Ethan Klein Situation Got Worse, The Onion Bought InfoWars, Sydney Sweeney Slams Fake Women, & More
PDS Published 11/14/2024
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This time for a game he played on his podcast yesterday.
“Today my friends, we are going to play the exciting game here, you at home play along, we’re going to play: Is it Twitch, or Is it a Terrorist! Let’s take a look here guys…uh, start.” (3:11:05-3:11:34)
And there is more to the game, but that part right there alone faced tons of backlash, with people thinking it was wrong that the opening image was a side-by-side of Hasan Piker and Osama bin Laden.
In fact, at a later point in the game, someone on H3 even called it out.
“I don’t know who made this, but yeah, I’m not a fan of the Hasan and Osama on the front page. They need to….Well at least, I mean, if they’re going to compare them, I’ll guess.”(3:13:23-3:13:35)
It appears they were playing the game from a website called TwitchOrTerrorist.com.
And to play, you had to read quotes and guess if a Twitch streamer or a terrorist said it.
They all ended up being Twitch streamer quotes, mostly from people like Sneako and Myron, who have been heavily criticized for antisemitism in the past for posts like these, which made it into the game.[][]
It also included one post each from Hasan and Frogan, who Ethan has called out and feuded with in the past.
But again, most were from Sneako and Myron, so he ended up closing the game by saying:
“Youre right, the game sucks…it was just not enough variety. They didn’t prove anything because all the antisemitism was just Myron and Sneako.” (3:16:18-3:16:25)
But once clips of Ethan playing this game made its way to Twitter, there was backlash everywhere, with people saying things like:
“Ethan Klein comparing a Muslim anti war content creator to Osama bin Laden. He got other Muslim and Jewish content creators banned for calling Sabra hummus the lowest tier commercial hummus because a lot of Israelis eat it... WTAH.”[]
“Islamophobia on full display.”[]
“If Ethan Klein actually cared about antisemitism (instead of merely feeling disrespected) he would consider what it means to represent Jewish people by being a non-stop whiny bigot.”[]
Some even tagging YouTube’s social accounts to say they are platforming racism and hate. []
And Hasan even responding himself to say:[]
“my former podcast cohost misunderstood me when i said in america that antisemitism is institutionally unacceptable but islamaphobia is permitted, if not encouraged. yesterday he proved my point.”
And you did have some people responding to Hasan to defend Ethan and the game and accuse critics of misinterpreting it, [][][]
But you also had people further echoing what Hasan said, adding:
“Ethan's falloff has been so difficult to watch, as a former H3 fan of many years I'm so disappointed in how he's trying to make a genocide and humanitarian crisis about himself.”[]
With some noting that this also came after Ethan went on his Instagram stories to call out Hasan and accuse him of only pretending to care about antisemitism.
And people also took issue with that post, too, saying Ethan goes out of his way to start issues with Hasan.[]
But I would love to know your thoughts on this one, obviously this is just one chapter in a much larger saga of fallout.
But if you have any thoughts on this part here, I’d love to hear em.
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And we have a big update to a story we talked about yesterday, because The Onion won its bid to buy Infowars.
Right, Alex Jones’ InfoWars was up for auction yesterday, and it was either going to play out one of two ways: someone pro-Alex Jones was going to buy it so he could keep that platform, or someone against him was going to buy it to shut it down.
And the Onion buying it certainly falls into that latter category, and is also just the funniest possible outcome.
Ben Collins, the CEO of The Onion’s parent company, told New York Times that the outlet plans to reintroduce Infowars next year as a parody of itself that mocks “weird internet personalities” like Jones.[]
And around an hour and a half after the sale was announced, the InfoWars website was shut down.[]
Right now, we do not know how much they paid, but in a satirical press release on the news, they said it was “a steep bargain: less than one trillion dollars.”
With that release also saying:
“InfoWars has distinguished itself as an invaluable tool for brainwashing and controlling the masses. With a shrewd mix of delusional paranoia and dubious anti-aging nutrition hacks, they strive to make life both scarier and longer for everyone, a commendable goal.”
“Through it all, InfoWars has shown an unswerving commitment to manufacturing anger and radicalizing the most vulnerable members of society.”
The Onion’s bid was also actually sanctioned by Sandy Hook families, and Everytown for Gun Safety will advertise on the relaunched version of InfoWars.[]
With an attorney for the Sandy Hook families saying in a statement:
“By divesting Jones of Infowars’ assets, the families and the team at The Onion have done a public service and will meaningfully hinder Jones’ ability to do more harm.”[]
Though, as we talked about yesterday, Jones no longer has Infowars, but odds are he will just find a platform elsewhere and continue his schtick.
But as Ben Collins told the AP:
“We thought it would be a very funny joke if we bought this thing, probably one of the better jokes we’ve ever told…Because by the end of the day, it was us or Alex Jones, who could either continue this website unabated, basically unpunished, for what he’s done to these families over the years, or we could make a dumb, stupid website, and we decided to do the second thing.”
Right now, a Jones-affiliated company has been named as a backup bid if The Onion ends up falling through, and they are apparently seeking a meeting to discuss this.[][]
But right now, it looks like it is going to The Onion’s hands, and I would love to know what you think.
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Women don’t support other women.
That is what Sydney Sweeney said in an interview with Vanity Fair yesterday.
She is featured in the outlet’s Hollywood issue, and she was asked about how a producer previously disparaged her career and talent and looks, and how other actresses have called out this pattern of knocking women down at their peak.
And to all that, Sydney said:
“It’s very disheartening to see women tear other women down, especially when women who are successful in other avenues of their industry see younger talent working really hard—hoping to achieve whatever dreams that they may have—and then trying to bash and discredit any work that they’ve done. This entire industry, all people say is ‘Women empowering other women.’ None of it’s happening. All of it is fake and a front for all the other shit that they say behind everyone’s back.”
With her pointing to these notions that women were raised to see room for only woman at the top of whatever mountain they are trying to climb and adding:
“it’s a generational problem…So then all the others feel like they have to fight each other or take that one woman down instead of being like, Let’s all lift each other up. I’m still trying to figure it out.”
And her comments got some mixed reactions, right, some thinking it was too anti-women, others thinking she was brave to call this issue and hypocrisy out.[][]
But no matter the responses, the truth is that the issue of women and change in Hollywood is just not going anywhere any time soon.
Right, obviously in Sydney’s case, she is an actress, but she also is a producer.
And earlier this year, a report found that there has been minimal progress for women in positions behind the camera, including as producers, in the last 26 years.
It looked at the top 250 highest-grossing films between 1998 and 2023,
And it found that the proportion of women working as producers in those films only increased from 24% to 26% in those two decades.
That’s a long time for almost no movement.
Cinemotagraphers also only went from 4% to 7%, writers just 13% to 17%, and editors only gained one singular percentage point.
And obviously, the report did not attribute this to women specifically holding other women back, but it goes to Sydney’s point that even though women in Hollywood is a constant discussion, the problems are nowhere near close to being solved.
Right, it’s a whole lot of talk but not enough walk, there just is not a lot to show for it.
So I would love to know your thoughts on this, on gender in Hollywood in general, on Sydney’s comments specifically, anything at all.
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Bear costume, Rolls Royce, insurance fraud.
I’m sure you can guess how this story is going to go.
Right, 4 people in LA have just been arrested for dressing up like a bear and damaging their cars for insurance payouts. []
According to officials, these people got a bear costume, used hand tools to simulate claws, climbed inside a 2010 Rolls Royce, and left scratches all over the interior.
When they submitted their claim, they also submitted surveillance video showing the “bear” climbing into the car and rooting around. [B Roll 0:07-0:27]
And after the insurance company started smelling something fishy, an investigation was opened - which the California Department of Insurance called “Operation Bearclaw.”
And during that investigation, they found two other claims to two different insurance companies - also claiming a bear messed up their cars on the same day, at the same place. []
In those cases, it was a 2015 and 2022 Mercedes and they also submitted video. [B Roll 1:35-1:45, 2:30-2:40]
But when investigators looked at those videos a little closer, they determined that it was definitely just a person in a bear suit.
Which was backed up by a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. []
And when a search warrant was executed, investigators found the bear suit and fake claws.
And all four people were arrested and charged with conspiracy and insurance fraud.
But the real kicker to this story is that, at the time of the arrests, the insurance companies had already paid out some of the claims - totalling over $140,000. []
So, sure, they may have climbed around in a bear suit, damaged their cars, and gotten arrested for fraud but at least they can say their scheme kinda worked, briefly.
But it probably wasn’t worth it, in the end.
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Trump taps Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, but his confirmation is questionable amid concerns from Senate Republicans who face a major test with Gaetz, Gabbard.
As I was recording the show yesterday, Trump officially announced that he would be nominating Matt Gaetz to be his Attorney General.
And so, as promised, let’s dive into it.
Right, this is an absolute bombshell announcement, objectively — people on both sides of the aisle have been totally stunned.
And his selection has been described as “easily the most controversial” of all Trump’s picks thus far.
First of all, the person selected to lead the Department of Justice is usually way more senior and well-versed in the law.
And the same was true for Trump’s past appointees.
Jeff Sessions had a deep background in administrative law, serving as a U.S. attorney for Alabama and as the state’s Attorney General.
Bill Bar had literally already been the AG under Bush senior — and while he was about the same age as Gaetz when he was selected his first term, he had already had an extensive law career and held numerous posts in the DOJ.
But Gaetz, his only law experience is working in a firm for a few years before being elected to the Florida House of Representatives and then Congress.
But beyond that, Gaetz has also become an incredibly controversial figure — even among his own party.
Right, for years, he was under investigation by the same agency he’s now been tapped to lead based on suspicion of child sex trafficking.
With that investigation focusing on his alleged involvement with a 17-year-old girl, whether he paid her for sex, and whether he had paid women to travel across state lines for sex.
And while the DOJ eventually closed its investigation without bringing any charges, the House Ethics Committee opened its own inquiry into the matter.
As well as accusations of illegal drug use and accepting improper gifts.
But, very notably here, Gaetz has now thrown a wrench into that investigation because immediately resigned from Congress after Trump announced him as the pick for Attorney General.
Right, and that is a super significant and unusual move because, normally, sitting officials wait to resign from their current posts until after they are confirmed for their new appointment.
Which makes sense because that way, they’ll still have a job if their nomination gets blocked.
But, for Gaetz, the reasons to resign now are more compelling — right, ethics investigations typically end when the member being investigated leaves Congress, so he has effectively shut down the House’s probe.
And the timing here really couldn’t have been better for him — according to reports, his resignation comes literally just two days before the House panel was set to vote on whether to release their report into Gaetz.
And right now, it’s unclear if that report will still be released.
With one of the committee’s leaders saying they won’t rush to get the report out.
But Gaetz’s resignation also has another notable consequence.
Right, yesterday, as expected, Republicans officially won the House, reaching the 218 threshold needed to take the majority.
BUT that 218 figure includes Gaetz’s seat, which he has now given up — so TECHNICALLY speaking, they haven’t actually won the House yet.
But big emphasis on technically because 1) they will certainly pick up more than one additional seat from the 10 races that remain uncalled.
2) While it will take a minute to fill Gaetz’s seat, his district is one of the most Republican in the country, so there’s really no possibility that it’ll be flipped.
And 3) Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has already conceded that his party doesn’t have the numbers to take the House.[]
But, back to the main story at hand, the various investigations into Gaetz aren’t the only controversies he’s faced.
He has also been accused of showing photos of naked women to colleagues on the House floor and pre-emptively seeking a pardon from Trump before the DOJ’s sex-trafficking investigation ended.
Though he has denied all these various claims.
Then there are the things we know for sure he’s done, like inviting a right-wing Holocaust denier to the State of the Union and trying to remove a father who lost two kids in a mass shooting from a hearing on gun control.
He has falsely claimed that ANTIFA was behind Jan. 6 but then also defended the actions of Trump’s supporters that day, and all while broadly embracing and spreading various other election conspiracy theories and lies.[][]
It’s also been widely reported that Gaetz is disliked by many of his Republican colleagues and his inflammatory approach to politics has actively made him many enemies within his own party.
And particularly those in the non-Trump faction of the GOP, who he really isolated when he led the charge to oust Kevin McCarthy as Speaker, setting up a major battle in the party.
But, of course, like with so many of the other nominees Trump has picked, all that really matters to the president-elect is his loyalty.
Especially because the attorney general is one of the single most high-profile appointments in any cabinet.
And that’s extra true for Trump because whoever his AG is, that person will be tasked with getting rid of the federal investigations into the president-elect and helping him go after his political opponents, as he has repeatedly threatened.
And Gaetz has loyalty in spades — he has always had unwavering fealty to Trump, acting as one of his most fervent supporters and champions in the House.
He has blindly followed Trump’s orders and done his bidding in the lower chamber, even when he wasn’t president, and echoed many of Trump’s complaints about the DOJ being weaponized as a political tool against Trump.
In fact, Gaetz has gone even further in his attacks on the department he is now set to run.
He has repeatedly called for defunding or abolishing the FBI, which is part of the DOJ.
And at least once he even called for the DOJ itself to be abolished.
But, with all that said, the approval of Gaetz’s nomination is not assured at all.
Turns out his lack of qualifications, the numerous controversies, and the general dislike among Republicans might come back to bite him in the ass.
Numerous Republicans have spoken out against his appointment, including Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton, who called him “the worst nomination for a cabinet position in American history.”[]
And many Republican officials, strategists, and even Trump advisers have said they don’t think he can get enough voted to be confirmed by the Senate.[][]
Right, Gaetz needs 50 of the 53 Republican Senators — plus the tie-breaking vote of the Vice President — in order to be confirmed.
But it’s unclear if he will get that, and already, some key Republicans have raised questions about whether they will vote in his favor.
This including Senators that have gone against their party before on key votes like Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who said Gaetz is “not a serious candidate” and then delivered this absolute zinger:
“If I wanted to make a joke, maybe I would say now I’m waiting for George Santos to be named.”
Others have also spoken less definitively, like Sen. Susan Collins, who said she was “shocked” by the selection, and Sen. Joni Ernst, who said Gaetz has “got his work really cut out for him” to get confirmed.
So with this, experts say that Gaetz’s appointment will be a major test of how much clout Trump has in the Republican-led Senate and how loyal those members will be to him as he tries to pack his administration with unqualified, radical picks.
Right, and to that point, Gates isn’t the only appointment that will test those limits.
The same goes for Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host who Trump tapped to lead the Pentagon and who we talked about yesterday.
With many concerned he doesn’t have the experience to lead the military.
And there are also serious concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, with Trump announcing yesterday he’s picked her as his Director of National Intelligence.
This not only because she has zero direct experience in intelligence, but also due to the fact that many believe she is sympathetic to Putin.
And so with all that, these controversial nominations will also pose a big test for the new Senate Majority Leader John Thune because, as we mentioned yesterday if the Senate blocks Trump’s nominations, he will try to get them through unilaterally.
Right, the president can technically install his appointments without approval when the Senate is in recess.
And Trump has made it clear that he expects the new Majority Leader to allow him to make recess appointments.
But if that does happen, it won’t just be Senate Republicans who are being tested — but the Constitution too.
With one expert saying that Trump had effectively “provoked his first constitutional crisis” before he’s even taken office.
So for now, we’ll just have to wait and see how all this plays out, but there are a lot of moving parts and a lot on the line.
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Is it political retribution or an investigation into a violated agreement?
Right, early yesterday morning, the FBI raided the home of Shayne Coplan, the founder and CEO of Polymarket. []
For those that don’t know, Polymarket is the world’s largest prediction market - where you can make bets on future events using cryptocurrency. []
In fact, Polymarket exploded in popularity during the election - especially because it placed Trump’s odds of winning far and above Harris’ despite the polls having them neck and neck at the time. []
But despite the American election getting Polymarket so much attention, Americans aren’t allowed to use the site.
Back in 2022, Polymarket made an agreement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, saying they would prevent any US-based trader from making any transactions on their platform. []
And that agreement came after they paid $1.4 million to settle charges saying they had failed to register with the Commission.
But Bloomberg says that’s exactly what landed them in hot water again - reporting that they are under investigation by the Justice Department for accepting trades from US-based users. []
Reportedly, federal agents showed up at Coplan’s apartment in New York City at 6 am yesterday, demanding his phone and other electronics. []
And he reportedly wasn’t given a reason for the raid. []
But he did respond by posting on X,
“New phone, who dis?”
And adding,
“It’s discouraging that the current administration would seek a last-ditch effort to go after companies they deem to be associated with political opponents. We are deeply committed to being non-partisan, and today is no different, but the incumbents should do some self-reflecting and recognize that taking a more pro-business, pro-startup approach may be what would have changed their fate this election.” []
And Polymarket, the company, has also called this investigation, quote, “obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration” and added,
"Polymarket is a fully transparent prediction market that helps everyday people better understand the events that matter most to them, including elections." []
So we’re going to have to keep our eyes on this investigation as it plays out.
In the meantime, let me know your thoughts about this in those comments down below.
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Netanyahu reportedly working on Lebanon cease-fire deal as ‘gift’ to Trump, Israeli court rejects Netanyahu’s bid to delay corruption trial testimony
In international news, Israel is reportedly preparing a little congratulatory gift to Donald Trump: a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Right, according to the Washington Post, a close aide to Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu spoke to Trump and Jared Kushner this week –
Telling them that Israel is rushing to advance a deal in order to deliver an early foreign policy win to the president-elect.[]
Though, that said, an Israeli military official said plans were also being created to ramp up ground operations in Lebanon if talks ultimately fall apart.
But as far as the deal that may soon be on the table, Israel would reportedly demand that Hezbollah fighters retreat beyond the Litani (Lih-tah-knee) River —
Which is the northern edge of a UN-monitored buffer zone established in 2006.
Right, because notably, since October 2023, Hezbollah has used this area as the staging ground for launching rockets and missiles into Israel – (BROLL: 0:11-0:20)
Killing 45 civilians and 31 soldiers, as well as forcing around 60,000 people from their homes.
On the flip side, Israel’s military campaign has reportedly killed several thousand and displaced nearly one million people.
Right, and as far as the death toll, we don’t have solid data distinguishing between civilians and combatants, but it’s believed that hundreds of women, children, and first responders are among the dead.
But then, in any case, even as people are talking about a ceasefire, the violence is not stopping.
Just yesterday six Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon.
And today, Israeli forces are actually moving deeper into into the country–
With airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs also killing at least six (BROLL: 0:13-0:16)
Though, with that, some believe there’s a chance Hezbollah has been weakened enough to take a deal.
And in fact, a senior Lebanese official is saying the group is ready to retreat from the buffer zone.
The only problem is that Israel wants the right to intervene itself to enforce any ceasefire if it deems it necessary.
And that’s something Hezbollah and Lebanon are not likely to sign off on.
But either way, all this is another sign of how US-Israel relations may be changing now.
Right, you have Frank Lowenstein, who was a special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations under Obama, saying:
“Netanyahu has no loyalty to Biden and will be focused entirely on currying favor with Trump.”
With him adding: “Trump won’t hesitate to act like he’s already president when he sees an opportunity.”
And to that point, when Israel’s minister of strategic affairs visited the US this weekend, he stopped at Mar-a-Lago BEFORE visiting the White House.
And of course, as we’ve talked about, Trump has appointed some hardline pro-Israel folks to his cabinet, (1, 2).
As well as picked Mike Huckabee – a longtime supporter of illegal West Bank settlements – for ambassador.
And finally, Netanyahu himself has reportedly already spoken to Trump at least three times, with him saying the two saw “major opportunities ahead for Israel, especially in advancing peace.”
Though, of course, that’s also the guy who’s overseen more than a year of devastation in Gaza.
Where, yesterday, Israel reportedly targeted a densely populated tent encampment in an area designated as a humanitarian zone.
And Netenyahu? He’s been accused by his critics of extending the war for one, political gain, and two, to stay out of jail.
Right, because while also being blamed by some for the security failures on October 7th, Bibi is also facing criminal charges.
In fact, his trial started back in 2020, and since then, the court has made its way through a list of more than 300 witnesses.
But Netanyahu has so far avoided taking the stand, with the court once accepting his argument that he was too busy to prepare a defense while his country was at war.
But now, an Israeli court has rejected his request to delay his testimony again, saying he must take the stand next month.
And specifically, Netanyahu is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate but connected cases.
Right, they all have to do with accusations that he did favors for wealthy businessmen in exchange for gifts and sympathetic media coverage for himself and his family.
He’s denied everything, with him and his supporters suggesting it’s political persecution, alleging some sort of conspiracy to remove him from power.
And notably, under Israeli law, he is not required to step down from office unless he is convicted AND that conviction is upheld through an appeals process.
So, even with this trial moving forward, it could be a while before we see how this ultimately turns out.
