Aug 4, 2025
Ep. 382 Ken and Dave discuss Tariff handouts, softening economic numbers, Mike Collins makes it official, a new White House ballroom, it turns out ads featuring hot girls sell clothing, the murdering fifth grade teacher, setting a politician on fire, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting closes its doors.
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• Pike County Zoning Issue: Ken Pullin recounted a contentious
zoning issue at a county commissioner meeting. Despite public
protest, a property was zoned commercial because the county was
legally bound by established zoning rules and ordinances, which
Pullin referred to as the county's "Bible." He explained that
deviating from these rules would lead to lawsuits, and he advocates
for private property rights, believing in leniency regarding how
people use their land. He also noted that neighbors had the same
opportunity to buy the land.
• Atlanta Braves Trade Deadline: The Atlanta Braves failed to make
a significant move at the trade deadline, which was disappointing
but not surprising given the team's current state. The hosts felt
the team was "pretty much done anyway" with "no viable path" to the
postseason due to injuries and a lack of interest from other teams
in their available players.
• Celsius Energy Drink Controversy: A significant controversy
involved Celsius energy drinks reportedly being canned at the same
factory as High Noon vodka seltzers. This led to incidents where
individuals, including kids, became "tipsy" after consuming what
they believed to be only an energy drink. The hosts discussed the
significant liability for both the manufacturer and Celsius due to
potential allergic reactions to alcohol, the presence of children
consuming the drinks, and the general public being misled.
• Delta Flight Turbulence: A Delta flight from Salt Lake City to
Amsterdam experienced severe, unexpected turbulence over Denver,
resulting in 25 people requiring hospitalization for injuries.
Passengers reportedly hit the ceiling, and the galley was "torn
up." The turbulence was unexpected, as it occurred while drinks
were being served, not during an anticipated period of rough
air.
• Kamala Harris's Political Future: Kamala Harris is reportedly not
running for Governor of California, signaling her focus on a
potential presidential bid in 2028. The hosts expressed skepticism
about her chances, noting her past primary performance (less than
1% last time) and the Democratic party's perceived lack of a strong
"bench" outside of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
• New Tariffs and "Tariff Checks": Former President Trump announced
new tariffs on European countries and an increase for Canada. In
response, Senator Josh Hawley proposed the "American Worker Rebate
Act of 2025," which would issue "tariff checks" of up to $2,400 per
family. The hosts criticized this proposal, arguing that it
suggests tariffs raise consumer prices and that the money should
instead go towards paying off the national debt, viewing it as an
attempt to "buy votes."
• Economic Downturn: The Dow Jones, S&P, and NASDAQ experienced
a significant dive. This was attributed to the new tariffs and
"really bad job numbers" for the month (73,000 seasonally adjusted
jobs), compounded by sharp downward adjustments of previous months'
numbers by a combined 258,000.
• Trump and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): In response to
the poor job numbers, Trump accused BLS Commissioner Dr. Erica
Mackinarfer of manipulating monthly jobs reports for political
purposes. He also called for Jerome Powell to step down as Fed
chair, urging the Fed board to "assume control." The hosts debated
whether the job numbers were genuinely manipulated or influenced by
seasonal factors, and whether interest rates were being kept
artificially high. They agreed that "Trump needs to stay in his
damn lane" regarding the Fed.
• Mike Collins Running for Georgia Senate: Congressman Mike Collins
officially announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Georgia.
Despite being a Republican and having support from Kemp allies in
the state legislature, his campaign faced a mishap when they
misspelled "Georgia" in a campaign ad. The hosts noted that this
mistake, while "stupid" and "funny," was unlikely to hurt his
campaign.
• Houston Gaines Running for Congressional Seat: State
Representative Houston Gaines announced his bid for Mike Collins'
congressional seat, raising over $500,000 in the first 24 hours.
The hosts speculated that Gaines's strong reputation and early
fundraising success might "clear the field" of other potential
candidates for the seat.
• White House Makeover: A 90,000-square-foot ballroom is being
built at the White House, replacing East Wing edifices. This
"significant transformation" is financed entirely by private
donations, not taxpayer money.
• Sydney Sweeney "Good Jeans" Controversy: An American Eagle denim
commercial featuring actress Sydney Sweeney generated controversy,
with some on the left labeling it "Nazi propaganda" and "eugenics."
This was due to Sweeney's appearance and the play on words
regarding "good genes" (referring to genetics) and "jeans" (the
clothing). American Eagle did not apologize, and the ad was
associated with an increase in sales and stock price. The hosts
found the criticism absurd.
• Arkansas Teacher Accused of Double Murder: An elementary school
teacher was accused of a double murder in Arkansas. He was arrested
mid-haircut, with DNA evidence matching blood found at the scene,
and brave descriptions from child witnesses.
• Danville City Councilman Set on Fire: Danville, Virginia City
Councilman Lee Vogler was attacked and set on fire with an
accelerant. While the motive is believed to be personal, not
political, the act was described as a "different level of
hate."
• "Mule of the Week" - Georgia Southern Professor: A Georgia
Southern Professor named Greg Brock was named "Mule of the Week"
for suggesting that citizens in Bullet County take out a home
equity line of credit (HELOC) to afford increased school taxes.
This suggestion was made during a school board meeting where an
unusual number of people were speaking in favor of the tax
increases, which the hosts believed was orchestrated.
• PBS Shutting Down: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting
announced it would begin shutting down after Congress canceled its
approved funding. This indicated that donations were insufficient
to sustain operations. The hosts expressed little disappointment,
arguing that PBS and NPR should be self-sufficient through
advertising or donations if their content is truly valuable, and
that many shows would likely find new homes on streaming
services.