JWSP

The Hype Video Nobody Asked For

This week's "Who Said It" comes courtesy of the Bloodhound Gang — and if you know the song, you already know where this episode is going tonally. First up, a very important listener beef gets addressed — Boston J has some strong feelings about poutine and gravy rights, and we have some even stronger feelings back. Tesla ticks up on the SpaceX IPO filing, but once you actually read what the filing says about Tesla's involvement, the celebration might be a little premature. We break down the fine print so you don't have to. The Xi-Putin summit wrapped up and the body language alone tells you everything about where America stands in that relationship right now. Russia meanwhile is selling off its oil at bargain basement prices just to keep the war machine running — and both the US and UK have quietly found ways to keep buying it anyway. Oh, and Ukraine just figured out how to extend drone range using balloons. We're not joking. The primaries are in — and the results are going to require some conversation. Thomas Massie, who had the nerve to work across the aisle on the Epstein files, is out. Five Indiana senators who blocked gerrymandering efforts are out. And there are some vote total anomalies in Kentucky's District 4 that have people asking questions we're going to ask out loud. The big story this week is the Gaza aid flotilla — boarded in international waters, activists detained on their knees, and Israel's own Minister of National Security put out a hype video of the whole thing. We walk through what's in that video, which countries summoned their Israeli diplomats, and what the United States did instead. We also get into Hasbara — what it is, what it costs, and why one video just undid years of it. Got feedback? We want to hear it. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449207/fan_mail/new]

174k Isn't Enough

This week's "Who Said It" is five words that aged about as well as a no-bid contract — and by the end of the episode, you'll know exactly who said them and why that's so funny. Tesla slides back down and Wall Street is starting to ask the question that Tesla owners probably don't want to hear — what happens when the guy in charge has a shinier new toy? Elon posted something on X this week that got deleted by morning, but not before the internet made sure it lived forever. We read it. We have thoughts. Ukraine's drones just got a serious upgrade — think Charmander to Charizard — and Moscow's fuel supply is feeling it. Meanwhile Russia managed to hit a Chinese-owned ship on its way to Odessa, right before Putin's trip to visit Xi. That's going to be a fun conversation. And the Trump administration quietly extended Russian oil sanctions relief again, which we'll contextualize for you in the most polite way we can manage. Congress is having a moment — senators just voted to stop their own paychecks during a government shutdown, which sounds responsible until you read the part about backpay. Then Mike Johnson stepped in to explain that $174,000 a year just isn't cutting it and members of Congress need stock trading to get by. We run the numbers, compare them to the federal minimum wage, and let the audience draw their own conclusions. Congressman Jason Crow has some ideas about fixing this that we suspect will make him very popular with exactly the wrong people. Trump dropped his $10 billion IRS lawsuit this week, and buried in the fine print of the settlement is something that should make everyone stop and read it twice. The reflecting pool has a new look that cost a lot more than advertised. And Kentucky's primary today has more foreign money flowing into a single House seat than you'd believe — we do the math on a per-resident basis and it's genuinely staggering. Got feedback? We want to hear it. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449207/fan_mail/new]

The Man Getting Paid in Rubles

This week's "Who Said It" is directed squarely at a very specific type of keyboard warrior, and we promise it lands perfectly given what's in the news this week. Tesla's having a week — the Cybertruck is back in recall territory for a reason that's going to make you think twice about hard cornering, and Elon posted something on X that was deleted by morning but not before the internet got a screenshot. We have thoughts on what it says about the man currently in charge of your rockets. Russia's Victory Day parade happened — sort of. No tanks, no missiles, and a flyover that turned out to be more CGI than aircraft. Both sides are already accusing each other of breaking the ceasefire, the prisoner exchange that was supposed to be the big win hasn't happened, and Putin has picked a mediator for peace talks whose resume includes being on the payroll of Russian state energy companies. We couldn't make this up. Ukraine meanwhile reached out and touched something over 900 miles away, which tells you everything you need to know about where this war actually stands heading into year five. Back home, the Federal Reserve just got a new face — confirmed by a razor thin margin with one very surprising Democratic vote that we have some feelings about. Trump made his expectations about interest rates crystal clear, and the contrast with how he's handled building renovations at home is genuinely one for the books. Iran sent a response to a White House baby announcement that is going to stop you cold. Ohio Representative Max Miller is this week's Scumbag of the Week, and the details of why he earned it are not for the faint of heart. Got feedback? We want to hear it. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449207/fan_mail/new]

The Basement Nobody Asked For

This week's "Who Said It" involves the ocean — or is it "see" like vision? Either way, someone very important has some very confident statistics about it, and we start there. Tesla is pushing past $400 despite a recall on 220,000 cars — and the way Tesla handles recalls versus every other automaker is actually worth a conversation. There's also a trademark filing that tells you something big is coming, if you believe in the power of paperwork over timelines. Russia's Victory Day parade is almost here and the optics are not great — no military hardware, a stunt driver rehearsing something that defies several laws of physics, and diplomats being quietly asked to leave Kyiv before things get interesting. Meanwhile, after a phone call with Putin, Pete Hegseth announced the withdrawal of thousands of US troops from Germany. Totally unrelated, we're sure. The White House ballroom saga has a new chapter — what started as a $200 million private donor project is now a $1 billion taxpayer bill hitching a ride on a border security package, and the design plans have us asking some serious questions about who exactly is supposed to get lost in the basement. Oh, and a Luxembourg steel company is providing the materials, which pairs nicely with the US Steel deal we'll explain. The Trump sons have a new business venture in the drone interceptor space — and the timeline of when they joined the board, when the Air Force signed a contract, and what company they're merging with is one of the more brazenly entertaining conflict of interest stories we've covered. And the IOC has some thoughts on Belarus that we have some thoughts about. That car coming down in Russia https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-13580423/Horrifying-moment-police-car-stunt-goes-horribly-wrong-Ford-Focus-balancing-two-wheels-crashes-officer-driving-skills-display-survived.html#v-1135876632945408158 Got feedback? We want to hear it. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449207/fan_mail/new]

Apologies on the feedback, its bad

This week's "Who Said It" is a business quote that aged in a very funny direction — once you find out who said it and what happened next, you'll understand why we opened with it. Tesla's back on the move and this time there's actually something real behind it — the first Tesla Semi rolled off the line with some genuinely impressive specs. We break down the numbers, what it could mean for the industry, and why we're cautiously optimistic with an asterisk. Then there's the SpaceX IPO filing with a clause so brazen it makes you do a double take — Elon Musk has essentially structured it so that the only person who can fire Elon Musk... is Elon Musk. On the war front, Ukraine had a very productive week before anyone started talking ceasefires — a missile ship, a patrol boat, a shadow fleet tanker, a refinery, and oh, a drone that made it six miles from the Kremlin. Then both sides announced ceasefires — on completely different dates — and we have some questions about how that's supposed to work. There's also a pointed warning to Belarus that tells you everything you need to know about how much the situation on the ground has shifted. An aid flotilla got intercepted by the Israeli Navy in international waters — 600 miles from Gaza — and the Jerusalem Post's headline about it is genuinely one for the ages. We read it so you don't have to. NASA's new chief wants to give Pluto its planet status back, and we have a disagreement brewing. Trump gave Zambia a deadline that made our jaws drop. And May Day is tomorrow — 750 events planned, an economic blackout underway, and we have some thoughts on whether this or another approach has been more effective lately. The Spirit CEO speech link https://youtu.be/wKWJ4TIzE1o?si=VRGgBltcBFaOcKh- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKWJ4TIzE1o] Got feedback? We want to hear it. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449207/fan_mail/new]