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
Spiteful Trump Targets Bolton, Powell’s Tightrope, Prison Scandal
It’s Friday, and that means one thing: the week may be over, but the madness is still rolling downhill. A World Gone Mad is back with the Friday Edition — the mix of hard news, sharp commentary, and a trip to News from the Edge of Sanity to lighten the weight before the weekend hits.
This episode kicks off with the kind of headline you can’t ignore — the powerful using power to settle scores. I dig into the latest raid making waves in Washington and why the story isn’t about documents, but about something pettier and more dangerous.
From there, I head south — where a detention facility in the swamp has become a national flashpoint. What it represents goes way beyond barbed wire, and it raises a bigger question about how far politicians will go when they’re chasing headlines and trying to look “tough.”
Then I turn my focus to the economy. Markets are rattling, leaders are talking, and your wallet is caught in the middle. I look at the signals coming out of Jackson Hole and what they could mean for everything from mortgages to grocery bills — and why the spectacle isn’t just about Wall Street.
After that, it’s time for the Friday tradition: News from the Edge of Sanity. The headlines may be heavy, but the sidelines are downright unhinged. Strange cargo spills, bizarre traditions that refuse to die, and public meltdowns that belong more in a comedy sketch than real life.
As always, the absurd lives right next door to the serious — and if you can’t laugh at it, you’ll go mad from it. That’s the balance I bring: news with teeth, and satire with purpose.
The madness isn’t slowing down — and neither am I.
Send your comments to:
MadWorldTalk@gmail.com
AWorldGoneMadPodcast@gmail.com
This is a World Gone Mad. This is a World Gone Mad, mad, mad, mad, mad. This is a World Gone Mad. I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the Friday edition, the part of the week where I bring you news from the edge of sanity and try to lighten the load a little before you head into your weekend. If you're listening to my podcast, welcome to the club nobody signed up for. Let me see if I can describe what you're feeling. You've crawled through another week in America where our country is a gorilla-glued bargain bin pinata on wobbly legs staggering its way into a birthday party that's packed with sugar, crazed children who are swinging aluminum bats wildly like it's the Hunger Games. But hey, maybe that's just me screaming from inside the pinata.
Speaker 1:America is not divided. It's a family reunion food fight where half the relatives brought potato salad, the other half brought Molotov cocktails and the tablecloth is already on fire. The politicians still auctioning off democracy on Craigslist with the words heavily bruised, no returns written in the description and the national mood hovering somewhere between bad Wi-Fi rage and a hangover. You didn't earn Coasting on fumes, pretending the smoke alarm going off is just part of the vibe. You might be streaming this on your commute, catching it at the gym or hiding out in Target pretending you're still looking for the toothpaste, doesn't matter where you showed up, and that's half the battle. These days. What you're getting here isn't shrink-wrapped or sanitized, it's just me a microphone, a head stuffed with too many headlines and a golden retriever convinced I'm running a very loud, very unsuccessful talk show from the kitchen table. So first things first, let's dive into some real news, because while the headlines keep bouncing around like squirrels on espresso, somebody's got to grab the mic and say what everyone else is thinking. That somebody is me. Here we go.
Speaker 1:My first story is the FBI raid on former National Security Advisor John Bolton's home and office in a classified documents probe. You know, the first thing that struck me about the FBI raid on John Bolton's home wasn't about national security, it wasn't about the documents, it was pure retribution. This is Trump saying you put me through hell when I got raided, now it's your turn. That's how his mind works. Not through the lens of justice or law, but payback To him. Bolton isn't a former national security advisor. He's a former ally turned critic who betrayed Trump, and betrayal in Trump's world always demands revenge. Now let's be clear John Bolton isn't some street-level criminal with a stash of stolen secrets under his mattress. He's a career hawk, yes, a controversial figure, absolutely.
Speaker 1:But the idea that Bolton suddenly poses a threat big enough to send federal agents to his front door, that stretches the imagination. This looks less like protecting classified documents and more like weaponizing the process to settle scores. And that's the danger here. When law enforcement is used as a political hit squad, it stops being about the documents and starts being about the message If you cross me, I'll send the government after you. That chills dissent, that intimidates critics and that erodes faith in institutions that are supposed to be blind to politics. Because, remember, bolton's raid didn't happen in a vacuum. It happened after years of Trump raging about the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, about witch hunts, about enemies coming for him, and in Trump's warp logic, the only way to balance the scales is to put his enemies through the same spectacle. So here we are another high-profile raid, not because John Bolton is dangerous, but because Donald Trump is vengeful. And if this becomes the standard, then every political grudge becomes a criminal probe, every opponent becomes a target and the justice system becomes just another weapon in Trump's arsenal. And while Trump's busy turning raids into revenge fantasies.
Speaker 1:Down in Florida, a federal judge just ordered the shutdown of a detention center so notorious they call it Alligator Alcatraz. My second story is about this prison. And let's just be honest, only in a Florida could a detention center sound like a theme park attraction. You half expect Mickey Mouse at the front gate selling fast passes. Instead, what you've got is a slapdash prison plopped in the middle of the Everglades and a federal judge finally saying tear it down, pack it up, get it out. This wasn't rule bending, this was rule shredding. No environmental review, no tribal consultation, no public process, just boom. A detention center, a camp in a swamp full of endangered species, because nothing says land of the free like sticking barbed wire in a wildfire preserve. And when they got sued, the state basically shrugged and went yeah, we did that. But here's the part that matters. It's not just about alligators and wetlands, it's about people, human beings, locked up in a place that never should have existed. And now they'll get shuffled to another facility with another nickname, because America has somehow turned mass detention into a branding exercise. The judge shut it down, and that's good. But let's not kid ourselves. The playbook hasn't changed. Politicians chasing headlines and flexing tough-on-immigration credentials will cut corners every chance they get, and when that happens, the law, the environment and the people trapped in the middle are the first things thrown out the window From a prison in the swamp to a prison of another kind, the financial system we're all trapped in.
Speaker 1:And while Trump keeps screaming at the Fed to slash rates like it's his personal jukebox, jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve the guy who decides what borrowing money costs in this country is the one adult in the room trying to keep the whole thing from blowing up. Powell gave a speech in Jackson Hole, wyoming, and the markets lost their minds. He didn't cut rates. He didn't even promise to cut rates. All he did was hint that maybe, possibly, if the numbers keep moving the right way, the Fed might cut interest rates in September. That's it A whisper.
Speaker 1:And Wall Street acted like he had just declared Christmas twice a year. The Dow jumped up almost 900 points, the S&P jumped, the Nasdaq nearly hit 2%, bond yields fell, the dollar dipped. Even small cap stocks the little guys who actually need to borrow cash went flying Low. Home builders and travel companies surged because suddenly everyone thinks cheaper loans mean people will start buying houses and booking flights again. Here's what this means for you listener. Here's what this means for you listener. If the Fed really does cut rates, your mortgage, your car loan, even your credit card interest, could get a little cheaper. It's about the only kind of trickle down that actually reaches people. But it's a gamble. Lower rates can also juice inflation, and nobody wants to go back to paying $7 for a carton of eggs again.
Speaker 1:And here's the political undertow. Trump has been pounding Powell for months, demanding rate cuts like it's his favorite song on the jukebox. So when Powell leans dovish, even slightly, the markets hear it as more than economics. They hear politics, and billionaires start popping champagnes, while the rest of us are still staring at grocery receipts wondering how to make it to payday. So, yes, powell's speech sent the market soaring, but it's not salvation, it's not stability. It's a tightrope, and Powell and the Fed are the ones inching across. While Trump shakes that tightrope, the markets cheer every wobble, but the rest of us are standing underneath, knowing if they fall, we're the ones who get crushed.
Speaker 1:So, after all that Trump's revenge raids, florida's swamp prison and Wall Street doing cartwheels, you, dear listener, deserve a break. Deserve a break. So it's time for news from the edge of sanity, where the stories are still insane, but at least you don't need a stiff drink to get through them. All right. So picture this, everyone right in your mind. Picture this You're on your morning commute in Pennsylvania, coffee in hand, traffic crawling, and suddenly the road ahead looks like the aftermath of a Nathan's hot dog eating contest gone nuclear.
Speaker 1:That's because a tractor trailer tipped over an I-83 near Shrewsbury and dumped thousands of hot dogs across the highway. Lanes closed, traffic snarled and four people were injured, thankfully not seriously. All because the worst possible cargo decided to scatter itself across the interstate. And yes, I said that. And let's just pause on that. Visual. Fire crews and tow operators out there, boots on asphalt, trying to scrape frankfooters off the pavement like they're squeegeeing a giant George Foreman grill.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile, commuters are stuck in a traffic jam and calling in to work to explain to their boss. Sorry, I'll be late, I'm stuck behind a lot of weenies. You can almost hear the GPS giving directions. In two miles, prepare to merge into the condiments. This is what America does best. We can't fix infrastructure, we can't agree on a budget, but we will turn an interstate into a giant charcuterie board. Now accidents happen, cargo spills, but tell me there isn't something perfectly on brand about a truckload of hot dogs painting a highway in America. Not silicon chips, not fine French wine, hot dogs the most 4th of July food we've got and an I-83, it became a full scale traffic hazard. So, yes, everyone's safe, the roads clear and life goes on, but for a few surreal hours, pennsylvania drivers got a new definition of rush hour Bumper to bumper, the kind nobody relishes unless it's on a hot dog.
Speaker 1:All right, let's head to Scotland, listeners, where the annual Merry Mass Festival in Irvine has revived a tradition so absurd it feels like it was invented on a drunken dare and then kept going for six centuries. It's called the Greasy Pole. So here's the game Take a 25-foot pole, slather it in grease, stick it up in the middle of town and then dare grown adults to climb it. The prize A ham, not just any ham, a ham wrapped in barbed wire. This is peak medieval energy.
Speaker 1:600 years ago somebody said out loud we need entertainment, and apparently nobody had invented, j says, community spirit, like watching neighbors slide down a pole of shame. Seriously, is this where the insult go? Shove a pole up your ass started. Because, if so, scotland's been workshopping this since the 1300s, nobody actually got the ham. This year Nobody ever really does. That's the point. The whole town gathers to watch people humiliate themselves trying. It's the world's oldest slapstick routine. Imagine explaining this to an alien who just landed on the planet Earth. Yes, this is our culture. We grease poles and worship meat. And honestly, in a world of corporate festivals and soulless parades, there's something almost pure about it no fireworks, no DJs, no TikTok influencers, just grease, gravity and the dream of pork. So cheers to Irvin, may the hams stay barbed, may the poles stay greasy, and may we all admit this is the most honest sport humanity ever invented.
Speaker 1:And finally we land in Boston, literally where the jet blue gate at Logan turned into amateur night at the airport, a passenger waiting to board, like the rest of us poor souls, decided TSA wasn't enough humiliation for one day and he stripped right there in the terminal. That's right. He started in bright red underwear, stretching, posing like he was warming up for a one-man Cirque du Soleil, and then, just to complete the show, he went full birthday suit. So picture the scene. Everyone Families are clutching their Dunkin', business travelers trying to send one last email, and here's this guy treating Gate C like it's his personal runway, mooning passengers, muttering nonsense and finally giving the full reveal before state troopers rushed in to haul him off Somewhere. There's a poor JetBlue intern who had to make an announcement over the speakers. No one wanted to hear.
Speaker 1:Attention, passengers on flight 237 to Orlando your boarding has been delayed due to an unscheduled nudist aerobics demonstration at Gate C. We apologize for the inconvenience. And here's the thing. We've all seen airport meltdowns, right, people screaming about baggage fees, flights or fights over reclining seats, and the occasional guy trying to board with three buckets of fried chicken. But this, this, is a whole new level. You want chaos, forget turbulence. Nothing rattles passengers like having to avert your eyes while a stranger does a strip show next to the boarding queue, except maybe the 93-year-old grandmother who got a thrill. So, yes, he was escorted out, charges pending, and flights eventually resumed. But if you were there, how do you ever fly again without wondering will seat 22C keep his pants on this time?
Speaker 1:That was your news from the Edge of Sanity, now a regular segment on Fridays, a friendly reminder that while the headlines are terrifying, the sidelines are completely unhinged. I'm not saying the world's unwell, but it just walked into a glass door, apologized to the door and then walked into it again and again and yet again. Wolfpack listeners, if you've got thoughts, unload them. Maybe it's a rant about why shoelaces only untie themselves in public, or why your smoke detector only dies at 3 am. I want to hear them. Or skip the rant and just tell me the last time you accidentally waved at someone who wasn't waving at you, but you committed to the wave anyway, because that's who we are now. Either way, this is your space.
Speaker 1:Send me your weird, your petty, your overffeinated brain dumps because, trust me, they'll fit right in here. Email me anytime madworldtalk at gmailcom. M-a-d-w-o-r-l-d-t-a-l-k at gmail. Email me your thoughts. Email me the one thing you would do that would get you escorted out of Costco. Email me the one thing you'd only blurt out in a doctor's office right after they ask you. So what brings you in today? Or call my 24-7 voicemail line 833-399-9653. It's toll free. When you call, don't just leave a message, leave craziness. Read me your grocery list, like you're auditioning for America's Got Talent and Simon Cowell just gave you an X because you didn't remember eggs. Or give me your best play-by-play of two squirrels fighting over a Cheeto in the Walmart parking lot. And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify, because without your stars, I'll end up standing in the Home Depot parking lot showing people pretty flowers and begging them for money while they're loading mulch into their trucks. Who am I kidding? I already do that on weekends.
Speaker 1:This has been A World Gone Mad. I'm Jeff Allen Wolf. I'll be back Monday because someone has to say the shit that no one else will, and apparently that job's mine. Until then, wolfpack listeners, stay skeptical, stay focused and, most of all, 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 on red.
