Candace Owens Ben Shapiro Controversy Gets Bigger, Jon Stewart SLAMS Democrats, & Today's News
PDS Published 11/11/2025
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A Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley resulted in multiple arrests and a fight breaking out.
Right, Turning Point visited the school as its final stop on its national college tour, so you had tons of students protesting the organization’s presence on campus.
And local news reported that before the event even started, a group of students were arrested for vandalism after they attempted to hang a massive cardboard bug as a form of protest art.
Then, as crowds were gathering, a Charlie Kirk supporter selling Freedom merch and a protester got into a fight and were taken into police custody.[]
According to SF Gate, the fight started when a protester took merch the Kirk supporter was selling and threw it on the ground, and the altercation then became physical, but details on how it got to that point were not clear.
Though photos showed at least the Charlie Kirk supporter with a bloody face.
There were more reported arrests, but the reasons for them were also not clear. []
And other chaotic scenes included footage of smoke in the crowds after someone allegedly threw a smoke bomb, with reporters noting that and a car backfire that sounded like gunshots startled many protestors and prompted them to flee. []
But you also had multiple outlets noting that outside of a few heightened moments, the protests were largely peaceful, and there is plenty of footage of calm moments where students are just holding signs and chanting.[]
Though, according to some accounts, there were chants targeting Charlie Kirk’s death, including one saying:
“Fuck your dead homie.”[]
But for the most part, you just had students telling local reporters that they did not believe that Turning Point’s values belonged at Berkeley, a school known for its progressive and liberal activism.
With one saying:
“We want to make clear that we’re not going to be intimidated and this is not the campus to do this on…Charlie Kirk was not about promoting free speech and open debate. He was about trying to bully and intimidate people into silence and submission."[]
With Kirk obviously coming up a ton because he co-founded Turning Point, so the organization has gotten increased attention after his assassination.
In fact, before Berkeley’s event, the president of the school’s Turning Point chapter told Cal Matters that the chapter has grown since Kirk’s death.
Right, claiming that meetings usually had around 30 people, but this semester’s smallest meeting had 60 people, so double the amount.[]
And over 100 attended a vigil for Kirk.
Kirk was also mentioned a ton by the headline speakers at the event, Christian author Frank Turek and comedian Rob Schneider.
With reports saying they also made frequent jabs at the protesters outside. []
But that is where we are on this one, and I would love to know your thoughts on it.
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The Democratic Party managed to pull itself together for one week, just one week, before totally falling apart again.
With the Senate passing the funding bill last night thanks to the eight Democrats who caved and joined Republicans, teeing up the House to vote on it no sooner than tomorrow. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 00:03 - 00:09] Caption: “The ayes are 60, the nays are 40. The bill as amended is passed.”
And it’s hard to express how much of a letdown this was for so much of the party.
I mean, just last Tuesday, progressives and moderates were united, everyone was excited, some describing it as the most hopeful moment Democrats have had since Kamala Harris took the reigns from Joe Biden last year.
And then, all that energy, all that air … it just deflated. [Play balloon deflating sound effect]
But perhaps the person who’s gonna suffer most is not one of the millions of people whose health insurance premiums are about to spike, but John Stewart, whose brain simply broke last night.
[Clip, 00:56 - 00:59, 01:10 - 01:12, 01:24 - 01:28; Clip, 03:50 - 03:52; Clip, 05:08 - 05:10; Clip, 07:33 - 07:39; Clip, 08:19 - 08:21; Clip, 13:02 - 13:04; Clip, 15:56 - 16:02] Caption: “I can’t fucking believe it. … I can’t fucking believe it. … You can’t fucking believe it. … I cannot fucking believe it! … I can’t fucking believe it. … I cannot fucking believe it. … I can’t fucking believe it!” … *Guttural rage* … *Inarticulate wheezing*
But while there’s broad agreement that the eight Democrats who joined Republicans are chiefly to blame here, Stewart and other late night hosts also took aim at the man they believe let it all happen.
[Clip, 09:40 - 09:52] Caption: [Chuck Schumer:] “We will not give up this fight.” [Seth Meyers:] “But that’s what you’re doing. You’re giving up the fight. You can’t wave a white flag in one hand that says “I give up” while in the other hand waving a smaller white flag that says “until next time.”
[Clip, 03:54 - 04:02] Caption: [Jimmy Kimmel:] “I mean, it is incredible at his age that Chuck Schumer is still able to bend over so far.”
[Clip, 11:46 - 12:07] Caption: [John Stewart:] “Either all eight Senators who voted to capitulate coincidentally are not up for reelection in 2026, or Chuck Schumer worked behind the scenes to give in to the Republicans while still protecting vulnerable Democrats including himself.”
And that point Stewart just made is one that’s been a source of debate; right, it’s basically the old “stupid or evil?” conundrum.
I made my own feelings about this very clear in yesterday’s show, but since then a lot of people have thrown in their two cents.
With for example Representative Ro Khanna telling CBS News: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 00:53 - 01:06] Caption: “This deal would never have happened if he had not blessed it. Don’t take my word for it. Take the word of other Senators saying that they kept Senator Schumer in the loop the whole time.”
As well as the Pod Save America guys expressing similar skepticism.
[Clip, 29:05 - 29:13] Caption: “He voted against the bill, sure, but I think he orchestrated it with Senators he knew were gonna retire, who weren’t up, and I just don’t believe this spin for a second.”
But according to numerous sources who spoke to Axios and CNN, Schumer really was trying to keep the shutdown going behind the scenes.
With them saying that as early as two weeks into the shutdown, a group of moderates was ready to reopen. [Quote, find “two weeks”]
But reportedly Schumer convinced them to hold on until at least November, when open enrollment in the ACA began. [Quote same link, find “big enough”]
Meanwhile, he was strategizing with progressives like Bernie Sanders about how to keep the momentum up in the base to keep fighting. [Quote, find “momentum”]
So arguably the fact he kept it going as long as he did was a feat in itself, and Chris Murphy backs that up, telling CNN:
“Senator Schumer didn’t want this to be the outcome, and pressed hard for it not to end like this. [Quote same link]
Though also adding, “He didn’t succeed. Let’s not sugarcoat that.” [Quote same link]
But others are much more fed up with Schumer’s leadership, with numerous Democratic lawmakers and grassroots organizations calling on him to step down.
Right, we already heard from Ro Khanna, but he’s been joined by several House Democrats and now even some challengers in Senate primaries.
With for example Graham Platner, the Democrat trying to unseat Susan Collins from her Maine seat (and yes, the guy who had the Nazi tattoo scandal), saying: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 00:34 - 00:39, 01:31 - 01:36] Caption: “This happened because Chuck Schumer failed in his job yet again. … Call your Senators and tell them that Chuck Schumer can no longer be leader.”
And then Mallory McMorrow, another Democrat also running for a Maine Senate seat, adding: [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 01:39 - 01:44] Caption: “The old way of doing things is not working. We need new leaders in the Senate.”
And now you’ve got sitting Representative Seth Moulton, who’s running for a Massachusetts Senate seat, giving some blunt-ass answers to CNN’s questions. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 03:26 - 03:34; Clip, 04:15 - 04:28, 05:01 - 05:08] Caption: [Reporter:] “Do you think that Chuck Schumer is in control of the Senate Democratic caucus?” [Seth Moulton:] “No.” … [Reporter:] “Do you think that Chuck Schumer should step aside now and let someone else lead Democrats in the Senate?” [Seth Moulton:] “I think it would be better. I think it would be better than the status quo, and I hear this from Democrats all across Massachusetts.” … [Reporter:] “Is Senator Marcky part of the problem?” [Seth Moulton:] “Well he is as long as he supports Senator Schumer.”
Now fortunately for Schumer, none of the members of his caucus have joined this chorus, but it’s growing.
With a half-dozen Senate Democratic sources telling CNN that frustrations are mounting privately in the chamber that Schumer and his leadership team lacked a long-term plan to secure real concessions from the GOP, and that the party ultimately ended up without a tangible legislative win. [Quote, find “tangible”]
With them adding that there’s growing chatter about what it means for his future after the 2026 midterms and if he chooses to run again in 2028. [Same quote]
But Schumer at least has the support of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, which is notable because Jeffries openly criticized him for refusing to shut down the government in March. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 00:14 - 00:19, 00:23 - 00:32] Caption: “Listen, leader Schumer and Senate Democrats over the last seven weeks have waged a valiant fight. … And I’m not gonna explain what a handful of Senate Democrats have decided to do. That’s their explanation.”
And as for Schumer himself, he’s understandably trying to refocus attention on Trump and Republicans, arguing that even with the shutdown over, they’re gonna own the looming healthcare crisis. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 06:35 - 06:41, 06:49 - 06:59] Caption: “Americans will remember Republican intransigence every time they make a sky-high payment on health insurance. … Healthcare costs had a major impact on the 2025 election, and they will certainly have an even greater impact on the 2026 election.”
And he may be right, because Trump’s approval ratings are in the toilet …
[Clip, 00:32 - 00:33] Caption: [Donald Trump:] “Toilets!”
… And polls show most people blamed Republicans for the shutdown.
But now, Trump’s apparently trying to wrestle back control over the health care narrative by announcing his own very vague, very mysterious health care plan. [Lead B roll into clip]
[Clip, 00:59 - 01:07] Caption: “We want a health care system where we pay the money to the people instead of the insurance companies, and I tell you we’re gonna be working on that very hard over the next short period of time.”
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Families for the dozens of girls who died at Camp Mystic this summer are done waiting for answers - they’re ready for justice.
Right, a little recap if you don’t remember - on July 4th, a catastrophic and deadly flood hit central Texas, killing more than 130 people.
One of the places hit hardest was Camp Mystic - a sleepaway camp for girls along the Guadalupe River.
25 girls and 2 counselors were killed in the flooding and the community has been reeling ever since. []
And the families of those who died are now looking for some accountability - with the operators of Camp Mystic facing 3 separate lawsuits accusing them of negligence and wrongful death.
Right, all 3 were filed in Austin yesterday - with one coming from the families of 5 children and the 2 teenage counselors.
This suit paints the Eastland family - who’ve owned and operated Camp Mystic for generations - as overconfident and completely unprepared for the flooding. []
It adds that the camp’s executive director Dick Eastland wasted precious time after getting the alert for life-threatening flash flooding from the National Weather Service.
Having his crew spend nearly an hour securing the camp’s equipment before evacuating or even checking on campers. []
The warning came in at 1:14 am and, according to the suit, evacuations didn’t start until around 2:30 am.
By that point, they were only able to evacuate 5 of the 11 cabins in the flood zone. []
And that’s after telling many of the campers and counselors to stay in the cabins - even as water was flooding in.
The families are also taking aim at Dick Eastland specifically - who was swept away in his SUV that an unnamed counselor said was full of campers. []
With the suit pushing back against the narrative of the camp’s supporters - that this was a 1,000-year event that no one could have prepared for and that Dick Eastland was a hero who died trying to save these girls.
Instead, they say that Dick was “grossly negligent” for loading children into a vehicle in waist-deep, and then neck-deep, water and then trying to drive. []
Specifically pointing out that driving through flood waters goes directly against the advice of experts including the Upper Guadalupe River Authority.
And Dick should’ve known that because he was serving on the board for the River Authority at the time of his death.
The suit goes on to condemn the camp for their actions after the flooding as well - saying that it wasn’t until the late morning of July 4th that parents were made aware that their daughters were “unaccounted for.” []
In fact, by that point, some of the girls’ bodies were already being found.
But even more than just the day-of, the families are accusing the camp of not having safety plans in place and even housing girls in cabins they knew were flood risks.
Right, back in 2011, FEMA determined that most of Camp Mystic is within a 100-year flood zone - meaning there was a 1 percent chance in any given year that it would be flooded. []
But, according to the suit, the Eastlands successfully challenged the agency’s maps, which would have designated the area of the camp as high-risk.
With the suit reading,
“These young girls died because a for-profit camp put profit over safety.” []
This suit is looking for at least $1 million in damages but it’s not the only one we need to talk about today.
There was also the suit filed by the family of Eloise Peck, another Camp Mystic camper who died in the flood.
With that one alleging that Camp Mystic has known since the 1930s that the cabins they used to house campers, quote, “sat in the bullseye of potential flood waters from the Guadalupe River,"
Adding that since then, they have, quote, "continued to play Russian Roulette with the lives of the little girls." []
And the third suit focused heavily on the alleged prioritization of equipment over the lives of campers but also saying there should have been existing safety plans. []
They should have trained staff and educated campers on what they would need to do in the case of an emergency.
Now, these suits come as Camp Mystic is facing renewed outrage over their announced plans to reopen next summer.
Though, notably, on a nearby site - not the one where nearly 30 people died.
But that little caveat hasn’t eased the anger for these families - especially considering that one of the campers’ bodies is still unaccounted for. []
Even Texas lawmakers were caught off guard with the camp’s decision to reopen - with the Lieutenant Governor saying,
“I was shocked to see Camp Mystic begin signing up campers for next year with so many questions unanswered about what happened that fateful morning.” []
As for their response to these suits, the attorney for the camp has said that they empathize with the families but they disagree with, quote, “several accusations and misinformation” in the legal filings. []
Adding,
“We intend to demonstrate and prove that this sudden surge of floodwaters far exceeded any previous flood in the area by several magnitudes, that it was unexpected and that no adequate warning systems existed in the area.” []
From here, we’re just going to have to wait and see how things play out in court.
But I would love to know your thoughts about this in those comments down below.
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This skincare for kids controversy is crazy.
Right, actress and influencer Shay Mitchell is facing a ton of backlash for her new brand Rini (ree-nee) that sells skincare products for children.
Currently all the items on its site are various face masks, and the listings say they are for kids as young as four.[]
But according to multiple reports, the descriptions previously said they were for kids as young as just three. []
And the marketing is clearly meant to target kids that young, right, images on the website show little kids, essentially toddlers, with the masks on.
Some of the masks are even meant to look like animal faces, including a dog, panda, and unicorn.[]
In a video announcing the line, Shay said that she came up with this because she has two young kids who are always curious and interested when they see her do her skincare routines, but:
“I tried to find her a sheet mask online and the ingredients in these masks are crazy. They actually shouldn’t be used for kids at all. And the same was true of the makeup.” []
With Shay also writing that:[]
“Kids are naturally curious and instead of ignoring that, we can embrace it. With safe, gentle products parents can trust, and sweet moments that bring us closer.”
But the response to this has been overwhelmingly negative, and when Shay announced the brand to her 35 million followers, you had people calling the line “disappointing and dystopian.”[]
With others writing things like:
“Teaching young girls from a very sensitive age that they need things to be and feel prettier like they are NOT ENOUGH is disturbing. DO BETTER.”
“Just because they want to “do what mommy does” doesn’t mean they should.”[]
The Ree-nee brand also has its own social pages now, and the outrage is all over there, too, with people adding:
Now, for her part, Shay did previously say that the brand:
“isn’t about beauty, it’s about self-care. About teaching our kids that taking care of themselves can be fun, gentle, and safe.”[]
But that just is not the message people are getting from this.
You even have dermatologists arguing that, at best, these products are just not necessary.
Right, as for what is actually in these masks, well, they are hypoallergenic, vegan, and fragrance free, and depending on which one you buy it has things like Aloe Vera, Vitamins B12 and E, and more. []
But you had one dermatologist telling the Today Show that kids’ skin is already balanced on its own and “already very healthy and resilient.” []
So while Aloe Vera might be good after sun exposure, all these vitamins are just not needed or really proven to do much, especially when applied topically.
Adding that:
“If we’re already potentially pushing the agenda that kids’ skin needs to be fixed, then we’re potentially highlighting imperfections for kids at a really young age. ... It’s kind of blurring the lines of self-care and promoting this idea that their skin is not already perfect.”
And of course, there are some people who think the backlash is overblown, that it’s no different from letting your kids play with nail polish or a kids’ makeup set.
With some noting that amid the Sephora kids craze, other brands actually did make products similar to these, right, Shay is not the first person to sell kids-focused skincare. []
But I would love to know your thoughts on this, if you fall in the it’s no big deal camp, or if you are more on the concerned side.
Especially if you have kids yourself, if this is something you would ever consider buying for them.
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Trump’s decision to attack alleged drug ships in the Caribbean may have just done irreparable harm to its relationship with America’s closest ally -- the United Kingdom.
That’s because according to reports, the UK decided it wasn’t going to share information about the Caribbean with the US over fears that Trump’s attacks on alleged drug ships were illegal.
This is a big deal because the UK is a major player in the Caribbean when it comes to intel.
But after the US started blowing ships up and killing 76 people so far, the UK became concerned that the intel it provided would lead to preventable deaths.
Especially because there are growing concerns and accusations that at least some of the ships being attacked aren’t drug ships at all.
Not to mention that even if they were drug-smuggling operations, international law doesn’t give the US carte blanche to just blow them up, which has led the UN’s human rights chief Volker Turk to claim they are “extrajudicial killings” and violate international law.
Possibly even more concerning for the US is that these attacks are pushing away more than just the UK.
Now it’s still sharing intel with the US but says that the intel isn’t supposed to be used to attack ships -- although it remains to be seen whether that demand is actually respected.
Either way, all of this shows how the Trump Administration is pushing allies away in order to appear “strong” in the region.
Which ironically is probably doing the opposite.
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The crypto world is returning to its Wild West era after Coinbase -- a crypto exchange platform -- announced that it was going to start selling Initial Coin Offerings on the platform again.
ICOs have been around for a long time, but gained a lot of notoriety between 2017 and 2018 when there was a crazy amount of hype around crypto.
As the name implies, it’s a way to “buy into” a new crypto coin right when it launches… and almost all of them end up being scams.
Right, marketing teams spent more time offering new coins with all kinds of claims over how great they’d be or some new feature they offered… but almost none of that was true.
Instead it was a way to skyrocket the price of different coins until launch day and when the ICO happened they would be sold off; netting a handful of people a crazy amount of money.
ICO scams helped launch the careers of people like Coffeezilla, who investigated the scene; and hurt the careers of Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather, and others who were eventually charged with SEC violations by the Biden administration.
So with the entire space largely considered scam-territory, there are real concerns for how Coinbase will tackle it.
Right, how can they decide which are legit and which are scams?
Well, Coinbase is claiming that the issue with other ICOs is that they had no regulatory standards and they’re going to change that by allegedly requiring certain metrics to be hit.
At the same time, they’re going to develop an algorithm that SOMEHOW knows which users are in it for the longhaul and not there to try and make a quick buck before the rug pull happens.
Part of this will take some time as it identifies users who sell quickly vs. those who hold onto coins.
Probably one of the biggest safeguards Coinbase wants to add is a timer to any sales.
Meaning that after an ICO, buyers and founders of the coin can’t sell anything for at least six months, giving it time to find its footing.[]
(I am not sure how this will actually pan out. In the past other coins claimed to have this only to have developers change it at the very last second).
Those questions are all just the tip of the iceberg, but from here we’ll just be getting into the minutiae that only crypto bros care about.
The first real test will be Monad, which is the first coin they’re offering, and at least based on public perception they have released a lot of information about the back-end of the coin that past IPO’s didn’t.
For everyone else this is another example of the lines between Traditional Finance and the Crypto world blurring.
And for its part Coinbase is at least attempting to present itself as a neutral regulator in a world where the Trump administration has increasingly taken a step back from regulating the crypto market.
Right, it’s dropped multiple lawsuits against crypto people -- including Coinbase itself.
And in Congress the urge to pass things like the Clarity Act, which would introduce official regulations on crypto, has plummeted.
We’ll just have to wait and see what the Trump administration does, because how it reacts will be a real sign for how crazy the crypto world can become again.
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Deadly explosions rocked the capitals of both India and Pakistan in a span of less than twenty-four hours.
And now tensions between the two nuclear-armed powers are at their highest since the conflict between them earlier this year – which was the deadliest flare-up in violence at the border since the full blown war that took place in 1971. []
And that’s actually where we should start – not 1971 but back in April when militants in Indian-administered Kashmir opened fire on a group of tourists and killed 26 people.
Right, India blamed Pakistan, suspended a key water-sharing agreement, expelled the country’s diplomats, and closed the border.
Pakistan responded similarly – suspending a peace treaty, restricting trade, and closing its airspace to Indian airlines.
And all that eventually led to days of clashes between the two countries – which saw both sides carrying out strikes with missiles, drones, artillery and other weapons (BROLL: 0:15-0:18; BROLL: 0:49-0:51).
And while you quickly had a ceasefire taking effect – you also had experts and diplomats warning that the deal was unlikely to lead to long-term peace.
With the Indian government warning at the time that it would treat any future terrorist attack on its soil as an “act of war.”
And that brings us back to this week…
Right, because yesterday evening, in the Indian capital of Delhi, a car blew up and killed at least eight people – injuring more than twenty others and nearly melting several nearby vehicles.
As of recording, no one has taken responsibility for the explosion – and the government has avoided throwing accusations around – but the blast is being investigated as a potential act of terror.
And you’ve had Prime Minister Modi promising to punish the “conspirators” behind the incident – saying they “will not be spared” – and adding:
“All those responsible will be brought to justice.”
And with that, you’ve had at least one major Indian media outlet reporting that authorities have linked the blast to a Pakistan-based terrorist group.
And notably, with that, it was just hours before the blast that the Indian government said it had “busted an interstate and transnational terror module” with ties to that very same group. []
With law enforcement claiming they had made over half-a-dozen arrests, confiscated several weapons, and seized almost 6,000 pounds of material that could be used to make bombs.
And so you’ve had people like the head of the SOAS (So-As) South Asia Institute in London arguing that all this may give India what it needs to take action against Pakistan again – saying:
“There is appetite [for another conflict] despite the qualified success of the previous campaign…” – and adding:
“For a large chunk of the public, that campaign was a resounding success.”
Of course, with all that, it takes two to tango – and on the other side Pakistan is alreakdy blaming India for the attack by a suicide bomber today which killed at least 12 people and injured 27 others.
Right, the attacker appeared to be targeting a courthouse in the capital of Islamabad (Iss-lah-mah-bod) but detonated the explosive outside when they couldn’t get in.
And now, an offshoot of a group known as the Pakistani Taliban, or the TTP, has claimed responsibility.
And the TTP? It’s technically separate from the Taliban in Afghanistan – but it is aligned with that organization.
Also, many of the group’s leaders and fighters are believed to have taken refuge with the one in Afghanistan.
And they want to implement the same strict interpretation of Islamic law in Pakistan.
And actually, on that note, you had the TTP splinter group who took responsibility saying in a statement:
“Judges, lawyers and officials who carried out rulings under Pakistan’s un-Islamic laws were targeted.”
And adding that attacks would keep happening until sharia law is implemented. []
And notably, this just just seems to be the latest sign that the group has become more emboldened since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
In 2023, for example, what is believed to have been a TTP-linked suicide bombing at a mosque in the city of Peshawar (PESH-a-war, war rhymes with car) killed 84 people.
And just yesterday, the group allegedly attempted to take cadets hostage at an army-run college near the border – with Pakistani security forces saying they stopped the attack and killed 20 TTP militants.
And then, today’s attack in Iss-lah-mah-bod? It was the group’s first attack in the capital since 2014 – when militants killed 11 people in an attack on another courthouse.
And so now you have the country’s interior minister saying:
“If the Afghan government does not stop these extremist elements operating from their territory…we will have no choice but to take necessary measures to deal with them.”
So that’s one border we gotta keep an eye on, but you may still be wondering…what does any of this have to do with India?
Well, just like India accuses Pakistan of backing militant groups on its soil, Pakistan accuses India of backing and even directing the TTP and other “proxies.”
And you’ve actually already had the country’s Prime Minister’s Office describing today’s attack as one of the “worst examples of Indian state-sponsored terrorism in the region.” []
Also saying it had ordered an investigation and vowing “to bring those responsible to justice.”
So we’ll have to wait and see what comes from that, what happens with India’s investigation, and what each side ultimately decides to do about it.
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