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 --> 00:00:12,480 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 --> 00:00:22,600 go to dpeakclendarshow dot com. Make sure you hit the 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,160 subscribe button. Get every episode for free, write 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 --> 00:00:31,640 your support. We are probably not going to hear about 10 00:00:31,679 --> 00:00:36,200 egg prices anymore. I know, we heard a lot about 11 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:40,039 egg prices, and then we heard nothing about egg prices, 12 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,119 and then we heard a lot about egg prices. And 13 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:45,880 now we're not hearing a lot about egg prices. And 14 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,000 the reason why is because the egg prices have apparently 15 00:00:49,719 --> 00:00:53,600 come down. They have come down. So now I feel 16 00:00:53,640 --> 00:01:00,039 pretty stupid having bought all of those egg futures, but 17 00:01:00,119 --> 00:01:02,039 you know, so be it. I'll just eat them so. 18 00:01:02,439 --> 00:01:06,879 Figures released by the US Department of Agriculture show that 19 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:11,640 the average cost of one dozen eggs is now significantly 20 00:01:11,719 --> 00:01:17,159 cheaper than in recent days. The economic indicator website called 21 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,959 Trading Economics shows that a dozen eggs were five dollars 22 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,920 and fifty one cents on Tuesday. That is two dollars 23 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,079 cheaper than when it was at its all time high 24 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,799 of over eight dollars at the beginning of the month 25 00:01:35,359 --> 00:01:38,599 eight seventeen is what it peaked out at, and now 26 00:01:38,599 --> 00:01:41,840 it's at five point fifty one. It's about, well, you know, 27 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,000 two and a half bucks cheaper, which is good. It's 28 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,719 a good thing, especially for people who eat eggs, of 29 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,239 which I am one a goal. So full disclosure there, 30 00:01:51,879 --> 00:01:54,480 I not only did I buy the egg futures, which 31 00:01:54,519 --> 00:01:56,760 is really just they just crack all the eggs and 32 00:01:56,799 --> 00:01:58,760 put them in a carton and then you can just 33 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:00,840 shake them up and you just get eggs right out 34 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,680 of the thing. Anyway, a Gallop poll showed that voters 35 00:02:04,799 --> 00:02:08,560 overwhelmingly cited economic pressures as the key reason that they 36 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,000 voted for President Donald Trump in November. Right, this is 37 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,759 the thing that I think a lot of Trump supporters 38 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,039 need to keep in mind. That it was the economy. 39 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:24,919 People were fed up with the economy. Yes, there are 40 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,439 other issues, Yes, there are other things that people were 41 00:02:27,479 --> 00:02:30,879 motivated to vote by. Absolutely, We've covered them in depth 42 00:02:31,599 --> 00:02:36,800 on the show for years. But as James Carvill famously said, 43 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,840 it's the economy, stupid, right, it's the economy, and people 44 00:02:41,039 --> 00:02:47,240 wanted relief from Bidenomics and Donald Trump promised that. So 45 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:48,960 people are going to be willing to put up with 46 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,960 a little bit of pain for a short amount of time. 47 00:02:52,560 --> 00:03:00,599 But if the economic impacts do not soften soon, Donald Trump, 48 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,439 I think is in trouble and the Republicans are in 49 00:03:02,479 --> 00:03:05,719 trouble for the midterm election. We are still a good 50 00:03:05,719 --> 00:03:10,680 ways away, right, but that's what everybody in DC is 51 00:03:10,719 --> 00:03:13,000 looking at. This is what they're concerned about, is the 52 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,439 midterm elections. And rightly, so, if you don't get these 53 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:23,159 economic indicators tained, then it's going to spell problems for 54 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,159 the Republicans and that is going to then jeopardize Donald 55 00:03:26,199 --> 00:03:32,479 Trump's ability to actually get his agenda implemented because he 56 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:37,039 can only do so much as president. There's a lot 57 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:38,639 of the stuff that he wants to do, and we'll 58 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,039 talk about the Department of Education here in a bit, 59 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:46,199 but that's going to require Congressional action, and you cannot 60 00:03:46,199 --> 00:03:50,080 count on Democrats to help because they don't care to help. 61 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:50,719 Speaker 2: Right. 62 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: This is a bureaucratic state that they have empowered so 63 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,439 as to empower themselves, so they are not interested in 64 00:03:59,479 --> 00:04:05,400 dismantlinging this leviathan that keeps them in power. So you're 65 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,879 gonna have to win elections, and that becomes way more 66 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:14,319 difficult with bad economic indicators. This is my concern with 67 00:04:14,599 --> 00:04:19,399 the tariff and trade wars that Donald Trump is pursuing 68 00:04:19,439 --> 00:04:22,199 all over the place, slapping tariffs here and there and 69 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,959 pulling them back and do it. You know, business does 70 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,439 not like uncertainty, and I think a lot of people 71 00:04:29,439 --> 00:04:32,399 give Donald Trump a lot of leeway on this stuff. 72 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,959 And as I have cautioned repeatedly, let's give it a minute. 73 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,839 Let's see what happens. So I'm not racing to the 74 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,040 you know, to the window to fling myself out here. 75 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:47,839 I'm just saying this is my concern because I have 76 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,959 been told certain things about tariffs by people who study tariffs, 77 00:04:51,959 --> 00:04:56,319 and they say that tariffs are not so great. And 78 00:04:56,399 --> 00:04:59,839 when you get into these kinds of tariff wars or 79 00:05:00,079 --> 00:05:04,079 trade wars, they can get out of control very quickly, 80 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:08,279 and they can raise the price and grind our economy 81 00:05:08,319 --> 00:05:10,519 to a halt. I don't know if that's going to happen. 82 00:05:10,639 --> 00:05:12,600 I'm just saying that's what I'm worried about, and that's 83 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:14,959 what a lot of people are worried about. So when 84 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,000 I see a story that egg prices have come down, 85 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,920 this makes me feel a little bit better, right, because 86 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:26,160 I'm old enough to remember when Democrats were hammering away 87 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:31,120 on the price of eggs, because Republicans were hammering away 88 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,399 on the price of eggs before the election, because the 89 00:05:34,399 --> 00:05:37,199 price of eggs had gone up, and the price of 90 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:39,800 everything had gone up, and things were unaffordable, and people's 91 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,800 cost of living was higher, and the inflation was run away, 92 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:47,040 and so it was the economy, right, And so when 93 00:05:47,959 --> 00:05:51,360 Biden loses, oh sorry, I mean Kamala Harris, when she 94 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:56,639 loses the election, then immediately you have this pivot. Within 95 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,319 like a week, you have Democrats and media. But I 96 00:05:59,319 --> 00:06:02,800 repeat myself saying, what about egg poises? How come you 97 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:06,519 haven't brought the egg poises down? Which is absurd, Like 98 00:06:06,639 --> 00:06:10,000 the guy's been in office like seven days and you're 99 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:14,079 demanding that what he just like unilaterally set the price 100 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,800 of eggs at something. It's just nuts. So we knew 101 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:22,680 what the problems with the egg industry was, right. You 102 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:24,360 had a lot of the birds that had to be 103 00:06:24,439 --> 00:06:26,600 slaughtered because of the bird flu and all of that, 104 00:06:27,519 --> 00:06:31,360 and so you had these you had these problems in 105 00:06:31,399 --> 00:06:36,759 the industry. They are now subsiding. Those impacts are now subsiding. 106 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:40,800 Egg prices surged mainly due to the outbreak of the 107 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:45,839 bird flu, and that actually goes back to February of 108 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:52,959 twenty twenty two. This is according to Newsweek, that the 109 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:57,199 bird flu decimated poultry stocks at farms across the country. 110 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:03,800 More than one hundred eleven million birds, mostly egg laying hens, 111 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:09,879 were infected or cold, in other words, killed. They were slaughtered, 112 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:12,319 which I don't know why you slaughter the ones that 113 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:16,040 don't have the flu. I mean, I understand slaughtering the 114 00:07:16,079 --> 00:07:18,600 ones that have the flu. And if there's no cure 115 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,360 or whatever, then yeah, you kill those birds that have 116 00:07:21,439 --> 00:07:23,759 the flu so it doesn't spread. But if you have 117 00:07:23,839 --> 00:07:26,959 birds that don't have the flu, then maybe you keep 118 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,040 them around, maybe quarantine them separately, just you know, two 119 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,120 weeks or so, just to you know, flatten the curve 120 00:07:32,639 --> 00:07:37,079 and then find out whether or not they have immunity. 121 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,600 And if they have heard immunity or maybe flock immunity 122 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,360 it might be, then you then you know, like, hey, 123 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,600 these birds survived. Let's keep breeding these birds because they're 124 00:07:47,639 --> 00:07:52,160 immune to that bird flu strength. But I don't. I 125 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:57,000 am not an agricultural expert here by any means. I'm 126 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,199 not a chicken expert or a vet. I do eat 127 00:07:59,199 --> 00:08:01,839 a lot of chicken, and I eat their offspring, but 128 00:08:02,439 --> 00:08:09,519 I don't know about bird flu contagiousness, so I am limited. 129 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,800 I'm just a radio host. Other problems such as inflation, 130 00:08:13,199 --> 00:08:19,480 supply chain issues, transportation costs, and new state animal welfare 131 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:27,160 regulations have all contributed to higher prices. Supply chain issues, inflation, 132 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:35,360 transportation costs, and animal welfare regulations. Like almost every single 133 00:08:35,399 --> 00:08:40,919 one of those is gov CO related. Inflation, check transportation costs, 134 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:49,000 check new regulations check. So yeah. The cost of eggs 135 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:52,759 hid an all time high after Trump's inauguration in January. 136 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,480 He vowed to tackle the price of eggs. On day one, 137 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,039 he said he was gonna crack it. He did not, Actually, 138 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,240 I just made that up. His administration admitted in December 139 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:04,639 that it was a hard thing to do is to 140 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:07,879 bring down these egg prices once they are up, and 141 00:09:07,919 --> 00:09:11,279 that is true. The drop in prices can be attributed 142 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,840 to a fall in demand or a slow down in 143 00:09:13,879 --> 00:09:18,279 the spread of the bird flu. So either way, good news, 144 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:20,639 good news, unless, of course, you bought a lot of 145 00:09:20,639 --> 00:09:25,480 egg futures, then you may have yeah, yeah, you may 146 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:29,399 take a loss on that. Now, the consumer price index 147 00:09:29,919 --> 00:09:34,200 good news here. Inflation in the month of February only 148 00:09:34,279 --> 00:09:37,039 rose by two point eight percent on an annual basis, 149 00:09:37,039 --> 00:09:40,279 so compared to last year, two point eight percent. That's 150 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:44,399 slightly lower than economists had forecasted it. So that's that's 151 00:09:44,399 --> 00:09:48,320 a pretty good sign. The month to month is a 152 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:53,159 two percent great again, lower than expected. That's a good 153 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,440 sign too. So just let's just see, let's give it 154 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,080 a minute. We don't have to run around the The 155 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,240 sky isn't falling just yet. I mean, I'm watching, I 156 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:05,720 am watching the sky. If it starts falling, I will 157 00:10:05,759 --> 00:10:07,679 be sure and let you know, all right, if you're 158 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,480 listening to this show, you know I try to keep 159 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:11,279 up with all sorts of current events, and I know 160 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,759 you do too. And you've probably heard me say get 161 00:10:13,799 --> 00:10:17,720 your news from multiple sources. Why, Well, because it's how 162 00:10:17,759 --> 00:10:20,360 you detect media bias, which is why I've been so 163 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:24,679 impressed with ground News. It's an app, and it's a website, 164 00:10:24,759 --> 00:10:27,159 and it combines news from around the world in one 165 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:30,679 place so you can compare coverage and verify information. You 166 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:34,240 can check it out at check dot ground, dot news 167 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,840 slash Pete. I put the link in the podcast description too. 168 00:10:38,159 --> 00:10:40,519 I started using ground News a few months ago and 169 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,279 more recently chose to work with them as an affiliate 170 00:10:43,279 --> 00:10:46,600 because it lets me see clearly how stories get covered 171 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,600 and by whom. The blind spot feature shows you which 172 00:10:49,639 --> 00:10:52,519 stories get ignored by the left and the right. See 173 00:10:52,519 --> 00:10:57,559 for yourself check dot ground, dot news slash pete. Subscribe 174 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,480 through that link and you'll get fifteen percent off any subscription. 175 00:11:00,799 --> 00:11:03,559 I use the Vantage plan to get unlimited access to 176 00:11:03,639 --> 00:11:07,080 every feature. Your subscription then not only helps my podcast, 177 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,440 but it also supports ground News as they make the 178 00:11:09,519 --> 00:11:13,440 media landscape more transparent. I have a Pete tweet here 179 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:17,039 from Eric who says, Pete, we are from the government. 180 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:19,759 We heard you had three sick birds, and we are 181 00:11:19,799 --> 00:11:22,600 here to help. We're going to murder all one hundred 182 00:11:22,639 --> 00:11:25,879 eighty seven and forty of your birds for you, while 183 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:30,080 raising the cost of supplies to replace them. You're welcome. Yeah, 184 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,879 that seems to be the gov CO approach on the 185 00:11:32,879 --> 00:11:37,159 bird flu situation. Again, not a vet, not a chicken expert, 186 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:41,519 although I do eat a lot of them. Also, here's 187 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:45,879 a tweet from the Urn who says mainstream media fear 188 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:52,320 porn fails again. Yeah, this is why I caution when 189 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:59,399 you read reports from legacy outlets. So much of the 190 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:05,279 quote reporting or journalisming as I call it, it's all speculative. 191 00:12:05,879 --> 00:12:12,399 It's all like this looking ahead and making predictions, and 192 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:18,600 it's it really is the laziest form of and I 193 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:20,879 don't even want to call it journalism because it isn't 194 00:12:20,919 --> 00:12:25,879 really journalism. It's just speculation. And when I went to 195 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:29,480 journalism school and I was a reporter, I reported on 196 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:34,320 things that had occurred, right, things that happened or were 197 00:12:34,399 --> 00:12:38,000 happening in real time, live breaking news. Right, this is 198 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,799 what is actually going on. That's not to say that 199 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:45,879 you can't at some point draw some conclusions or tease 200 00:12:45,919 --> 00:12:48,240 out some things like this could have an impact here 201 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:52,399 or there or whatever. But the value of that speculation 202 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:56,840 isn't very great because if you are incorrect, there's no 203 00:12:56,919 --> 00:12:59,799 price to be paid for it. And so over time 204 00:13:00,039 --> 00:13:02,799 we end up now with so much of the media 205 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:09,679 apparatus being geared towards simple predictions and not reporting. And 206 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,919 again I just caution the predicting doesn't have a lot 207 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,759 of value because so much of it is wrong, and 208 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:23,159 the reporters never come back and tell you that they mispredicted, 209 00:13:23,519 --> 00:13:25,200 that they got it wrong. They will never come back 210 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,200 and say, we thought this was going to happen and 211 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,159 then it didn't happen. Sorry about that, right, They never 212 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:33,639 say that. So the only way to know whether somebody 213 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:35,679 should be believed or not is to basically keep a 214 00:13:35,759 --> 00:13:40,200 running tally, which is onerous. People aren't going to do it. Okay. 215 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:45,159 Regarding the inflation numbers that were reported today by the government, 216 00:13:45,879 --> 00:13:50,799 grocery prices, they do continue to rise. Groceries increased two 217 00:13:50,879 --> 00:13:55,360 point six percent in February. That's over two point six 218 00:13:55,399 --> 00:13:59,080 percent over a year earlier. According to the CPI report, 219 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,240 the ongoing rise of food cost is creating a financial 220 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:06,759 pinch for many households. Egg prices were a driver of 221 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:12,000 last month's grocery inflation. Okay, so now with the price 222 00:14:12,039 --> 00:14:15,120 of eggs coming down, you would expect to see some 223 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:19,480 of those grocery prices dropping too. Coffee also went up 224 00:14:19,919 --> 00:14:24,120 six percent on an annual basis. Restaurant meals jumped three 225 00:14:24,159 --> 00:14:27,720 point seven percent from a year ago. Now when you 226 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,320 look at the chart, though, the massive inflation that we 227 00:14:30,399 --> 00:14:35,080 saw was under Joe Biden, right, and that has never like, 228 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:37,919 that hasn't gone away. That's the problem with inflations. Why 229 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,039 it's the hidden text. It's once it's in there and 230 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:45,360 everybody is paying the additional costs, it never ratchets back down. 231 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,279 It just goes one direction. So yes, even with inflation 232 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:52,240 growing at only two percent, it's still a two percent 233 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:57,360 cumulative impact on the prior inflationary numbers. And we saw 234 00:14:57,399 --> 00:15:00,440 those numbers in the you know, nine, ten eleven percent 235 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:05,279 range three or four years ago. So I don't know 236 00:15:05,399 --> 00:15:08,799 if I don't know if the inflation's going to be 237 00:15:08,799 --> 00:15:14,159 able to be tamed. But we'll we'll find out. Now 238 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:19,279 the House has passed a stop gap spending bill. All right, Hey, 239 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:21,639 real quick, if you would like to get your product 240 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,840 or service in front of about ten thousand people multiple 241 00:15:24,879 --> 00:15:27,360 times a day, send me an email at Pete at 242 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:32,279 thepeteclendarshow dot com and ask me about advertising. It's super affordable. 243 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,399 It's baked into this podcast forever, and podcasts have a 244 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:38,360 higher conversion rate than other social media platforms making it 245 00:15:38,399 --> 00:15:40,720 the best bang for your buck. Send me a message 246 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:43,759 Pete at Thepete calendarshow dot com and I can show 247 00:15:43,759 --> 00:15:45,720 you how it works. Run the numbers with you again. 248 00:15:45,799 --> 00:15:50,080 That's Pete at the peteclendarshow dot com. I do have 249 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:55,399 some messages this from Dennis regarding the egg prices. The 250 00:15:55,799 --> 00:16:00,000 producers regulating egg prices. Maybe just may have just been 251 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:04,120 playing a shell game with US Americans. That's okay, that's possible. 252 00:16:04,919 --> 00:16:08,840 I see what you did there, John says, two weeks 253 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,159 to flatten the curve. Lol, That's why I love you. 254 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,799 Keep up the great work. And John wants to know 255 00:16:18,639 --> 00:16:22,240 have any other countries been experiencing an outbreak of chicken flu? 256 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:27,440 Did they slaughter all of the flocks too? Well? I 257 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:32,759 can google that for you, John, and sure enough. According 258 00:16:32,759 --> 00:16:36,720 to the United Nations, this was from December of twenty four. 259 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:42,080 Avian flu reported in one hundred eight countries across five continents, 260 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,759 more than five hundred bird species infected with at least 261 00:16:45,799 --> 00:16:55,360 seventy mammalian species, and according to Worldanimalnews dot com, two 262 00:16:55,480 --> 00:17:00,759 hundred and fifty million birds were slaughtered. That was back 263 00:17:00,799 --> 00:17:05,200 in October of twenty twenty three, so I'm guessing it's 264 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:10,960 probably more than that by now, probably half a billion globally. 265 00:17:13,559 --> 00:17:17,160 And yeah, I've got you know, BBC eight days ago 266 00:17:17,279 --> 00:17:21,400 bird flew outbreak confirmed at a chicken farm, So it is, Yes, 267 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:27,799 it is happening all over the world. I don't know 268 00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:34,680 if this one originated in Wuhan either, but probably so. No, 269 00:17:34,759 --> 00:17:37,440 I don't know that. I'm just saying it's but yeah, well, 270 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:41,119 I mean they do tend to originate in that certain 271 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:46,440 part of the globe, Denny says, Pete. Maybe we coin 272 00:17:46,559 --> 00:17:52,000 the phrase speculative journalism. I predict it may catch on. 273 00:17:52,319 --> 00:17:57,119 That's there, you go, that's yeah, I mean, there's speculative journalism. 274 00:17:57,359 --> 00:17:59,200 But I almost feel like I give it too much 275 00:17:59,599 --> 00:18:02,960 credit by calling a journalism. But that's probably my own 276 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,440 bias towards the term, you know, like journalism to me, 277 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:12,000 represents a higher standard. I don't know, like there's reporting 278 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:16,240 and then there's like journalism, Like investigative journalism is what 279 00:18:16,319 --> 00:18:19,000 I think of in those terms, and I just I 280 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:22,480 don't even know. It's just speculation. A lot of the 281 00:18:22,519 --> 00:18:26,960 stuff that we see it's just speculation. All right. Let 282 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,279 me jump over here to the Washington Times piece by 283 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:35,319 Alex Miller. Nearly halfway into the fiscal year, House Republicans 284 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:41,000 gave up yesterday and passed an extension of spending, primarily 285 00:18:41,039 --> 00:18:44,200 at twenty twenty four levels, saying they wanted to turn 286 00:18:44,279 --> 00:18:47,920 the page and start on President Trump's agenda. By the way, 287 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,960 this has gotten Rand Paul to come out against this, saying, 288 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:56,240 all you're doing is locking in the spending that was 289 00:18:56,559 --> 00:19:00,200 put into place by Democrats and Joe Biden. Why why 290 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:04,799 are we continuing to do that? So that's Ran Paul's position. 291 00:19:06,799 --> 00:19:11,920 They cut from a few programs. They increased funding for 292 00:19:12,039 --> 00:19:15,680 some of their priorities this time around, like immigration enforcement 293 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:20,880 and the military. But this Continuing Resolution or the CR 294 00:19:21,759 --> 00:19:26,359 passed on a two seventeen to two thirteen vote. You 295 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,240 had one Democrat joining the Republicans in approving it, that 296 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:34,839 was Jared Golden of Maine. And you had one Republican 297 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:37,680 joining all the Democrats in voting against it, and that 298 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:45,480 would be Thomas Massey from Kentucky. So Democrats, according to 299 00:19:45,559 --> 00:19:49,400 the Washington Times, we're eager to try to hang a 300 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:54,559 loss on mister Trump. That's why they opposed it, Because 301 00:19:54,799 --> 00:19:57,279 if you think about it, It does make a bit 302 00:19:57,319 --> 00:20:01,119 of sense. If this was, you know, a continuing resolution 303 00:20:01,319 --> 00:20:04,720 for funding that they did when they were in control, 304 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:08,759 why wouldn't they keep doing it? Why wouldn't they pass 305 00:20:08,799 --> 00:20:13,200 a CR. Well, we like everything that we funded. We 306 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:15,359 would like to see the CR pass, and we know 307 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:19,519 the CR will pass, but we would really like Donald 308 00:20:19,559 --> 00:20:22,880 Trump to take a loss on something, so we'll try 309 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,000 to block it or something. But then of course they 310 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,359 don't block it, and so I'm not really sure you 311 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:33,240 actually got anything out of that vote. The bill marked 312 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:38,119 a retreat for the Speaker, Mike Johnson, who had promised 313 00:20:38,519 --> 00:20:42,640 not to accept a continuing resolution, but President Trump came 314 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:46,599 in and backed the CR, and that proved to be 315 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:51,799 the deciding factor in persuading the fiscal hawks weary of 316 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:56,160 supporting this kind of stop gap spending measure right because 317 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:59,920 they were on a deadline Friday. They had to fund 318 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:05,279 government before Friday because funding expires from the stopgap measure 319 00:21:05,599 --> 00:21:08,759 that they passed in December. And this is how we 320 00:21:09,039 --> 00:21:16,359 continuously fund our bloated federal budget is by these stop 321 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:20,920 gap continuing resolutions or the omnibus bills. And they they 322 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,119 set us up with these deadlines that oh, we got 323 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:23,480 to pass it. 324 00:21:23,519 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 2: Now. 325 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,160 Speaker 1: You don't have time to read the seventeen thousand page bill. 326 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:28,200 We just have to pass it, or else the whole 327 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:30,319 government shuts down and you'll be blamed for it and 328 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:33,880 everything else. It's just an awful way to govern and 329 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:39,960 to do finances. The Loan Republican Thomas Massey from Kentucky 330 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:44,640 voted no. Trump threatened to lead the charge to find 331 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,799 a candidate to replace him in the twenty twenty sixth election. 332 00:21:48,279 --> 00:21:51,720 Massey shrugged that off, noting that when he was the 333 00:21:51,759 --> 00:21:54,839 only Republican to vote against Trump's COVID nineteen relief bill 334 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,519 in twenty twenty, he got the same threat, and then 335 00:21:58,519 --> 00:22:00,640 he went on to win reelection with eighty one percent 336 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:04,440 of the vote. Anyway, So Massey's not worried in the 337 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:07,680 Republican run Senate though. Because this bill cleared the House, 338 00:22:07,799 --> 00:22:10,720 this is now going over to the Senate. The bill 339 00:22:10,799 --> 00:22:13,839 is going to need Democrat votes if it's going to 340 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:18,759 clear the sixty vote threshold in order to survive. Democrats 341 00:22:18,799 --> 00:22:21,200 are going to be under pressure to stop a partial 342 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,960 government shutdown. So I would just tell you here's a 343 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,200 little bit of prediction from me. Watch the way that 344 00:22:28,279 --> 00:22:31,799 this is covered right, watch the way that the media 345 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,880 treats this story. Will they be blaming Democrats for a 346 00:22:36,319 --> 00:22:40,960 government shutdown if that's what ends up happening, Because this 347 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:47,279 continuing Resolution is essentially continuation of their spending that they 348 00:22:47,319 --> 00:22:50,799 did when they had the power. So why would you 349 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:54,359 vote against it now except to try to hurt Trump? 350 00:22:54,759 --> 00:22:57,359 And the only way that you can hurt Trump by 351 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,720 you shutting down the government by not passing a se 352 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:03,319 R is if you have a compliant media that tells 353 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,880 that story. Here's a great idea. How about making an 354 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,200 escape to a really special and secluded getaway in western 355 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,720 North Carolina. Just a quick drive up the mountain and 356 00:23:12,799 --> 00:23:16,799 Cabins of Ashville is your connection. 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It's the perfect balance of seclusion 366 00:23:44,519 --> 00:23:49,039 and proximity to all the local attractions with hot tubs, fireplaces, 367 00:23:49,079 --> 00:23:53,279 air conditioning, smart TVs, Wi Fi grills, outdoor tables, and 368 00:23:53,319 --> 00:23:57,640 your own private covered porch. Choose from thirteen cabins, six cottages, 369 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:01,720 two villas, and a great lodge with eleven king sized bedrooms. 370 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:05,039 Cabins of Ashville has the ideal spot for you for 371 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:08,960 any occasion, and they have pet friendly accommodations. Call her 372 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,319 text eight two eight three six seven seventy sixty eight 373 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:14,759 or check out all there is to offer at Cabins 374 00:24:14,759 --> 00:24:18,359 Offashville dot com and make memories that'll last a lifetime. 375 00:24:18,759 --> 00:24:21,519 Let's go over to the phones and talk with Jane. Hello, Jane, 376 00:24:21,519 --> 00:24:23,000 welcome to the program. How are you. 377 00:24:24,079 --> 00:24:25,400 Speaker 2: I'm fine. I hope you're well. 378 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: Hi am well good. 379 00:24:29,319 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 2: Seem to have okay? When I was listening to you, 380 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:38,599 you seem to think that animal ware welfare groups were 381 00:24:40,039 --> 00:24:43,359 kind of lack of doodle people. But I'll but but. 382 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:46,200 Speaker 1: What did I say that would lead you to believe? 383 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,240 What would what did I say that prompted you to 384 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:49,880 say that. 385 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:55,279 Speaker 2: You were saying that animal welfare groups And believe it 386 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:58,640 or not, I could see your eye roll on the radio. 387 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:02,599 Speaker 1: Just kidding, I say, because I didn't eye roll at all, 388 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:05,440 and I don't even think I mentioned animal welfare groups. 389 00:25:05,839 --> 00:25:06,640 Speaker 2: Yes you did. 390 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, I've read this story. I read it. I have 391 00:25:11,079 --> 00:25:11,599 the story. 392 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:15,039 Speaker 2: Oh goodness, don't be so defensive. I just wanted to 393 00:25:15,079 --> 00:25:15,680 make a point. 394 00:25:15,799 --> 00:25:19,039 Speaker 1: Well, no, here's the Jane, Jane, I get defensive when 395 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:22,039 you start attributing things to me that I didn't say. 396 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,480 So that's so, just go ahead and make your assertion 397 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:26,200 or state whatever it is you want to say, rather 398 00:25:26,279 --> 00:25:29,119 than trying to preface it with like this reframing of 399 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,640 something you thought I said, even though I never said 400 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,359 anything about animal welfare groups being whack adoodle. 401 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,759 Speaker 2: No, No, you didn't say that. No you didn't say that. Now, 402 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:44,759 may I apologize first? I would like to apologize for 403 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,200 your name. If I chug your name, it's fine. 404 00:25:49,079 --> 00:25:51,839 Speaker 1: Just go ahead and whatever. What so, what is your 405 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:52,839 what is your comment? 406 00:25:53,599 --> 00:25:58,039 Speaker 2: Most of these animal welfare groups are after are are 407 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:06,279 aiming for humane, just humane treatment of farm animals. Now 408 00:26:06,319 --> 00:26:10,640 in the case of the chickens. I used to work 409 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:12,640 on a dairy form and my husband and I ran 410 00:26:12,759 --> 00:26:16,519 chickens for a while. Now. The thing is is that 411 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:20,119 if you keep if you let chickens live in a 412 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:24,880 space and they get out and they get fresh air, 413 00:26:25,039 --> 00:26:29,119 and there's not hundreds of thousands of them, they won't 414 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:34,000 have compromised immune systems, and that's what makes them very 415 00:26:34,039 --> 00:26:38,319 much prey. And the stress, the stress of it, because 416 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:44,519 it's it's torture, makes them liable to contract disease and 417 00:26:44,559 --> 00:26:48,200 to for it to spread very rapidly. That's all I'm saying. 418 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:53,720 Speaker 1: So you're saying the humane certified free range, which are 419 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:58,640 not the same thing, I have learned that that increases 420 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:00,279 the likelihood that they're going to get sick. 421 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:06,880 Speaker 2: No, I'm saying that. All I'm saying is because all 422 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:11,160 of this stuff that gets with certification and blah blah 423 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:14,680 blah is if the fact is is that if you 424 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:20,480 return a little more to a family farm type scenarios, 425 00:27:20,519 --> 00:27:23,319 the chickens will have room to get out in fresh air, 426 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:29,400 they won't be stressed, and they will be more likely 427 00:27:30,079 --> 00:27:37,519 to produce, to produce eggs and to avoid illness. 428 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,119 Speaker 1: That's all I'm saying, yeah, So we always buy certified 429 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,319 humane because we learned because we have farmers in our family, 430 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,880 and they have taught us what the difference between certified 431 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:52,279 humane versus free range versus cage free, Like, all of 432 00:27:52,319 --> 00:27:55,440 these things mean different things, and the big producers have 433 00:27:55,519 --> 00:27:59,240 found ways to kind of brand as you know, quote 434 00:27:59,279 --> 00:28:02,599 unquote CA free, even though it's it's not a humane 435 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,720 way to raise the chickens. I have heard though that 436 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:10,720 being out in like a pasture setting, that that does 437 00:28:10,839 --> 00:28:15,039 expose them to migratory birds that may have the flu. 438 00:28:17,599 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 2: That I didn't know. All we knew is that when 439 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:27,960 we let our rome free, is that falks and and 440 00:28:29,559 --> 00:28:31,960 coyotes just had the best time ever. 441 00:28:32,319 --> 00:28:37,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, now that is true. Yeah I know, and 442 00:28:38,799 --> 00:28:43,119 yeah and so right, So it's just like everything else, right, 443 00:28:43,599 --> 00:28:46,799 there are trade offs to all of this stuff, and 444 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:49,119 so I am I would prefer like in all of 445 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:52,880 the above. Uh so, like we prefer to try to 446 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:57,240 support the farmers that raise their animals in humane ways. 447 00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:01,680 We buy steak and pork with the same certified humane 448 00:29:02,279 --> 00:29:05,720 labeling because that means something, and it means something different 449 00:29:05,759 --> 00:29:10,039 than the cage free or free range, which has it 450 00:29:10,119 --> 00:29:12,440 seems like an organic as well. A lot of this 451 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,319 stuff has been gained now by a lot of the 452 00:29:15,359 --> 00:29:18,799 big corporate producers, so we just look for the certified 453 00:29:18,839 --> 00:29:19,680 humane label. 454 00:29:20,559 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 2: Well, thank you very much for that, and I'll tell 455 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:25,599 you one day. The factory farms are going to be 456 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:26,440 the end of us. 457 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:30,079 Speaker 1: Yeah, they're Yeah, they're pretty nasty, pretty nice, I. 458 00:29:30,039 --> 00:29:32,519 Speaker 2: Mean, but I mean they're going to start fixing prices 459 00:29:32,559 --> 00:29:35,279 and everything because they're growing. They're running the little guy 460 00:29:35,359 --> 00:29:36,960 out and it's not going to be good. 461 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, now, Jane, I appreciate the call. Yes, ma'am, all right, 462 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,240 take care, Thank you. I appreciate the call. All right, Hey, 463 00:29:42,279 --> 00:29:44,559 real quick, if you would like to get your product 464 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,799 or service in front of about ten thousand people multiple 465 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:51,680 times a day, send me an email at Pete atthepeteclendershow 466 00:29:51,799 --> 00:29:55,200 dot com and ask me about advertising. It's super affordable, 467 00:29:55,319 --> 00:29:58,359 it's baked into this podcast forever, and podcasts have a 468 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,319 higher conversion rate than other social media platforms, making it 469 00:30:01,359 --> 00:30:03,680 the best bang for your buck. Send me a message 470 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,720 Pete at Thepete calendarshow dot com and I can show 471 00:30:06,759 --> 00:30:08,720 you how it works. Run the numbers with you again. 472 00:30:08,759 --> 00:30:12,599 That's Pete at the Pete calendarshow dot com. Let me 473 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:18,279 go back to the story from the last hour. Jane 474 00:30:18,319 --> 00:30:23,799 mentioned animal welfare organizations, and I knew I had not 475 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:27,880 said that. I was reading from the story from Newsweek 476 00:30:28,519 --> 00:30:34,200 and it said new state animal welfare regulations, so laws, 477 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:40,200 and then I pointed out inflation, transportation costs and the 478 00:30:40,279 --> 00:30:49,119 regulations are all government mandates, right those that's that's government policy, 479 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:53,319 that's having the impact on the egg prices. That was 480 00:30:53,359 --> 00:30:55,319 what I That was what I read from the Newsweek 481 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:57,680 article and what I had commented on. I didn't say 482 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:02,759 anything about any kind of organizations. I have a message 483 00:31:02,759 --> 00:31:06,559 from Eric on Twitter who says the story mentioned changes 484 00:31:06,599 --> 00:31:11,119 in animal welfare laws that increased costs, which is true, 485 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:15,279 even if some of those laws are worthwhile. Also PETA 486 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:19,720 is insane and gives them all a bad name. That's yes, 487 00:31:19,799 --> 00:31:24,000 that is also true. So yeah, I just wanted to 488 00:31:24,119 --> 00:31:29,559 just for clarification. So, and this happens very often. I 489 00:31:29,599 --> 00:31:33,720 have learned over my twenty years in radio that people 490 00:31:33,759 --> 00:31:38,559 hear things and it prompts them to call. And I'm 491 00:31:38,559 --> 00:31:41,200 not attacking Jane or anything, but she heard me say 492 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,480 animal welfare regulations and she thought I was saying organizations. 493 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:47,920 I did not say that, And so that was the 494 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:52,920 disagreement that we had had regarding the CR spending the 495 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:58,240 Continuing Resolution. Tim says, it seems that when it comes 496 00:31:58,319 --> 00:32:02,799 to spending, the uniparty never gets off stupid. According to 497 00:32:03,079 --> 00:32:10,160 Austrian Economics, inflation is caused by government overspending, therefore excessive borrowing. 498 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:14,240 I guess most of Washington never took the class. That 499 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:17,759 is probably accurate as well. I'm not sure how many 500 00:32:17,839 --> 00:32:23,599 Austrian Economics subscribers we have in Washington, d C. But yes, 501 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:28,759 that's the way. That's that's the Austrian school way of thinking. 502 00:32:29,599 --> 00:32:34,400 Is that you keep borrowing money and that creates the 503 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:39,359 inflation because you're pumping out more and more dollars into 504 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:44,160 the system. And that's why it takes a long time 505 00:32:44,319 --> 00:32:46,799 for those you know, the dollars to come back home, 506 00:32:47,119 --> 00:32:49,480 basically right as it's like a tide. And when it 507 00:32:49,519 --> 00:32:53,319 comes back in, now you've got too many dollars chasing 508 00:32:53,359 --> 00:32:58,799 too few goods. It raises the price of things and 509 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:03,720 the value of the lowered because everybody's got a bunch 510 00:33:03,759 --> 00:33:06,039 of dollars because you printed so many of them and 511 00:33:06,079 --> 00:33:11,440 you put them out into the system. Regarding the continuing Resolution, 512 00:33:12,079 --> 00:33:17,000 Matt Vespa over at town hall dot com, he said 513 00:33:17,599 --> 00:33:20,279 the six months r to prevent the government from closing 514 00:33:20,319 --> 00:33:24,319 its doores. On March fourteenth, it was approved. A government 515 00:33:24,359 --> 00:33:28,839 shutdown will stop the deportations, the work from the Department 516 00:33:28,839 --> 00:33:32,440 of Government Efficiency, and the rebuilding of the military. So 517 00:33:32,519 --> 00:33:38,200 the real prize is passing the budget reconciliation package, and 518 00:33:38,319 --> 00:33:49,960 the shutdown would disrupt that reconciliation process immensely. And CBS 519 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:55,599 reports many Democrats have reservations about the six month stopgap measure, 520 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:59,400 this continuing resolution that passed last night, warning that it 521 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:04,200 would give and Doge even more latitude to carry out 522 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:09,519 cost slashing efforts. That's because a continuing resolution, unlike regular 523 00:34:09,559 --> 00:34:15,000 appropriations bills, lacks a congressional statement of direction on how 524 00:34:15,159 --> 00:34:20,199 funds are to be spent by a department or agency. 525 00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:23,719 So that's why Democrats were opposed to it as well. 526 00:34:24,039 --> 00:34:26,360 They see it as a way for the Trump administration 527 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:28,559 to keep racking up wins that they want to try 528 00:34:28,599 --> 00:34:38,519 to avoid. Meanwhile, over at USAID, a senior official told 529 00:34:38,679 --> 00:34:44,360 the remaining staff there to convene at their now former 530 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:48,639 headquarters in Washington, d C. Yesterday where they would do 531 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:55,079 an all day group effort to destroy documents, which is 532 00:34:55,119 --> 00:34:59,559 what you would totally do if you weren't doing anything wrong. 533 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,400 That's yeah, that's not at all suspicious behavior. It seems 534 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:06,559 a little, I don't know, it seems a little problematic. 535 00:35:07,039 --> 00:35:12,360 The materials earmarked for destruction include contents of the agencies, 536 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:18,360 quote classified safes, and personnel documents at the Ronald Reagan 537 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:21,239 Building that according to an email that was sent by 538 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:27,199 USAID's acting executive director Erica Carr and This email was 539 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:32,719 obtained by Politico, she wrote, quote shred as many documents. 540 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:37,960 First reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes 541 00:35:38,079 --> 00:35:41,960 unavailable or when it needs a break. When you're just 542 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:46,599 shredding so much paper, right, it needs to cool down 543 00:35:46,639 --> 00:35:51,039 a little bit. You just take those documents then stuff 544 00:35:51,079 --> 00:35:55,119 them into burn bags. She also instructed staff to label 545 00:35:55,159 --> 00:36:00,719 the burn bags with the words secret in dark sharpie. 546 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:05,719 The email did not provide any reason for the destruction 547 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,760 of all of the documents. The building is being emptied 548 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:12,239 out after mass layoffs, which may have disrupted routine document 549 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:16,760 destruction timetables. According to Politico, customs and Border Protection is 550 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:20,840 actually planning to move into the facility. They've rented just 551 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,199 under four hundred thousand square feet of office space in 552 00:36:24,239 --> 00:36:27,880 the building last month. But I think it's important to 553 00:36:28,119 --> 00:36:33,159 understand here that, at least according to Politico, the destruction 554 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:35,639 of all of the documents and the burning and the 555 00:36:35,679 --> 00:36:41,960 shredding and such, it's Trump's fault, right, it's because of 556 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:46,599 Donald Trump. The effort underscores the tumultuous way in which 557 00:36:46,639 --> 00:36:51,159 the Trump administration is dismantling an agency that once managed 558 00:36:51,199 --> 00:36:53,920 a forty billion dollars annual budget and had more than 559 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,920 ten thousand staff around the wall, around the world. I 560 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:05,320 am reminded of a line for from the documentary Forest Gump. Uh, 561 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:09,960 it's just the SLB. Johnson in this war, right, guys, 562 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:14,519 Donald Trump is not forcing you to shred things, you know, 563 00:37:14,599 --> 00:37:17,119 to come into the office on a shredded shred day 564 00:37:17,559 --> 00:37:20,480 and a burn day like that's you guys are doing this. 565 00:37:21,119 --> 00:37:25,320 That's your choice to do this stuff a former USAI 566 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:28,760 D staff. And besides, wouldn't the NSA H don't they 567 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:31,199 have records of all of this stuff anyway, like intriplicate 568 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,079 on all of their servers and stuff, don't they whendn't 569 00:37:34,079 --> 00:37:36,239 they have all of that? Or do they not spy 570 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:41,239 on USAI D just us, a former USAID staffer, confirmed 571 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:45,519 the veracity of the email and described the destruction of 572 00:37:45,559 --> 00:37:51,239 agency documents as unprecedented. Quote, I have never seen something 573 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:55,280 like this end mass. Everyone with a safe is supposed 574 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:57,880 to keep it up to date and destroy documents when 575 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:01,000 they no longer need to be stored. Some time, security 576 00:38:01,039 --> 00:38:03,280 will check your safe and tell you if you have 577 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:08,400 to clean out old material. This person spoke on the 578 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:12,440 condition of anonymity due to a fear of possible reprisals 579 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:19,159 by the Trump administration. So they're yeah, they're from slaughtering 580 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:23,000 chickens to slaughtering USAID documents. I'm sure they would not 581 00:38:23,599 --> 00:38:26,920 dispose of any kind of incriminating information like that. I'm 582 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:31,840 sure they would not do that. Meanwhile, over at the 583 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:36,440 Department of Education, they are cutting their staff by roughly 584 00:38:36,599 --> 00:38:40,880 fifty percent. US Department of Education announced yesterday last night 585 00:38:41,199 --> 00:38:43,559 that it will be cutting its staff by about half 586 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:48,559 as part of a reduction in force or rif. I 587 00:38:48,639 --> 00:38:51,000 have been riffed, I do not celebrate people who have 588 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:54,840 been rifted or as I was one time labeled employee dislocation. 589 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:57,880 I got called that one time too, which kind of 590 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:01,639 sounded painful, But then also I thought, well, I could 591 00:39:01,639 --> 00:39:04,199 just be relocated, just like pop it right back into place, 592 00:39:04,639 --> 00:39:06,719 and that's how I ended up here. You know, stories 593 00:39:06,719 --> 00:39:08,960 are powerful. They help us make sense of things, to 594 00:39:09,039 --> 00:39:12,480 understand experiences. Stories connect us to the people of our 595 00:39:12,519 --> 00:39:16,000 past while transcending generations. They help us process the meaning 596 00:39:16,039 --> 00:39:19,840 of life, and our stories are told through images and videos. 597 00:39:20,119 --> 00:39:23,719 Preserve your stories with Creative Video started in nineteen ninety 598 00:39:23,719 --> 00:39:26,719 seven and Minhill, North Carolina. It was the first company 599 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:30,519 to provide this valuable service, converting images, photos and videos 600 00:39:30,639 --> 00:39:34,960 into high quality produced slide shows, videos and albums. The trusted, 601 00:39:35,079 --> 00:39:38,079 talented and dedicated team at Creative Video will go over 602 00:39:38,159 --> 00:39:40,960 all of the details with you to create a perfect project. 603 00:39:41,079 --> 00:39:44,239 Satisfaction guaranteed. Drop them off in person or mail them. 604 00:39:44,239 --> 00:39:46,599 They'll be ready in a week or two. Memorial videos 605 00:39:46,599 --> 00:39:50,960 for your loved ones, videos for rehearsal, dinners, weddings, graduations, Christmas, 606 00:39:51,079 --> 00:39:55,239 family vacations, birthdays, or just your family stories all told 607 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:59,000 through images. That's what your photos and videos are. They 608 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:01,840 are your life hold through the eyes of everyone around 609 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:04,159 you and all who came before you, and they will 610 00:40:04,159 --> 00:40:08,400 tell others to come who you are visit creativevideo dot Com. 611 00:40:09,199 --> 00:40:14,480 In a press call, a senior department official said that 612 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:18,880 of the four one hundred thirty three employees currently at 613 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:23,079 the EDG shed the Education Department, thirteen hundred of them 614 00:40:23,079 --> 00:40:26,599 are going to be subject to the reduction in force. Okay, 615 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:31,239 so just over thirteen hundred firings out of forty one hundred. 616 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:34,079 That number is on top of the two hundred and 617 00:40:34,079 --> 00:40:37,400 fifty nine who did the deferred resignation program. There was 618 00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:40,960 three hundred thirteen who took the voluntary separation incentive payment 619 00:40:41,039 --> 00:40:46,840 of twenty five grand. There was another sixty three probationary 620 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:50,280 employees who got terminated last month, So I added them 621 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:55,559 all up, and that leaves out of forty one thirty 622 00:40:55,599 --> 00:41:00,679 three total employees, there will now be twenty one eighty three, 623 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:04,320 so a little bit more than half. As the President 624 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:08,880 and Secretary Linda McMahon have noted repeatedly, what we are 625 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:12,400 doing right now in education is simply not working. Seventy 626 00:41:12,440 --> 00:41:15,039 percent of kids cannot read proficiently by the time they 627 00:41:15,079 --> 00:41:18,000 reach high school. We have spent over a trillion dollars 628 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:20,840 at the federal level since the department was created, and 629 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:25,079 test scores and outcomes have plummeted even before pandemic related 630 00:41:25,119 --> 00:41:29,199 school closures drove down performance even more, said a US 631 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:33,880 Department of Education senior department official. But in the meantime, 632 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:36,719 this is according to the Federalist dot com. In the meantime, 633 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:40,239 the bureaucracy has grown, and we have a department now 634 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:45,880 that exists largely to oversee contractors, add strains and in 635 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:52,000 many cases do duplicative efforts across the department. Part of 636 00:41:52,039 --> 00:41:56,960 the reduction includes cutting department building leases in San Francisco, 637 00:41:57,400 --> 00:42:03,199 New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and Cleveland. Eventually, the department 638 00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:07,840 will consolidate into one building in the nation's capital instead 639 00:42:07,840 --> 00:42:12,000 of three. Now. Part of the problem here is that 640 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:16,239 Trump is going to need Congress to actually do something okay, 641 00:42:16,519 --> 00:42:21,159 because Trump cannot actually get rid of an entire department 642 00:42:21,199 --> 00:42:23,480 that was created by an Act of Congress. Back when 643 00:42:23,519 --> 00:42:27,239 the Trump administration offered eight months of severance to federal workers, 644 00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:32,519 teachers' union leaders started a campaign to convince workers that 645 00:42:33,119 --> 00:42:36,400 the administration could not be trusted and nobody should take 646 00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:40,440 the deal. Obviously that has not worked out right, because 647 00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:44,320 about fourteen percent of the workforce at the ed Department 648 00:42:44,559 --> 00:42:48,119 did take the deal. But you have to wonder how 649 00:42:48,159 --> 00:42:51,400 many of the thirteen hundred and fifteen people that are 650 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:55,239 getting laid off wish they had taken that offer when 651 00:42:55,280 --> 00:43:00,679 it was made they were misled by their union leadership. 652 00:43:04,079 --> 00:43:08,239 This is from John Sexton at hotair dot com. He says, 653 00:43:08,639 --> 00:43:12,039 is there any lower limit on this headcount? At just 654 00:43:12,119 --> 00:43:16,039 over forty one hundred employees, the Education Department was already 655 00:43:16,079 --> 00:43:19,159 the smallest government department. In a matter of days, the 656 00:43:19,199 --> 00:43:21,679 headcount will be down to about two thousand. Can the 657 00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:25,119 secretary drop that number? Take it down to two hundred? 658 00:43:25,679 --> 00:43:30,119 Maybe twenty? Right, It wouldn't technically be abolished, and some 659 00:43:30,239 --> 00:43:33,519 future president could revive it and staff it up again, 660 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:37,840 but it would effectively be dead until Congress gets around 661 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:42,360 to passing a law to eliminate it completely. Now, the 662 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:45,079 head of the teachers union, one of them, Brandy Weingarten, 663 00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:49,079 she of the lockdowns that harmed your kids. She has 664 00:43:49,119 --> 00:43:53,800 been going around on media stations, just flipping out on 665 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:59,159 MSNBC and other legacy outlets. Why. Dwayne Patterson, also at 666 00:43:59,199 --> 00:44:03,239 hot air, dot com. He says vouchers is the reason 667 00:44:03,599 --> 00:44:09,039 the death knell of teachers unions school choice since COVID, 668 00:44:09,119 --> 00:44:12,280 largely due to how mismanaged the virus was at the 669 00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:15,159 national level and the impact it had on schools. Along 670 00:44:15,159 --> 00:44:19,360 with the Woe Dei agenda invading the curriculum, parents all 671 00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:21,920 over the country demanded a way out for their kids 672 00:44:22,119 --> 00:44:26,440 and a pathway into charters, religious schools or private academies. 673 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:29,559 New Hampshire is now going to be added to the 674 00:44:29,599 --> 00:44:35,280 list of states that provide school choice. You got Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, 675 00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:38,920 South Carolina. They have all passed more limited school choice 676 00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:44,920 bills or some have longer phase in language. But really 677 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:47,400 what it amounts to is that half of the United 678 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:51,000 States now have at least some form of school choice 679 00:44:51,039 --> 00:44:53,679 options for parents right that want to pull their kids 680 00:44:53,719 --> 00:44:57,760 out of a failing school, and that child's national funding 681 00:44:57,840 --> 00:45:00,639 into the school of their choice can follow. So the 682 00:45:00,679 --> 00:45:04,519 Teachers' Union Randy Winegarten, the leader of that union, were 683 00:45:04,639 --> 00:45:08,159 very much one of the catalysts that helped to make 684 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:13,280 this state level education revolution happen a lot faster. So 685 00:45:13,599 --> 00:45:16,679 the idea is to block grant the money directly to 686 00:45:16,719 --> 00:45:21,079 the states bypassing the need for a federal agency. Trump 687 00:45:21,239 --> 00:45:23,280 signaled he might even be willing to put a little 688 00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:27,159 carrot out there and prioritize the distribution of those block 689 00:45:27,239 --> 00:45:32,199 grants by waiting them more to states that have school 690 00:45:32,239 --> 00:45:36,840 choice legislation. That's why Winegarten is flipping out, according to 691 00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:41,760 Dwayne Patterson, that if you start waiting the money, so 692 00:45:41,800 --> 00:45:46,239 in other words, states that have school choice programs would 693 00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:51,280 get larger chunks of the money per child. Right, that's 694 00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:57,800 going to incentivize more states to adopt school choice programs. Winegarten, 695 00:45:57,880 --> 00:46:00,840 you may recall, was paid a little over a half 696 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:03,599 a million dollars in salary at the height of COVID 697 00:46:04,199 --> 00:46:07,320 when reopening plans were being discussed, and she was literally 698 00:46:07,719 --> 00:46:13,000 writing the CDC rules on the phone with doctor Wilenski 699 00:46:13,679 --> 00:46:17,000 several times a week, writing the policy to favor her 700 00:46:17,159 --> 00:46:20,800 union's teachers. Right, this is all of their own making, 701 00:46:21,320 --> 00:46:26,320 hoisted upon their own petard as it were. All right, 702 00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:28,679 that'll do it for this episode. Thank you so much 703 00:46:28,719 --> 00:46:30,760 for listening. I could not do the show without your 704 00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:33,559 support and the support of the businesses that advertise on 705 00:46:33,599 --> 00:46:36,400 the podcast. So if you'd like please support them too 706 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:38,119 and tell them you heard it here. You can also 707 00:46:38,159 --> 00:46:40,719 become a patron at my Patreon page or go to 708 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:44,599 dpetecallanershow dot com. Again, thank you so much for listening, 709 00:46:44,679 --> 00:46:47,880 and don't break anything while I'm gone.