WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.360 Okay, so we've got this pretty hefty pile of 00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:09.259 news and analysis to go through today. It's quite 00:00:09.259 --> 00:00:12.800 a bit. And it's all centered around April 7th, 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:17.179 2025. So I guess our mission today is to try 00:00:17.179 --> 00:00:20.120 to sift through all of this and extract the key 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.550 insights. Yeah, for sure. I mean, there's a lot 00:00:23.550 --> 00:00:26.149 going on. So we got to give our listeners a clear 00:00:26.149 --> 00:00:29.149 understanding of what's happening and why it 00:00:29.149 --> 00:00:31.809 all matters. Yeah, exactly. So it looks like 00:00:31.809 --> 00:00:33.130 we're going to be looking at a lot of different 00:00:33.130 --> 00:00:35.310 things. We are. Yeah, you've assembled quite 00:00:35.310 --> 00:00:39.750 a snapshot here of a pretty active period, let's 00:00:39.750 --> 00:00:41.869 say. Yeah. We're going to be talking about some 00:00:41.869 --> 00:00:45.189 pretty significant economic shifts. A lot of 00:00:45.189 --> 00:00:47.649 this is driven by these new trade policies that 00:00:47.649 --> 00:00:50.950 are being put into place. And we'll also be looking 00:00:50.950 --> 00:00:53.240 at changes in leadership in the cyber defense 00:00:53.240 --> 00:00:55.960 arena. Some pretty widespread public protests 00:00:55.960 --> 00:00:58.140 that are happening. Some interesting maneuvers 00:00:58.140 --> 00:01:01.000 in the Senate regarding the budget. A concerning 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:03.399 measles outbreak that's happening and it looks 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:06.640 like there are cuts to vaccine funding that are 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:09.719 coinciding with this. An ongoing election challenge 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:12.319 in North Carolina. The reaction of law firms 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:15.060 to the administration. Judicial pushback against 00:01:15.060 --> 00:01:17.939 some of the executive actions. Early Senate polling 00:01:17.939 --> 00:01:21.260 data coming out of New York. and even some updates 00:01:21.260 --> 00:01:24.560 to the House political maps. Wow, okay, so a 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:26.900 lot on our plates today. A lot going on, but 00:01:26.900 --> 00:01:30.920 the goal isn't to overwhelm anyone. No, absolutely 00:01:30.920 --> 00:01:33.579 not. Right, it's more about... Trying to connect 00:01:33.579 --> 00:01:36.219 the dots. Exactly, connecting the dots between 00:01:36.219 --> 00:01:41.480 all these seemingly separate events and highlighting 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:44.939 the potential significance of each of these events 00:01:44.939 --> 00:01:47.340 and how they might be connected, really giving 00:01:47.340 --> 00:01:50.790 people... A clear, concise picture. Exactly, 00:01:50.930 --> 00:01:52.890 a clear, concise picture. That's actually going 00:01:52.890 --> 00:01:55.209 on. Exactly. Okay, so let's start unpacking all 00:01:55.209 --> 00:01:57.569 of this, maybe starting with the economic picture. 00:01:57.750 --> 00:02:01.930 Okay, sure. So the source material kind of paints 00:02:01.930 --> 00:02:04.170 a pretty stark picture right off the bat when 00:02:04.170 --> 00:02:06.760 it comes to the financial markets. Okay. The 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:09.159 Dow Jones has taken a pretty significant downturn. 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:12.159 You know, it's almost 15 % off of its yearly 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:14.819 high at this point. Wow. And there's been a massive 00:02:14.819 --> 00:02:18.319 loss in just two days. About $6 trillion just 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:22.039 wiped out. Oh, wow. In just two days. In two 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:24.300 days. Yeah. This is being described as the worst 00:02:24.300 --> 00:02:26.939 week for the market since we saw that pandemic 00:02:26.939 --> 00:02:29.259 -induced volatility back in 2020. Oh, that makes 00:02:29.259 --> 00:02:31.879 sense. And what's really fascinating here is 00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:34.460 that, you know, The sources are really drawing 00:02:34.460 --> 00:02:37.759 a direct connection between this market downturn 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:40.379 and the administration's trade policies. Right, 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:42.900 yeah. The analysis we have really doesn't mince 00:02:42.900 --> 00:02:45.689 words, does it? No, it doesn't. Pretty bold. 00:02:45.909 --> 00:02:48.250 Yeah, it's pretty bold. It basically argues that 00:02:48.250 --> 00:02:51.449 this is the end of the post -World War II free 00:02:51.449 --> 00:02:54.729 trade system, you know, as we know it, and that 00:02:54.729 --> 00:02:57.030 it's being replaced with what's described as 00:02:57.030 --> 00:03:00.370 this kind of like 18th century idea, this thing 00:03:00.370 --> 00:03:03.210 called mercantilism. Mercantilism. Yeah, and 00:03:03.210 --> 00:03:04.909 I'll be honest, I wasn't really that familiar 00:03:04.909 --> 00:03:06.870 with that term. It's not one you hear every day. 00:03:07.090 --> 00:03:08.789 Yeah, no, it's not something you hear every day, 00:03:08.789 --> 00:03:10.969 so I had to like look it up, you know? Right. 00:03:11.389 --> 00:03:15.340 And the basic idea seems to be that Like, a country's 00:03:15.340 --> 00:03:19.039 wealth is measured by its gold reserves, and 00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:22.000 the way to get more gold is to export way more 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:24.419 than you import. Basically, you want to hoard 00:03:24.419 --> 00:03:26.639 all the gold. Right, like accumulate as much 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:29.139 as you can. Exactly, yeah. It's like this really, 00:03:29.139 --> 00:03:33.419 I don't know, it seems very outdated. Yeah, it's 00:03:33.419 --> 00:03:35.939 interesting because the source even quotes... 00:03:36.330 --> 00:03:39.650 you know, someone saying like, no serious economist 00:03:39.650 --> 00:03:42.469 has believed in this theory in well over 100 00:03:42.469 --> 00:03:45.069 years. Right, it is this kind of blast from the 00:03:45.069 --> 00:03:46.889 past. It is, yeah, and I think that's what makes 00:03:46.889 --> 00:03:49.189 it so fascinating. Yeah. You know, because it's 00:03:49.189 --> 00:03:51.370 like... You don't really expect to see these 00:03:51.370 --> 00:03:54.289 kind of ideas resurfacing in the 21st century. 00:03:54.370 --> 00:03:56.330 Right, and it's even more interesting when you 00:03:56.330 --> 00:04:00.240 start to connect it to the bigger picture. that 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:01.840 the source is trying to paint about the state 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:03.840 of the US economy. Right, because the picture 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:06.419 that's being presented is really quite different 00:04:06.419 --> 00:04:09.500 from how it's often portrayed. It is, yeah. You 00:04:09.500 --> 00:04:12.919 hear a lot of talk about a poor, hollowed out 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:15.539 America, right? Right, yeah, that's kind of the, 00:04:15.539 --> 00:04:17.779 you know, a nation in decline. The common narrative. 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:20.759 Yeah, but the data that's presented here suggests 00:04:20.759 --> 00:04:23.439 a different story. Totally different. Right, 00:04:23.480 --> 00:04:25.600 it says that the US economy has actually doubled 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:28.569 the growth of the Eurozone since 2008. Yeah, 00:04:28.790 --> 00:04:30.629 that's a pretty significant difference. It is, 00:04:30.730 --> 00:04:33.290 yeah. And then you see that US wages are actually 00:04:33.290 --> 00:04:36.310 significantly higher than in other advanced economies. 00:04:36.670 --> 00:04:38.250 Yeah. I mean, think about that for a second. 00:04:38.250 --> 00:04:41.750 Yeah. I'm not just talking about a little bit 00:04:41.750 --> 00:04:44.509 higher. We're talking significantly higher. Yeah. 00:04:44.610 --> 00:04:46.290 Yeah, it's a big gap. Big gap. And then they 00:04:46.290 --> 00:04:48.550 even highlight the fact that even a state like 00:04:48.550 --> 00:04:53.550 Mississippi, which often gets kind of a bad rap, 00:04:53.550 --> 00:04:56.689 economically speaking, actually has a higher 00:04:56.920 --> 00:05:00.240 per capita GDP than countries like the UK or 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:02.279 France. Right. It kind of flips the script a 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:04.100 little bit, doesn't it? Yeah, it really does. 00:05:04.360 --> 00:05:08.060 You have to wonder then if the problem that this 00:05:08.060 --> 00:05:10.720 new trade policy is trying to solve is actually, 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:13.529 you know... Is it even a real problem? Yeah, 00:05:13.569 --> 00:05:15.649 it makes you question the diagnosis, right? Exactly. 00:05:15.990 --> 00:05:19.029 Is the diagnosis of the economic problem even 00:05:19.029 --> 00:05:21.430 accurate to begin with? Right. Are we actually 00:05:21.430 --> 00:05:24.069 as bad off as they're saying we are? Exactly. 00:05:24.209 --> 00:05:26.029 And I think that's what makes this whole thing 00:05:26.029 --> 00:05:28.790 so interesting, you know? Absolutely. Because 00:05:28.790 --> 00:05:31.990 you have this, like, underlying assumption about 00:05:31.990 --> 00:05:35.009 the weakness of the US economy that might not 00:05:35.009 --> 00:05:38.560 even be true. And then you have this radical 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:41.259 shift in trade policy that's being based on that 00:05:41.259 --> 00:05:42.899 assumption. Exactly. And that's where things 00:05:42.899 --> 00:05:46.100 get really interesting, I think, because the 00:05:46.100 --> 00:05:48.819 sources then point out this major oversight in 00:05:48.819 --> 00:05:51.779 this whole mercantilist approach. Oh, yeah. What's 00:05:51.779 --> 00:05:53.860 that? It seems like they're completely missing 00:05:53.860 --> 00:05:57.839 the huge US surplus in services. Services. What 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:00.459 do you mean by that? Things like software development, 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:03.699 financial services, cloud computing. Oh, so the 00:06:03.699 --> 00:06:05.540 things you can't really touch. Exactly. These 00:06:05.540 --> 00:06:08.620 less tangible exports. Right. But they add up 00:06:08.620 --> 00:06:12.040 to a massive surplus over a trillion dollars 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:14.819 annually. Wow, that's huge. It is. It's a massive 00:06:14.819 --> 00:06:17.060 part of our economic strength. OK, so it's like 00:06:17.060 --> 00:06:20.980 they're so focused on. you know, physical goods 00:06:20.980 --> 00:06:23.220 and manufacturing. Pretty neat. Yeah, that they're 00:06:23.220 --> 00:06:26.399 completely missing this, like, giant and expanding 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:28.199 part of the economy. Right, it's like looking 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:30.300 at one side of the ledger and ignoring the other. 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:32.879 Right, so while the rhetoric is focused on, you 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:35.839 know, the struggling manufacturing sector, the 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:37.720 data is actually telling us that there's this 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:41.939 powerful and growing service economy. Exactly. 00:06:41.980 --> 00:06:44.399 And that's a fundamental mismatch between perception 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:47.459 and reality. Yeah, it really is. And that might 00:06:47.459 --> 00:06:50.120 be the biggest flaw in this whole, you know, 00:06:50.360 --> 00:06:52.720 new trade doctrine. It could be. Yeah. I mean, 00:06:52.899 --> 00:06:54.819 the potential consequences of these policies 00:06:54.819 --> 00:06:57.240 are pretty concerning. In what way? Well, for 00:06:57.240 --> 00:07:00.560 example, the sources highlight agriculture as 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:03.220 being particularly vulnerable. Agriculture? Why 00:07:03.220 --> 00:07:05.199 agriculture? Well, because of retaliatory tariffs 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:07.139 from other countries. Oh, right. Of course. You 00:07:07.139 --> 00:07:09.920 know, they put tariffs on our goods. Other countries 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:12.660 are going to retaliate. Tit for tat. Exactly. 00:07:13.259 --> 00:07:15.800 And agriculture is often a prime target. Right. 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:18.220 Yeah. I remember all those farm bailouts during 00:07:18.220 --> 00:07:20.860 the last administration. Exactly. And now you've 00:07:20.860 --> 00:07:22.459 got higher inflation, higher interest rates. 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:25.899 It's just a recipe for economic hardship in that 00:07:25.899 --> 00:07:27.819 sector. Right. It's like American farmers are 00:07:27.819 --> 00:07:30.100 caught in the middle. They are. Yeah. They're 00:07:30.100 --> 00:07:32.720 potentially losing access to these crucial international 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:34.720 markets. They're facing higher costs at home. 00:07:35.269 --> 00:07:37.550 It's a tough situation and on top of all that 00:07:37.550 --> 00:07:39.910 the Federal Reserve's getting worried, too Oh, 00:07:39.910 --> 00:07:41.689 really? What are they concerned about inflation? 00:07:41.769 --> 00:07:43.949 You know, they're saying these tariffs are just 00:07:43.949 --> 00:07:46.649 gonna fuel inflation even more. Oh, that makes 00:07:46.649 --> 00:07:49.750 sense Yeah, and the concern is that this could 00:07:49.750 --> 00:07:52.209 force the Fed to raise interest rates Oh to try 00:07:52.209 --> 00:07:55.730 and cool things down Exactly, but then that increases 00:07:55.730 --> 00:07:57.949 the risk of tipping the economy into a recession, 00:07:57.949 --> 00:08:00.230 right? It's a tough balancing act. Yeah, so you've 00:08:00.230 --> 00:08:04.129 got this like double whammy of potential Yeah, 00:08:04.329 --> 00:08:06.850 you've got the direct impact on specific sectors 00:08:06.850 --> 00:08:08.910 like agriculture. Right. And then you've got 00:08:08.910 --> 00:08:12.310 this broader macroeconomic risk of inflation 00:08:12.310 --> 00:08:14.589 and recession. And then you bring in the whole 00:08:14.589 --> 00:08:16.949 specter of stagflation. Stagflation. Yeah, that's 00:08:16.949 --> 00:08:19.170 what they're calling it. It's like. That's a 00:08:19.170 --> 00:08:21.769 scary word. It is. It's a scary word. It's this 00:08:21.769 --> 00:08:25.509 combination of slow economic growth. Right. High 00:08:25.509 --> 00:08:28.470 unemployment and persistent inflation. Yeah. 00:08:28.649 --> 00:08:31.410 like the worst of all worlds. It really is, and 00:08:31.410 --> 00:08:34.230 they're even drawing comparisons to the 1970s, 00:08:34.269 --> 00:08:36.610 you know? Oh, wow, the Ford and Carter years. 00:08:36.950 --> 00:08:39.330 Exactly, when the economy was just a mess. Right, 00:08:39.330 --> 00:08:40.990 so it's like they're saying we could be headed 00:08:40.990 --> 00:08:44.190 back to that. Yeah, potentially. And the thing 00:08:44.190 --> 00:08:47.289 is, back then, there was at least like an external 00:08:47.289 --> 00:08:50.210 shock, you know? Like the oil crisis. Right, 00:08:50.330 --> 00:08:51.950 something you could point to and say, OK, that's 00:08:51.950 --> 00:08:54.370 what caused it. Right. But now it's like, we're 00:08:54.370 --> 00:08:56.870 doing this to ourselves. We're creating our own 00:08:56.870 --> 00:09:00.039 problems. Yeah, it's pretty wild. It is. And 00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:03.000 when you start talking about tariffs and the 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:06.080 cost of imported goods, there's another potential 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:07.700 consequence that we have to consider. What's 00:09:07.700 --> 00:09:09.779 that? Smuggling. Smuggling? What do you mean? 00:09:09.860 --> 00:09:12.179 Well, think about it. If these tariffs make imported 00:09:12.179 --> 00:09:16.220 goods significantly more expensive, what's going 00:09:16.220 --> 00:09:17.460 to happen? Well, people are going to try to find 00:09:17.460 --> 00:09:19.570 a way around them. Exactly. And one way to do 00:09:19.570 --> 00:09:22.350 that is to smuggle goods across the border. Right. 00:09:22.370 --> 00:09:24.350 So you're saying, like, if a product that used 00:09:24.350 --> 00:09:27.629 to cost, let's say, $1 ,000 suddenly costs $1 00:09:27.629 --> 00:09:30.490 ,500 because of tariffs, people are going to 00:09:30.490 --> 00:09:32.090 try to find a way to get it for that original 00:09:32.090 --> 00:09:34.210 price. Exactly. And if it's still available at 00:09:34.210 --> 00:09:37.389 that price in another country, there's a huge 00:09:37.389 --> 00:09:40.250 incentive to bring it in illegally. Right. So 00:09:40.250 --> 00:09:42.250 you're saying we could see, like, a modern day 00:09:42.250 --> 00:09:45.860 version of prohibition. it's not entirely out 00:09:45.860 --> 00:09:47.759 of the realm of possibility. Wow, that's kind 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:50.299 of crazy. It is, and it raises this question 00:09:50.299 --> 00:09:53.220 of, you know, are these tariffs actually going 00:09:53.220 --> 00:09:55.980 to achieve what they're intended to do? Right, 00:09:56.120 --> 00:09:58.519 because if they just lead to, like, a booming 00:09:58.519 --> 00:10:01.500 black market. Exactly. And lost tax revenue. 00:10:01.620 --> 00:10:04.120 Right, then what's the point? Yeah, it seems 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:05.860 counterproductive. It does. And what's interesting 00:10:05.860 --> 00:10:07.559 is that some people within the Republican Party 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:10.039 itself are starting to voice these concerns. 00:10:10.100 --> 00:10:13.200 Oh, really? Yeah, the article quotes Senators 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:16.019 Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, and they're expressing 00:10:16.019 --> 00:10:19.399 some pretty serious worries about the potential 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:22.419 economic and political fallout from these tariffs. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:24.659 Like, what kind of fallout? Well, they're talking 00:10:24.659 --> 00:10:27.080 about the possibility of a recession. OK. And 00:10:27.080 --> 00:10:29.759 they're also concerned about the impact on future 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:32.009 elections. Oh, right. Because if the economy 00:10:32.009 --> 00:10:36.129 tanks. Exactly. Voters tend to punish the party 00:10:36.129 --> 00:10:38.929 in power. Yeah, that's usually how it goes. And 00:10:38.929 --> 00:10:41.149 Senator Paul even brings up some historical examples. 00:10:41.330 --> 00:10:43.330 What kind of examples? Well, he talks about times 00:10:43.330 --> 00:10:45.590 when high tariffs were implemented in the past. 00:10:45.610 --> 00:10:48.850 Oh. And he points out that the ruling party often 00:10:48.850 --> 00:10:51.950 suffered a major backlash at the polls. Oh, wow. 00:10:52.090 --> 00:10:54.490 So he's basically saying, like, look, we've been 00:10:54.490 --> 00:10:56.549 down this road before. Right. And it didn't end 00:10:56.549 --> 00:10:58.509 well. And it seems like he's trying to warn his 00:10:58.509 --> 00:11:00.850 own party. It does, yeah. It's like he's seeing 00:11:00.850 --> 00:11:03.789 the danger ahead, but doesn't know how to change 00:11:03.789 --> 00:11:06.529 course. It's like they're trapped in this, like, 00:11:06.809 --> 00:11:10.250 ideological echo chamber or something. It's possible. 00:11:10.370 --> 00:11:13.509 And it makes you wonder about the internal pressures 00:11:13.509 --> 00:11:15.629 that are at play. Right, like what's really driving 00:11:15.629 --> 00:11:17.909 these decisions. Exactly. And then there's the 00:11:17.909 --> 00:11:20.610 question of, you know, How much of this damage 00:11:20.610 --> 00:11:22.629 can be repaired down the line? Oh, right, because 00:11:22.629 --> 00:11:25.850 once you know, erode trust with your allies. 00:11:26.009 --> 00:11:27.490 It's hard to rebuild that. Yeah, it's not like 00:11:27.490 --> 00:11:29.029 you can just flip a switch and everything goes 00:11:29.029 --> 00:11:31.230 back to normal. No, it takes time and effort. 00:11:31.809 --> 00:11:33.610 And it's not even clear if it's possible to fully 00:11:33.610 --> 00:11:35.850 restore things. Right, it's like that quote from 00:11:35.850 --> 00:11:38.570 the European diplomat. What was that? They said, 00:11:38.789 --> 00:11:41.070 we can't have European security depend on the 00:11:41.070 --> 00:11:44.110 voters in Wisconsin every four years. Wow, that's 00:11:44.110 --> 00:11:46.750 pretty powerful. It is. It really highlights 00:11:46.750 --> 00:11:50.690 how much is at stake. It does, yeah. It's about 00:11:50.690 --> 00:11:53.850 more than just trade. It's about global stability 00:11:53.850 --> 00:11:56.730 and the credibility of the US as a reliable partner. 00:11:57.029 --> 00:11:59.289 Absolutely. OK, so we've talked about the economic 00:11:59.289 --> 00:12:01.710 picture. Let's shift gears now and talk about 00:12:01.710 --> 00:12:04.950 national security. OK. Because there are some 00:12:04.950 --> 00:12:08.149 pretty serious concerns being raised about America's 00:12:08.149 --> 00:12:10.750 cyber defenses. There are, yeah. And it seems 00:12:10.750 --> 00:12:12.509 like there's been a pretty significant shakeup 00:12:12.509 --> 00:12:14.210 at the top. Oh, really? What happened? Well, 00:12:14.210 --> 00:12:16.029 the head of the National Security Agency, General 00:12:16.029 --> 00:12:19.759 Timothy Hoff. and his deputy have reportedly 00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:22.419 been dismissed. Oh, wow. That's a big deal. It 00:12:22.419 --> 00:12:24.620 is. Yeah, and the reason being given for their 00:12:24.620 --> 00:12:28.759 removal is, uh, wow, it's pretty alarming. What 00:12:28.759 --> 00:12:30.399 is it? Apparently, it's due to the influence 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:32.720 of a conspiracy theorist. A conspiracy theorist. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:34.740 Yeah. You're kidding. Nope. That's what's being 00:12:34.740 --> 00:12:36.960 reported. That's wild, and we're talking about 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:39.480 the head of the NSA here. We are, and it's important 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:42.190 to remember, you know... General Haas credentials. 00:12:42.230 --> 00:12:44.809 We're talking about a four -star Air Force general, 00:12:45.009 --> 00:12:47.090 right? The commander of cyber command, right? 00:12:47.190 --> 00:12:50.049 So this isn't some random guy No, this is a highly 00:12:50.049 --> 00:12:52.269 experienced and respected leader in the field 00:12:52.269 --> 00:12:54.470 and they're getting rid of him because of a conspiracy 00:12:54.470 --> 00:12:56.470 theorist That's the story that's circulating. 00:12:56.809 --> 00:12:59.970 It's Unbelievable. And this raises some really 00:12:59.970 --> 00:13:03.190 serious questions about, you know, the decision 00:13:03.190 --> 00:13:05.289 making process within the administration. For 00:13:05.289 --> 00:13:07.730 sure. Especially when you consider the absolutely 00:13:07.730 --> 00:13:11.110 crucial role that the NSA plays. Right. I mean, 00:13:11.110 --> 00:13:13.370 they're responsible for intelligence gathering, 00:13:13.590 --> 00:13:16.090 code breaking, protecting U .S. computer systems 00:13:16.090 --> 00:13:18.830 from attack. I mean, it's like it's a vital agency. 00:13:19.350 --> 00:13:22.230 Yeah. It's the front line of cyber defense. Exactly. 00:13:22.370 --> 00:13:24.649 And to have that leadership removed under these 00:13:24.649 --> 00:13:27.250 circumstances. Yeah. It's deeply concerning. 00:13:27.710 --> 00:13:31.110 And even Senator Mark Warner is quoted as expressing 00:13:31.110 --> 00:13:33.710 his concern. What does he say? Well, he specifically 00:13:33.710 --> 00:13:35.889 mentions the salt typhoon attack from China. 00:13:36.049 --> 00:13:38.190 The salt typhoon attack. Can you remind us about 00:13:38.190 --> 00:13:42.269 that? Yeah. So that was a significant cyber espionage 00:13:42.269 --> 00:13:44.710 campaign that was attributed to China. OK. And 00:13:44.710 --> 00:13:46.850 they managed to compromise some pretty sensitive 00:13:46.850 --> 00:13:49.289 data within the Justice Department. Wow. So it 00:13:49.289 --> 00:13:52.769 was a serious breach. It was. Yeah. It just highlights. 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:56.419 the very real danger that the U .S. faces in 00:13:56.419 --> 00:13:59.519 cyberspace. Right. And so Senator Warner's point 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:02.580 is that at a time when these threats are so real, 00:14:03.539 --> 00:14:06.679 how does firing the head of the NSA make anyone 00:14:06.679 --> 00:14:09.019 safer? Exactly. It's a pretty straightforward 00:14:09.019 --> 00:14:11.220 question. Yeah, it is. And it's a really troubling 00:14:11.220 --> 00:14:13.440 one. It is. And it's not the only concern that's 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:15.460 being raised. What else is there? Well, there 00:14:15.460 --> 00:14:17.899 are also reports of budget cuts and staff reductions 00:14:17.899 --> 00:14:20.159 at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:23.750 Agency. CESA and they're responsible for they're 00:14:23.750 --> 00:14:25.490 the ones who are supposed to be protecting critical 00:14:25.490 --> 00:14:28.409 US infrastructure Okay, election systems from 00:14:28.409 --> 00:14:30.909 attack. So they're basically in charge of making 00:14:30.909 --> 00:14:33.649 sure our elections are secure among other things 00:14:33.649 --> 00:14:36.590 Okay, and representative Don Bacon who's a retired 00:14:36.590 --> 00:14:39.990 Air Force general himself Okay, he's quoted as 00:14:39.990 --> 00:14:42.250 saying that Russia and China are probably laughing 00:14:42.250 --> 00:14:45.750 at us right now. Oh, wow, that's harsh It is, 00:14:45.950 --> 00:14:47.830 but it kind of underscores the seriousness of 00:14:47.830 --> 00:14:50.049 the situation. Yeah, I mean if we're weakening 00:14:50.049 --> 00:14:52.789 these agencies at a time when cyber threats are 00:14:52.789 --> 00:14:54.710 increasing. Yeah, it seems incredibly risky. 00:14:54.870 --> 00:14:56.169 Yeah, it's like we're shooting ourselves in the 00:14:56.169 --> 00:14:58.549 foot. It does make you wonder, you know, who 00:14:58.549 --> 00:15:00.830 benefits from all of this? Right, who benefits 00:15:00.830 --> 00:15:04.210 from a weaker America. Exactly. And a less secure 00:15:04.210 --> 00:15:07.250 electoral system. It definitely raises some unsettling 00:15:07.250 --> 00:15:09.980 questions. It really does. OK, so let's move 00:15:09.980 --> 00:15:12.019 on now to a different kind of reaction that we're 00:15:12.019 --> 00:15:14.139 seeing to the administration's policies. OK. 00:15:14.419 --> 00:15:16.360 And that's the emergence of these widespread 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:19.419 public protests. Oh, right. Yeah. It seems like 00:15:19.419 --> 00:15:21.279 the administration's actions have really stirred 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:24.480 up a lot of opposition. Yeah. Our sources are 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:27.460 reporting mass anti -Trump protests happening 00:15:27.460 --> 00:15:30.120 all across the US. Wow. They say there could 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:33.559 be over 1 ,200 to 1 ,400 different locations. 00:15:34.239 --> 00:15:36.620 That's incredible. Yeah, and they're even seeing 00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:39.120 protests in international cities like London. 00:15:39.399 --> 00:15:41.480 So it's not just a domestic phenomenon. No, it 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:43.460 seems like there's a global element to this as 00:15:43.460 --> 00:15:45.580 well. And it's interesting that these protests 00:15:45.580 --> 00:15:48.940 seem to be largely grassroots driven. You're 00:15:48.940 --> 00:15:50.340 right. Yeah, there's this group called Hands 00:15:50.340 --> 00:15:52.940 Off. Hands Off? Yeah, and they've provided like 00:15:52.940 --> 00:15:55.799 a toolkit, you know, with guidance and resources. 00:15:55.960 --> 00:15:58.649 OK. But the individual events themselves are 00:15:58.649 --> 00:16:00.789 being organized and carried out locally. It's 00:16:00.789 --> 00:16:02.950 very decentralized. It is, yeah. And they have 00:16:02.950 --> 00:16:05.669 three main demands. OK, what are they? First, 00:16:05.750 --> 00:16:08.649 they want to see an end to what they see as billionaire 00:16:08.649 --> 00:16:11.149 influence and corruption in government. OK, so 00:16:11.149 --> 00:16:12.710 they're concerned about the role of money in 00:16:12.710 --> 00:16:15.429 politics. Exactly. Then they want to halt to 00:16:15.429 --> 00:16:18.370 cuts in federal programs. OK, so protecting social 00:16:18.370 --> 00:16:20.960 safety net programs. Right. And finally, they 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:23.539 want to see an end to attacks on marginalized 00:16:23.539 --> 00:16:26.139 communities. OK, so addressing issues of social 00:16:26.139 --> 00:16:28.240 justice and equality. Exactly. So you've got 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:31.759 this multifaceted movement that's addressing 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:34.679 economic issues, political issues, and social 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:37.259 issues. Wow. That's a pretty broad coalition. 00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:40.659 It is. And the numbers at some of these demonstrations 00:16:40.659 --> 00:16:42.840 are really significant. Yeah. How big are we 00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:45.019 talking? Well, the piece mentions an estimated 00:16:45.019 --> 00:16:48.259 100 ,000 people gathered at the National Mall 00:16:48.259 --> 00:16:51.500 in Washington. DC. Wow, that's huge. Yeah, it's 00:16:51.500 --> 00:16:53.899 a lot of people. And it quotes Representative 00:16:53.899 --> 00:16:57.580 Jamie Raskin, who gave this really fiery speech. 00:16:57.779 --> 00:17:01.340 What did he say? He basically condemned the administration's 00:17:01.340 --> 00:17:04.259 policies. He specifically called out the tariffs 00:17:04.259 --> 00:17:07.339 as imbecilic, illegal, and unconstitutional. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:09.960 Wow, that's strong language. Yeah, it is. And 00:17:09.960 --> 00:17:12.099 it really shows you how much anger there is out 00:17:12.099 --> 00:17:15.079 there. Yeah. And while these protests might not 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:17.380 immediately force the administration to change 00:17:17.380 --> 00:17:19.980 course. Right. they definitely serve a purpose. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:21.559 In what way? Well, first of all, they provide 00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:24.099 a morale boost, you know, for people who oppose 00:17:24.099 --> 00:17:25.920 the administration. Right. It's like, OK, we're 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.599 not alone in this. Exactly. It's a show of solidarity. 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:30.619 Yeah. And then perhaps even more importantly, 00:17:30.759 --> 00:17:32.980 they could serve as a warning sign. A warning 00:17:32.980 --> 00:17:35.299 sign to who? To Republican incumbents who are 00:17:35.299 --> 00:17:38.680 facing reelection in 2026. Oh, right. Because 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:41.700 if the economy does take a downturn as predicted. 00:17:41.980 --> 00:17:45.039 Exactly. Voters might take out their frustration 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:47.599 on the party in power. Yeah, and these protests 00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:49.599 could be an early indication of that It could 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:51.220 be yeah, it's like a canary in the coal mine 00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:54.839 Okay, so protests as a potential harbinger of 00:17:54.839 --> 00:17:57.740 political change exactly Okay, so let's turn 00:17:57.740 --> 00:18:00.799 our attention now to the Senate and what's been 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:02.779 happening with the federal budget Sure, so it 00:18:02.779 --> 00:18:05.859 looks like Senate Republicans have managed to 00:18:05.859 --> 00:18:08.640 pass their version of a budget framework. Okay, 00:18:08.779 --> 00:18:10.980 and how did that go down? Well, it was a pretty 00:18:10.980 --> 00:18:13.339 narrow victory. Okay. Not without some dissent 00:18:13.339 --> 00:18:15.400 within their own ranks. Oh, really? Who voted 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:18.859 against it? Well, Senators Rand Paul and Susan 00:18:18.859 --> 00:18:21.140 Collins were among the Republicans who opposed 00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:23.779 it. Okay, so not a unified front. No, not at 00:18:23.779 --> 00:18:26.890 all. And Senate Democrats... knowing that their 00:18:26.890 --> 00:18:29.490 own amendments were unlikely to pass, they kind 00:18:29.490 --> 00:18:32.509 of strategically used the Votorama process. The 00:18:32.509 --> 00:18:34.950 Votorama process? Yes, this marathon voting session 00:18:34.950 --> 00:18:36.890 where they just vote on amendment after amendment. 00:18:36.950 --> 00:18:39.849 OK. And the Democrats used this to force Republicans 00:18:39.849 --> 00:18:44.450 to take public stances on some potentially unpopular 00:18:44.450 --> 00:18:47.470 things. Like what? Well, things related to Social 00:18:47.470 --> 00:18:49.549 Security, for example. OK. And of course, the 00:18:49.549 --> 00:18:51.549 proposed tariffs. So it was kind of like a political 00:18:51.549 --> 00:18:53.990 trap. In a way, yeah, they were trying to get 00:18:53.990 --> 00:18:55.930 Republicans on the record supporting things that 00:18:55.930 --> 00:18:58.329 might hurt them in the next election. I see. 00:18:58.369 --> 00:19:00.789 So it was more about political maneuvering than 00:19:00.789 --> 00:19:03.089 actual policy making? In this case, yeah, it's 00:19:03.089 --> 00:19:05.529 all part of the game. OK, so they managed to 00:19:05.529 --> 00:19:08.170 get this budget framework through, but there's 00:19:08.170 --> 00:19:10.769 this really controversial aspect to it. Oh, yeah. 00:19:10.829 --> 00:19:12.970 What's that? It's what they're calling magic 00:19:12.970 --> 00:19:16.859 accounting. Magic accounting? That sounds shady. 00:19:17.299 --> 00:19:20.200 It does a little bit. So basically the plan operates 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:24.059 under the assumption that the 2017 tax cuts won't 00:19:24.059 --> 00:19:26.220 expire. Okay, but they're currently set to expire, 00:19:26.259 --> 00:19:28.920 right? Exactly. But this budget pretends like 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:30.880 they're just gonna continue indefinitely. Oh, 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:33.720 I see. So that allows them to project further 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:36.380 tax cuts. Right. without it looking like they're 00:19:36.380 --> 00:19:38.140 increasing the deficit over the next 10 years. 00:19:38.579 --> 00:19:40.480 Exactly, but it's all based on this manipulated 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:42.140 baseline. Yeah, it's like they're cooking the 00:19:42.140 --> 00:19:44.200 books a little bit. It kind of feels that way. 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:48.220 And this whole thing is tied into a potentially 00:19:48.220 --> 00:19:52.400 really significant procedural move that Senator 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:55.160 Lindsey Graham is considering. What's that? He's 00:19:55.160 --> 00:19:58.940 talking about trying to bypass the Senate parliamentarian. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:01.309 The parliamentarian, who's that? So that's Elizabeth 00:20:01.309 --> 00:20:03.289 McDonough, and she's basically the referee of 00:20:03.289 --> 00:20:06.490 the Senate. She's the one who decides whether 00:20:06.490 --> 00:20:09.009 specific provisions can be included in budget 00:20:09.009 --> 00:20:11.769 reconciliation bills. Budget reconciliation bills? 00:20:11.910 --> 00:20:14.049 Remind me what those are again. Sure. So basically 00:20:14.049 --> 00:20:16.730 those are bills that can be passed with a simple 00:20:16.730 --> 00:20:18.869 majority. They can't be filibustered. Right. 00:20:19.150 --> 00:20:20.789 And they're often used for budgetary matters. 00:20:21.089 --> 00:20:22.910 So the parliamentarian's job is to make sure 00:20:22.910 --> 00:20:24.970 that everything that's included in these bills 00:20:24.970 --> 00:20:27.730 actually relates to the budget. Okay, so she's 00:20:27.730 --> 00:20:31.309 kind of like a gatekeeper exactly and now Senator 00:20:31.309 --> 00:20:33.289 Graham is talking about trying to find a way 00:20:33.289 --> 00:20:35.769 around her Oh, wow, so that he can include things 00:20:35.769 --> 00:20:38.569 in the budget that she might not approve of exactly 00:20:38.569 --> 00:20:40.609 And the sources are saying this is like a nuclear 00:20:40.609 --> 00:20:43.410 option the nuclear option Yeah, it's a term that's 00:20:43.410 --> 00:20:45.130 been used before when talking about changing 00:20:45.130 --> 00:20:47.769 Senate rules, right? And it usually refers to 00:20:47.769 --> 00:20:50.579 things that could really weaken the role of the 00:20:50.579 --> 00:20:54.039 minority party and make it easier to pass legislation 00:20:54.039 --> 00:20:56.880 with a simple majority. So it's like getting 00:20:56.880 --> 00:20:59.640 rid of the filibuster. It could be a step in 00:20:59.640 --> 00:21:02.359 that direction. And the concern is that this 00:21:02.359 --> 00:21:04.559 could fundamentally change how the Senate operates. 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:06.559 Absolutely. It could really shift the balance 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:09.839 of power. Yeah, because if committee chairs can 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:13.430 just decide what qualifies for budget reconciliation 00:21:13.430 --> 00:21:16.410 without any oversight from the parliamentarian. 00:21:16.670 --> 00:21:18.690 Then it becomes much easier for the majority 00:21:18.690 --> 00:21:21.190 party to ram through their agenda. Right. So 00:21:21.190 --> 00:21:23.609 it's a pretty big deal. It is. Yeah. And the 00:21:23.609 --> 00:21:26.170 long -term consequences of this could be really 00:21:26.170 --> 00:21:29.250 significant. Yeah. Because what one party does 00:21:29.250 --> 00:21:32.269 when they're in power can easily come back to 00:21:32.269 --> 00:21:34.630 bite them when the other party takes over. Exactly. 00:21:34.630 --> 00:21:36.890 It's like a double -edged sword. Yeah. So it's 00:21:36.890 --> 00:21:38.609 like they're playing with fire a little bit. 00:21:38.789 --> 00:21:42.029 A little bit. And on top of all that, There are 00:21:42.029 --> 00:21:45.130 these big differences between the Senate and 00:21:45.130 --> 00:21:48.109 House budget proposals. Oh, yeah. What are they 00:21:48.109 --> 00:21:50.230 fighting about? Well, one of the main sticking 00:21:50.230 --> 00:21:53.269 points is the extent of spending cuts. OK. The 00:21:53.269 --> 00:21:55.549 Senate version is much more aggressive in terms 00:21:55.549 --> 00:21:57.910 of cutting spending. And the House is not so 00:21:57.910 --> 00:22:00.710 keen on that. No. They're more reluctant to make 00:22:00.710 --> 00:22:02.849 those kinds of deep cuts. OK. And what else? 00:22:03.150 --> 00:22:05.069 Well, there's also disagreement about the state 00:22:05.069 --> 00:22:07.029 and local tax deduction, the SALT deduction. 00:22:07.509 --> 00:22:10.230 Oh, right. That's a big one for certain states. 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:12.720 It is. Yeah. And the two chambers have different 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:14.539 approaches to how they want to handle it. So 00:22:14.539 --> 00:22:16.339 it sounds like the reconciliation process is 00:22:16.339 --> 00:22:17.859 going to be pretty messy. It's probably going 00:22:17.859 --> 00:22:19.619 to be a fight. Yeah. OK. Well, let's move on 00:22:19.619 --> 00:22:21.279 now to this public health issue that's causing 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:23.880 a lot of concern. The measles outbreak. Right. 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:26.799 So this outbreak that started in Texas, it's 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:30.140 now spread to over 20 states. Oh, wow. And there 00:22:30.140 --> 00:22:32.500 are hundreds of confirmed cases. And are people 00:22:32.500 --> 00:22:36.259 dying? Sadly, yes, there have been reports of 00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:39.240 fatalities. Oh, that's awful. It is. And to make 00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:41.880 matters worse, The administration has decided 00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:44.680 to claw back a bunch of money. Claw back money 00:22:44.680 --> 00:22:47.420 from what? From funding that was originally intended 00:22:47.420 --> 00:22:50.140 for vaccine clinics across the country. Oh wow, 00:22:50.200 --> 00:22:52.420 so they're taking money away from vaccination 00:22:52.420 --> 00:22:54.579 efforts. Yeah, it's about 12 billion dollars 00:22:54.579 --> 00:22:57.180 that they're taking back. That seems so counterproductive, 00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:59.579 especially in the middle of a measles outbreak. 00:22:59.799 --> 00:23:01.859 It does, yeah, and the timing is just terrible. 00:23:02.059 --> 00:23:04.579 So this funding was originally allocated during 00:23:04.579 --> 00:23:07.279 the COVID -19 pandemic. Right. and states had 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:10.000 the flexibility to use it for various vaccination 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:12.619 efforts. Including measles vaccinations. Right. 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:14.599 So it seems like a really bad time to be pulling 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:16.940 back this funding. It does. And there's a lot 00:23:16.940 --> 00:23:19.099 of criticism of this move. Yeah, I bet there 00:23:19.099 --> 00:23:21.220 is. One quote that really stood out to me was 00:23:21.220 --> 00:23:23.619 from Adrienne Casalotti, who's with the National 00:23:23.619 --> 00:23:25.599 Association of County and City Health Officials. 00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:28.500 OK. And she said, we have not seen this in public 00:23:28.500 --> 00:23:31.700 health, where money already obligated and out 00:23:31.700 --> 00:23:35.279 the door was clawed back. So this is unprecedented. 00:23:35.549 --> 00:23:38.329 It seems to be. Yeah. And the impact is already 00:23:38.329 --> 00:23:40.849 being felt. Oh, yeah. How so? Well, for example, 00:23:41.049 --> 00:23:43.769 Dallas County had made plans to set up 50 vaccine 00:23:43.769 --> 00:23:47.349 clinics. Wow. And now they've had to cancel those 00:23:47.349 --> 00:23:49.710 plans because the funding is gone. Exactly. And 00:23:49.710 --> 00:23:51.309 the director of Dallas County Health and Human 00:23:51.309 --> 00:23:54.509 Services, he describes the situation as very 00:23:54.509 --> 00:23:56.990 disruptive. Yeah, I can imagine. And he even 00:23:56.990 --> 00:23:59.410 suggests that this might be intentional, you 00:23:59.410 --> 00:24:01.430 know, intentional to what to make the outbreak 00:24:01.430 --> 00:24:03.730 worse. Well, he doesn't say that explicitly. 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:06.319 But he does say that this isn't just affecting 00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:08.579 blue states or red states. Right. It's affecting 00:24:08.579 --> 00:24:11.259 everyone. So it's like a deliberate attack on 00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:13.559 public health. It's hard to say for sure, but 00:24:13.559 --> 00:24:15.859 it's certainly a possibility. And to make matters 00:24:15.859 --> 00:24:19.279 worse, 23 states have filed a lawsuit challenging 00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:21.920 this funding clawback. Wow. So there's a lot 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:23.980 of pushback against this. Yeah. It seems like 00:24:23.980 --> 00:24:26.259 a lot of people are really upset about it. It's 00:24:26.259 --> 00:24:27.900 understandable. I mean, it's a public health 00:24:27.900 --> 00:24:30.819 emergency, and they're taking away resources. 00:24:30.839 --> 00:24:32.640 It's like they're not taking it seriously. It 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:34.420 does seem that way. And it's like we've already 00:24:34.420 --> 00:24:36.259 been through this whole thing with the vaccines 00:24:36.259 --> 00:24:38.740 and autism debate, you know? Right. All that 00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:40.920 misinformation and fear -mongering. Exactly. 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:44.480 And now it's like we're going backwards. It's 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:47.519 disheartening. Yeah, it is. OK. So let's move 00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:50.289 on now to a different kind of dispute. OK. The 00:24:50.289 --> 00:24:52.809 ongoing election challenge in North Carolina. 00:24:53.190 --> 00:24:56.390 Oh, right. So the Republican candidate who narrowly 00:24:56.390 --> 00:24:58.509 lost the state Supreme Court election back in 00:24:58.509 --> 00:25:01.029 November. Right. He's still trying to overturn 00:25:01.029 --> 00:25:03.289 the results. Yeah, he's not giving up. No, he's 00:25:03.289 --> 00:25:06.730 not. And his whole argument centers around these 00:25:06.730 --> 00:25:09.069 alleged problems with voter registration. Voter 00:25:09.069 --> 00:25:11.029 registration, what kind of problems? Well, he's 00:25:11.029 --> 00:25:12.970 claiming that thousands of people who voted in 00:25:12.970 --> 00:25:15.309 the election weren't actually eligible to do 00:25:15.309 --> 00:25:17.599 so. Because of problems with their voter registration? 00:25:17.859 --> 00:25:19.960 Exactly. He says they didn't provide proper proof 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:22.200 of identity when they registered it. OK, but 00:25:22.200 --> 00:25:24.380 didn't a lot of these voters actually provide 00:25:24.380 --> 00:25:27.859 the required information? Yeah, reportedly they 00:25:27.859 --> 00:25:31.599 did. But it wasn't properly documented by election 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:34.119 officials. So it's like a bureaucratic screw 00:25:34.119 --> 00:25:36.920 up. It seems like it. Yeah. And now this candidate 00:25:36.920 --> 00:25:39.940 is trying to use that to invalidate their votes. 00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:42.480 Exactly. And what's interesting is that the state 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:45.480 board of elections initially dismissed this case. 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:48.180 OK. But then an appeals court ruled in favor 00:25:48.180 --> 00:25:50.299 of the Republican candidate. Oh, wow. So they're 00:25:50.299 --> 00:25:52.500 saying that these voters should be given a chance 00:25:52.500 --> 00:25:55.240 to fix their registrations after the election 00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:56.940 has already happened. Yeah, they're calling it 00:25:56.940 --> 00:25:59.519 an opportunity to cure their registration. Cure 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:01.299 their registrations after the election. That 00:26:01.299 --> 00:26:03.759 seems kind of... It does seem a little strange. 00:26:03.950 --> 00:26:06.009 Yeah. I mean, how do you even do that? Right. 00:26:06.170 --> 00:26:07.990 I mean, it's a logistical nightmare. Yeah. You're 00:26:07.990 --> 00:26:09.829 talking about tracking down potentially thousands 00:26:09.829 --> 00:26:12.410 of voters. And not everyone's easy to reach. 00:26:12.769 --> 00:26:15.170 Some people might be overseas. Yeah. Some might 00:26:15.170 --> 00:26:18.069 have moved. Right. So it seems incredibly difficult 00:26:18.069 --> 00:26:20.650 and not to mention unfair. Right. Because you're 00:26:20.650 --> 00:26:22.869 changing the rules of the game after the game 00:26:22.869 --> 00:26:25.170 has already been played. Exactly. And, you know, 00:26:25.369 --> 00:26:27.470 the dissenting judge on the appeals panel, he 00:26:27.470 --> 00:26:31.180 made a pretty strong argument against that. What 00:26:31.180 --> 00:26:33.119 did he say? He basically said, you can't just 00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:35.319 change the rules after the fact. Makes sense 00:26:35.319 --> 00:26:37.299 to me. Yeah, it does to me, too. Now it looks 00:26:37.299 --> 00:26:39.000 like this case is going to.