A WORLD GONE MAD
A Progressive Liberal News Podcast
Veteran Television, and Radio Broadcaster Jeff Alan Wolf offers his Observations on the issues (many issues) of the week with a fearless liberal bent. His solid delivery, and dry common sense approach sets him apart from other liberals that populate Talk and Commentary Podcasts”
Jeff Does NOT Pull Punches.
He does NOT Make comments that are “SAFE”.
He tells the Truth.
(He Tells It As He Sees It)
He Is Very OPINIONATED!
He says the things Out Loud YOU’RE
already thinking.
Jeff is Unfiltered, Unspun, A little Unhinged, but offers a lot of Common Sense.
This Podcast could make you MAD.
This Podcast could make you SMILE.
Regardless, it WILL make you THINK!
A WORLD GONE MAD
Senator Handcuffed!, Silencing Courts, National Monuments Gone?, FEMA Abolished!!!
The fragile threads of American democracy AGAIN come under unprecedented strain as a Senator is handcuffed and forcibly removed from a Homeland Security press conference despite clearly identifying himself as an elected official. This shocking breakdown of institutional respect serves as the centerpiece of a week filled with disturbing developments that signal an accelerating erosion of democratic norms and constitutional guardrails.
Against the backdrop of Trump's military parade on his 79th birthday, millions gather in "No Kings" rallies across all fifty states, their voices rising in unified concern about the nation's authoritarian drift. Meanwhile, a provision buried in the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" threatens to strip federal courts of their ability to hold government officials accountable., while the Department of Justice reinterprets century-old law to allow presidents to completely revoke national monument designations!
Congressional ethics face further scrutiny as over a dozen lawmakers execute hundreds of stock trades during market turmoil.
Most alarming is the administration's plan to dismantle FEMA entirely after hurricane season. WTF?!
But among all this turmoil, I have four inspiring stories to share with you.
Do you have comments?
The conversation continues at 833-399-9653 24/7 Voice Mailbox
Or you can send your comments to:
aworldgonemadpodcast@gmail.com as we navigate these turbulent waters together, and stand up to preserve our democratic institutions.
AWorldGoneMadPodcast@gmail.com
This is a world gone mad. This is a world gone mad, mad, mad, mad, mad. It's another day in a world gone mad. I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe and I am back and to give my commentary on the news. Thank you for joining me. You know I miss a week and the shit hits the fan everywhere in our country and all over the world. I've got a lot to discuss with you from this past week. Here we go, and the five-ton elephant in the room is the disgusting thing that happened as a dagger to the heart of our democracy. The incident involving Senator Alex Padilla. The incident involving Senator Alex Padilla.
Speaker 1:June 12th this past week, during a press conference by Homeland Security Secretary Christy I shoot dogs that don't learn how to train Nome in Los Angeles, senator Alex Padilla was dramatically removed from the event. Now Padilla, who was awaiting a separate briefing at the federal building, stepped into Nome's press conference, publicly challenged her remarks about immigration enforcement. Identifying himself as a US senator, he attempted to ask questions but was quickly confronted by Secret Service FBI agents. He was pushed out of the room, restrained in a hallway, handcuffed and arrested. Though he resisted removal, he was released shortly afterward. Now the Department of Homeland Security and FBI Director Dan Bongino described the episode as a misunderstanding. You're right. According to their account, padilla didn't promptly show Senate credentials, made a sudden movement toward the podium I guess walking to the podium, according to Republicans, is a sudden movement which they interpreted as a potential threat. Now, secretary Noem described his behavior as disruptive political theater, but later noted that they had a productive private conversation. But later noted that they had a productive private conversation. Dhs defended the actions of federal agents as appropriate under the circumstances. Padilla, however, strongly disputed this version of events. He maintains that he clearly identified himself before speaking and that he was escorted into the room by staff. He called the response excessive, warned that if an elected senator could be treated this way, the broader implications for civil liberties were grave. Video evidence released later appeared to support his version of events, sparking outrage from many lawmakers and civil rights groups. Fallout Democratic leaders, including Chuck Schumer, elizabeth Warren, gavin Newsom, condemned the treatment of Senator Padilla as authoritarian and dangerous.
Speaker 1:Even some Republicans like Senator Lisa Murkowski expressed concern. She always takes a side of us to look good. However, others, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, sided with Nome and federal officials, arguing that Padilla-Sank's actions were inappropriate. Sorry, his actions I can't talk tonight were inappropriate. Now this confrontation has become a flashpoint in a larger debate over immigration enforcement and the balance between executive power and democratic oversight.
Speaker 1:There are no words. A sitting senator treated like that are you out of your fucking mind? They claim to perceive him as a threat when he clearly identified himself. Why are we attacking political figures like this? This is a full-throated clamp down on freedom of speech. No other way to look at this than that way the the Wolfpack listeners. Hey, this is incredibly scary. It needs to be monitored minute by minute.
Speaker 1:You know almost 12 million no Kings rallies total of the people who showed up at these rallies nationwide as President Trump's military parade takes place on his 79th birthday. As a military parade rolled through Washington DC on Saturday, president Donald Trump's birthday, millions of Americans, who are expected to work, actually came out to protest and what organizers predict was the strongest display of opposition to Trump's administration since he took office. In January, 2,000 protests across all 50 states happened for the no Kings movement, which organizers say seek to reject authoritarianism, billionaire first policies and the militarization of our democracy. Hey, did you also see the troops, the small amount of military for Donald Trump at his birthday parade? And they weren't organized. There was no cadence to their step. It was kind of a disorganized movement that people were saying was deliberate to show their disdain for the president. I don't know about that. I didn't see it, I didn't want to watch that crap, but that's what everyone's saying Now. The mobilization was a direct response to Trump's military parade and it coincided, of course, with his birthday. So everyone came out in all 50 states for the known King's Rally. Good start. We need 10 times that amount. This is just going to be a peaceful parade, which it was. Was there a surprise we thought would happen with the announcement from Trump on the end of democracy? No, a lot of people felt that something was going to happen during the parade. It didn't. So hopefully it would just became a stupid ass parade for Donald to show how much ego he has.
Speaker 1:Another extremely volatile situation and we have to watch how things play out week by week with Donald the egotistical dictator. Israel strikes in the heart of Iran against their nuclear facilities, also killing several top-notch commanders. Iran struck back. Israel went back again. Iran went back. Iran said they're only going to do equal retaliation. They don't want to get into an all-out war with Israel, damage back and forth. Our response is going to be worse. No, ours is. No, ours is. And Iran and Israel go back and forth with rhetoric and missiles. Will rational heads stop the madness? I doubt this sincerely. This is a huge powder keg escalating by the hour and again, as you listen to this episode, it probably became 3,000 times worse in the next 24 hours. Chaos is breaking out everywhere and we feel helpless under the weight of it.
Speaker 1:Newsom confronts Trump A blueprint for Democrats. California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered a primetime televised address on June 10th condemning President Trump's deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops 700 Marines to Los Angeles in response to ICE-related protests. Now Newsom called it an authoritarian overreach, warning that the operation was made illegally and for no reason. It served only to inflame tensions, not to protect public safety. He framed Trump's actions as part of a broader struggle against a war on culture, history, science and knowledge, urging Californians in the nation to stand firm in peaceful protest. Now Newsom also filed the lawsuit to block military involvement in civilian law enforcement and explicitly positioned the clash as a moral and constitutional line that Democrats should rally around.
Speaker 1:Beyond the immediate legal action, newsom used the moment to rebrand himself as a national Democratic leader, signaling a blueprint for the party himself. As a national Democratic leader, signaling a blueprint for the party, blend progressive resistance against Trump's authoritarian tendencies, which calls for responsible governance. Political commentators noted his approach, combining strong rhetoric with legal restraints a template for Democrats seeking to stand up to Trump while maintaining broader appeal. This strategy highlights two themes defending democratic institutions and civil liberties, and showcasing state-level leadership that balances firmness with procedural discipline. I honestly don't know if this is the correct course of action from Newsom, but at least somebody's doing something instead of sitting in the corner and playing with themselves. We need Democratic leadership now. Here's a fun one Congressional stock trades during Trump's tariff rollout.
Speaker 1:Now, in early April 2025, following President Trump's announcement of the so-called Liberation Day tariffs, more than a dozen members of Congress, as well as their spouses and families, executed over 700 stock trades between April 2nd and April 8th during intense market volatility. Notable participants include Representative Ro Khanna, democrat California, who led with 310 trades processed through family trusts, as well as Representatives Rob Bresnahan, marjorie Taylor, loonball Green and Jared Moskowitz, and the transactions included stocks and companies like MKS Instruments, jpmorgan Chase, honeywell and Visa firms directly affected by tariff policy. The market lost over $6 trillion in value before recovering after the tariffs were paused for 90 days. Controversially, many of the lawmakers involved are focal proponents of banning congressional stock trading. Representative Conner, for example, has supported such reforms. Wallace accounts engaged in hundreds of trades, representative Marjorie Loonball-Green, representative Moskowitz also participated, but defended their actions by citing independent financial advice.
Speaker 1:The magnitude of the trades has revived concerns about conflicts of interest and insider knowledge, prompting bipartisan calls for reform. Several bills have been introduced in response, including the End Congressional Stock Trading Act, the Trust in Congress Act and the Pelosi Act. These seek to require blind trust, mandate real-time disclosures or completely ban stock trading for lawmakers. Currently, the Stock Act mandates reporting within 45 days, but enforcement has been weak, with fines as low as $200 for late filings. This incident highlights the potential for lawmakers to profit from policies they help implement. With bipartisan pressure building, congress may soon enact tighter restrictions or even a complete ban on member stock trading to restore public trust.
Speaker 1:Look, if this is indeed wrongdoing that happened, which it seems like it is, then there has to be some kind of consequence, and I don't give a shit if it's a Democrat or a Republican doing this. Everyone needs to pay. No one is above the law, hello Donald. I'm speaking directly to pay. No one is above the law, hello Donald. I'm speaking directly to you. You've broken the law so many times. The balance of justice you know the figure with the scales is rusting.
Speaker 1:Controversial bill provision limiting judicial accountability. This is huge. A short but powerful clause, section 70302, buried inside the Republican-backed budget bill, known as the One Big, beautiful Bill, would prevent federal courts from enforcing contempt citations against government officials unless plaintiffs post a monetary bond before the courts may act. According to civil liberties advocates, this effectively makes court injunctions unenforceable without such bond payments. Legal experts warn that this provision could shield officials, including the president, from court-ordered enforcement. It closely aligns with the February presidential memo advocating bond requirements for injunctions against government agencies. If passed, this clause could even retroactively void prior rulings, significantly weakening judicial oversight. Critics argue that this measure is a constitutional threat, stripping the courts of their enforcement mechanisms and violating the principle of separation of powers.
Speaker 1:The proposal comes amid a wave of court rulings that have blocked various executive actions. It is one of several controversial parts of this bill, including bans on local AI regulation, sweeping tax code changes. The bill is under Senate review, where Democrats may attempt to remove the provision using procedural tools like the Byrd Rule. Constitutional scholars, civil liberty groups, multiple state attorneys generals are calling for the provision to be stripped out before passage. If it remains, it may face constitutional challenge as a violation of Article III powers.
Speaker 1:This is just ridiculous. Every time you and I come across something like this, we just realize how insane and how deep the stupidity shines from these dumb actions, these bills, these executive orders, whatever you want to call them. Speaking of dumb ass ideas, the DOJ ruling that Trump can revoke national monument designations Think about this. The Department of Justice official, or rather Office of Legal Counsel, released a legal opinion stating that President Trump, or any president, has the authority to revoke national monument designations under the Antiquities Act of 1906. Yeah, let's use an old law, right? No-transcript? This marks a significant departure from previous interpretations that presidents can only reduce monument size, not abolish designations entirely. Reduce monument size, not abolish designations entirely.
Speaker 1:Now, this reinterpretation places Bidens-era monuments such as Chukwala that was 625,000 acres and Satitla Highlands 225,000 acres in California, at direct risk. These areas are culturally significant to Native American tribes and environmentally protected. Trump administration officials have indicated active review of these and other monuments for possible revocation or reduction, largely, you know, to enable oil, gas and mineral extraction. Historically, while presidents like Eisenhower and Trump have reduced monument boundaries, none have revoked a designation entirely. President Biden had previously restored these boundaries.
Speaker 1:Legal scholars stress that the Antiquities Act is silent on revocation, raising significant constitutional questions. Critics argue that such a move violates the separation of powers and could undermine federal protections for public lands. Lawsuits from conservation groups and tribal nations are expected if the revocations proceed. In summary, the DOJ's new stance allows presidential revocation of national monuments, targeting recently designated areas in California. No vendetta there, right. The decision has triggered backlash from environmental and tribal groups, is likely to lead to legal challenges that may redefine the scope of executive power over public lands. This sets the stage for major court battles and a potential shift in how federal land protections are managed.
Speaker 1:I want to tell you the Wolfpack listeners and this is just my personal opinion, of course, you may or may not agree with me this is another situation from Donald Trump and his supporters backing him up of nut fuckery, total bullshit of what they're trying to do in our country destroying protections of monuments. It's lunacy. Trump plans I take a week off and I'm left with this. Here we go, listeners, get ready to join me. Trump plans to abolish FEMA after the hurricane season. That's right.
Speaker 1:On June 10th, president Trump announced during an Oval Office briefing that he intends to wean off FEMA by the end of the 2025 hurricane season. Under his plan, fema's disaster response duties will be transferred to state governors. Instead of FEMA requesting disaster declarations, the White House or the Department of Homeland Security would distribute the aid directly. Security would distribute the aid directly. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Nutty-Noem supported the plan, describing FEMA as inefficient and advocating for decentralized disaster responses. The Trump administration has already reduced FEMA staff by approximately one-third and is reconsidering eligibility criteria for federal disaster aid. A FEMA review council co-led by Nome and Defense Secretary Hegseth is active. What a duo right. Nome and Hegseth is actively evaluating the agency's operations and preparing a phase-out strategy that would shift emergency response and funding responsibilities away from federal control.
Speaker 1:Emergency management professionals and local officials have raised serious concerns, warning that state governments lack FEMA's infrastructure, their experience and centralized coordination abilities as natural disasters become more severe and frequent experts argue that removing federal aid could leave vulnerable communities at increased risk, especially those in disaster-prone regions. If implemented, the plan would fundamentally restructure the current disaster response system Authority would shift dramatically to individual states, potentially resulting in unequal capabilities depending on that state's resources. With NOAA predicting a severe hurricane season and FEMA already managing significant recovery operations $4.3 billion allocated for Hurricane Helene critics believe the move is poorly timed or possibly perfectly timed, according to the Republicans, because they don't care about us. Okay, and I tell all my friends, or so-called friends, who are Republicans and family members, they don't care about us. As evidenced by all of this stupidity. States have been encouraged to establish mutual aid packs, but many nonprofits caution that they cannot fully replace FEMA's scope. Abolishing FEMA. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Just when you think Republicans can't sink any lower, they jump up and surprise us with another asinine move.
Speaker 1:And with all these callous decisions from Trump and his MAGA supporters, it's time for my inspiring news story. This case is going to be several stories. I probably need this more than you, but we'll listen together. Okay, I'm going to share stories with you from multiple sources. Put all of our stress aside, take a deep breath, listen to the sound of my voice, relax and take a listen to these. And, by the way, if you want to say hello, I've been off a week. 833-399-9653. That's the toll-free number, or a World Gone Mad podcast. You've got to put the word podcast in at gmailcom or say hello in blue sky. I love to hear from people. I haven't heard from people like in a month. Okay, here we go. Inspiring news stories in the last 24 hours.
Speaker 1:A 12-year-old girl plants 150,000 trees in India. In a remarkable act of environmental stewardship, a 12-year-old girl from rural India has led the planting of 150,000 trees in her region. Motivated by a desire to combat climate change, preserve nature, she organized school and community volunteers to grow native saplings like mango, neem and banyan trees. Her effort not only helps restore local ecosystems, but also inspires civil responsibility among youth. Regional leaders are now exploring how to replicate her project in other villages. Bravo.
Speaker 1:Columbia cuts Amazon deforestation by 33 percent. Columbia has reduced deforestation in its Amazonian regions by 33% in early 2025 compared to last year, saving over 40,000 hectares of forest. The improvement follows stronger law enforcement, expanded conservation areas and collaborative programs with indigenous communities. Environmental Minister Lina Estrada Anokazi called it a turning point for South American biodiversity and climate resilience. And all about, you know, saving the environment. Pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Yorick tribe restores ancestral lands. California's Yurok tribe has regained control of 73 square miles of ancestral land among the Klamath River in a landmark return agreement. This is California's largest tribal land restoration and includes sacred sites, forest areas and salmon habitats. The Yurok now plan to apply traditional ecological knowledge to manage the land sustainably and revive cultural practices. All great stories, great, inspirational, about what they're doing to the environment.
Speaker 1:And finally, hero Crane Driver gets a bucket wish list. A bucket list wish, rather Say that three times fast. In Australia, a crane operator who saved a man from a burning building has been publicly honored and granted a personal bucket list wish. The rescuer remained anonymous for months, was surprised by firefighters and community members during a local event recognizing his heroism. His actions remind us of the quiet courage that uplifts and unites communities. Hope that takes an edge off of all the stupidity from Trump and his minions Hardly, but it's a start. Look, this is a world gone mad. I'm Jeff Allen Wolf. I will be back again Wednesday. I really hope to hear from you. I could use your input, your I really hope to hear from you. I could use your input, your comments, your thoughts, your energy. Otherwise, I'm sitting in a room talking to myself. Stay hopeful. There is chaos in the world, can't you see? And we need to stand up and preserve our democracy. This is a world gone mad. This is a world gone mad.
