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Trump Interview So Pathetic, Even Fox Host Can't Save Him
Donald Trump gave another incredibly pathetic interview on Fox News. Trump spent much of the time comparing the economy under his administration to how it is doing now under Joe Biden. The ex-president lied about gas prices when he left office, saying they were "$1.83 or $1.86 when I left” and that they are now “$7.70 in California.” This is an unbelievable exaggeration. In reality, the average gasoline price at the end of Trump’s term was about $2.20 and now the average is $4.70 in California. But more importantly, presidents have very little to do with the price of gasoline as oil and gas are global commodities that have spiked in price over the last few months. Trump went on to rewrite history about the January 6th attacks. He said, “if you look at the Capitol, you had some bad people who were not patriots at all and they came from other places including Antifa.” This is a major talking point in the sectors of the right wing who don’t want to take responsibility for the Capitol riots. In the interview, Trump also provided disastrous takes on the tragedy in Waukesha, the idea that Joe Biden has dementia, the media being the “enemy of the people,” and much more.
Corporate Media Stokes PANIC Over Omicron Variant
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is sending the world into a panic due especially to the theory that it could be resistant to the vaccine. It originated in South Africa, leading to many countries making the decision to shut their borders to this part of the world. It’s unclear as of yet whether infection from Omicron causes a more severe disease compared to Delta and other variants. It is also unknown if the Omicron variant is more transmissible, but more details about all of these factors will continue to pour in over the coming days and weeks. Many physicians are urging caution and advocating for a “wait and see” approach. Infectious Disease Doctor Richard Lessells said about this news on Twitter, “just a note of caution - We know that getting a rapid understanding of disease severity with #Omicron (particularly in vaccinated individuals and re-infections) is absolutely critical, but it's just too early for reliable data.” News of the variant also sent the stock market into a freefall, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 2.5% on Thursday, making it the worst day for stocks of the year. Hopefully all of the panic turns out to be unwarranted and the world can soon continue on its roadmap of getting back to normal.
From over the weekend:
Hundreds of Proud Boys Commit Crime for Which Black Teens Are Often Arrested
There is an incredible series of videos out of New York City showing hundreds of Proud Boys getting away with committing an infraction for which black teens in the city regularly get arrested. Members of the Proud Boys were seen going through the exit door of the New York subway to avoid paying the fare. And, perhaps due to the identity of the group, there were no consequences. Civil rights attorney Scott Hechinger said about this on Twitter, “as a public defender, I represented literally hundreds of Black men & women accused of doing this. Most literally couldn’t afford $2.75 subway fare. Difference between eating/not. Arrested, caged, forced to plea to the crime of ‘theft of services. . . .” The Proud Boys are a far right pro-Trump organization that engages in violence to achieve their political ends, and in these videos, the members appeared exclusively white. This is yet another situation in the United States that makes people wonder what exactly is going on here and why there are two different responses depending on who it is jumping the turnstiles.
From over the weekend:
USA Listed as "Backsliding Democracy" for 1st Time Ever
For the first time ever, the United States has been listed as a “backsliding democracy” according to the International IDEA thinktank. The organization has pointed to an anti-democratic trend going back to at least 2019. Even though the 2020 election saw increased voter turnout and expanded ways to cast ballots, that was overshadowed by Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the outcome of the election and the insurrection that followed his lies. The other aspect working against democracy in the United States is that we the people have less power in government than do corporations and special interest groups. Even when issues in the US have widespread support, the will of the people won’t be reflected in the laws unless the people with money allow it to happen. It’s a cliché in America that this is the most free and most democratic country in the world, but this is far from the case, with the US ranking not so well across many freedom and democracy indexes. Add in a good portion of the country questioning the legitimacy of the last election and it’s no wonder why America has now been listed as a backsliding democracy.
More on the show:
--The White House announces that President Joe Biden "intends" to run for re-election in 2024
--As the Omicron COVID variant becomes the top pandemic topic, COVID and vaccine disinformation explode from the American right wing
--Dr. Anthony Fauci drops the hammer on Republican Senator Ted Cruz when asked about Cruz' recent statement that Dr Fauci should be "prosecuted"
--Hillary Clinton gets some details correct, and some very wrong, in her recent statements about cryptocurrency
--End times preacher Sharon Gilbert tells a bizarre and absurd story about her husband's body being invaded by an alien in the middle of the night, possibly Xerxes, or Jesus, which tried to have sex with her
--Televangelist Kenneth Copeland performs a bizarre ritual to "kill" the flue virus "in his colon"
--Voicemail caller tells David he will soon be "sued" over being "wrong" about Kyle Rittenhouse
--On the Bonus Show: Thanksgiving break stories from David and Pat, US libraries report spike in organized attempts to ban books in schools, much more...
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