The Skepticrat

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189: Skepticrat189 - Schadenfreudian Slip Edition Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode: We’ll wrap up the year because we forgot to get you a Christmas present ... We’ll miss obvious topical references because we recorded this a week early ... And lots of tea, lots of schadenfreude.
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Another amazing word of the day idea from Susie Dent:
https://twitter.com/susie_dent
Headline Sources:
Ted Cruz is an embarrassing failure: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/22/us/politics/cruz-jackson-antiracist-baby.html
Chat GPT freaks a bunch of people out, is cool: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/dec/05/what-is-ai-chatbot-phenomenon-chatgpt-and-could-it-replace-humans
Trump’s legal woes plague him all year: https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/15/politics/donald-trump-investigations-lawsuits/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/06/politics/trump-organization-fraud-trial-verdict/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/09/politics/judge-throws-out-trumps-rico-lawsuit-against-hillary-clinton-and-democrats/index.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/18/garland-to-appoint-special-counsel-for-trump-criminal-probes-00069451
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trumps-tax-returns-now-hands-house-democrats-lengthy-court-battle-rcna59488
Stewart Rhodes convicted for seditious conspiracy: https://www.npr.org/2022/11/29/1139454126/oath-keepers-stewart-rhodes-seditious-conspiracy-verdict-trial
Alex Jones sentenced to pay $1 billion to Sandy Hook families: https://apnews.com/article/shootings-school-connecticut-conspiracy-alex-jones-3f579380515fdd6eb59f5bf0e3e1c08f
And another $0.4 billion: https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-shootings-business-connecticut-alex-jones-c6d0563dc17e7bfa83a881b44e7b9eec
Mahsa Amini protests lead to possible abolition of Iran’s morality police: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/04/world/middleeast/iran-morality-police.html

188: Skepticrat188 - How to Drag Your Trainin' Edition Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode: Joe Biden murders Thomas the Tank Engine with his BARE HANDS ... We learn that the sentence for voter fraud in Ohio is basically noogies ... And Alex Jones plays host to a nazi-themed episode of The Masked Singer.
To support our show on Patreon, go here:
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Get great deals while supporting the show by checking out our sponsors:
https://www.betterhelp.com/skepticrat
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Another amazing word of the day idea from Susie Dent:
https://twitter.com/susie_dent
Headline Sources:
Biden administration passes bill to avert rail strike: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/02/us/politics/rail-strike-biden.html
Kanye West praises Hitler in Alex Jones interview: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/12/01/kanye-west-alex-jones-hilter-interview/
Elon Musk leaks internal Twitter discussions about Hunter Biden's laptop: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/02/musk-leak-twitter-hunter-biden-files-00072015
https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/02/tech/musk-twitter-hunter-biden/index.html
Mauna Loa volcano erupts: https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/12/03/mauna-loa-volcano-tourism-crowds/
A hard look at New York’s controversial new approach to the homeless: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/03/politics/nyc-hospitalize-mentally-ill-what-matters/index.html
After using robocalls to suppress votes, Wohl and Burkman have to register voters: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/01/us/politics/wohl-burkman-voter-suppression-ohio.html

187: Skepticrat187 - Recrudescence Edition Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode: Elon makes us long for the humble brilliance of Krang ... The World Cup gets so immoral even NFL fans will get uneasy ... And Herschel Walker has some important information that could affect your vampire weekend.
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:
https://www.betterhelp.com/skepticrat
https://www.policygenius.com
https://www.hellofresh.com/skepticrat65
Another amazing word of the day idea from Susie Dent:
https://twitter.com/susie_dent
Headline Sources:
Trump announces 2024 campaign and MAGAGA plan:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/15/politics/fact-check-trump-announcement-speech-2024
Respect for Marriage Act gets Republican support in the Senate: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/16/us/politics/same-sex-marriage-bill-senate.html
Twitter death spiral: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/technology/elon-musk-twitter-workers-quit.html
Qatar bans beer sales at FIFA stadium: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/sports/soccer/world-cup-beer-qatar.html
Herschel Walker veered off in a campaign speech to rant about werewolves killing vampires: https://www.businessinsider.com/herschel-walker-veers-off-speech-to-rant-about-werewolves-vampires-2022-11
Honey, wake up; the new metric prefixes just dropped: https://phys.org/news/2022-11-earth-ronnagrams-metric-prefixes-voted.html

186: Skepticrat186 - Election Eve '22 Edition Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode: Lulu la doing democracy stuff ... Elon Musk literally borrows our oddly charming "giving away a free thing" business model ... And Andrew Torrez has some helpful tips on how to set up your panic room on Tuesday night.
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:
https://www.betterhelp.com/skepticrat
https://www.policygenius.com
https://www.hellofresh.com/skepticrat65
Headline Sources:
Brazil's Bolsonaro does not concede to Lula, but authorizes transition: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazilian-court-orders-roadblocks-cleared-bolsonaro-silent-election-loss-2022-11-01/
Netanyahu on course to lead Israel’s most right-wing government ever: https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/middleeast/netanyahu-israel-election-results-intl/index.html
Biden Warns That ‘Big Lie’ Republicans Imperil American Democracy: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/us/politics/biden-speech-democracy-election.html
Recreational marijuana legalization is on the ballot in these states this November: https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/04/politics/marijuana-initiatives-arkansas-maryland-missouri-north-dakota-south-dakota/index.html
Architect of the Capitol is hilariously corrupt: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/02/architect-capitol-blanton-cars-investigation/
#TrumpIsDead trends on Twitter as users test Elon Musk's approach to fake news: https://news.sky.com/story/trumpisdead-trends-on-twitter-as-users-test-elon-musks-approach-to-fake-news-12736249
Elon Musk Takes a Page Out of Mark Zuckerberg’s Social Media Playbook: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/technology/musk-twitter-advertisers-civil-rights.html
Stephen King tells Elon Musk to go fuck himself over monthly charge for blue checks: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-tells-stephen-king-104157420.html
Ina Garten’s husband sexting: https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/03/entertainment/ina-garten-jeffrey-texts

185: Skepticrat185 - Truss Falls Edition Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode: Tim Ryan is coming to save us ... Donald Trump will finally get some competition in the “hilariously inept, celebrity-owned, right-wing, bigot-themed social media” space ... And Liz Truss gets out after 6 weeks, just in time to satisfy the heartbeat rule.
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:
https://www.betterhelp.com/skepticrat
https://www.hellofresh.com/skepticrat65
https://www.policygenius.com
Headline Sources:
Liz Truss is gone after the shortest PM term in British history:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/20/world/liz-truss-news
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/10/all-hell-broke-loose-for-liz-truss-on-wednesday.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/19/world/europe/liz-truss-lettuce-stream.html
Tim Ryan Beats the crap out of JD Vance: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jd-vance-alex-jones-ohio-debate_n_634e1b5ee4b051268c4cf1e6
Appeals court blocks Biden’s student loan cancellation efforts: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/21/1130705453/student-loan-cancellation-blocked-lawsuit-appeal
Kanye West is buying Parler: https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/17/23408443/kanye-west-ye-parler-free-speech-social-media-platform
FDA Warns Against Using NyQuil As A Chicken Marinade: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fda-nyquil-chicken-warning_n_632a1a3ce4b0ed991abdeada
Anti-woke superhero movie conned out of a million dollars in fan donations: https://gizmodo.com/vox-day-anti-woke-rebel-s-run-1849682896
About Chuck tingle pounding Theodore Beale in the butt: https://www.vox.com/2016/5/26/11759842/chuck-tingle-hugo-award-rabid-puppies-explained

184: Skepticrat184 - Walker Ex-Estranger Edition Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode: Far leftist and marijuana crusader Joe Biden? ... Herschel Walker will make it most of the way through this intro without a new scandal breaking ... Annnd he just said "I'm DB Cooper."
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:
https://www.hellofresh.com/skepticrat65
https://www.betterhelp.com/skepticrat
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Headline Sources:
Russo-Ukraine war inches ever closer to possible nuclear conflict: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/7/biden-says-nuclear-armageddon-risk-highest-in-60-years
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/03/russia-has-no-full-control-of-any-of-four-annexed-ukrainian-provinces https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/07/russia-military-commanders-dismissed-war/
At NYU, students were failing organic chemistry so they fired the professor:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/us/nyu-organic-chemistry-petition.html
Area man is arrested for parody and The Onion files a Supreme Court amicus brief:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/us/the-onion-supreme-court.html
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-293/242292/20221003125252896_35295545_1-22.10.03%20-%20Novak-Parma%20-%20Onion%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf
Herschel Walker took a hit out on a fetus: https://www.thedailybeast.com/pro-life-herschel-walker-paid-for-girlfriends-abortion-georgia-senate
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/07/walker-abortion-georgia-senate/
Biden pardons federal simple possession charges for marijuana: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/06/us/politics/biden-marijuana-pardon.html
Lizzo plays a 200-year-old crystal flute, accidentally summons a swarm of trolls: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2022/10/02/lizzo-plays-a-200-year-old-crystal-flute-accidentally-summons-a-swarm-of-trolls

183: Skepticrat183 - AlphaRearo Edition Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode: We'll get cheeky about a chess cheater's choices ... Mike Lindell will get something in the drive thru that’s unpleasant even by Hardee’s standards ... And Donald Trump declassifies nuclear secrets while drinking a glass of water.
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:
https://www.greenchef.com/skepticrat135
https://www.policygenius.com
https://www.betterhelp.com/skepticrat
Headline Sources:
Mike Lindell sues FBI for taking his phone at a Hardee's drive-thru: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/09/21/mypillow-ceo-mike-lindell-sues-fbi-for-seizing-his-phone-at-a-hardees-drive-through/
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-mike-lindell-got-boxed-in-at-the-hardees-drive-thru
https://www.newsweek.com/hardees-trolls-mike-lindell-discount-if-you-still-have-phone-1743179
Spotted lanternflies are thriving in the Northeast; scientists fear they could spread farther: https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/24/us/spotted-lanternfly-habitat-expanding-climate/index.html
Trump supporters commit still more voter fraud in effort to prove that there was voter fraud: https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-technology-lawsuits-donald-trump-voting-6a1324cc6cf45c95ca086a5c81617b15
Magnus Carlsen vs Hans Niemann cheating scandal: https://en.chessbase.com/post/is-hans-niemann-cheating-world-renowned-expert-ken-regan-analyzes
https://nypost.com/2022/09/23/world-class-chess-champ-breaks-silence-after-resignation/
Three baby chimps kidnapped from a sanctuary and their abductors are demanding a ransom: https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/23/africa/chimp-kidnap-dr-congo-intl-scli/index.html
NASA seeks to nudge an asteroid on Monday: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/interactive/2021/nasa-rams-an-asteroid-planetary-defense/

182: Skepticrat182 - Gone With the Windsor Edition Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode, tranphobic trolls lose their safe space, Trump loses at losing again, and the UK reveals its one-in, one-out policy on Lizzes.
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:
https://www.betterhelp.com/skepticrat
https://www.policygenius.com
To check out our sister show, The Scathing Atheist, click here: https://audioboom.com/channel/scathing-atheist
To check out our sister show’s hot friend, God Awful Movies, click here: https://audioboom.com/channel/god-awful-movies
To check out our half-sister show, Citation Needed, click here: http://citationpod.com/
To check out our sister show’s sister show, D and D minus, click here: https://danddminus.libsyn.com/
Headline Sources:
Queen Lizzy dies: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/08/queen-elizabeth-ii-britains-longest-reigning-monarch-dies-aged-96
Kiwi farms shuts down: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/07/techscape-kiwi-farms-cloudflare
Judge tosses Trump’s suit against Hillary Clinton and the rest of Earth: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/09/trump-hillary-clinton-lawsuit-2016-election/
Liz Truss becomes UK prime minister after meeting Queen at Balmoral https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/06/liz-truss-becomes-uk-prime-minister-meeting-queen-balmoral
NY declares state of emergency over low polio vaccination rates: https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/09/health/new-york-polio-disaster-emergency/index.html
Kim Jong Un declares North Korea a “nuclear weapons state”: https://www.npr.org/2022/09/10/1122196021/north-korea-declares-itself-a-nuclear-weapons-state

181: Skepticrat181 - Arizoned Out Edition Aug 29, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode we’ll finally have a story about mysterious bones in someone’s yard that doesn’t involve Catholic schools, Donald Trump is deeply confused about how the FBI can just "HAVE a David", and we’ll talk about later cheese of the green variety.
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:
https://www.policygenius.com
https://www.betterhelp.com/skepticrat
To check out our sister show, The Scathing Atheist, click here: https://audioboom.com/channel/scathing-atheist
To check out our sister show’s hot friend, God Awful Movies, click here: https://audioboom.com/channel/god-awful-movies
To check out our half-sister show, Citation Needed, click here: http://citationpod.com/
To check out our sister show’s sister show, D and D minus, click here: https://danddminus.libsyn.com/
Headline Sources:
GOP reigning in spending on shitty Senate candidates: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/15/gop-slashes-ads-in-key-senate-battlegrounds-00051969 and https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/26/shifting-strategy-senate-gop-super-pac-cancels-ad-buys-in-arizona-alaska-00053965 and https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/mcconnell-says-republicans-may-not-win-senate-control-citing-candidate-rcna43777Republicans, Once Outraged by Mar-a-Lago Search, Become Quieter as Details Emerge
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/26/us/trump-search-republican-reactions.html
Far right Christian cellphone provider takes over multiple school boards: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/-christian-cell-company-patriot-mobile-took-four-texas-school-boards-rcna44583
Skeleton of an 82-foot-long dinosaur was found in a man's backyard in Portugal. It could be the largest ever found in Europe.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dinosaur-skeleton-backyard-portugal/
NASA still planning on 2025 moon mission: https://phys.org/news/2022-08-nasa-artemis-moon-mission.html
Woman Who Allegedly Took Nancy Pelosi's Laptop On Jan. 6 Gets 'Fair' Break From Arrest https://www.huffpost.com/entry/woman-accused-stealing-nancy-pelosi-laptop_n_62fef15ce4b063894831ab07
Truth Social faces uncertain financial future: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/08/27/trump-truth-social-mar-a-lago-fbi/

180: Skepticrat180 - But His Emails Edition Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode: Heath gets robot spider nightmares ... We look at the only kind of honour that Boris Johnson is familiar with ... AND HEATH GETS ZOMBIE ROBOT SPIDER NIGHTMARES!
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:
https://www.greenchef.com/skepticrat135
https://www.policygenius.com
https://www.betterhelp.com/skepticrat
Headline Sources:
Trump gets raided by the FBI and the GOP has a meltdown: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/08/us/trump-fbi-raid
House passes climate, tax, and health package: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/us/politics/house-climate-tax-bill.html
Vlog Brothers video about the importance of the new climate bill:
https://youtu.be/qw5zzrOpo2s
Boris Johnson’s plan to create large number of new peers comes under fire: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jul/23/boris-johnsons-plan-to-create-large-number-of-new-peers-comes-under-fire
Boris Johnson’s draft resignation honours list includes wife of former Putin minister: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/07/29/boris-johnsons-draft-resignation-honours-list-includes-wife/
Latest CPAC highlights including performance art of a sobbing J6 rioter in a jail cell: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cpac-fake-jail-jan-6-rioter_n_62ed419fe4b0c5501619eace
Literally including a banner that said "WE ARE ALL DOMESTIC TERRORISTS": https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cpac-banner-domestic-terrorists/
Scientists use necrobotic spiders to grip objects: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-use-dead-spiders-to-grip-objects-180980498/
Psychic Uri Geller fires warning to Vladimir Putin about attacking Scotland: https://www.thenational.scot/news/20597816.psychic-uri-geller-fires-warning-vladimir-putin-attacking-scotland/
https://twitter.com/theurigeller/status/1554502442829611008
Uri Geller wants to make his island a micronation: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-62150163

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