: Details on Texas' school choice bill.
• 23:25: San Francisco's drug paraphernalia program review.
• 29:14: North Korean laborers in Russia.
• 34:03: Teenage terrorism in Europe.
• 32:38: Bomb threat at Lady Gaga's concert in Brazil.

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This summary encapsulates the diverse range of topics covered in the episode, providing listeners with a clear and organized overview of the discussions held by Armstrong and Getty.

Transcript

[Joe Getty]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio.

[Jack Armstrong]

At the George Washington Broadcast Center. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Unnamed Contributor]

We've gone cold turkey. That means that we're not losing, you know, we lost a trillion dollars to China. $1 trillion. That means we're not losing a trillion dollars when we go cold turkey because we're not doing business with them right now. And they want to make a deal. They want to make a deal very badly. We'll see how that all turns out. But it's got to be a fair deal, so.

[Joe Getty]

But what about my never ending lust for pencils?

[Unnamed Contributor]

So we got our trade war going on with China and Trump says to meet the press yesterday, your kids have too many dolls, you have too many pencils. Which was an odd thing to say. I don't, I don't know what that's all about. And I think telling Americans they have too much stuff is not the best message in the world. We got this text, though, regarding the dolls and pencils. Don't you think we need to buy fewer, nicer things that are American made since wages are higher here? It's the trade off of decoupling from China. Someone needs to be the adult and Trump is doing it. It's like giving kids junk food. A responsible parent cuts it off and gives them nourishing food because that's what is best. Trump's right on this. America needs to do hard things. Yeah, I'm fine with the idea that let's have slightly higher quality stuff or just make the message. Whether you like it or not. We can't continue to live off China manufacturing everything. But just flat out saying you have too much is not a good statement. Nobody wants to hear that, ever.

[Joe Getty]

Well, you have too much and you're paying too little for it. Yeah. Now, to completely restructure our trade relationship with China, not only is that defensible, it's ironclad. I mean, we must. He's 100% right about that.

[Unnamed Contributor]

What are you doing with all those pencils? 300 pencils. Couple pencils is fine. You weirdo. You hoarder.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly. The presentation of the idea was, was odd, I'll just say that. But yeah, the idea that the after effect of restructuring our trade agreement with China is to some extent less cheap stuff on shelves. Well, yeah, that's absolutely true. On the other hand, more than the.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Pencils, I find pencils funny because I just don't know a whole Lot of adults that use a lot of pencils, but just flat out saying, your kids get too many toys for Christmas. Oh, my God.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and just. And to our texter, I would just say the vast, vast majority of the manufacturing that is no longer going to be in China is not going to be in the United States, going to be in Vietnam and Malaysia and India and a number of other places. So the idea that we will onshore tremendous amounts of manufacturing and will restructure the American economy, it's just not realistic. It would. That would take. And this is, this is my objection to it as a lover of liberty and mostly free markets. And as always, we're putting China, the dirty commies aside and we're putting critical industries for defense and pharmaceuticals and that sort of stuff aside. I'm just talking about dolls and pencils. Used to be in econ classes. You talk about guns and butter. Right? Well, now it's dolls and pencils. Evidently, that's fine. It would take to, like, onshore as much as he's talking about and, like, completely regrow the American manufacturing world of post WW2, which is wildly unrealistic for a number of reasons. It would take so much central planning and so much government power. It would be like living in Venezuela. You would have to dictate millions and millions of choices by millions and millions of American economic actors every single day to get where he's talking about. Oh, yeah, yeah, every second. It's not realistic. On the other hand, I keep going back to Howard Lutnick wrote a piece in the the Journal over the weekend, and I'll quote some of it for you later, that hinted rather strongly that this is all just restructuring trade agreements. This is, this is not a bluff. Exactly. Because if you don't come correct, if you don't come to the bargaining table, tariffs will stay in place. But that's what it's all about. Or so Lutnik seemed to be hinting. Okay, so unless you have more on that topic. That was one of the.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Get used to scrawling things with rocks or something, I guess, in a pencilless world.

[Joe Getty]

Luckily, I've hoarded enough writing utensils of various descriptions. I think I'll be fine. So the other super controversial thing that Trump said during the Meet the Press interview, and before we get into it, just one more aside. The fact that the leader of the free world wades into an overtly hostile, frequently unfair interview and interviewer and defends policies and argues points. Man, that's beautiful. That is so American. George Washington would look at that and say, atta boy. You understand the job. For all of Trump's faults and excesses, he is there to talk to the American people.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And I love on Meet the press for the third time in 100 days.

[Joe Getty]

I know. Compare that to the mummy. Good Lord.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Hey, Biden, Obama, anybody do Fox three times in your first hundred days.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, go. Go toe to toe with Brett Baer, who is infinitely more fair than Kristen. The she Wolf Welker. Now she Wolf, that's what I call her. Free and First Amendment free speech. Perhaps you've heard of it. Speaking of the Constitution. So this, this little exchange caught some ears and, and, and was troubling to some folks. Let's go ahead and, and play it first. Just the, the first clip. Hanson, if you'd be so kind.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Your secretary of state says everyone who's here, citizens and non citizens, deserve due process. Do you agree, Mr.

I don't know. I'm not, I'm not a lawyer. I don't know.

Well, the Fifth Amendment says I don't.

Know, it seems it might say that. But if you're talking about that, then we'd have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials. We have thousands of people that are some murderers and some drug dealers and some of the worst people on earth, some of the worst, most dangerous people on earth. And I was elected to get them the hell out of here. And the courts are holding me from doing it.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, so the Fifth Amendment clearly states something. Trump either doesn't know it or won't admit it. That is, you know, the mainstream media's coverage. Then the next clip.

[Unnamed Contributor]

But even given those numbers that you're talking about, don't you need to uphold the Constitution of the United States as president?

I don't know. I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said. What you said is not what I heard. The Supreme Court said. They have a different interpretation.

So I wish he would have said maybe he did this on purpose because it gets people going crazy. If he just won't flat out say I'll uphold the Constitution. And that might be what he wants. He might want people to be going crazy with the headlines that started yesterday morning. Trump refuses to say he would will uphold the Constitution because he could have said, well, I'll uphold the Constitution, but we need to figure out what the interpretation is. And that's, I mean, because that's what he's saying.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that would have been much better messaging. Just a quick aside, I'm a little stressed this morning by proxy because my youngest kid, my daughter is. She has her constitutional law final for second semester law school at a. You know, there are a lot of fake graduate degrees out there. Uh, the law degree from where she's going ain't fake. She is working harder than she ever has in her life and is very, very stressed and has no idea how she's doing. So, anyway, we were just going over various due process, procedural and substantive due process stuff last night. She was kind of running through it to make sure it was fairly solid in her head. And. And again, I wish Trump had said precisely what Jack just said. But the idea of who gets what due process in what way, on under which circumstances is presented by Kristen Welker as. I mean, can you murder your spouse? I mean, as if it's that simple a question. Can you murder your spouse because you're tired of them? She presents it as if it is just a black and white yes or no question. And at its very core, will you uphold the Constitution? Do people deserve due process? The question is clearly yes, and I wish he had said yes. But the question of what due process, in what circumstances, and arrived at, in what way is in. To the. Especially to a layman, enormously complicated, full of nuance, full of Supreme Court precedents and interpretation. It is far from a simple question. And he knew she was trying to trap him into either saying, we got to turn loose the trend Aragua guys who've become this weird cause celeb on the left. It's like, Trend Aragua is the new fugitive slaves or Vietnamese refugees or something like that. Suddenly you like radical judges taking them into their homes and raising them as their own. What the hell are you people thinking?

[Unnamed Contributor]

Do you think he's just not good on nuance on an answer like that? Or did he want the big splashy headline of Trump refuses to say He'll Uphold Constitution?

[Joe Getty]

I didn't think it was deliberate because I've heard him struggle or not want to engage on constitutional questions like that.

[Unnamed Contributor]

A lot because he could have so easily said courts have been interpreting what the Founders meant by the Constitution since it was signed.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And that's what we're going to do now. I will uphold what the courts decide, but that's a very open question. Would be a perfectly reasonable answer, right?

[Joe Getty]

Yes, but. Well, yeah, I know. And as always, I wish I could have stepped in and said, well, yes, of course we'll. We'll uphold the Constitution. But in what way is the question. These questions are enormously complicated, Kristen. Again, centuries of precedent, differing interpretations. You witch. You know, so anyway, everybody wants to jump down his throat over that, but.

[Unnamed Contributor]

It'S what the fact that the President won't answer yes to, will you uphold the Constitution? I mean, that's a pretty good way to get people howling at you.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I know. I know. It absolutely is. And that is a fair point. But. And I would hope, having criticized Trump a significant amount in the last 45 minutes of the show, we have earned some credibility when I say I could read Trump's mind. And he knew, because Kristen Welker is evil and a witch, but she's calculating. And he knew she was asking, will you uphold the Constitution in the manner which I'm suggesting you should.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Right. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

That was what that question actually meant. And I wish he was a little more skilled at parrying it, because I don't think it was deliberate. But it was a gotcha question. And I get why he answered the way he did. And I can hear some of my friends and. And. And trusted advisors who are constitutional scholars howling at the radio, saying, joseph, when you're asked if you're gonna uphold the Constitution, you say, yes, and fair enough. But I stand by my point of view.

[Unnamed Contributor]

As Mark Halpern writes, today, we're on day four of Trump making a joke about being the next Pope. So he just continues to troll people.

[Joe Getty]

Sorry.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Sean Combs trial starts today. The criminal trial, which is going to be nothing compared to the civil trial when they go after his billions of dollars.

[Joe Getty]

Although the criminal trial is going to be a pretty good prelude.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Oh, yeah. Might put him in jail the rest of his life, too. Probably rightfully so. Anyway, lots to talk about today. Hope you can stick around.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty. This is where the daggers come out to. Stephen Curry rips the cords.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Oh, vintage Curry. The warriors sniffing it now.

[Joe Getty]

Curry, buddy heel, buddy heel for three. Mike Dunnelly has seen his team go on a 120 run.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And the warriors win game seven against Houston, knock out the two seed as the seven seed. And there you go. As I'm a Warriors fan, I was very excited with that game.

[Joe Getty]

Ah, bandwagon. I liked how it was on the road. And so the heroic play is greeted.

[Unnamed Contributor]

With, oh, right, I'm dying. And it's just like. I feel like it's just a little gift for me as I. As I expire.

[Joe Getty]

Comfort on your db.

[Unnamed Contributor]

The old deathbed. Spend a lot of time in the old deathbed.

[Joe Getty]

So speaking of preventing your Demise. I read with interest a piece in the Journal over the weekend. The Maha friendly app that's driving food companies crazy. It's an app called Yuka and there are others like it that scan the barcode of the food you're buying. And because like everything we buy has barcodes these days, it's weird. It used to be you'd go to a market and anyway and it will rate it for you. It scores it on nutritional quality, the number of additives, like ultra processed crap, organic status, which, whatever. That's kind of silly. But just because organic doesn't mean a specific thing really. But I thought, what the heck, I would get it and see what it thought of. For instance, my mid show snacks because I always have a little snack midway through the show. So I was going to scan them live. Now first of all, I'm not gonna give brand.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Are you talking a liquid snack like you carry around or.

[Joe Getty]

Good Lord, please. Let's see. All right here. This is, I will tell you this. This is like nuts and dried fruit snacks that I really like these days. Let me scan it. Yeah, excellent. 78 out of 100.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Oh, wow. So that quickly you can scan anything and figure out, oh yeah, Henry, my son is gonna love this. He's on a health food kick.

[Joe Getty]

Now here is my blueberry almond bar from a startup, kind of boutique.

[Unnamed Contributor]

These things are hard to tell any, any breakfast bar sort of thing.

[Joe Getty]

Oh yeah, that's the hardest thing. Protein or a probiotic protein bar. They really emphasize their simplicity. Non gmo, that sort of thing. I'm curious. Scanning. Scanning. A good 54 out of a hundred. It's a green light, but it's, it's not as high a score as I expected because it's got a very, very simple ingredient list.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And the higher score is better.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Okay. Now here is my major corporation protein bar, Nature Valley.

[Unnamed Contributor]

I eat those all the time.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, I can get a good brand.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Thinking that you're being healthy, right?

[Joe Getty]

Exactly. Well, it's right in the name Nature Valley. What can be better?

[Unnamed Contributor]

And it's got a healthy color on the wrapper, so it's got to be healthy.

[Joe Getty]

Right. And rather an impressive length list of ingredients.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Me and my kids have eaten a million of those with the idea that let's have a healthy snack.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, 33 out of 100 poor.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Yeah, that doesn't sound like a very high score.

[Joe Getty]

Although you know what? I should have intentionally brought something I knew to be crappy because there's, there's a rating below poor called like forbidden or don't you dare or something.

[Unnamed Contributor]

I was just thinking about how, like you say when you drive through, if you're driving somewhere and it's got one of those electronic signs that show how fast you're going, you try to see how fast you can get on that thing against what its rules are. I want to do that with the food stuff, some of the stuff I eat. I want to see how low a score I can get on something that I actually regularly eat.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Something's like a five. You should never eat this under any circumstances unless you're going to die.

[Joe Getty]

Otherwise, no wonder you're on your db. Anyway, so there is all sorts of really interesting, compelling news today that has nothing to do with Trump's a hero, Trump's an idiot, whether domestic or globally, that I'm looking forward to getting to next segment. If we can squeeze it in. Everything from a real victory for school choice to a real victory for sanity and dealing with junkies.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And one of the world's greatest investors stepped down over the weekend, Warren Buffett, finally releasing the reins at age 93 or whatever he is. His outgoing speech I found really interesting and food for thought. We can have a discussion about, like, the purpose of life and all that sort of stuff that I thought was really great.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, I have thoughts. Certainly hope you can stay tuned. If you can't, just grab it via podcast later on. Armstrong and Getty on Demand. You ought to subscribe. Good stuff to come. Stay with us.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Armstrong and Getty Diddy's going to make the argument that, hey, I was a swinger with a wild light, a sexual lifestyle, but it was all consensual. And I mean, you know, we entertainers, we have kind of wild sex lives, so.

[Joe Getty]

Right, right. And he's got a dream team. Ojs legal dream team. That's pretty impressive. And he turned down a fairly reasonable plea bargain, according to, you know, sources I've read 10 days ago and said, no, let's take this thing to trial.

[Unnamed Contributor]

He'd be in a lot better shape if he didn't have that video out there of him beating up that girl and dragging her down the hallway in her by her ponytail.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. Since he is accused not of wild crazy sex, which is not a crime.

[Unnamed Contributor]

It is if you drug them.

[Joe Getty]

Well, exactly. Drugging people, beating them, compelling them to do things against their will, that sort of thing. And, you know, bringing sex workers back and forth across state lines, which is still illegal in certain places. Places. Anyway, it's going to be a hell of a trial the jury selection could take forever.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Oh, yeah, you got the whole trying to find somebody who doesn't already have an opinion. That'd be hard.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and I've. I've gone through many jury selection processes where not only do they ask you if you have a preset opinion, but the defense in particular wants to know. Well, both sides, really. Do you have certain sympathies? So I could see you're sitting there in the jury pool and the judge asks you, all right, how many of you have gotten all oiled up with friends and strangers and group sex and people are like, well, as a matter of fact. And everybody looks at them. Oh, I mean, that could be wild.

[Unnamed Contributor]

How about musically, they said that was going to be a thing because some people have a bad attitude about, like the whole rap hip hop world, you know, just automatically. Yeah, but some people have a very good, maybe forgiving attitude about the rap hip hop world. That would work the other direction. So that's kind of weird.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, right. These are. They're heroes. They're musical heroes and cultural heroes on.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Those kind of trials. Did you follow any of the Harvey Weinstein trial from Friday?

[Joe Getty]

Just reading about it a bit.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Oh, my God. One of the women on the stand who Harvey Weinstein raped, obviously several times. He's already been found guilty, I think. But it doesn't matter to get into the particulars why they're going through this again. But, I mean, his lawyer went after her heart and she started crying and you're not gonna. You're not going to make me look like I am lying or whatever. I was raped. And they had to stop the proceedings and she had to leave for a while. But, I mean, that's why people don't come forward, because you're going to get up there and get badgered like you're just some sort of slutty liar.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Which sometimes you are. Which is the problem. That's why you got to go through this whole process. But, you know, if you're actually raped by this big, ugly monster dude and then you're getting. That'd be tough. That would be tough.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and the point's been made many times, but it's worth making again that slutty liars get raped.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Sure. Brutal.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. Just. Just terrible. The, like, wackadoodle rights embrace of Harvey Weinstein. Maybe we can talk about it.

[Unnamed Contributor]

I don't know about that. Is that a thing?

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah. 100. Yeah.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Oh, really? Yeah. What's the overall theme there?

[Joe Getty]

Well, he was targeted by the left wing me too woke establishment.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Okay.

[Joe Getty]

And he's the enemy of my enemy, therefore he is my friend. It reminds of when we have mocked this brutally through the years of if Dick flipping Cheney were to come out and say, yeah, I don't really like Trump, he would be on MSNBC and Rachel Maddow would be saying this seasoned leader, this man who guided America, the minute you criticize the other side or whatever or become the enemy of my enemy, you're lionized.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Liz Cheney is the best example. She is the most conservative member of Congress statistically.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, was.

[Unnamed Contributor]

But because she was on board with impeaching Trump, she was a hero.

[Joe Getty]

So let's hit a couple of headlines worthy of our consideration. A few domestic and a few international. Texas just approved the country's largest school choice bill. It is something. It's a billion dollar measure signed into law on Saturday, capping off a 30 year effort to bring universal school choice to Texas. It launches at the start of next year, like next fall. It'll place a billion dollars toward education savings accounts. Over the course of two years, families can receive roughly $10,000 per year for each child. Children with disabilities are eligible for significantly more, while homeschoolers could receive up to $2,000 a year for and that sort of thing. Families could use the funds for private school tuition and other school related expenses like textbooks, transportation and therapy. Any, almost any school age child who is a US Citizen or lawfully Gavin in the country would be eligible to receive funding under the program step one and a big one to undermining the stranglehold the evil teachers unions have on government schools. So good for you, Texas. We were talking Jack Friday, you had to step out for a minute. We were talking about Ohio passing a significant school choice measure under the Fairly moderate Mike DeWine. And they've had some fantastic success in that. So that's good. This is Believe it or not from the New York Times. The headline is We've Lost our Way. San Francisco Rethinks Drug Paraphernalia Handouts. And they're talking about Daniel Lurie, who's the city's new thoroughly reasonable mayor, is scaling back a program that gave away clean foil pipes and plastic straws for fentanyl consumption.

[Unnamed Contributor]

I saw a lot of that when I was in San Francisco two weeks ago. I saw people because as I mentioned, I walked through the corner of the Tenderloin with my son just so he could see it and I saw foil straws. I saw all that sort of stuff, people doing it, like just sitting on the sidewalk or on the railing or pushing it around in their wheelchairs or all kinds of stuff. And it's because it's so easy to get. The city has been providing it.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. I'm looking at this picture in. In New York Times and I know that corner well. Funny. Nonprofits will have to direct people toward treatment. Wow, what a. Not. Oh, so not being a junkie anymore. Not making it easier to be. They want them to not be a junkie anymore. I'll be damned. But consider this. This is Heather Knight, who's their San Francisco person. Dig these. The lead couple of sentences from the New York Times and you tell me whether the. The tone of the national conversation has shifted. Plastic straws are banned in San Francisco at least if you want to drink a soda or lemonade. Those smoking fentanyl, however, have been able to get them for free at taxpayers expense.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Wow. And that's not written by National Review or Fox.

[Joe Getty]

That's the New York Times, man. There was also a time five years ago when the city helped pay for a billboard that showed smiling glittery partygoers quote, do it with friends, the public service message said, urging drug dealers. I'm sorry, drug users to consume with others so they could treat a potential overdose.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Smiling glittery partygoers.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Yeah, because that's what it looks like. The whole fentanyl world.

[Joe Getty]

Oh Lord. Yeah. Take a walk down Eddy street in San Francisco or you know, the street of your choice that not has not been cleaned up for tourists and all. And see whether it strikes you as.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Glittery or if you see any smiles.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Great Scott. Speaking of the decay of society. Although let's be positive here. If San Francisco is saying this is madness, there's hope. Target is pulling the plug on self checkout. There's just too much theft. Now Jack and I are bitterly disagreed over self checkout. I enjoy it. Jack hates it.

[Unnamed Contributor]

I do hate it.

[Joe Getty]

But yeah. There are so many people willing to steal so much they can't do it anymore.

[Unnamed Contributor]

That's something.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it's. Well, it's a. It's an indicator.

[Unnamed Contributor]

What was I at the other day? What did I want to buy? Something very bland. Oh, I was gonna try to take a hot bath because of my whole lung situation and see if that would help me. I very rarely take a bath. As I often say, men from Kansas don't take baths. But I got some bubble bath. I wanted to buy some bubble bath and it was all locked up. It was all locked up. I had to have somebody go get a key to unlock the bubble bath at the store.

[Joe Getty]

The bubble bath which retails for $34.99. I don't know what it cost, but $6 any much? Yeah. That's unbelievable. Now men from Kansas will take a bath.

[Unnamed Contributor]

If I'm a woman, I don't date a guy who takes a bath.

[Joe Getty]

You better not admit like a brass tub in a old timey western hotel.

[Unnamed Contributor]

To get with a hoe.

[Joe Getty]

To get with a hoe. And you got a scrub brush to get the accumulated grit of six weeks on the prairie off of you having not had any bathing whatsoever.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Long cattle drive. Exactly.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly. You finally wrapped up the cattle drive and you're gonna get with an old timey frill back in Dodgson.

[Unnamed Contributor]

The only time you're allowed to take a bath. Exactly.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Here's my favorite story of the weekend. My favorite political story of the weekend. Anyway, did you see the COVID of New York magazine? John Fetterman's face on it. The vulnerability of John Fetterman. They did a hit piece on John Fetterman in New York magazine.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, my God.

[Unnamed Contributor]

John Fetterman insists he's in good health, but staffers past and present say they no longer recognize the man they once knew with a whole bunch of not on the record quotes about his brain doesn't work and he really shouldn't be a senator right now because he no longer agrees with their point of view. When he was in really bad shape and he said, hello, good night to open that debate, everybody covered for him, called you an ableist. If you criticized the fact that, hey, the dude's brain doesn't work, he shouldn't be a senator. And they ignored all that, criticized you.

[Joe Getty]

Now that he's anti Hamas, now that.

[Unnamed Contributor]

He'S 100% anti Hamas and on the side of Israel, New York magazine does a hit piece on him with no name quotes about how he shouldn't be in the Senate and staffers are worried about his mental health. Isn't that unbelievable? I mean, that's just or completely believable.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, it's pathetic. Pathetic. Moving to the foreign scene, Kim Jong Un's latest gift to Russia is migrant workers. That's right. Having supplied tens of thousands of guys for machine gun fodder for Vladimir Putin, what does this the dictator of a starving country do next? He gives thousands and thousands of cheap, hardworking, starving North Koreans to Russia's Labor Ministry. Lack of workers is among Putin's biggest problems. Number one, they have an absolutely pathetic birth rate. More on that to come. Birth rates by the way, it's a hell of a story. And exacerbated by the war, hundreds of thousands of Russians have died in the fighting, according to Western estimates. And countless others have fled the country. They think they're $1.5 million. I'm sorry, 1.5 million workers short of filling openings right now. And it could easily be 2.4 million within the next few years.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Well, yeah.

[Joe Getty]

So North Korean laborers are pouring into Russia. Wow.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Well, they've lost almost a million men from the field who are either dead or can't fight anymore. So you probably can't work either. And they're taking, in many cases the dregs of society were probably doing the worst work out there to throw them at the front lines. So yeah, who's gonna do those jobs?

[Joe Getty]

So it's mostly hard working jobs in Russia's east. It's much more depopulated eastern parts. They're not in the big cities or anything like that, but enjoy the salt mines. North Koreans officials have expressed a hope that more North Korean workers could soon arrive in major cities. North Korea, blah, blah, blah. They're prized by local employers for their low wages and willingness to work 12 hour days without complaint.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Wow. And be glad you were born in America.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. And final story from the foreign beat. Teenage terrorists are a growing threat to Europe's security. Law enforcers are overwhelmed and warned that a new generation of extremists is being radicalized online. Terrorists in Europe are getting younger and younger and authorities are struggling to find them. In recent months, dozens of adolescents as young as 14 have been arrested across Europe for allegedly plotting attacks against music venues, shopping centers and sites of worship. Here's a 14 year old. These are all Islamists, by the way. 14 year old girl from Montenegro arrested in Austria last year for allegedly plotting an attack on non believers. Another 14 year old arrested in February for plotting to attack a train station. Three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna canceled last year after three suspects age 17 and 19 were arrested for conspiring on what the CIA called a well developed plot that could have killed hundreds. While the US has long had a problem with school shooters. Yeah, kind of. Well, yeah, yeah. It's a terrible, terrible thing. The growing teenage threat to Europe comes primarily, primarily from Islamists. I'm glad to see that stated as straightforwardly as it is in the Wall Street Journal.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Here's my favorite dumb story that we won't actually do. In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Paula Abdul opened up about the challenges she had to overcome being the only female judge on American Idol. In the early 2000s. Man, there's a lot in that headline to. To take apart a show. No longer. You're talking about a quarter century ago with somebody completely irrelevant then. Very irrelevant now. Her challenge of being one of three people that was a woman.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Might be my all time bread sandwich headline I've ever seen.

[Joe Getty]

If somehow God almighty were to. Because it would take God Almighty put together a list of things to worry about or think about today. Where would that rank?

[Unnamed Contributor]

Imagine being given that assignment. You're an interviewer. I want you to ask Paula Abdul about the challenges of trying to over again a blah, blah, blah.

[Joe Getty]

Do you mean like back in 2002?

[Unnamed Contributor]

Really? We got more on the way. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Authorities in Brazil on high alert after a bomb threat at Lady Gaga's concert was averted. Police calling it Operation Fake Monster, saying this was a coordinated attempt at mass murder. And tonight, two suspects, including the alleged ringleader, under arrest. Police saying this was a plan on digital platforms to commit a bomb attack with homemade explosive artifacts and Molotov cocktails, adding it mainly targeted the LGBTQ community. The goal, according to police, terror for fame on social media. But the plan foiled just in time, keeping the more than 2 million people that attended the free concert safe.

[Joe Getty]

Brazilian would be fame seeking terrorists.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Is that who it was? The first story I saw in this yesterday, they made no. They gave no clarity as to who was behind it. And of course my first thought based on what you were talking about the last segment was, okay, were these Islamists? Like has been the case a whole bunch of times.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Contributor]

With attempts on various concerts that got caught. And this version in CNN has it closer to what you're just talking about. They wanted to gain notoriety on social media.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. This is a very odd Brazilian variation on the theme. I'm not sure, you know, they're super.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Anti LGBTQ plus for whatever reason.

[Joe Getty]

All right, fine. I think just that, you know, it's fine. I don't believe in killing anybody for any reason.

[Unnamed Contributor]

No.

[Joe Getty]

If they don't have it coming. It's just I think this is a blip and a very weird in Brazil variation. But getting back to Europe at least momentarily. It's a huge and growing problem. Teenage militant Islamists in Europe. And as the Journal puts it, young people are increasingly drawn into online communities. I mean we could. That could be the opening sentence to a bunch of different discussions.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Sure.

[Joe Getty]

That propagate extremist views. Conspiracy theories. Hello. And violence. Behind the teen extremism lies a combination of factors. An unprecedented spread of extremist propaganda, accelerated partly by artificial intelligence and the powerful hold on youth by social media such as TikTok, with increasingly sophisticated means of retaining user attention. And then the Gaza war, which is really ramped up anger and extremism. But 2/3 of the 60 Islamic extremists arrested on terrorism charges across Europe following the start of the Gaza war, 2/3 of them were teenagers.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And then how is AI exacerbating it? Is it the bots? The fake accounts?

[Joe Getty]

No, no, it's the algorithms.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Oh.

[Joe Getty]

That keep you addicted to Tick Tock or Instagram or YouTube or whatever.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Or feed you the stuff you want.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly. It keeps you addicted to we must kill the Jews and the infidels in the name of Allah.

[Unnamed Contributor]

It makes it feel like there's way more of you than there is. Yeah, that's. That's awful.

[Joe Getty]

I. Armstrong and Getty. You're listening to an I Heart podcast.