1 00:00:04,879 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: What's going on? Thank you so much for listening to 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,640 this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon 3 00:00:09,679 --> 00:00:12,519 to three on WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,719 want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,239 my daily show prep with all the links, become a patron, 6 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,640 go to dpeakclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,160 subscribe button. Get every episode for free right to your 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,719 smartphone or tablet. And again, thank you so much for 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:32,840 your support. And as we do every Tuesday at noon, 10 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,560 here we speak with Andrew Dunn. He is the publisher, 11 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:40,119 purveyor and writer, owner, founder, et cetera of long Leaf 12 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,679 Politics longleafpol dot com. He's also a contributing columnist at 13 00:00:43,679 --> 00:00:46,840 The Charlotte Observer. Andrew, hope you had a great Christmas, sir. 14 00:00:48,079 --> 00:00:49,759 Speaker 2: I did. I hope you did as well. 15 00:00:50,119 --> 00:00:52,399 Speaker 3: I was sick, I actually know. 16 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 2: Yeah. 17 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:57,359 Speaker 1: I got whatever that crud flu that's going around that 18 00:00:57,399 --> 00:00:59,840 they had to close down some hospitals over I got 19 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:01,479 that over the break. 20 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:03,399 Speaker 3: But other than that, I'm fine. I'm fine. So you 21 00:01:03,399 --> 00:01:05,040 got any plans for New Year's Eve? 22 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 2: I'm going to bed early. I can't stay up that 23 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:09,599 late anymore. 24 00:01:09,719 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: I was gonna say you got kids now, so that 25 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,640 a whole different holiday celebration I think goes on when 26 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,200 you get kids for New Year's But all right, well, 27 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,079 I don't have anything on your your longlea politics website 28 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,000 to talk about or a column at the Observer, but 29 00:01:27,719 --> 00:01:34,840 I did see yesterday afternoon the anticipated audit of the 30 00:01:34,879 --> 00:01:40,719 North Carolina Education Lottery came out from the North Carolina 31 00:01:40,719 --> 00:01:44,079 Office of the State Auditor. It released a financial statement 32 00:01:44,239 --> 00:01:48,920 audit of the lottery and revealed a significant decrease in 33 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:54,000 net revenue designated for public education, which, like, okay, I 34 00:01:54,079 --> 00:01:57,680 might understand you saw a decline in revenue because of 35 00:01:57,719 --> 00:02:01,120 all of the online you know, gaming and gambling. 36 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:02,079 Speaker 3: Apps and all of that stuff. 37 00:02:02,159 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: I could see where that might have eaten into the 38 00:02:05,239 --> 00:02:10,520 lottery revenue. 39 00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:08,639 Speaker 2: But. 40 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:17,039 Speaker 1: The overall increase in lottery revenue would seem to undermine that. 41 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:22,280 So there's a net revenue decline, but an overall revenue increase. 42 00:02:23,479 --> 00:02:26,680 And as I understand it, the amount of money that's 43 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:31,199 been going to education has decreased in the same time period. 44 00:02:31,319 --> 00:02:33,599 So I'm a bit confused. Have you read through this 45 00:02:33,719 --> 00:02:36,159 audit yet? It's pretty lengthy? Actually, have you have you 46 00:02:36,199 --> 00:02:39,479 had a chance to Oh my gosh, you are a want. 47 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, of course. And I just had a column on 48 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,520 the subject published this morning over at the News and 49 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,319 Observer and the Charlotte Observer, so god, I'll have to 50 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,360 go and check it out. But basically, what's going on 51 00:02:53,479 --> 00:02:57,360 here is North Carolina's lottery had a record year six 52 00:02:57,439 --> 00:03:01,439 point six billion dollars in sales. That's out one billion 53 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:06,680 dollars more than last year. But the actual the percentage 54 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:09,919 of that going to education hit a record low, and 55 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:15,360 actually the raw dollar figures going to education actually decreased 56 00:03:15,479 --> 00:03:19,360 even though it brought in a billion more dollars. And 57 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,719 you know, the first thing that I thought was, oh, well, 58 00:03:22,759 --> 00:03:25,360 somebody's on the take here, you know, somebody is getting rich, 59 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,680 you know, at the lottery commission. But that's actually doesn't 60 00:03:28,719 --> 00:03:31,199 seem to be the case. The overhead has more or 61 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,840 less stayed the same. But what's happening here is the 62 00:03:34,919 --> 00:03:38,240 lottery introduced something called digital instance. It's kind of like 63 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,039 a digital scratch off ticket, you know, so there's there's 64 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,840 no scratching, you just press the button and see if 65 00:03:43,879 --> 00:03:48,879 you won. And that has become almost half of the 66 00:03:48,919 --> 00:03:52,919 lottery's revenue now is these these digital instants and they 67 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,120 pay out a higher percentage of prizes, and so that 68 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,360 means there's just less money that goes to education when 69 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,000 when everybody is playing the digital instance. 70 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: Hmm okay, So as a business model, not sure that 71 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,800 was the best move to go with. I mean, I 72 00:04:10,879 --> 00:04:15,360 understand if you're trying to move people from the printed 73 00:04:15,439 --> 00:04:19,680 cards over to a digital product, because you know, theoretically 74 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,600 you'd be lower cost. I would assume, right, because you're 75 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,160 not printing as many of the scratch offs, or maybe 76 00:04:25,199 --> 00:04:29,600 you still are, I don't know, but if you're paying 77 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,480 out a higher percentage and that's leading to a decline 78 00:04:32,519 --> 00:04:37,920 in the revenue, Like, was that unintended? Did they not 79 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,439 understand that that would happen? Is there any indication that 80 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:41,839 there was any thought paid to that. 81 00:04:42,879 --> 00:04:45,079 Speaker 2: Well, it's funny that you say you talk about the 82 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,079 business model there, because I mean, this really illustrates what 83 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,720 the lottery's business model really is. I mean, they're just 84 00:04:51,759 --> 00:04:54,639 trying to drive sales and get as many people gambling 85 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,720 as much as possible. I don't think the Lottery Commission 86 00:04:58,199 --> 00:05:00,720 really cares at all how much money is actually going 87 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,920 to education. You know, the lottery Commission is thrilled with this. 88 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,839 I mean they're touting their record sales and kind of 89 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,879 trying to sweep the you know, the less money to 90 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,000 education under the rug. And that's why I'm particularly glad 91 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,519 that State Auditor Dave Bollock was very upfront and pointing 92 00:05:17,519 --> 00:05:20,639 that out. I mean, it's a great business model if 93 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,040 your goal is to just maximize sales and maximize gambling. 94 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,240 You know, there is no commission to the gas stations, 95 00:05:27,639 --> 00:05:31,399 there's no printing cost of the tickets. It's all going 96 00:05:31,519 --> 00:05:35,160 to and it drives a lot more revenue and a 97 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,439 lot more sales. But it's really clear that the lottery 98 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,759 has completely lost its way. If it ever, if you 99 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,600 ever bought the argument that it was about education, this 100 00:05:46,319 --> 00:05:48,600 these numbers really make it clear that that's not what 101 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:50,000 the lottery is about. 102 00:05:50,079 --> 00:05:52,879 Speaker 1: Now, Andrew, it says it right there in their name, 103 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,439 the North Carolina Education Lottery. 104 00:05:56,600 --> 00:06:03,759 Speaker 3: It says it right there. Education. Yeah, I don't. 105 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 2: Think that's ever been the case. But you know, at 106 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,000 the beginning in two thousand and five when it was passed, 107 00:06:09,399 --> 00:06:12,759 the law said that thirty five percent of revenue had 108 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:16,560 to go to education. But even before the first lottery 109 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,360 tickets were even sold. They changed that. They came back 110 00:06:19,399 --> 00:06:21,759 in two thousand and seven and changed it from a 111 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,120 requirement to a guideline. 112 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 3: You know, it was a. 113 00:06:25,199 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 2: Hard floor, and then they said, to the extent practicable, 114 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,199 make it thirty five percent. And I think it's pretty 115 00:06:33,199 --> 00:06:37,199 clear that that is not even not even a guideline anymore. 116 00:06:37,199 --> 00:06:39,959 That's just completely out the window. I mean, sixteen percent 117 00:06:40,079 --> 00:06:42,720 is just ridiculous. I spent a little time going through 118 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:47,000 other states and collecting data on what percentage of other 119 00:06:47,079 --> 00:06:51,040 state lottery revenue is going to education or whatever that 120 00:06:51,079 --> 00:06:54,560 they're designating it for, and North Carolina is way at 121 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,000 the bottom of the list. I mean, twenty five percent 122 00:06:57,079 --> 00:07:00,439 seems to be a fairly standard percentage these days. I 123 00:07:00,439 --> 00:07:02,639 mean it's a far cry from thirty five percent, but 124 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,519 I mean, at sixteen percent, it's just an embarrassing. It's 125 00:07:06,519 --> 00:07:07,279 an embarrassment. 126 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:12,279 Speaker 1: Were you because you used to be a reporter, right, yeah? Yeah, 127 00:07:12,319 --> 00:07:17,040 So were you in North Carolina doing reporter work when 128 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:18,920 the lottery got passed? 129 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 2: Well, I was still in high school. I was around, 130 00:07:23,319 --> 00:07:26,120 but didn't have my professional hat on. 131 00:07:26,319 --> 00:07:29,439 Speaker 1: Okay, so I'm showing my age then, So I remember 132 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,319 when this thing was passed literally in the dead of night, 133 00:07:33,399 --> 00:07:37,759 by a single vote, and it was passed because there 134 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,680 were a couple of Republicans I think one was out 135 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,480 for surgery, one was out of the country. They called 136 00:07:42,519 --> 00:07:45,240 in a special session in order to ram this thing 137 00:07:45,319 --> 00:07:50,439 through under the leadership of the federally indicted Speaker of 138 00:07:50,439 --> 00:07:54,399 the House, Jim Black, And that's how we ended up 139 00:07:54,399 --> 00:07:57,560 getting this lottery passed because the Republicans were against it. Now, 140 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,160 they were not in the majority at the time. The 141 00:07:59,199 --> 00:08:02,639 Democrats control the House, and Mike Easley, the governor at 142 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,120 the time, very much wanted this and it was sold 143 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,920 to everybody as a way to supplement not supplant, not supplant. 144 00:08:09,959 --> 00:08:12,519 They're not going to replace the education funding in the 145 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,639 General Assembly budget. This is just in addition too. That's 146 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,240 the way this whole thing got sold. And now fast 147 00:08:19,279 --> 00:08:23,959 forward what twenty five years or so, and it is, yeah, 148 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,519 like you said, sixteen percent of the revenue going to 149 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,360 public school going to public schools sixteen percent in twenty 150 00:08:31,399 --> 00:08:35,320 twenty five, and that's just been continuously dropping. According to 151 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:40,279 the story WSOCTV based on this audit twenty twenty four, 152 00:08:40,399 --> 00:08:42,759 it was at twenty percent. The year before that, in 153 00:08:42,799 --> 00:08:44,919 twenty twenty three, it was at twenty three percent. 154 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:46,159 Speaker 3: So it just keeps. 155 00:08:45,879 --> 00:08:52,519 Speaker 1: Going down, and it is exactly as the critics predicted 156 00:08:52,919 --> 00:08:55,279 that it would play out. This is what we said 157 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:58,399 was going to happen. But they said they had to 158 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,720 do it, not just for the children, but also because 159 00:09:01,759 --> 00:09:05,320 all of the other states around us we we're doing lotteries, 160 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,159 and so we had to do it in order to 161 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,519 keep those dollars in North Carolina. 162 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,759 Speaker 3: So does that argument still hold up? 163 00:09:13,759 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 2: I mean, I guess, But to me, it's really a 164 00:09:18,639 --> 00:09:22,120 matter of you know, what are we trying to do here? 165 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:26,960 You know, if we go to the original premise that 166 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:32,039 we wanted to supplement education funding, then we should be 167 00:09:32,159 --> 00:09:36,759 optimizing the lottery to maximize education funding, and that's clearly 168 00:09:36,799 --> 00:09:39,440 not where we're at today. You know, for the first 169 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,000 time in about ten years, the amount of money going 170 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:46,879 to education decreased. We haven't seen a decrease in raw 171 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:51,919 dollars going to education since twenty sixteen twenty seventeen, So clearly, 172 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,440 you know, the people in charge of the lottery business 173 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,519 are not optimizing for money going to education. And you 174 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:03,720 know that you mentioned the vote in the Senate. I mean, 175 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,720 that's one of my favorite stories in North Carolina political history. 176 00:10:07,159 --> 00:10:09,519 It was it didn't have the votes to pass. You know, 177 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,120 one Republican was in the hospital, one Republican was on 178 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:15,879 his honeymoon, and so they ended up getting it to 179 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,000 a deadlock in then Lieutenant Governor Bev Purdue cast a 180 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,919 tie breaking vote to get this into law, and then 181 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,799 Mike easily swiftly signed it. So, I mean, this is 182 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,600 the lottery itself is a democratic problem. But I don't 183 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,639 want to let Republicans off the hook completely here, because 184 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,000 you know, North Carolina has been leaning a lot further 185 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,960 into gambling in the last few years under Republican legislative leadership. 186 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:41,799 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's absolutely true. 187 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,399 Speaker 1: Also, I was astounded to learn in this story that 188 00:10:45,519 --> 00:10:49,440 this is the first comprehensive performance audit of the lottery 189 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:53,120 since two thousand and eight, which seems, I don't know, 190 00:10:53,759 --> 00:10:54,639 not optimal. 191 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:57,639 Speaker 3: It seems like, no, it's not optimal. 192 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 2: And the Lottery they do have external audits that do 193 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:05,279 the financial statements and you can read them online, but 194 00:11:05,399 --> 00:11:08,240 this is the first time that somebody outside of the 195 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:11,720 Lottery Commission has really been taking a look at the 196 00:11:11,799 --> 00:11:14,240 numbers and I think it's clear. You know, I was 197 00:11:14,279 --> 00:11:17,399 going back to see, you know last time that money 198 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,200 to education actually dropped with twenty sixteen twenty seventeen. I mean, 199 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,919 there was no news coverage of that whatsoever. It just 200 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,759 was completely swept under the rug. And so I think 201 00:11:27,799 --> 00:11:30,519 that's one of the benefits of having Dave Bollock take 202 00:11:30,519 --> 00:11:32,360 a look at this and put out a press release 203 00:11:32,399 --> 00:11:35,200 and make sure people see what's going on, because if 204 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,480 you leave the Lottery Commission to their own devices, they're 205 00:11:37,519 --> 00:11:40,080 going to just brush all that aside. 206 00:11:39,879 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: And try to get as you said, try to get 207 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:45,200 more people gambling, because that's their mission is to get. 208 00:11:45,039 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 3: People in back gaping. Yeah, Andrew, thank you, sir. I 209 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:48,720 appreciate your time. 210 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: As always, Folks can look them up at long leafpol 211 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:55,440 dot com. Subscribe to the substack newsletter there, and you 212 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,480 can read his work in the Charlotte Observer in the 213 00:11:57,559 --> 00:11:59,039 Raleigh News and Observer as well. 214 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 3: Andrew, thanks so much. Be new year to you, Thank you, 215 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:03,120 Take care. 216 00:12:03,279 --> 00:12:06,279 Speaker 1: All right, Holiday football has arrived right with Draft Kings 217 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,360 sportsbook and official sports betting partner of the NFL, the 218 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:13,080 Unexpected can turn game day into payday and don't forget 219 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,159 Draft Kings as you're back with early exit. Pretty neat 220 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,200 function here. If your player goes down in the first half, 221 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,759 you still get paid in cash. Download the Draft Kings 222 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,240 sportsbook app and use the code PETE. 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That's a pretty good analogy. 241 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,840 I'm old enough to remember when video poker was a 242 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:45,320 massive problem in York County, because I believe North Carolina 243 00:13:45,399 --> 00:13:48,440 had them banned, and then they opened up a whole 244 00:13:48,519 --> 00:13:52,080 bunch of these video poker parlors all along the border 245 00:13:52,399 --> 00:13:57,000 in South Carolina. And at the time I was, I 246 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,039 guess at that point, I had just graduated out of 247 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,879 Winthrop University and was, you know, working various jobs and 248 00:14:02,919 --> 00:14:04,879 then and so, like I worked at a bar. 249 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:06,639 Speaker 3: It is no longer open. 250 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: I believe it used to be called the Silver Dollar Saloon. 251 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,399 I mean we booked bands, we had uh, you know, 252 00:14:14,519 --> 00:14:17,639 pool tables, and we had a couple of video poker machines, 253 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,279 and I watched a lot of people throw a lot 254 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,440 of money into the video poker and then you know, 255 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:26,440 they were at all of the gas stations, and then 256 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:28,679 you would have these little shops that opened up and 257 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:32,720 they just would be packed with video poker machines, and 258 00:14:32,759 --> 00:14:37,440 then they started getting robbed at, like people storming the 259 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:41,639 doors with long guns and such, and you know, holding 260 00:14:41,639 --> 00:14:46,200 people hostage, emptying out the safes and stuff, taking all 261 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:51,200 the money. It became a real problem, and South Carolina 262 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,440 eventually banned the video poker. Except if you are like 263 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:58,200 the Catawba Indian nation, they had their bingo hall and 264 00:14:58,279 --> 00:14:59,919 they were trying to get video poker and stuff. There 265 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:01,720 is like down on the PD River they put a 266 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:04,720 bunch of poker machines on like a on a riverboat 267 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:07,320 that never moved off the dock, you know, stuff like that. 268 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 3: But this was a this was a really big. 269 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: Problem for many years, and they finally got video poker 270 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:19,960 outlawed in uh, in South Carolina. So that's what this does. 271 00:15:20,279 --> 00:15:23,279 It does kind of sound like that this digital instant 272 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:25,960 poker machine or a digital instant. 273 00:15:25,559 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 3: Game, I should say. And then uh. 274 00:15:31,399 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 1: D Stewart says, uh, don't forget that the winnings are 275 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:37,759 then taxed again by the state. 276 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:40,559 Speaker 3: What that amount is? 277 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: Uh yeah, no, that's a that's a good point too, right. 278 00:15:45,039 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 3: So the money that. 279 00:15:45,679 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: You win off of the lottery supposed to go for 280 00:15:49,159 --> 00:15:51,399 you know, the the proceeds supposed to go to education, 281 00:15:51,519 --> 00:15:53,559 but that number has declined even though they pulled in 282 00:15:53,679 --> 00:15:55,440 record revenue. 283 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 3: The number the the the money that they. 284 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: Transfer over for education dropped, and as Andrew dungeas said, 285 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:07,120 the last time that happened was almost ten years ago. 286 00:16:09,559 --> 00:16:13,639 And then after you win, if you win, then the 287 00:16:13,679 --> 00:16:15,759 state takes a cut of those winnings as well. 288 00:16:16,159 --> 00:16:20,399 Speaker 3: So yeah, that's a that's a problem, I think now. 289 00:16:23,039 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: According to the WSOC report, North Carolina Education Lottery officials 290 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:32,320 said that it and others in the US experienced a 291 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:36,440 decrease in revenue in fiscal year twenty five from the 292 00:16:36,639 --> 00:16:40,039 Powerball and Mega Millions multi. 293 00:16:39,639 --> 00:16:42,039 Speaker 3: State draw games. 294 00:16:42,679 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 1: And when I was reading through some of the audit report, 295 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,279 it chrucked that up to the fact that they're weren't 296 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:56,480 as many you know, billion dollar jackpots in twenty twenty 297 00:16:56,519 --> 00:17:01,480 five for these two games, these you know, interstate national games. 298 00:17:01,879 --> 00:17:02,639 Speaker 3: And so when you. 299 00:17:02,559 --> 00:17:06,359 Speaker 1: Don't have the massive, uh you know, potential to win 300 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,160 a billion dollars or whatever it is, uh, then you 301 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:13,480 get fewer players Like I myself, I don't ever buy 302 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,559 a lottery ticket, you know, unless it's worthwhile with you know, 303 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:19,960 a billion dollars, I mean, because who would want to 304 00:17:20,039 --> 00:17:22,759 win half a billion? Like, what's the point, you know, 305 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,000 why would I even bother? And well, here's the other 306 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,559 thing too, Like I don't even go into the because 307 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:33,359 you like, you have to pay for the lottery tickets. 308 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:35,519 I think you have to pay with cash or with 309 00:17:35,559 --> 00:17:38,119 a debit card. Right, you can't use a credit card 310 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,640 because you could see how that would be problematic for 311 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,720 people who have a gambling addiction, right they would they 312 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,200 would get credit cards and just max out the credit 313 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,680 cards on all of the gambling. Right, So you got 314 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,680 to use cash, and I don't ever carry cash. Just 315 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:55,960 a heads up to all of you would be muggers 316 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:01,039 out there. Okay, I don't carry cash, and I don't 317 00:18:01,039 --> 00:18:03,680 ever really go into the convenience stores, the gas stations, 318 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:03,839 you know. 319 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 3: I pay at the pump and all of that. 320 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: After I you know, grab the the scanner, you know, 321 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:09,480 and I shake the thing around to make sure that 322 00:18:09,519 --> 00:18:13,079 no one's scamming me. So be aware of that scammers. 323 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:15,799 Like I checked to make sure that no one's stealing 324 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:16,519 my card at. 325 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:17,160 Speaker 3: The at the pump. 326 00:18:17,279 --> 00:18:19,599 Speaker 1: So I don't ever really go in. So I did 327 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,880 years ago. I went over and I set up online 328 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,000 on their website, and so you can go in there 329 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,799 and like buy these these tickets for you know, the 330 00:18:28,839 --> 00:18:32,920 billion dollar jackpots, I never hear anybody winning off of 331 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:37,000 the online buys. You know, you always hear like somebody 332 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,079 pulled over at a gas station and they won this 333 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:42,160 big lottery, you know, winning whatever. You never hear, Oh yeah, 334 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:49,000 somebody bought their ticket online. Does anybody win online? I'm 335 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,559 not saying they don't. Maybe maybe we get an audit 336 00:18:52,599 --> 00:18:54,160 of that. How about that? I'd like to hear an 337 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,039 audit of that. You know, stories are powerful. They help 338 00:18:57,079 --> 00:19:00,839 us make sense of things, to understand experiences. Stories connect 339 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,759 us to the people of our past while transcending generations. 340 00:19:03,799 --> 00:19:06,240 They help us process the meaning of life, and our 341 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,519 stories are told through images and videos. Preserve your stories 342 00:19:10,559 --> 00:19:13,759 with Creative Video. Started in nineteen ninety seven in Minhill, 343 00:19:13,839 --> 00:19:16,480 North Carolina. It was the first company to provide this 344 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,839 valuable service, converting images, photos and videos into high quality 345 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,920 produced slide shows, videos and albums. The trusted, talented and 346 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,640 dedicated team at Creative Video will go over all of 347 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:31,640 the details with you to create a perfect project. 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You've 356 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:05,319 heard of the the Seinfeld holiday Festivus, right and the 357 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:09,960 airing of grievances and right, well for the kids, you 358 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,839 probably haven't seen the episode, but that's where it comes from. 359 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:16,400 Speaker 3: This idea of Festivus, this made up holiday that was. 360 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: It George's dad, one of the characters, George Costanza. 361 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,039 Speaker 3: Or Art Van Delay, depending on the need. 362 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:31,519 Speaker 1: But George Costanza's dad created this Christmas holiday called Festivus 363 00:20:31,559 --> 00:20:34,039 and created all these different you know things around it, 364 00:20:34,079 --> 00:20:37,440 and one of them was the traditional airing of grievances. 365 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:45,279 And Senator Ran Paul has been using this Festivus airing 366 00:20:45,319 --> 00:20:50,519 of grievances for years and every year he puts out 367 00:20:50,559 --> 00:20:56,240 a report his annual Festivus tradition of wasteful federal spending. 368 00:20:57,319 --> 00:21:00,160 Every year he puts out this report and he highlights 369 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:06,640 some of the most egregious you know grants and funding 370 00:21:06,839 --> 00:21:10,240 programs and services and such that are in the federal budget. 371 00:21:10,839 --> 00:21:18,039 So this year his report totals one point six trillion dollars. 372 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:22,240 One point six trillion. Now one point two trillion of 373 00:21:22,279 --> 00:21:28,799 that is interest payments on the national debt. That's what 374 00:21:28,839 --> 00:21:34,160 we're paying for, just the interest on the debt that 375 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:39,119 we have accumulated, he said. Last Festivus, we clamored over 376 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:45,680 the national debt, reaching over an astronomical thirty six trillion dollars, 377 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:50,680 which I'm kind of surprised the debt is thirty six trillion, 378 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:56,119 or was thirty six trillion, and one point two trillion 379 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:01,519 is the interest I thought it be more. We're getting 380 00:22:01,519 --> 00:22:07,759 a good rate. But in one short year, the career 381 00:22:07,839 --> 00:22:11,720 politicians and bureaucrats in Washington have managed to reach nearly 382 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:15,720 forty trillion dollars in debt without so much as a 383 00:22:15,839 --> 00:22:19,400 second thought. When asked who's to blame for our crushing 384 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:24,799 level of debt, the answer is everyone. And by the way, 385 00:22:24,839 --> 00:22:29,640 I will add to this, it's not just the politicians. 386 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,279 It's not just the Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Okay, 387 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,359 it's not just the elected officials. It's not even just 388 00:22:38,519 --> 00:22:43,640 the bureaucrats, the Federal Reserve people like, yes, they are 389 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:46,720 all part of it, but it's not just them. 390 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:48,279 Speaker 3: It's everyone. 391 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:52,400 Speaker 1: It's all of us, everybody that keeps voting these people 392 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:57,039 into office, and everybody that keeps demanding that something has 393 00:22:57,079 --> 00:22:59,559 to be done, that government needs to do something, that 394 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:03,519 we need another program, more money needs to go there, whatever, 395 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,279 and nobody ever wants to talk about the cuts. It's 396 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:09,119 usually one of the uh, the questions that I get 397 00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:13,160 crickets in response to whenever I ask people running for office, 398 00:23:13,519 --> 00:23:16,680 particularly Republicans, and I asked them, you say, you want 399 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,519 to you know, cut spending. Where do you want to cut? 400 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,119 What do you want to cut? And usually it's something like, well, 401 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:26,200 we're going to take a look at some things and 402 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:28,680 there's waste, fraud and abuse or whatever whatever. But there's 403 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:32,400 never specifics because as soon as you start listing to 404 00:23:32,519 --> 00:23:38,000 specific cuts, now you have constituencies that are attached to 405 00:23:38,039 --> 00:23:41,920 those programs and services, like the Somalians, and they won't 406 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,920 vote for you, and they're not going to want their 407 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:50,960 ox to get gourd. This year, he says, Congress voted 408 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,039 to raise the debt ceiling by five trillion dollars, the 409 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:58,039 most we have ever had now. His report also cites 410 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:02,759 numerous examples of bizarre experiments and training programs that we're funding. 411 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:08,839 For example, the National Institutes of Health spent five million 412 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:16,400 dollars to give dogs cocaine, which seems like a waste. 413 00:24:16,599 --> 00:24:18,559 I think they get the zoomies already. I don't know 414 00:24:18,559 --> 00:24:22,480 why you need to give them cocaine. I don't know 415 00:24:22,519 --> 00:24:25,960 why that's Like, how is that legal? Like on two fronts? 416 00:24:26,279 --> 00:24:28,759 Number one? How did you procure the coke? 417 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 3: Right? Like? 418 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:32,519 Speaker 1: That seems to me to be a bit of a problem, 419 00:24:32,559 --> 00:24:36,000 Like how are you getting the cocaine into this government facility? 420 00:24:36,039 --> 00:24:36,559 Speaker 3: How is that? 421 00:24:36,759 --> 00:24:41,240 Speaker 1: Oh? Oh, okay, guys, I think I figured out what 422 00:24:41,279 --> 00:24:47,279 Hunter Biden's been up too recently. Efforts too soon, too soon, 423 00:24:49,079 --> 00:24:51,559 So we're feeding dogs coke. 424 00:24:53,319 --> 00:24:55,359 Speaker 3: Also thirteen, I mean. 425 00:24:55,200 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 1: Think about five million dollars, five million dollars to give 426 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:04,039 dogs cocaine. I feel like we can do that a 427 00:25:04,079 --> 00:25:07,000 lot cheaper, you know, although I guess you want to 428 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,720 make sure that it's it's cut pure, because nowadays, you know, 429 00:25:09,759 --> 00:25:11,680 I wouldn't trust anything out there on the streets because 430 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,559 of the pentomylonoll So maybe that's. 431 00:25:14,519 --> 00:25:15,839 Speaker 3: Maybe that's why. 432 00:25:16,559 --> 00:25:21,759 Speaker 1: Also, the nih spent almost fourteen million dollars on those 433 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:26,960 beagle experiments. Remember those people who may not be aware 434 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:34,359 of this, These were the experiments pioneered by former NIAID 435 00:25:35,279 --> 00:25:42,559 or NIAD director Anthony Saint Fauci, right where they would 436 00:25:42,559 --> 00:25:48,319 put beagles into a like a it almost looks like 437 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:51,240 an iron lung, you know, remember those things or have 438 00:25:51,319 --> 00:25:53,839 you heard of those things where it's like the body 439 00:25:54,039 --> 00:25:57,559 is well, except it's like reverse. The head is put 440 00:25:57,599 --> 00:26:00,680 into like a container and then it's like it's sealed 441 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,480 at the neck or the body is out on the 442 00:26:03,599 --> 00:26:07,680 stretcher or whatever, so that's out exposed, but the head 443 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:12,799 is inside this containment unit and then they they they 444 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:18,160 kill the dogs using like sand fleas or something. Yeah, 445 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:23,039 it's barbaric, not to be confused with doctor Barrick, also 446 00:26:23,319 --> 00:26:25,960 part of the whole ni H system. But anyway, like, 447 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:29,799 uh yeah, this was this was the pioneering work done 448 00:26:29,839 --> 00:26:33,200 by Anthony Fauci's n I H or n I A D. 449 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:37,720 So apparently we're still funding that crap. I don't know 450 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:39,319 if they're I don't know if they're given the beagles 451 00:26:39,319 --> 00:26:41,880 the cocaine. I don't know if it's the same dogs. 452 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:46,480 I'm not sure. But how how have the Republicans not 453 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:49,359 shut the valve off on that thing? 454 00:26:50,519 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 3: What? What? 455 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:56,759 Speaker 1: What possible science could you be gaining from that? Like, yeah, 456 00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:59,839 we're torture, unless, of course it's some experiment on the 457 00:27:00,079 --> 00:27:03,599 humans that are conducting the experiments and they're like psychopathy. 458 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 3: I don't know. 459 00:27:06,559 --> 00:27:09,359 Speaker 1: The Department of Health and Human Services has spotlighted several 460 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:14,240 times in Ran Paul's Festivus Report. James Lynch writing about 461 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,640 it at the National Review, HHS spent one and a 462 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:20,880 half million dollars to combat drug use in Latin X 463 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:27,960 communities through influencer marketing campaigns. So we're paying YouTubers and 464 00:27:28,079 --> 00:27:35,960 TikTokers and instagrammers to tell people drugs bad, but to 465 00:27:36,039 --> 00:27:41,279 do it in Spanish. I guess that's the idea. Also, 466 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:44,839 one point nine million dollars on a mobile phone intervention 467 00:27:45,559 --> 00:27:49,519 meant to help reduce obesity among Latino families in the 468 00:27:49,559 --> 00:27:50,640 Los Angeles area. 469 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:52,640 Speaker 3: So just LA. 470 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:57,319 Speaker 1: So we have a bunch of obese Latinxers in LA, 471 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,240 and so we're going to text message them at a 472 00:28:00,279 --> 00:28:04,480 cost of almost two million dollars to like, hey, stop 473 00:28:04,519 --> 00:28:11,039 eating another LA focused HHS program. And by the way, 474 00:28:11,079 --> 00:28:17,480 see this is why we saw the rise of the 475 00:28:17,759 --> 00:28:22,680 NGOs and this this system that we are now crippled 476 00:28:22,759 --> 00:28:27,200 under the weight of the fraud because government was doing 477 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:32,440 this kind of crap so much that about fifteen twenty 478 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,319 five years ago, Republicans made this big push to be like, 479 00:28:35,839 --> 00:28:38,519 stop spending this money on these things. Obviously they didn't 480 00:28:38,559 --> 00:28:40,440 do great job of it, because we're still spending this money, 481 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:43,480 but they're like, we need to, you know, get the 482 00:28:43,519 --> 00:28:45,920 private sector to do this stuff because they can make 483 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:46,519 the money go. 484 00:28:46,519 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 3: Further and further. 485 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,440 Speaker 1: They made it go absolutely all the way to Somalia 486 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:56,519 in some cases. So now we have both of these systems. 487 00:28:56,559 --> 00:29:00,519 We have both the government programs that are spent money 488 00:29:00,559 --> 00:29:04,039 like this and we have nonprofits that are just taking 489 00:29:04,079 --> 00:29:08,559 a bunch of money and not really doing anything with it, which, honestly, 490 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,119 if I'm comparing the nonprofit model of doing nothing with 491 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,839 it versus like the murdering of the beagles, I'd go 492 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,400 with the nonprofit model. All right, if you're listening to 493 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:17,960 this show, you know I try to keep up with 494 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,119 all sorts of current events, and I know you do too, 495 00:29:20,279 --> 00:29:22,799 and you've probably heard me say get your news from 496 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:27,480 multiple sources. Why, Well, because it's how you detect media bias, 497 00:29:27,519 --> 00:29:30,079 which is why I've been so impressed with ground News. 498 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,839 It's an app, and it's a website and it combines 499 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:35,960 news from around the world in one place so you 500 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,359 can compare coverage and verify information. You can check it 501 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:43,920 out at check dot ground, dot news slash pete. I 502 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,880 put the link in the podcast description too. I started 503 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:49,640 using ground News a few months ago and more recently 504 00:29:49,839 --> 00:29:51,799 chose to work with them as an affiliate because it 505 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:55,720 lets me see clearly how stories get covered and by whom. 506 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,960 The blind spot feature shows you which stories get ignored 507 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:01,880 by the left and the right. See for yourself. Check 508 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:06,480 dot ground, dot news slash pete. Subscribe through that link 509 00:30:06,519 --> 00:30:09,400 and you'll get fifteen percent off any subscription. I use 510 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:12,599 the Vantage plan to get unlimited access to every feature. 511 00:30:12,799 --> 00:30:15,559 Your subscription then not only helps my podcast, but it 512 00:30:15,599 --> 00:30:18,720 also supports ground News as they make the media landscape 513 00:30:18,759 --> 00:30:23,440 more transparent. Message on the WBT text line from Andy 514 00:30:23,559 --> 00:30:29,519 am I to assume that Doge no longer exists. Yeah, 515 00:30:29,559 --> 00:30:31,440 you haven't heard a whole lot about Doge in a while. 516 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 3: Have. We's a it's a good point, Andy. 517 00:30:34,359 --> 00:30:36,839 Speaker 1: I don't even know if it exists, and I follow 518 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:41,319 the news pretty closely, but I don't think it exists anymore. 519 00:30:42,119 --> 00:30:45,400 I think, you know, Elon got into his fight with Trump, 520 00:30:45,799 --> 00:30:52,039 and that guy large orbs got attacked in DC, and 521 00:30:52,519 --> 00:30:57,759 then after that, like it just all went away. I 522 00:30:57,799 --> 00:31:02,319 think they did speed up the retirement process for the 523 00:31:02,319 --> 00:31:08,039 federal employees. Remember that then covered the vault of paperwork 524 00:31:09,119 --> 00:31:12,240 inside a mountain, and that only a certain number of 525 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,039 federal employees could retire in any given year because they 526 00:31:15,079 --> 00:31:18,559 literally could not process more than a certain amount of 527 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:22,160 files per year. And the reason why they couldn't do 528 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,759 that was because the elevator that takes you down into 529 00:31:24,799 --> 00:31:29,359 the crypt of these files, it moves at a certain 530 00:31:30,359 --> 00:31:33,519 rate of speed, and so the elevator could only make 531 00:31:33,559 --> 00:31:40,440 a certain number of trips per day. So yeah, again, 532 00:31:40,519 --> 00:31:43,920 I will say, if we were building GOV code today, 533 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,880 it would not look like what it does right now. 534 00:31:48,079 --> 00:31:52,680 You know, we would have built a different kind of system. 535 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,400 But you know, once you build these things, everything gets 536 00:31:56,400 --> 00:32:00,400 built on top of these older systems, and then they 537 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:04,200 eventually collapsed because the older systems can no longer support 538 00:32:04,319 --> 00:32:08,039 the you know, the innovations and the population growth and whatever. 539 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,559 So let's see here back to h rand Paul's report 540 00:32:14,839 --> 00:32:18,400 on his list of grievances of federal waste fraud and abuse. 541 00:32:19,359 --> 00:32:26,839 The Los Angeles area focused HHS program a marketing campaign 542 00:32:28,279 --> 00:32:34,440 towards certain I don't know which one, certain LGBT subcultures. 543 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,279 I don't know what that means, nine hundred and thirty 544 00:32:37,319 --> 00:32:41,599 six thousand dollars to inform them about STD testing and treatment. 545 00:32:43,599 --> 00:32:46,680 HHS had another drug oriented project in New York City, 546 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:49,680 where the agency spent two million dollars to collect spit 547 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:57,200 and conduct surveys at ed M clubs and festivals. Ed M, 548 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:05,519 I believe is the electronic dance music or disco music. 549 00:33:05,559 --> 00:33:07,880 I think it's dance music, you know where it like 550 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,359 they play that crazy music and they got the crazy 551 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:12,599 lights going, and then everybody, you know, takes a bunch 552 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:14,720 of drugs. And so apparently they went in and took 553 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:16,480 a bunch of saliva samples from people. 554 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:17,799 Speaker 3: I don't know why. 555 00:33:17,839 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 1: But additionally, HHS gave three point three million dollars to 556 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:29,039 Northwestern University to create scientific neighborhoods. No idea what that 557 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:35,480 is but also that would hire space ambassadors. Oh sorry, 558 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:39,119 safe space ambassadors, because yeah, I would say, if it's 559 00:33:39,119 --> 00:33:43,319 a space ambassador, you would put them under space Force. No, 560 00:33:44,559 --> 00:33:46,519 by the way, do we have any space ambassadors in 561 00:33:46,559 --> 00:33:49,759 space Force? Seems like we should probably have a couple 562 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,359 just in case, you know, just in case we're out 563 00:33:53,359 --> 00:33:57,839 there and we encounter somebody and they're like, take me 564 00:33:57,880 --> 00:33:59,519 to your leader, Like who are they saying that to? 565 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:02,519 It probably would be a good idea to have an 566 00:34:02,559 --> 00:34:06,799 ambassador just kind of floating around the Earth. So if 567 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:10,719 some ship arrives, then like we hello, I am the 568 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:16,199 ambassador to space. It's a pretty large jurisdiction. But no, 569 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,920 this is a safe space ambassador. So I guess they 570 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,559 only would be an ambassador in the safe spaces in 571 00:34:23,599 --> 00:34:28,679 the scientific neighborhoods. Not sure why the whole neighborhood wouldn't 572 00:34:28,679 --> 00:34:33,559 be a safe space, but definitely worth a three million 573 00:34:33,599 --> 00:34:38,079 dollars Along with forming committees with the purpose of dismantling 574 00:34:38,599 --> 00:34:44,400 systemic racism. Is that because if you build a scientific community, 575 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:45,960 there wouldn't be enough women in. 576 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:48,480 Speaker 3: I kid, I kid. 577 00:34:48,559 --> 00:34:50,920 Speaker 1: Women could do science too. I'm not saying they can't, 578 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:57,079 but men are overrepresented in I'm not trying to get 579 00:34:57,079 --> 00:35:01,119 into that whole argument. I'm just saying a major HHS 580 00:35:01,119 --> 00:35:06,480 expense that previously drew scrutiny twenty two point six billion 581 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:12,320 spent on welfare and other expenses for illegal immigrants during 582 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:13,519 the Biden administration. 583 00:35:15,519 --> 00:35:16,559 Speaker 3: So we've moved. 584 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:19,239 Speaker 1: Past the the You know, there's a cycle that occurs 585 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:22,119 here where it's you know, first you deny that the 586 00:35:22,159 --> 00:35:27,920 thing is happening, and then you admit, okay, fine, it's happening, 587 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:29,719 but it's just a little it's not a lot, it 588 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:32,960 doesn't influence elections or anything. It's it's just a little bit. 589 00:35:34,039 --> 00:35:39,199 And then it moves on to okay, it's happening, and 590 00:35:39,639 --> 00:35:42,880 here's why that's a good thing. That's usually the cycle. Now, 591 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:45,760 there are some there are like a little stops along 592 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:48,960 the way. There could be like, Okay, yes it's happening, 593 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,880 but you know, a pox upon you for noticing that 594 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:56,800 it's happening, right, or before you get to the point 595 00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:59,159 where you say, okay, it's happening, but only a little bit, 596 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:05,480 you may say something like you're racist if you are 597 00:36:05,519 --> 00:36:09,199 accusing these people of doing this thing, or you're racist 598 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:11,760 for thinking that this thing is happening, right, So you 599 00:36:12,159 --> 00:36:15,320 get those types of arguments between the first and second phase. 600 00:36:16,039 --> 00:36:21,119 So there is a new phase. By the way, let's 601 00:36:21,119 --> 00:36:23,599 see here this is from uh I believe his name 602 00:36:23,679 --> 00:36:28,119 is Josh Geron Gerstein, who is a I'm not kidding. 603 00:36:28,519 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 3: He is a senior. 604 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:36,159 Speaker 1: Legal affairs reporter at Politico Legal Affairs. Keep that in mind, 605 00:36:36,199 --> 00:36:39,679 that's what this guy specializes in as a reporter legal affairs. 606 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:44,800 And he's commenting on the Somali fraud story and he 607 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:49,440 says at some point the amateur effort to knock on 608 00:36:49,639 --> 00:36:55,920 doors of home daycares intersects with robust stand your ground laws, 609 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:00,440 So like that would be another stop in that in 610 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:05,880 that cycle of like you know, after okay, fine, it's happening, 611 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:09,280 but it's only a little bit, then it would be like, okay, 612 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:11,559 it's happening and it's a good thing, and then you 613 00:37:11,559 --> 00:37:15,519 could maybe throw in there and if you if you 614 00:37:15,559 --> 00:37:18,559 ask about it, then you should be you know, shot. 615 00:37:18,719 --> 00:37:21,000 So I think maybe that's another way point that we're 616 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:21,400 adding here. 617 00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:21,639 Speaker 3: Now. 618 00:37:21,639 --> 00:37:24,519 Speaker 1: By the way, a stand your ground law would not 619 00:37:24,599 --> 00:37:26,599 apply if you were to go up and knock on 620 00:37:26,639 --> 00:37:29,800 a daycare center's door. That that's not stand your ground. 621 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:34,519 There's no threats being communicated or anything. You're not you're 622 00:37:34,559 --> 00:37:37,840 not trying to, you know, threaten people with bodily harm 623 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,679 or anything. So there's no stand your ground law. I 624 00:37:40,679 --> 00:37:42,760 feel they need to point this out to the senior 625 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:47,719 legal affairs reporter at Politico. He may be thinking of 626 00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:50,840 the castle doctrine right where if somebody is in your 627 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:54,280 home you can use force against them, But that wouldn't 628 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:57,039 apply either, because you are a public business, you know, 629 00:37:57,280 --> 00:37:59,400 and me knocking on the door of a public business 630 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:01,960 does not give business owner the right to shoot me 631 00:38:02,519 --> 00:38:05,400 through the door. Okay, so that doesn't even apply either. 632 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:08,159 Speaker 3: So he's just completely wrong on both of those counts. 633 00:38:08,159 --> 00:38:12,719 Speaker 1: Anyway, back to their report, seven and a half billion 634 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:17,079 dollars of congressional funding allocated for the Biden Administration's ev 635 00:38:17,519 --> 00:38:22,199 charger network the electric vehicle charger network, So seven and 636 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:28,960 a half billion dollars built sixty eight charging stations. That 637 00:38:29,079 --> 00:38:31,480 is quite the bang for the buck, right there. Seven 638 00:38:31,519 --> 00:38:37,679 point five billion for sixty eight charging stations. Over at 639 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:41,000 the National Science Foundation, fourteen million dollars went to have 640 00:38:41,159 --> 00:38:44,679 monkeys play a video game inspired by the prices right 641 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:48,679 game show. Not sure why we need monkeys playing a 642 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:53,760 video game, but sounds like a decent game. I'm gonna 643 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:55,559 do it like the price is right. So two point 644 00:38:55,639 --> 00:38:58,800 four million on programs that promote bugs as food for 645 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:02,599 human consumption. But we're not trying to make you eat bugs, everybody. 646 00:39:02,599 --> 00:39:05,760 We're just funding a campaign to convince you to eat bugs. 647 00:39:06,199 --> 00:39:10,559 The Pentagon spend seventy seven million every year actually on 648 00:39:10,599 --> 00:39:14,320 a dolphin training program. Not sure what the training entails. 649 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:17,079 I wonder if they have different do they have different 650 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:20,039 metrics for the female dolphins and the male dolphin. 651 00:39:20,119 --> 00:39:20,679 Speaker 3: I'm not sure. 652 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:23,199 Speaker 1: The DoD is also funding two point eight million dollars 653 00:39:23,239 --> 00:39:27,039 of grants for implanting a borded fetal tissue into humanized 654 00:39:28,119 --> 00:39:29,199 mice for some reason. 655 00:39:29,559 --> 00:39:32,519 Speaker 3: Don't know why. Don't know how to humanize a mouse. 656 00:39:33,039 --> 00:39:34,800 Speaker 1: Actually, I don't want to know how one would go 657 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:36,280 about humanizing a mouse. 658 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:41,679 Speaker 3: It sounds horrific. All right, that'll do it for this episode. 659 00:39:41,679 --> 00:39:43,079 Thank you so much for listening. 660 00:39:43,159 --> 00:39:45,320 Speaker 1: I could not do the show without your support and 661 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:48,079 the support of the businesses that advertise on the podcast, 662 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:50,519 So if you'd like, please support them too and tell 663 00:39:50,519 --> 00:39:52,280 them you heard it here. You can also become a 664 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:56,960 patron at my Patreon page or go to thepetecleanershow dot com. Again, 665 00:39:57,199 --> 00:39:59,639 thank you so much for listening, and don't break anything 666 00:39:59,639 --> 00:40:04,360 while I'm gone.