259: Skepticrat259 - Heath is Furloughed Edition

On this week's episode: The Epstein files completely ignore Trump’s golf score ... Donald Trump hides his declaration of war behind a lace fan ... And Andrew Cuomo just keeps losing elections to the same guy. To support our show on Patreon, go here: patreon.com/skepticrat To hear more from Evil Giraffes on Mars, go here: facebook.com/EvilGiraffesOnMars Another amazing word of the day from Susie Dent: https://bsky.app/profile/susiedent.com Get great deals while supporting the show by checking out our sponsors: quince.com/skepticrat auraframes.com (code: SKEPTICRAT) groundnews.com/skepticrat betterhelp.com/skepticrat Headline Sources: New emails released from Epstein files: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/us/politics/epstein-emails-trump.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/business/media/epstein-trump-emails-conservative-media.html Trump summons Boebert in order to pressure against Epstein files release: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/us/politics/trump-epstein-vote-boebert.html Democrats cave on shutdown: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/held-democratic-voters-support-party-after-shutdown-ends/story?id=127542740 Trump would like to go to war with Venezuela, please: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-venezuela-sort-of-made-up-mind-after-top-officials-spent-3rd-day/ Big wins on Election Day: https://apnews.com/article/virginia-new-jersey-trump-election-democrat-republican-fad109893cfd4be5b49a5bb1b0138d8d Drinking is cool: https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/heavy-drinking-youth-career-success-b92scqwdh Russian robot faceplants in its debut: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/technology/ai-robot-russia-falls.html

On this week's episode: We’ll check in with American democracy quick while we still can ... Our trip to Europe matches up with a jewel heist as a COINCIDENCE ... And Elon Musk will continue to try to build a world where he’s right rather than admit he was wrong. Learn more about Vulgarity for Charity here: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/ To support our show on Patreon, go here: https://www.patreon.com/skepticrat To hear more from Evil Giraffes on Mars, go here: https://www.facebook.com/EvilGiraffesOnMars

On this week's episode: RFK Jr. tries to give Tylenol credit for Eli's son's puzzle skills ... It turns out Hitler was just a young guy making offensive jokes ... And Dr. Phil is a sad pile of failure. To support our show on Patreon, go here: patreon.com/skepticrat To hear more from Evil Giraffes on Mars, go here: facebook.com/EvilGiraffesOnMars Another amazing word of the day from Susie Dent: https://bsky.app/profile/susiedent.com Get great deals while supporting the show by checking out our sponsors: quince.com/skepticrat groundnews.com/skepticrat betterhelp.com/skepticrat auraframes.com (code: SKEPTICRAT) Headline Sources: Young Republicans' group chat: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/private-chat-among-young-gop-club-members-00592146 NYC mayoral race debate featuring Mamdani, Cuomo, and Sliwa: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10/16/nyregion/nyc-mayor-debate-mamdani-cuomo-sliwa RFK Jr. v Tylenol continues: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/reupping-unproven-claims-about-tylenol-kennedy-claims-a-link-between-circumcision-and-autism DHS claims that Mexican cartels are offering bounties on ICE officers up to $50,000: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/16/mexico-sheinbaum-cartel-bounties-immigration-officials Bari Weiss is now editor-in-chief of CBS News: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/10/queer-anti-woke-journalist-bari-weiss-is-now-cbs-news-editor-in-chief-thats-troubling/ Everything going very badly for Dr. Phil: https://slate.com/business/2025/10/dr-phil-mcgraw-donald-trump-merit-media-maga.html https://www.nationalmemo.com/dr-phil-bankrupt

On this week's episode: Trump gives the troops a talking to ... Republicans get more frightened by a bunny than anyone since Arthurian England ... And ICE completely missed a big opportunity at the UN General Assembly. To support our show on Patreon, go here: patreon.com/skepticrat To hear more from Evil Giraffes on Mars, go here: facebook.com/EvilGiraffesOnMars Another amazing word of the day from Susie Dent: https://bsky.app/profile/susiedent.com Get great deals while supporting the show by checking out our sponsors: quince.com/skepticrat ExpressVPN.com/skepticrat groundnews.com/skepticrat betterhelp.com/skepticrat auraframes.com (code: SKEPTICRAT) Headline Sources: Hegseth and Trump lecture generals and admirals: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/us/politics/hegseth-military-officers.html https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/30/hegseth-meeting-pushback-00588181 Government shuts down, Trump DESPERATELY blames Democrats: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrj1znp0pyo MAGA has racist, homophobic meltdown over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/09/demonic-maga-has-homophobic-meltdown-over-bad-bunnys-super-bowl-performance/ Trump claims the UN sabotaged his escalator and teleprompter at UNGA: https://www.npr.org/2025/09/25/nx-s1-5553272/trump-escalator-united-nations-investigation Iranian diplomats attending UNGA banned from Costco: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/world/middleeast/iran-diplomats-costco-ban-trump.html Stuck in Traffic, French President Macron Calls Trump About His Motorcade: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/us/macron-trump-unga-motorcade.html A zoo in Denmark asked patrons to donate their pets for food: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/06/nx-s1-5493363/denmark-zoo-donate-pets-feeding-animals Trump wants his face on a dollar coin: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/03/treasury-department-trump-dollar-coin-00593368

On this week's episode: The Trump administration sentences the country to Jimmy Fallon ... British racists will show off their patriotism in a roundabout way ... And we learn about the worst science of the year and then we talk about the Ig Nobel Prizes after RFK Jr. To support our show on Patreon, go here: patreon.com/skepticrat To hear more from Evil Giraffes on Mars, go here: facebook.com/EvilGiraffesOnMars Get great deals while supporting the show by checking out our sponsors: quince.com/skepticrat ExpressVPN.com/skepticrat groundnews.com/skepticrat betterhelp.com/skepticrat auraframes.com (code: SKEPTICRAT) Headline Sources: Kimmel got pulled because of government coercion: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/us/politics/supreme-court-jimmy-kimmel-free-speech.html https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/18/business/timeline-jimmy-kimmel-suspension-vis Thousands of St George's flags have gone up in UK cities and towns: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c626vxyxgj6o  ‘Operation Raise the Colours’ Organised by Well-Known Far-Right Extremists: https://hopenothate.org.uk/2025/08/22/operation-raise-the-colours-organised-by-well-known-far-right-extremists/ Kennedy’s Vaccine Panel Votes to Limit Access to Covid Shots: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/health/cdc-vaccines-mmrv-hepatitis-b.html Far-right London rally sees record crowds and violent clashes with police: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/13/unite-the-kingdom-far-right-rally-london-tommy-robinson-police-assaulted Elon Musk calls for dissolution of parliament at far-right rally in London: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/13/elon-musk-calls-for-dissolution-of-parliament-at-far-right-rally-in-london Police seek man who called for Keir Starmer to be ‘assassinated’ at far-right rally: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/14/police-seek-man-called-keir-starmer-assassinated-far-right-rally Meet the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize winners: https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/meet-the-2025-ig-nobel-prize-winners/

On this week's episode: Trump lowers the crime rate in Washington DC by committing fewer crimes ... It ain’t easy being green energy ... And America just says no to Cracker Barrel. To support our show on Patreon, go here: patreon.com/skepticrat To hear more from Evil Giraffes on Mars, go here: facebook.com/EvilGiraffesOnMars Get great deals while supporting the show by checking out our sponsors: quince.com/skepticrat groundnews.com/skepticrat betterhelp.com/skepticrat ExpressVPN.com/skepticrat auraframes.com (code: SKEPTICRAT) Headline Sources: Trump threatens to take over other cities now that DC is under his control: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/22/trump-troops-dc-new-york-chicago How Trump Used 10 Emergency Declarations to Justify Hundreds of Actions: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/08/22/us/politics/trump-emergency-immigration-tariffs-crime.html Hegseth and RFK Jr make a very sad push-ups and pull-ups fitness challenge video together: https://www.dailydot.com/viral-politics/pete-hegseth-mocked-over-pull-up/ Trump targets Smithsonian: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2025/08/21/white-house-smithsonian-exhibitions-targets/ Tariffs on Wind Turbines: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/us/politics/trump-investigation-tariffs-wind-turbines.html Cracker Barrel does VERY badly with logo change and pegging: https://www.axios.com/2025/08/21/cracker-barrel-new-logo-stocks-maga https://www.huffpost.com/entry/right-winger-slams-new-woke-version-of-cracker-barrel-game_n_68a7518be4b0e8c4a7241889

On this week's episode: Marsh needs to see some ID before he can tell you what’s happening in his country ... The DOJ is definitely hiring from Monster.com ... And we learn how flying monsters from the Book of Revelation might affect your weekend. To support our show on Patreon, go here: patreon.com/skepticrat To hear more from Evil Giraffes on Mars, go here: facebook.com/EvilGiraffesOnMars Get great deals while supporting the show by checking out our sponsors: quince.com/skepticrat groundnews.com/skepticrat betterhelp.com/skepticrat ExpressVPN.com/skepticrat auraframes.com (code: SKEPTICRAT) Headline Sources: Texas enlists FBI to hunt down fugitive Democrats: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/07/fbi-cornyn-texas-democratic-lawmakers-flee/ What are the new UK online safety rules and how will age checks on adult content be enforced?: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/24/what-are-the-new-uk-online-safety-rules-and-how-will-they-be-enforced Video shows Department of Justice official urging Jan. 6 rioters to 'kill' cops: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/07/nx-s1-5493197/doj-trump-jan-6-defendant-jared-wise-capitol-riot Tim Cook hands Trump a bribe trophy at the White House on live TV: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/07/trump-tim-cook-gift-white-house-apple/ MP mistakes charity rowers for 'illegal migrants': https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd32lnq445o ICE Offers, Then Quickly Withdraws, Cash Bonuses for Swiftly Deporting Immigrants: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/us/politics/ice-bonuses-immigrants-deportations.html RADIOACTIVE WASPS ARE A THING NOW: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/science/radioactive-wasps-nuclear-savannah-river.html

On this week's episode: The Department of Justice wonders if a find and replace for JUMP will work out for them ... Trump will stop just short of throwing a smoke bomb in the middle of a press conference ... And we talk about solutions to the long history of misandrist toilet technology. To support our show on Patreon, go here: patreon.com/skepticrat To hear more from Evil Giraffes on Mars, go here: facebook.com/EvilGiraffesOnMars Get great deals while supporting the show by checking out our sponsors: groundnews.com/skepticrat quince.com/skepticrat betterhelp.com/skepticrat ExpressVPN.com/skepticrat auraframes.com (code: SKEPTICRAT) Headline Sources: Trump retaliates against Wall Street Journal after they publish naked lady bday letter to Epstein:  https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796 FBI asked to "flag" Epstein files that mention Trump: https://www.axios.com/2025/07/18/epstein-documents-trump-fbi-senator Johnson Cuts Short House Business to Avoid Vote on Releasing Epstein Files: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/us/politics/mike-johnson-ends-house-session-epstein-vote.html Coca-Cola to launch new US soda with cane sugar this fall: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coca-cola-cane-sugar-trump-post/ Trump’s bid for autocracy scores key wins in the media and academia:  https://apnews.com/article/stephen-colbert-late-show-cbs-end-8bad9f16f076df62c0ffc50e9c8adbab https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/07/26/columbia-university-settlement-monitor/ Trump to sign executive order to push cities to make homelessness more illegal: https://ground.news/article/trump-to-sign-order-pressuring-cities-states-on-homelessness You can Venmo the national debt, apparently: https://www.axios.com/2025/07/24/venmo-gifts-public-debt Trump tries to rewrite history on being ‘fooled’ by Putin: https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/15/politics/trump-putin-rewrite-history-analysis Trump's new plan is to sell weapons to NATO allies and they'll give support to Ukraine: https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/foreign-policy/a-smart-plan-ambassador-matthew-whitaker-explains-us-deal-to-sell-weapons-to-nato-for-ukraine US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker sold big dick toilets: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/11/democrats-demand-info-on-acting-attorney-general-matthew-whitaker-masculine-toilet-scam

On this week's episode: We’ll spend more time digging into the details of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” than most of the people who voted for it ... Marsh will try not to get us arrested by the UK government for terrorism ... And Marco Rubio takes on a 5th job as the Prince of Nigeria? To support our show on Patreon, go here: patreon.com/skepticrat To hear more from Evil Giraffes on Mars, go here: facebook.com/EvilGiraffesOnMars Get great deals while supporting the show by checking out our sponsors: ExpressVPN.com/skepticrat groundnews.com/skepticrat quince.com/skepticrat betterhelp.com/skepticrat auraframes.com (code: SKEPTICRAT) Headline Sources: Insane, evil, and incredibly reviled One Big Beautiful Bill Act is now law: https://www.vox.com/politics/418599/one-big-beautiful-bill-act-details-explained https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0eqpz23l9jo Priest, 83, arrested at Palestine Action protest: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9vrjkev802o New direct action group 'Yvette Cooper' emerges: https://www.thenational.scot/news/25291394.new-direct-action-group-yvette-cooper-emerges/ Grok goes full Mecha-Hitler, its words: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/09/grok-ai-praised-hitler-antisemitism-x-ntwnfb Rift erupts among Justice, FBI leaders over Epstein memo: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/07/11/trump-bondi-patel-bongino-epstein-files/ https://www.wonkette.com/p/fbi-epstein-client-list-does-not Reform UK puts teenagers in charge of vital public services: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jul/05/nigel-farage-reform-uk-teenage-councillors-vital-public-services Reform councillor’s boast about removing ‘trans-ideological’ books from children’s library sections falls flat: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jul/04/reform-councillors-boast-about-removing-trans-ideological-books-from-childrens-library-sections-falls-flat  Reform UK to introduce less stringent ‘common sense’ vetting system for candidates: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jul/07/reform-uk-to-introduce-less-stringent-common-sense-vetting-system-for-candidates Scammer clones Marco Rubio’s voice, fools disturbing number of people: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/08/marco-rubio-ai-impostor

On this week's episode: The big beautiful bill goes on a parliamentarian diet ... Donald Trump tries to bomb himself into a peace prize ... And Matt Gaetz's mom isn't mad; she's disappointed. To support our show on Patreon, go here: https://www.patreon.com/skepticrat To hear more from Evil Giraffes on Mars, go here: https://www.facebook.com/EvilGiraffesOnMars Get great deals while supporting the show by checking out our sponsors: quince.com/skepticrat policygenius.com groundnews.com/skepticrat betterhelp.com/skepticrat auraframes.com (code: SKEPTICRAT) Headline Sources: Big Beautiful Bill’s passage in serious question: http://npr.org/2025/06/25/nx-s1-5445185/trump-gop-megabill-senate Can Mamdani’s Energetic Campaign Be a Blueprint for Democrats?: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/us/politics/mamdani-campaign-democrats.html https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/06/maga-bigots-are-losing-their-minds-over-a-muslim-socialist-possibly-becoming-nycs-mayor/ Bombing Iran but isolationist style:  https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/22/us/politics/trump-iran-decision-strikes.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-program-israeli-us-attacks.html#link-58d1cda https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9x809vgrro Noah's idiot congressman nominates Trump for peace prize: https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-sycophant-buddy-carter-leads-charge-to-get-trump-a-nobel-peace-prize/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/25/pakistan-trump-nobel-peace-prize-nomination-iran-strikes https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-nobel-peace-prize-nomination-withdrawn-ukraine-russia-2089818 A Boise Bar’s “Hetero Awesome Fest” Was a Straight-Up Flop: https://www.them.us/story/boise-bar-hetero-awesome-fest-daniel-hamrick-protest-song https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/dozens-attend-hetero-festival-in-idaho-boise/277-64864d25-d10a-49d8-bb05-57b943c08ab8 Matt Gaetz's embarrassing text conversation with his mom is revealed by person sitting behind him on a plane: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14842867/matt-gaetz-messages-mother-advice-trump.html