Rigged by Design

Rigged by Design — Episode 20: Everything Is Fucked

RIGGED BY DESIGN Episode 20 — Show Notes Aired: May 7, 2026 Twenty episodes into Rigged by Design, the pattern is no longer just difficult to explain away. The instability itself has become the environment people are expected to function inside. Every week brings another crisis, another escalation timeline, another distraction cycle, and another expansion of power quietly moving underneath it all. This episode centered on the growing disconnect between the scale of what is happening and the complete lack of coherent public explanation surrounding it. The administration’s messaging around Iran continued shifting in real time — from warnings against escalation, to vague military timelines, to peace negotiations, to officials openly suggesting a return to essentially the same geopolitical position that existed before military action began. Meanwhile, billions continue being spent with no clearly defined endpoint, objective, or public understanding of what success is even supposed to look like. At the same time, the domestic machinery of surveillance and enforcement continues expanding with remarkably little public attention. Congress quietly extended Section 702 surveillance powers again, first through a short-term extension and then through a longer 45-day extension that now stretches into mid-June. Temporary emergency powers continue functioning as semi-permanent infrastructure, normalized through repetition and public exhaustion rather than meaningful public debate. The discussion also returned to how surveillance powers introduced after 9/11 continue operating under the language of “national security” more than two decades later, while increasingly overlapping with political speech, online activity, and growing public fears around retaliation and selective enforcement. The episode also examined the growing instability surrounding election structures themselves. Louisiana’s congressional maps and election processes were thrown into uncertainty following recent court rulings tied to redistricting and Voting Rights Act protections. As maps shift, elections pause, and district battles intensify ahead of 2026, the larger question becomes unavoidable: what does it mean when election structures themselves remain in flux while the public is simultaneously told to simply “wait for the next election”? The conversation also explored broader concerns surrounding aggressive gerrymandering, election administration, and continued attacks on mail-in voting systems. The discussion repeatedly returned to how systemic pressure increasingly falls on ordinary people while political and corporate systems continue protecting themselves. Personal examples involving caregiving, IHSS work, Social Security limitations, rising costs of living, and economic instability highlighted the widening disconnect between how policy decisions are made and how people are actually expected to survive underneath them. As grocery prices continue rising and corporate profits remain protected, the burden increasingly shifts onto families already operating in survival mode. Throughout the episode, another recurring pattern continued surfacing — major scandals disappearing through exhaustion cycles rather than resolution. Epstein faded once again from mainstream attention, not because questions were answered or accountability was achieved, but because the public cycle moved on. The same dynamic applies broadly across political corruption, retaliation, surveillance expansion, selective enforcement, and institutional failures. The discussion also examined growing concerns surrounding DOJ retaliation, political intimidation, attacks on critics and journalists, and the broader normalization of authoritarian-style governance. ICE expansion also came up in the closing section, when an audience member asked for the location of California’s newest detention facility. The facility is the Central Valley Annex in McFarland, Kern County, a 700-bed ICE detention center operated by GEO Group. Its location matters. This is not happening in a highly visible civic space where the public can easily monitor conditions or organize around what is taking place. It is being placed in what was described on-air as “out of nowhere land,” raising the concern that detention infrastructure pushed away from public visibility becomes easier to normalize while privatized profiteering and abuse continue with limited scrutiny. The conversation ultimately returned to the larger framework that has increasingly defined Rigged by Design itself: different headlines, same pattern. Crisis fragments public attention. Fragmented attention weakens scrutiny. And while the public struggles to keep pace with shifting narratives, systems of surveillance, enforcement, detention, privatization, and political power continue expanding underneath the confusion. At some point, instability stops feeling temporary and starts functioning as governance itself. Thank you M Hope [https://substack.com/profile/392818336-m-hope], Lizzy B [https://substack.com/profile/350838263-lizzy-b], and many others for tuning into Rigged by Design with Jason [https://substack.com/profile/14756640-jason] and me. Join us for our next live video in the app on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PST / 1:00 p.m. EST. [https://open.substack.com/live-stream/198644?] Truth doesn’t come in neutral — Zorha. If this work matters to you, support it. Subscribe to Jason [https://substack.com/@jaystone4] or me as we continue documenting what others rush past or refuse to touch. This isn’t content for the sake of content. It’s ongoing, time-intensive work that requires digging, verifying, and staying on stories long after they fall out of the news cycle. If you’re able to support this work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. If a subscription isn’t feasible, you can still help support independent reporting with a one-time Buy Me a Coffee contribution. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zorhasbsfreezone.substack.com/subscribe [https://zorhasbsfreezone.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Rigged by Design: Episode 19 – The Only Branch Left: We the People

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zorhasbsfreezone.substack.com/subscribe [https://zorhasbsfreezone.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

RIGGED BY DESIGN: Episode 16 — While They Rename Post Offices, Power Expands

RIGGED BY DESIGN Episode 16 — Show NotesAired: April 23, 2026 Due to CNN’s reporting on what’s now being referred to as “Rape Academy,” this episode pivoted early from the original topic, because there are moments where what’s in front of you is too significant to ignore. What’s being exposed is not fringe behavior sitting on the edges of society. It is happening at a scale that should force a reckoning, yet somehow it isn’t. We’re talking about networks of men openly sharing tactics on how to drug women, how to sexually exploit them, how to record it, and how to profit from it. Not hidden in the way people like to imagine these things exist, but normalized within spaces that continue to operate without meaningful disruption. Inside ICE detention centers, reports of sexual abuse involving women and children continue to surface. These are not new allegations. They have been documented, raised, dismissed, buried, and then repeated over years. The pattern is not subtle, and it is not isolated. Sexual abuse is an act of violence — point blank. Stripping it down to anything less is a deliberate minimization of what is actually happening. During the same period as the CNN report, platforms continue to elevate and normalize the very culture that feeds this — rape culture. You now have figures like Andrew Tate not pushed to the margins, but given space, visibility, and in many cases, monetization. The manosphere isn’t some abstract corner of the internet anymore. It is being absorbed into mainstream platforms and treated as just another perspective. So the episode starts here, not because it is comfortable, but because it is necessary. Because ignoring it is not neutrality, it is participation in the silence that allows it to continue. At some point, you have to sit with what is being allowed to exist in plain sight and stop asking whether it’s real, and start asking why it is still being allowed to happen. As Congress reconvenes, the question of priorities becomes unavoidable. While systemic abuse, exploitation, and violence continue in plain sight, the focus shifts to symbolic actions and procedural movement, creating the appearance of governance without addressing the substance of what is unfolding. Surveillance expands, policies move forward, and power consolidates, yet the issues that demand confrontation remain largely untouched. What is addressed, what is delayed, and what is ignored altogether reflects a system that manages narrative as much as it manages policy. Upcoming — Join Us Episode 17: We are continuing this conversation on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 10:05 a.m. PST / 1:05 p.m. EST [https://open.substack.com/live-stream/170708] with our special guest Jenn Budd [https://substack.com/profile/16870857-jenn-budd] former Border Patrol agent turned whistleblower, bringing insider context to the systems we began unpacking during our livestream. Episode 18: On Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 10:05 a.m. PST / 1:05 p.m. EST [https://open.substack.com/live-stream/170715], we shift into elections with This Will Hold [https://substack.com/profile/315023719-this-will-hold], focusing on Michigan and continuing the broader investigation into systemic vulnerabilities and data concerns. Thank you to everyone who tuned into into Rigged by Design with Jason [https://open.substack.com/users/14756640-jason?utm_source=mentions] and me. Truth doesn’t come in neutral — Zorha. If this work matters to you, support it. Subscribe to Jason [https://substack.com/@jaystone4] or me as we continue documenting what others rush past or refuse to touch. This isn’t content for the sake of content. It’s ongoing, time-intensive work that requires digging, verifying, and staying on stories long after they fall out of the news cycle. If you’re able to support this work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. If a subscription isn’t feasible, you can still help support independent reporting with a one-time Buy Me a Coffee contribution. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zorhasbsfreezone.substack.com/subscribe [https://zorhasbsfreezone.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

RIGGED BY DESIGN: Episode 15 — You’re Not Crazy. It’s Repeating.

RIGGED BY DESIGN Episode 15 — Show Notes Aired: April 10, 2026 Opening — Accountability Before Narrative The episode opened with a direct correction from the prior broadcast. A claim that U.S. oil reserves would last two years was revised to a more accurate estimate of roughly 90 to 125 days. The previous episode was intentionally withheld until that correction could be made on record. That decision reflects a core principle behind the show. If something is wrong, it is addressed publicly before moving forward. In a media environment where narratives are often adjusted without acknowledgment, the act of correction becomes part of the argument itself. Verification still matters, even when systems around it do not operate that way. Segment 1 — The Two-Week Cycle and Manufactured Time A midweek announcement of a two-week pause in bombing Iran did not land as new information, but as repetition. The language, the timing, and the structure mirrored a pattern used repeatedly over time. Policies, infrastructure, and decisions are always just two weeks away. The deadline never resolves. It simply resets. Within hours of the announcement, activity on the ground contradicted the pause, reinforcing that the timeline itself is not the point. The point is maintaining attention without closure. This pattern creates a controlled sense of anticipation, where the public is kept waiting rather than informed. The result is not confusion by accident, but a steady manipulation of how time is experienced politically. Segment 2 — Market Movement Behind the Messaging Attention shifted from the announcement itself to what surrounded it. A public statement highlighting a defense company’s capabilities coincided with a noticeable movement in its stock trajectory. This raised a more important question than the statement itself. Who positioned themselves before the message was made public? The pattern is familiar. Instability suppresses value, insiders move early, and public narratives drive recovery. While the public reacts to headlines, others respond to timing. The broader implication is that moments framed as crisis often operate simultaneously as financial opportunity, with the benefits flowing in one direction while the costs are distributed across everyone else. Segment 3 — When the System Hits the Grocery Store The conversation moved from macro systems into daily life, grounding the discussion in rising costs. Food, utilities, and basic goods have increased at a rate that no longer feels temporary. What was once explained as supply chain disruption now reflects something more permanent. Margins have expanded and are not being reversed. The system does not correct itself once pressure subsides. It recalibrates at a higher baseline. In response, behavior begins to shift. Gardening, food independence, and small acts of self-sufficiency are not lifestyle choices in this context. They are adaptations. When people begin finding ways around a system rather than within it, that signals a deeper loss of trust. Segment 4 — Gaslighting as a System Gaslighting was identified not as a one-off tactic, but as a layered system operating at different speeds. In its faster form, it replaces observable reality outright. Numbers are revised, narratives are flipped, and contradictions are presented as fact in real time. In its slower form, it works through repetition and subtle shifts, gradually altering what was said and what was meant. The repeated two-week cycle fits into this slower layer, where each iteration slightly rewrites the previous one. Over time, the ability to compare past and present weakens. The goal is not necessarily belief, but disorientation. Once people can no longer anchor themselves to what actually happened, accountability becomes almost impossible to enforce. Segment 5 — Political Shift and Generational Pressure The discussion challenged the idea that political responsibility rests solely with older generations. Younger voters are not only present but actively shaping the direction of conversations, particularly around healthcare, corruption, and financial influence in politics. As more voters enter the system, expectations are shifting toward candidates who operate without apology. Traditional funding structures are being rejected in favor of direct, transparent positioning. This shift is less about ideology and more about threshold. A growing segment of voters is no longer willing to accept incremental change when structural issues remain unresolved. Segment 6 — “Fake Counts” and the Limits of Certification A warning about potential manipulation of vote counts introduced a contradiction that cannot easily be ignored. Language like fake counts does not exist alongside full confidence in electoral systems without tension. At the same time, efforts to verify results continue to be blocked under the premise that certification finalizes the process. This creates a closed loop where outcomes are declared valid, but cannot be independently confirmed. The distinction becomes critical. Certification is procedural. Verification is evidentiary. When one replaces the other, trust is no longer built on proof, but on acceptance. Segment 7 — Social Security and the Manufactured Crisis The conversation returned to structural imbalance within Social Security. The current system caps taxable income, meaning contributions stop at a certain threshold regardless of how much more is earned. This design places a disproportionate burden on those below the cap while limiting contributions from those above it. At the same time, narratives around insolvency continue to build, framing the system as unsustainable. The concern is not just the imbalance itself, but where it leads. When a system is allowed to weaken without structural correction, it creates the conditions to argue that replacement is the only viable solution. Closing — The Loop What appears as separate issues such as foreign conflict, rising prices, shifting narratives, and structural policy gaps operates within a repeating loop. Disruption captures attention, messaging reshapes perception, time resets expectations, and the cycle begins again. The system does not rely on resolution. It relies on continuation. The longer the loop runs, the harder it becomes to distinguish between what is happening and what is being presented as happening. Thank you to everyone who tuned into into Rigged by Design with Jason [https://open.substack.com/users/14756640-jason?utm_source=mentions] and me. Join us for my next live video in the app on April 16, 2026 at 10:05 a.m. PST / 1:05 p.m. EST. Truth doesn’t come in neutral — Zorha. If this work matters to you, subscribe to Jason [https://substack.com/@jaystone4] and me as we keep documenting what others rush past or refuse to touch. Support is never expected, but always appreciated. Subscriptions and Buy Me a Coffeehelp keep this work independent, accessible, and ongoing. All core reporting remains free — support simply helps me keep digging. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zorhasbsfreezone.substack.com/subscribe [https://zorhasbsfreezone.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Rigged by Design: Episode 13 — Shaped Before the Outcome

This week we tried something a little different. Instead of leading with the headlines, we started with the systems underneath them — the ones shaping behavior, biology, and outcomes before most people realize anything is happening. It looks like four separate topics. It isn’t. Behavior: Inside the Manosphere (Netflix) Jason assigned this one as homework, and it delivered. What stands out most watching Inside the Manosphere isn’t the individual influencers — it’s how deliberately the ecosystem is built. The monetization model rewards outrage and identity reinforcement. Platforms optimize for engagement, and rage-baiting misogyny generates engagement. None of this is organic. It is engineered through repetition and reward loops, and it is targeting boys as young as 15 whose prefrontal cortexes are not yet fully developed. The moment that hit hardest was the mother near the end — the one defending her son’s content as performance, not belief. The lack of accountability there is its own lesson. You don’t get to disclaim the behavior you allowed and encouraged. The through-line to everything else this week: young men are being shaped by a system most of them can’t see, and can’t name. Biology: Plastics Detox (Netflix) Microplastics are now being found in human blood, organs, and reproductive tissue. Declining sperm counts are being studied in connection with exposure levels. In a small preliminary study — six couples, not a peer-reviewed clinical trial, worth flagging clearly — all participants who detoxed their homes from plastics were able to conceive after three months of attempting without success. The regulatory contrast is worth sitting with: the EU has banned hundreds of plastic compounds. The United States has banned two. The U.S. approach is reactive — wait until harm is proven and visible. The EU approach is precautionary — restrict until safety is established. Same materials, different rules, different outcomes. And the reason for the gap is the same reason it’s always the same reason: the cost of changing is borne by corporations, and corporations have lobbyists. You don’t have to see a system to be affected by it. Policy Architecture: Stephen Miller and Plyler v. Doe The New Republic published a piece on March 24th worth reading in full. On the surface, the Trump administration appears to be pulling back on the visibility of mass deportations — White House chief of staff Suzie Wiles reportedly now views the optics as a midterm liability. But underneath that messaging shift, Miller has been quietly meeting with Texas state legislators and floating the elimination of public school funding for undocumented children. This is a direct challenge to Plyler v. Doe, the 1982 Supreme Court ruling that held denying public education based on immigration status violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection guarantee. The goal isn’t just education policy. The goal is to use immigration as a crowbar against the 14th Amendment more broadly — connecting to the birthright citizenship executive order, to tiered citizenship, and to what legal scholars quoted in the piece describe as the construction of a permanent subclass. The public messaging is pulling back. The structural project is accelerating. These are not the same thing. System vs. Narrative: Dr. J. Alex Halderman Halderman is a cybersecurity professor at the University of Michigan who has spent years documenting real, exploitable vulnerabilities in voting machine systems — and who has also been clear, consistently, that identifying vulnerabilities is not the same as proving manipulation occurred. His sealed report in the Georgia Dominion lawsuit found security red flags. It explicitly did not conclude the 2020 election was stolen. What happened to his work is its own lesson in how technical findings get processed by a polarized media environment: one side dismissed the vulnerabilities entirely, the other treated them as proof of theft. Neither is accurate. The honest read is that the systems have weaknesses serious enough to warrant scrutiny, hand verification, and transparency and that the resistance to that scrutiny is itself worth examining. This connects directly to the Trifecta Files. Trifecta Files Update Part 1 is published. It covers Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Georgia — three states where the congressional results deserve the same scrutiny we’ve been applying to the presidential race. Part 2 covers Michigan, California, and Texas and is in progress. Pennsylvania remains the epicenter. It delivered one of the two Senate seats that completed the Republican trifecta. The numbers in that race, and the conditions around it — ballot challenges, procedural suppression, a governor who has shown no appetite for examination — don’t add up cleanly. If you have data, CVRs, or sourced information from any of these states, send it over. Thank you Lizzy B [https://substack.com/profile/350838263-lizzy-b], Sue O' [https://substack.com/profile/15728300-sue-o], Becky in Fla 💜 [https://substack.com/profile/317289224-becky-in-fla], Dina b Porter [https://substack.com/profile/43596409-dina-b-porter] and many others for tuning into Rigged by Design with Jason [https://open.substack.com/users/14756640-jason?utm_source=mentions] and me. Join us for my next live video in the app on April 3, 2026 at 10:05 a.m. PST / 1:05 p.m. EST. Truth doesn’t come in neutral — Zorha. If this work matters to you, subscribe to Jason [https://substack.com/@jaystone4] and me as we keep documenting what others rush past or refuse to touch. Support is never expected, but always appreciated. Subscriptions and Buy Me a Coffee help keep this work independent, accessible, and ongoing. All core reporting remains free — support simply helps me keep digging. Source receipts: “Trump Throws Stephen Miller Under the Bus in Surprise Show of Panic [https://open.substack.com/pub/newrepublic/p/trump-throws-stephen-miller-under?r=34v1yl&utm_medium=ios]” — The New Republic / Greg Sargent, March 24, 2026: “University of Michigan Professor Embroiled in Georgia Election Lawsuit [https://darik.news/michigan/university-of-michigan-professor-embroiled-in-georgia-election-lawsuit/493598.html]” — WDIV / Grant Hermes, January 28, 2022 Inside the Manosphere — Netflix documentary Plastics Detox — Netflix documentary Note on the plastics segment: the fertility study discussed involved six couples and does not meet the threshold for a peer-reviewed clinical study. It is cited here as preliminary and directional. Rigged by Design is now available on Apple Podcasts for those who prefer to listen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zorhasbsfreezone.substack.com/subscribe [https://zorhasbsfreezone.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]