- Sup, you beautiful bastards.
Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show.
Hit that like button if you want me
to punch you in the throat, you weirdo
and let's just jump into it.
Hey you all, the first thing we're gonna talk about
is today is Valentine's Day.
The worst fucking holiday ever.
A day that, really, at the core of it,
is just adding unnecessary pressure onto relationships
for the sole purpose of consumerism,
getting money out of your pockets,
into the pockets of big companies
that celebrate it for you.
And, it's actually a day that's evolved
to also incorporate single people
over the last decade or two,
not because they want you to actually be
a whole human being, and not feel sad and shameful,
but because they knew they couldn't
wring you of money as well.
Also, I do preemptively wanna say, I don't have this opinion
'cause I fucked up Valentine's, like, me and my wife
both think it's a stupid holiday.
So one, if you're in a relationship
and you really care about Valentine's Day,
please rethink some things.
But also, two, if you are out of a relationship,
and it's Valentine's Day, please don't feel bad.
You know this in your head, but sometimes
you get too lonely, the quality of a relationship
is more important than the existence of it.
But also, in relation to the first story,
if you are out of a relationship right now
or you just really hate your ex,
the ATF would like to have a word with you.
And that's because today,
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
put out the word,
Valentine's Day can still be fun even if you broke up.
Do you have information about a former or current partner
involved in illegal gun activity?
Let us know, and we will make sure
it's a Valentine's Day to remember.
Which in response to that, I just have to say,
one, it really feels like they missed out on the jingle,
if he called you a bitch
it's time to snitch.
But also, two, has resulted in
a ton of backlash against the ATF,
with a good number of people arguing with the ATF
is basically encouraging people to swat their exes
and could result in false reporting.
With a number of people bringing up ATF fuck ups
that have resulted in dead animals and people,
with some using this as an opportunity
to say that the ATF should be abolished,
but also, notably here,
the ATF's not the only one using this strategy,
with examples of this popping up on the more local level,
like the Nash Sheriff's Office in North Carolina
making a post encouraging people
to rat on their ex-partners without standing warrants
this Valentine's Day.
Yeah, I guess, the main thing with this story is,
Happy Valentine's Day.
And then, let's talk about one
of the most talked about things,
one of the most requested stories,
what I'm talking about is, over the weekend, I think a lot
of us were just like, I want a chill, calm weekend,
and then Kanye West was like,
No! I'll be damned if every single person on this planet
is not aware that Pete Davidson is having sex with my wife.
The first part of my documentary is coming out Wednesday,
so I have to make a fool of myself online, as per usual.
All press is good press, because despite the fact
that I act like a lunatic, most of the time,
everyone forgives me because I put out good content.
See Ye, this is just me helping you get the word out,
extra, extra, read all about it.
But also, side note, Kanye,
she is your ex, soon-to-be officially your ex-wife,
you're lashing out at everyone,
you're lashing out at Billie Eilish
over something she didn't even actually say.
You're like, how dare she care about
the people who paid to go to her concert.
That's obviously a dig at Travis Scott.
By the way, is it even remotely awkward for you
that you're tweeting all this weird stuff
about Kim and Pete Davidson
while you're actively in Julia Fox?
How many times do we need to stream this new doc
or buy Yeezys for you to shut the fuck up?
One of the final things I'll hit on here,
because a number of people, they make an excuse for him,
because they say, you know, he's mentally ill,
he's struggling,
that doesn't automatically excuse
absolutely dickish behavior where you're dragging
the mother of your children in public when she's trying
to be nothing but okay with you.
And I think, for a lot of people who've been
in very horrible and at times abusive relationships,
they recognize the insane,
if I can't have her, no one can have her
ramblings of this just crazy man.
Like, in addition to the weird, aggressive,
direct attacks online,
he's also encouraged his fans
to harass people in public.
There's recognizing you fucked up,
wishing that your family was back together,
and then whatever the fuck this is.
You know, I say, whatever the fuck this is,
because I've never actually had to deal with it personally,
but if you've ever been in an emotionally abusive
or emotionally manipulative relationship,
you know what these behaviors are.
Like, his problems go past what we've seen
in the last 72 hours, this has just shown consistency.
He lashes out at the mother of his children,
very, very publicly, and then that doesn't work,
so then he tries to make himself out to be the victim,
with unfounded, and at times, obviously false things,
and then that doesn't work, and then all of a sudden,
he goes after the people around her,
and then that doesn't work, and then it's all,
baby, I love you, I care about my family,
I'm sending you a truck full of roses today.
Baby, let's just act like I didn't try to weaponize
my audience of millions against you in an attempt
to also alienate everyone around you.
But ultimately, that's where I'll leave it,
and it's Kanye West.
He has an undying amount of support
out there, and so, what I would even maybe end on,
if I was talking to one of his supporters,
if Kanye was pulling this shit with your sister,
or your daughter, or someone you care deeply about,
but he wasn't the guy that gave you 808s & Heartbreak,
like, would you be defending him this hard,
or would you be like,
man, how is there not a restraining order yet?
But hey, that's the story, my opinion,
and when you agree with me, or not,
I'd love to hear from you in those comments down below.
And then, let's talk about the trucker protests
that have taken over Canada's capital
officially entering their third week,
and there are no signs of things dying down anytime soon.
Whereas we talked about before what's been described
as the Freedom Convoy protest,
initially started over a rule change by Canada and the US
that required foreign truckers entering the countries
to be fully vaccinated against COVID,
or submit to testing and quarantines.
But since then the movement's become a broader demonstration
against Canada's COVID-19 policies
and spread to other parts of the country.
And with all this, yesterday, we got a major update,
the Canadian law enforcement officials had finally
reopened a major international bridge
that the protesters had blockaded for nearly a week,
stopping traffic and millions of dollars in trade a day,
with the authorities announcing that the Ambassador Bridge,
which connects Ontario to Detroit had been cleared
following several arrests.
And while many have hailed
this as a win against the truckers,
numerous roadblocks remain. Literally.
In terms of the border, disruptions have still
continued at essential crossings,
including one that connects Alberta to Montana
and British Columbia to Washington State.
Meanwhile, in Ottawa, major disruptions have remained
as the truckers continue to block traffic,
taking over residential streets and cutting off
access to key government institutions,
including Canada's Parliament, Supreme Court,
and the Prime Minister's office.
Both local and provincial officials declared
states of emergencies with authorities
referring to the blockade as a siege
and an illegal occupation that has moved
beyond the boundaries of peaceful protest.
But, despite that, law enforcement officials
have made very few arrests,
and police presence has been described by reporters
as all but invisible,
with some reports describing police
just largely standing by, even as people seemed
to be openly violating laws in front of them,
which may be part of the reason we've now
seen thousands of counter-protesters whose lives
have been disrupted by the truckers
taking to the street to demand that they leave.
With a report saying some counter-protesters
have also been blaring what's been described as
Pro-LGBTQ+ Cowboy Metal Songs
to disrupt communications between the truckers.
Meanwhile, it appears that some are trying to use
different methods to try and interfere with the protests,
like just this morning, we saw reports
that the Crowdfunding site used to raise millions of dollars
for the Freedom Convoy was offline
after being disabled in a possible hack.
And in absolutely monumental news, right as we were
finishing up today's show, we saw reports
that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
has officially invoked the Emergencies Act,
which, as the New York Times explains,
would allow him to effectively override civil liberties
in the name of restoring public order,
with that including banning public assemblies
or restricting travel to and from specific areas.
But also, a big thing to hit on is that these protests
have now extended beyond the Canadian borders.
Over the weekend, demonstrations inspired
by the Canadian truckers took place in multiple countries,
including France, Australia and New Zealand,
with the protests also appearing to spread
in the US as well, with rallies taking place
in New York and Alaska.
There were also concerns that the protesters
were actually going to disrupt the Superbowl,
after Senator Rand Paul told truckers to go, quote,
"Clog things up at the event",
but ultimately, only a small group gathered
in front of SoFi,
with the LA County Sheriff's Office saying that
the gathering was peaceful.
But ultimately, that is where
we are with this story right now,
we're gonna keep our eyes on it,
but right now it does appear clear
that this is far from over.
But from that, I wanna take a second
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And then, in the less concerning of the two Russia stories
we're gonna talk about today,
let's talk about the Olympics,
which is a thing that is still happening, I'm told.
Honestly, if it wasn't for this story
and random clips popping up on my
TikTok for you page now and then?
I would not have known that it was
happening this year.
And as some of you may have heard,
last Wednesday, something happened with a Russian Olympian
we've never seen before,
they tested positive for a banned substance.
Shocker. Doping, drugs, illegal shit.
And because of this revelation and this scandal,
they ended up postponing the medal ceremony
for team figure skating while they worked out
how to handle the situation.
With Russian media revealing that the athlete in question
is Kamila Valieva,
a 15 year-old who made history
by landing two quadruple jumps.
With them adding that the substance
in question was a heart drug which reportedly
can boost endurance and blood efficiency,
and, to make this matter even worse,
the Russian team ended up
winning the gold medal last Monday.
So it's not like they came in fourth
or they got onto the podium, but it was only a bronze,
this put the top award in a total limbo.
And so with that you have Mark Adams,
a spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee,
right, the IOC, saying,
"A situation arose at short notice
that requires legal consultation."
Except, he didn't go into any detail about exactly
what he meant by legal consultation,
instead he moved on and added,
"You can bet your bottom dollar
we are doing everything so that the situation
can be resolved as soon as possible."
But also, with this, you have Valieva's coach saying,
"This cannot be true.
We can be pointed fingers at, but we are all clean."
And last week, the IOC and the International Skating Union
were left haggling over legal obstacles,
with some speculating that they're trying to determine
whether the drug was taken inside or outside
of the competition.
Though, media reports say she submitted the test sample
before winning last month's European Championship.
But now, ultimately, a verdict has been made,
and Valieva will continue to compete in the Winter Olympics.
But, there is a massive catch with this. Right?
If she finishes in the top three
at an event, there will not be a ceremony for it,
and the medal ceremony for the team figure skating
has gone from postponed to straight up canceled.
So we're not just talking about Valieva not getting
to stand on the podium,
we're talking about the other two as well,
if she places.
Which, I mean, there's really no way around it.
It's just completely fucked up.
Imagine training your whole life for this moment
and then you do amazing and you still don't get a medal
because of some other country's player doing drugs?
And the thing is, it's very likely
we're gonna see this happen.
Valieva is set to compete in this week's individual event,
where she is expected to win gold
and we kinda just have to wait to see what happens.
And if you're wondering why the IOC is doing this,
they have said that this decision was made
because of the, quote, "Inconclusive situation,"
and claiming that they will, quote,
"Organise dignified medal ceremonies
once the case has been concluded".
With Valieva herself telling Channel 1 Russia
she is happy about the decision,
but that she is emotionally tired.
Which one, Valieva, in about a month,
I've got the perfect hoodie just for you,
that's a joke, calm down, but also,
two, it's completely understandable.
She's only 15 years old.
Which, is actually reportedly part of the reason why
she wasn't suspended as well as the irreparable harm
she might suffer from not being able to compete.
And so with that, a lot of the blame isn't being directed
towards this 15 year-old athlete, but instead,
it's been directed at her coach, who uses notoriously
strict and harsh methods, even being dubbed
Russia's Snow Queen for her icy demeanor and coaching style.
Which, it just feels like I'm describing a villain
in a Mighty Ducks movie.
But I mean, if you just look it up, easily you'll find
a string of skaters who have quit over the years
because of her cruelty,
though, it's not like it doesn't
pay off, she's one of the world's most sought-after coaches,
with players who have won top medals
at international games numerous times.
And so, you have some Russians defending her,
you also have others saying,
okay, let's look at the whole of this situation,
not only are we talking about harsh treatment,
but did she dope this 15 year-old?
And one of the things we saw people doing
with this situation were people making comparisons
and calling out what they said was a double standard.
With many specifically pointing to what happened,
to US sprinter, Sha'Carri Richardson.
As you might remember, USA track and field said
she couldn't go to the Tokyo Olympics because
she ended up testing positive for marijuana,
with Richardson saying she used marijuana to help
her deal with her mother's death
and a state of emotional panic.
And actually, with this Winter Olympics news,
you had Richardson herself speaking out,
saying, "My mother died and I can't run and was also favored
to place top three. The only difference I see
is I'm a black young lady".
Noting that the 15 year-old failed in December
and the world just now knows, but saying,
"However, my results were posted within a week
and my name and talent was slaughtered to the people."
But ultimately, that is where we are with this story,
and of course with it, I wanna pass the question off to you.
What are your thoughts here?
And then, in news, and a situation I really wish
would calm down but then just continue to heat up,
let's talk about Ukraine?
Where you've got the United States
warning that a full-blown Russian invasion
could come at any time.
The last time we talked about this,
Russia and China had just tried to block
a UN Security Council meeting on the issue,
but they got out-voted and it went through anyway.
The US accusing Russia of acting aggressively,
Russia accusing the US of stoking tensions,
and Ukraine telling both of them to stop bickering
like a mother stepping in between
two eight year old siblings.
But, shocker, that didn't work,
and so now we're at this place
that has been long-predicted, right?
The US said a couple of weeks ago that Russia
would invade Ukraine by mid February, and guess what?
It's mid-February.
And so now, you have the US saying an invasion
might commence in the next 48 hours,
which would be more like 36 by the time
that you're watching this.
With many having speculated
that now is the prime time for an assault
because the ground is frozen over Kyiv,
making it easy for tanks and other vehicles
to cross into the capital.
But also, with this,
you have analysts noting that any Russian attack
will likely begin with air and missile strikes
on Ukrainian defenses and critical infrastructure,
not with ground troops.
But regardless, the US says Russia could begin
aerial bombardments at any time,
and, more than a dozen nations have warned their citizens
to evacuate Ukraine.
At the same time, you've got Poland and other
neighboring countries preparing to accept Ukrainian refugees
as war looks more likely,
Britain's Prime Minister chiming in, saying
Europe is on the edge of a precipice,
but there is still time for Putin to step back,
with some saying that is a possibility
if Russia moves forward with good faith, but, eh?
Putin and good faith don't really seem to go hand-in-hand,
but, you do have Russia's foreign minister advising Putin
to continue negotiations with the US and its allies
in a meeting on Monday.
With Putin reportedly asking if it still makes sense
to continue diplomatic efforts after the US
rejected Russia's main security demands,
with the foreign minister reportedly replying
that the talks haven't been exhausted yet
and adding that the US has offered to negotiate limits
on missile deployments in Europe,
military exercises, and other measures.
You also have Joe Biden saying diplomacy is still an option,
and of course, Ukraine is very eager to avoid war,
calling on Russia to engage in dialogue
within the next 48 hours to explain the build-up
of around 130,000 Russian troops along their border.
Even floating a pretty huge concession on Sunday
with its ambassador to Britain telling the BBC
Ukraine might drop its ambition to join NATO
because it's being blackmailed, explaining,
"What I'm saying here is that we are flexible,
trying to find the best way out.
If we have to go through some serious concessions,
that's something we might do."
But then, today, you have the ambassador backpedaling,
saying that while many concessions are still on the table,
potential NATO membership is not one of them.
And Ukrainian President Zelensky also backpedaling,
with one of his senior officials saying
an earlier statement that he made that he heard Russia
would invade by Wednesday was meant ironically.
You also had the German chancellor
meeting with Zelensky today for the first time
since coming to office in December
and planning to meet with Putin on Tuesday as well,
Germany declining to send weapons to Ukraine but
promising tough responses and sanctions
if Russia attacks,
and another angle of this that not many are considering
is the impact on Ukrainian domestic politics.
Right now, Zelensky is taking a big hit
in his popular support,
with many people feeling like he failed on his promise
to lower tensions with Russia when he was elected
back in 2019.
And, the incumbent that he defeated back then
has also returned to the country as well
to stir up opposition.
Plus, British intelligence claimed last month
that Putin is seeking to overthrow
Zelensky's government and replace him
with a pro-Russian politician.
And amid all these moving pieces, the chaos,
you've got world leaders scrambling to prepare for war,
you have Zelensky himself running around,
trying to put out fires, telling everyone to not panic.
Criticizing the media for blowing the crisis
out of proportion and downplaying the significance
of Russia's military build-up,
and in a phone call on Sunday
he even invited Biden to fly down to Kyiv for a meeting,
which looks like a real long shot,
given that most American diplomats
have already dipped out of the city.
And so it's several western countries
sending military aid to Ukraine and deploying forces
to the region, what we're watching here is like
the biggest Mexican standoff between
two nuclear-armed states, probably since the Cold War.
But yeah, ultimately that is where we are,
and we just have to wait, and see what happens
while we essentially just get to live through
stuff that's gonna be in history books.
Living through it, not as fun as reading about it.
But ultimately, that is where that story
and today's show ends.
As always, thank you for watching, like and subscribe,
and for these daily dives into the news,
I love your faces and I'll see you tomorrow.