- 'Sup, you beautiful bastards,
hope you're having a fantastic Thursday.
Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show.
Before moving forward, be sure to hit that like button,
otherwise I will de-vaccinate you.
Un-vaccinate you.
I've developed the technology,
it could very easily get in the wrong hands.
So respond not to this threat but this promise...
Accordingly, but with that said let's just jump into it.
And actually the first thing we're gonna be talking
about today is we have more anti-vaxx news that is out there
this time with an odd centerpiece.
Today the focal point of this news surrounded
actress Jessica Biel, and the story starts with
an Instagram post from Robert F. Kennedy.
This picture and the caption, "Please say thank you
"to the courageous Jessica Biel for a busy
"and productive day at the California State House."
And it turns out they were there to lobby
against a California vaccination bill.
And the bill they were purportedly lobbying
against is SB-276, and the reported goal of this bill
is quote, "To crack down on doctors who provide
"what sponsoring senator Richard Pan
"calls fake medical exemptions."
And the bill notably is co-sponsored
by the California Medical Association;
the American Academy of Pediatrics, California;
and Vaccinate California.
And as far as what is a "fake medical exemption,"
you get these situations where you have private Facebook
groups of these anti-vaxxers, and they're like,
hey if you wanna get a medical exemption for your kid,
go to this specific doctor.
All right, doctors who are alleged to have been abusing
the vaccination exemption process.
And so instead with this bill,
an exemption would need to be approved
by a State Public Health Officer,
with the goal being to crack down on exemption abuse.
Right, and I mentioned that to give you some background
and some context of what is actually happening.
The main point, this post goes up,
people start picking it up, and it goes viral.
Jessica Biel all of the sudden trending everywhere.
People calling her anti-vaxx.
People saying she's joining the likes of Jenny McCarthy.
All while the United States is experiencing
the worst measles outbreak in the past 20 years.
And following this Jessica Biel turned to Instagram, posting
this photo with the caption, "I am not against vaccinations
"I support children getting vaccinations
"and I also support families having the right
"to make educated medical decisions
"for their children alongside their physicians.
"My concern with SB-277,"
is what she wrote initially which not the right bill.
But, "My concern with SB-276 is
"solely regarding medical exemptions."
And she goes on to claim that her friend's child
has a condition that warrants vaccine exemptions,
and claims this bill would impact him.
And if you look at that post, a lot of the top comments
are critical of her decision or critical
of just the anti-vaxx movement in general.
And you know, in general, looking at her post she has
this kinda light language, but the argument against
what she's talking about here is still incredibly valid
because, no one's talking about no medical exemptions.
What's being talked about is a crackdown
on the abuses of the system.
Parents that don't want their kids to get vaccinated.
So they start doctor shopping and visiting
as many doctors as it takes, or going to special groups
and learning of which doctor they can go to
to get that special pass.
To get that doctor that's like, no worry I gotcha.
And there are reports coming now of an anonymous staffer
in these meetings, and they reportedly say
that Kennedy and Biel "both talked about their personal
belief that vaccines are both dangerous and ineffective."
Staffer also alleged, quote, "That Biel seemed
to indicate she'd then visited multiple doctors
to find one who was comfortable with her preference."
Saying, quote, "She practically admitted
to doctor shopping, which SB-276 is trying to prevent."
And also, I wanna note here, I'm gonna link
to the full text of this bill,
because I've seen a lot of people trying go against it,
mischaracterizing the bill, changing the words
of what's being said in this bill.
Because what it is trying to do is not stop all exemptions,
right, that is a constant lie that I keep seeing.
It is trying to create a standardized form
for medical exemptions because right now it is being abused.
And it's creating a situation in this country
more and more where it's not just the child
in question that is at risk,
but it is the community at large.
And I don't ask you to take my word on it
because I'm just some fucking stupid person
in a room, talking to myself.
And it's why I've hated in the past
why the Jenny McCarthy's of the world
and the Jessica Biel's of the now
can add weight to a ridiculous argument
in the face of just overwhelming evidence and science.
She says she's not anti-vaxx, but what she is arguing for,
what she is lobbying for, is anti-vaxx.
It enables it, it allows it to thrive, it is a Trojan horse.
And it's not even a new Trojan horse.
As Brandy Zadrozny explains in a tweet,
"Important for those not versed
"in anti-vaxx talking points: anti-vaxx activists say,"
quote, "'I am not against vaccines', preferring language
"like 'pro-choice' or 'skeptic' etc etc."
And so, "Biel's Insta post isn't a walk back
"and it isn't 'setting the record straight.'
"It's a basic confirmation."
But that's it, and this note
that Jessica Biel is courageous.
Sure, it can be brave or courageous
to stand up for something stupid.
Good job, anyway, moving on.
But from that, I wanna share some stuff I loved today
and today in awesome, brought to you by Apollo.
And for those who don't know, Apollo is a new Reddit app
available for iPhone that was built
by a former Apple engineer alongside thousands of Redditors.
And the goal of Apollo is to take Reddit on iPhone
and improve it with a cleaner design,
super fast navigation and loading,
custom gestures, media viewer, a jump bar
that lets you to jump between subreddits super quickly,
and color-coded comments so you don't get lost
in these deep, deep threads.
And it's not just me saying it, Apollo has tens of thousands
of reviews and a four point eight star rating.
And the best part is, it is free to download
and it comes with zero ads, although they do have
a pro version that you can pay for
that unlocks a ton of custom features.
In fact, for you beautiful bastards
slash throat punching enthusiasts,
they designed a free custom DeFranco-themed icon.
So yeah, just head on over to ApolloAppPhil.com
or just click that link in the description.
Download the app, go to the about screen,
then actually, genuinely shake your phone,
and enter code Phil or throatpunch into the secret dialogue
that pops up, and start your new Reddit experience today.
And our first bit of awesome for today, if you're one
of the three people that have still somehow not seen it yet,
this week there is video of Jon Stewart speaking
in front of a House Judiciary Subcommittee trying
to convince lawmakers to extend funding
for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.
Speaking on behalf of first responders
and the victims of 9/11 and I feel
like it's impossible not to be moved by it.
Like a mutual anger and sadness.
If you haven't seen that video,
I'm gonna link to it down below along with the news
that the House Judiciary Subcommittee
voted unanimously to support that bill.
A bill that would extend the September 11th
victim compensation fund until 2090.
But also, I do wanna note here, it is not completely over.
The bill is expected to move to the House floor next month.
Lawmakers do expect it to easily pass there,
but there are worries about the Senate.
But for now we'll have to wait and see,
and if you're really do wanna see what a big deal it is,
once again, I'ma link it down below,
also to the Rogue Rocket article on it.
But yeah, I guess kinda the main thing I wanna hit on is,
it is an amazing moment, it is a moving moment,
but it is important to remember that
it is not the end of this story.
Then, Netflix gave us the musical video
for "On a Roll" by Ashley O.
They also gave us the trailor for "The Chosen One."
Also if you're in the mood for something lighter on Netflix,
they actually just released Jo Koy's new Netflix special.
Then we had The Infographics Show giving us
"Cowboys vs. Swat - Who Would Win," 'cause why not.
Then we had Trevor Noah on "Hot Ones."
We had "Bon Appétite" trying to make a gourmet Twix.
Then we got the trailer for "Doctor Sleep."
Then we had our phil.chrono.gg partner game
of the day today, it is "State of Mind."
It is a very well reviewed future, sci-fi thriller game.
And, best of all, if you use our link before 9 a.m. tomorrow
and/or while supplies last, you can snag it
not for its regular $30 price tag but just $14.99, 50% off.
And if you wanna see the full versions of everything
I just shared, the secret link of the day,
really, anything at all, links, as always,
in the description down below.
And then let's talk about why Ukraine,
but more specifically Chernobyl, is in the news.
Now a little background for those without
an HBO subscription and/or those who
did not pay attention in history class.
In April of 1986, a nuclear reactor malfunctioned
at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant,
causing radioactive particles to cover the surrounding area,
making the surrounding 1000 miles toxic.
Within a few weeks of this incident,
at least 30 plant operators and first responders
had died from the accident, and to this day
there is debate on the total possible deaths
from cancer caused by the radioactivity.
A Belarusian study has reportedly estimated
that 115,000 deaths will be connected to this incident,
while the World Health Organization
has estimated just 9,000.
But of course this was a massive disaster,
even saying just 9,000 is crazy.
But, why are we talking about this today?
Well, last month HBO aired their new limited series,
"Chernobyl," which is based on Chernobyl.
The name checks out. And as soon as the show premiered,
the number of trips to the site reportedly jumped up.
According to Reuters, the director of the tour company
SoloEast said he "saw a 30% increase in tourists"
this past May and a 40% increase for tourists
for the rest of the summer, with one tour guide
even telling the outlet, "Many people come here,
"they ask a lot of questions about the TV show,
"about all of the events.
"People are getting more and more curious."
Which brings us to this past Sunday,
when a Twitter user posted photos of different
quote unquote, influencers,
posing at the Chernobyl plant and in the nearby town
of Pripyat with the caption, "Meanwhile in Chernobyl:
"Instagram influencers flocking
to the site of the disaster."
Then they provided four examples of this alleged action.
And this tweet went viral with currently
over 13,000 retweets, 46,000 plus likes.
A lot of people jumped on board.
I saw some friends commenting and promoting it,
I saw the likes of Chrissy Teigen retweeting it
with the caption, "oh. my. fucking. lord."
Although she's since deleted it, but I have not seen
any post afterwards as to why.
Although maybe it's because of this story goes.
But also you even have the writer and executive producer
of the HBO series, Craig Mazin tweeting
in response on Tuesday, "It's wonderful that Chernobyl HBO
"has inspired a wave of tourism to the Zone of Exclusion.
"But yes, I've seen the photos going around.
"If you visit, please remember that
"a terrible tragedy occurred there.
"Comport yourselves with respect
"for all who suffered and sacrificed."
Which I will say, I do agree with that sentiment
and I'll touch on that more later,
but, it does turn out that only one of those photos
was taken by a supposed Instagram influencer.
And it's also not as simple as what people assume
or associate with an Instagram influencer.
The first photo, which shows a woman in protective gear,
was the lone influencer, and in her caption
she notes to her 322,000 followers
about the terrible tragedy that took place there.
And she told Business Insider that she was upset
at being included in this post, saying,
"Because of the engineering work of my boyfriend
"we were able to get a special admission
to go inside control room 4,
"which is actually not accessible for visitors.
"I left those stories online because they are full
"of information and I really want to spread them
"but I don't want to be seen as an influencer
"going to Chernobyl because it's trendy now.
"That's not true."
And according to the Atlantic, the other three Insta users,
who were identified as Instagram influencers,
their follower counts range from just 200 to 1500,
although, since the article they have spiked.
Also the photo of the man holding a geiger counter
wasn't even taken from an Instagram user.
Turns out it was actually taken by an airline pilot
named Patrick Smith back in October of 2006.
And also of note, the photo of the girl
in front of the burnt bus, she also had a caption
about the importance of Chernobyl,
calling it "an eternal monument
"to the horrid cruelty of the Soviet Regime."
And so it's kinda on that note
that I want to end this story on,
the documentation of going to the site of a tragedy
and taking a photo of it or taking a selfie of some sort.
I ultimately go back to Craig Mazin's tweet,
which isn't to say don't document, don't take pictures,
I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
I think it furthers the story of what happened there.
We end up all being these weird documentarians.
But also don't go to the site
of a horrible, horrible tragedy so you can take a booty pic.
Just a possible idea.
Right, like in the past, I've gone to places
like Auschwitz, the concentration camp.
I took photos, I don't remember if I put anything online,
but if I did I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
But you should be respectful of what happened there.
But if you're gonna take a photo of yourself like, dabbing
or take a video of yourself flossing at a site of a tragedy.
Or take a photo like booty pic McDouchebag over here,
then no, I think I kinda,
I won't cry if you got punched in the throat.
Right, just be respectful, but also I will say,
that's my personal opinion.
I know there are gonna be people that don't have any issue
whatsoever with any of the photographs.
I know people that are gonna have issues
with every single photograph.
But with this story I wanted to, one,
help curb any and all of the fake news associated with this,
including the mischaracterization of certain people.
And two, then pass the question off to you.
What are your thoughts regarding this whole situation,
whether it be the spread of the tweets
or the actual act of taking photos at these sites?
Any and all thoughts, I'd love to hear from you
in those comments down below.
And now let's talk about this news
coming out of Memphis, Tennessee.
Last night, officers in the United States Marshal Service
encountered a man who they say
was wanted on multiple felony warrants.
With multiple reports saying that man
was 20 year old Brandon Webber.
And according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation,
the marshals attempted to stop him
as he was getting into a vehicle,
but, according to a statement he then,
"reportedly rammed his vehicle into the officers' vehicles
"multiple times before exiting with a weapon.
"The officers fired striking and killing the individual.
"No officers were injured."
And while no authorities have confirmed the second part,
Webber's family members, who were allegedly witnesses
to the shooting, claimed he was shot nearly 20 times.
And once people heard about this incident,
there was a lot of unrest in Memphis.
And specifically we saw this in the Frayser neighborhood,
which is where all this took place.
Protests reportedly began at a
nearby convenience store later that night.
But, the situation seemed to quickly escalate
as reports came out that protestors
were throwing objects, including rocks at police,
vandalizing a squad car,
breaking windows of a fire station,
tearing down a concrete wall,
with officers reportedly using tear gas
to control the crowds.
Now as far as how many people attended,
the numbers here vary.
With CNN reporting that there were over 100 people,
however at the same time you have attendees alleging
there could've been as many as 300.
And one of the reasons this story
ended up gaining more national attention is,
according to Memphis police, at least 25 officers
were injured along with two journalists.
And, reportedly, while most of the injuries were minor,
six people were also taken to the hospital.
We saw the mayor of Memphis, Jim Strickland,
posting on Facebook, addressing this incident, saying,
"As I monitored tonight's fatal shooting
"involving the U.S. Marshals,
"I was proud of our first responders.
"I'm impressed by their professionalism
"and incredible restraint as they endured concrete rocks
"being thrown at them and people spitting at them.
"Let me be clear, the aggression shown towards
"our officers and deputies tonight was unwarranted."
We also heard from Memphis Police Director,
Michael W. Rallings,
- "We've been very, uh, supportive of protests,
"but we will not allow any acts of violence,
"will not allow destruction of property,
"will not allow acts of vandalism to occur."
- But at the same time we also heard
from Tami Sawyer, who is the Commissioner
for Shelby County as well as a mayoral candidate
for the city of Memphis.
She ends up responding to the news by, one,
actually attending the protest herself,
and then, two, posting to Twitter saying,
"I'm home from Frayser.
"I went because this is my district.
"I went because I stand with my people.
"People are hurting.
"And as Stephanie Love said
"tonight we don't need a march, we need answers.
"Don't allow a one-sided narrative
"of what happened to prevail."
Also adding, "Don't judge Frayser without asking a community
"how it feels to mourn their youth over and over again.
"What do people do with their pain and trauma
"when it gets to be too much, when a city has ignored them,
"when their loss is too great
"and they can no longer yell at the sky?
"I was in Frayser tonight because Brandon Webber
"was shot 16-20 times in his family's front yard
"on the same day as the Pulse nightclub shooting anniversary
"and on the same day as the DA chose not to charge
"another police officer for murdering a civilian.
"Every life lost should matter, every single one.
"How many times will this be okay?
"It cannot continue to be."
And as far as where things stand right now,
the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says
that they are still investigating Webber's death.
We've seen the NAACP say they
would be monitoring the situation.
Yeah, ultimately, that is where we are right now.
While we wait to see what other information comes out,
it's been interesting to see some of the debate around this,
because kind of unlike in other police shootings,
there is a conversation of race but it seems to be
more about police versus the just the civilian population.
And I think that's largely because, in Memphis,
the black population there is around 63%
and the actual police department itself is around 50%.
But with all that said, that is where we are right now,
and of course I pass the question off to you.
What are your thoughts around this?
And that's where we're going to end today's show.
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But, with that said, of course as always
my name is Philip DeFranco, you've just been filled in,
I love yo faces and I'll see you tomorrow.